IMPORTANT information regarding tonight's class!

Students: 

Please be advised that your class session is cancelled due to inclement weather.  I will be in the classroom at 6 p.m. for those students who have already arrived on campus.  You will receive on-line class material to be completed by Thursday asynchronously under the Content area of ecampus.  Our class session today, Tuesday, is therefore considered asynchronous, which means "not occurring at the same time" or "lack of concurrence; absence of synchronism."  In other words, we are all completing the requirements of the class session, but not necessarily together in the same room at the same time.

Another term used to describe this kind of class session enabled by computer technology is ubiquitous, "being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time."  These are terms that every information technologist should be familiar with.  Many colleges and universities, and now some high schools, are requiring all students to take at least one course that is completely online, utilizing asynchronous (utilizing drop boxes and email through an extranet system such as ecampus, as we are doing) and synchronous (utilizing chat rooms on an extranet system such as ecampus) because the accessibility to computers provides a ubiquitous environment for learning. 

In our IT program, we have a few courses designated as hybrid, this means that some classes (usually from 40 to 50%) are online, while the other class sessions require a physical meeting.  You will find the hybrid system in IT 450.  In IT 102, we will hold an online session approximately two times during the semester.  If there is inclement weather, rather than canceling the class, we will hold the class online.  If you are already in the building please join us briefly at 6 to go over the instructions in person, if you are not here PLEASE be safe and stay home, and look for further information to come via both email and in the drop box section of ecampus.

 

Let me know if you have any questions!  I will be monitoring email at least till 6:30.  Exam #2 will not be held until at least next tuesday night the 19th and much further detail will be given in our next meeting on Thursday night.  I had hoped to have the calander many of you asked for updated by tonight, will see if I can get that out but it will much more likely be tomorrow.

 

Sam

The Ultimate Steal

In case you weren't aware of it, as students of Monmouth U you are eligble to buy and use the complete Microsoft Office Ultimate for just under $60 plus tax and maybe shipping.

 

Details are here:

http://www.theultimatesteal.com/home.asp

 

Eligibility rules here:

http://www.theultimatesteal.com/eligibility2.asp

 

Deal Discussion can be found here:

http://forums.gottadeal.com/showthread.php?t=82415

 

You can even download it and use it 25 times before you have to buy it.

 

 

Did you know the TSA is blogging now?

It's true!

 

http://www.tsa.gov/blog/

 

I still think their policies are ridiculously stupid, but at least they've joined the conversation...

 

Sam

Sam, Casegrader and Exam #1

The SAM institution code changed between semesters and I didnt update it for our class notes.  The new code is:  V7247944

 

To buy Casegrader seperately if you didnt buy the whole pack together:

"Students who do not yet have a SAM and CaseGrader keycodes will be able to purchase them both using Course Technology's online bookstore. Please note that this is a different ISBN for SAM than originally provided to us by Course Technology. 
Students will go to www.coursedirect.com
To order an electronic keycode (which will be emailed to them) for SAM 2007 enter ISBN 1423913477. Be sure they have a credit card and they must use a valid email address.
To order CaseGrader for Office 2007, they will use the same ISBN that is packaged with the IT 100 books, which is 1423998561. This will not be emailed to them since this is not yet set up this way. The will receive the keycode in the mail within a few days from when they order it.  Please remind students who have used books to go to www.coursedirect.com, have a credit card and order CaseGrader, using ISBN 1423998561. "

 

When using CaseGrader, please remember our policy on Academic Honesty.  This software easily detects dishonesty and it will save much time and effort by keeping this in mind.

Regarding the 6 exams this semester...  Maureen has already sent out an update to you regarding what is and what is not required reading.  There is no way that I or any other MU professor would ask you to read 200 pages in 3 nights, and I'm kind of disappointed that the many ways I had set up for you to contact me if you had any pressing questions that needed fast responses were not followed.  Be that as it may, you should now know what is required reading and I stress that the 4 sets of lecture notes that you have had available since day one of this class are the best study guide for exam #1.  As noted, due to the flexible nature of IT 102 we do not put exact dates on any class to be tied to the syllabus, and the syllabus explicitly does not call out dates for exams to happen.  We have had 3 weeks of discussion of the topics for exam #1 so it should be little surprise that the exam on this material was coming up and I would expect that a confirmation for this date earlier this week should have been sufficient warning. 

Exams 1-3 are written exams, all are short answer.  There are no true/false questions or fill in the blanks.  For exam 1 you should be able to intelligently discuss the parts of a computer and describe the differences between hardware and software, noting the many different roles each plays.

If you have any further questions which need immediate answer, please feel free to reply to my gmail account (sposten@gmail.com), my work email (samuel.posten@l-3com.com) or call my cell phone at 908 461 7181.  Again because I work on an army base it is not always possible for me to get to the posten@monmouth.edu address during the day so I have tried to make it crystal clear that the other contacts are your best bet to get any questions you have answered as soon as I see them. 

Sam

Casegrader and Ecampus and Exam 1

To answer some of your questions:

 

YES,  You do need to buy the Casegrader login code.

 

YES,  You do need to take Quiz 1 immediately on Ecampus.  This needs to be completed by Thursday night's beginning of class

 

NO, You do not need to take Quizzes 2 or 3 until after we go to the library as a class.  I am working to get that class date for you.

 

YES,  Exam #1 will be thursday night and will cover all of the classes up to and including tonight, and all four of the live lecture notes on the classes home page.

 

NO, you do not need to bring ALL of the books to every class.  You do need to bring the right book to each class tho!  You should have a pretty good idea which subject we are covering each class based on the syllabus.

 

Let me know if you have further questions, otherwise see you in class.

Fwd: SAM

Purchasing SAM codes

Students who do not yet have a SAM and CaseGrader keycodes will be able to purchase them both using Course Technology's online bookstore. Please note that this is a different ISBN for SAM than originally provided to us by Course Technology.  

Students will go to www.coursedirect.com

To order an electronic keycode (which will be emailed to them) for SAM 2007 enter ISBN 1423913477. Be sure they have a credit card and they must use a valid email address.

To order CaseGrader for Office 2007, they will use the same ISBN that is packaged with the IT 100 books, which is 1423998561. This will not be emailed to them since this is not yet set up this way. The will receive the keycode in the mail within a few days from when they order it.

---

I would like to clarify and expand upon the communication I have received from Course Technology in regard to purchasing separate SAM codes for students who have purchased used books this semester. 

If your students ordered SAM online prior to Monday night when I delivered to you the new ISBN, the code will be sent via snailmail.

If, on the other hand, the student ordered online by entering a new ISBN, 1423913477, the student should receive the code immediately via email.  However, I have just received the following information from Mary Jo Prinaris:

"There was a glitch in the system and I was told it was fixed yesterday evening. If they don't get them in their email box by this afternoon, let me know." 

In summary, please be sure that your students have entered the correct ISBN when ordering.  If there is any student who ordered yesterday, but still has not received the code, please let me know. I would prefer you allow the student to initiate this conversation rather than pursuing this information.  We want to be certain that the student did, in fact, place the order.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Feb 1, 2008 9:09 AM
Subject: SAM
To: sposten@gmail.com

Professor Posten,

Could you please send me the link to purchase SAM. Thank you.

Recap on the Weekly articles

For thursday (and every thursday after that!) you need to find and read an article related to Information Technology, and write up 2 paragraphs.  1 paragraph telling me what the article concludes and 1 article telling me if you agree with the conclusions and/or if the subject matter affects you or if you are interested in it or excited to try it out etc.  Pop that into MS word, include a link to the article, and put it in the dropbox.

 

This thursday the topic is your choice, needs to be a LEGIT article, not about stocks or things like that that are business related, but how InfoTech is being used in a field you are interested in.

 

The DropBoxes will be ready in about 5 mins

Second week of IT 102-50

Hello again IT 102-50 students.  I trust that you had an interesting week with Professor Reynolds and enjoyed his PowerPoint instructions.  Many of you did not submit either of the two drop box assignments he gave you, I must caution you that not doing this work is the easiest way to drop two whole letter grades, as the class participation is worth 20% of your grade, so even if you get 100% on all tests that drops you down to a 80% if you don't do the work!

 

Tonight we will reorganize a bit and dig deep into some of the fundamentals of computer literacy.  Please be sure to bring your REQUIRED USB key drive, iPod or other storage device to all classes.  If you havent purchased one yet let me know what your budget is and I can make some recommendations.  You can get one for under $10!  Also make sure you bring your syllabus, name placard (if these were handed out) and a printed copy of your Power Point presentation.

 

Make sure you have the following bookmarked:

www.engadget.com

slashdot.org

www.digg.com

www.wired.com

infotechbuzz.blogspot.com

zorak.monmouth.edu/~posten

ecampus.monmouth.edu

www.gizmodo.com

www.techmeme.com

 

The question you should be thinking about when you enter class tonight is this:  "What is a computer".  I know what your BOOK says it is, what do YOU think of a computer as being and doing? 

 

Start thinking about what you hope to learn from this class!  We have a wide variety of experience with Computers every semester, and it is my goal to help ALL of you grow and be ready for more in the IT minor program should you choose to continue down that route.  Other than this being a required class, why do you want to learn more about computers, what do you currently use computers for, and what is stopping you from learning how to better use computers in all of the other things you are REALLY interested in studying?

 

Let me know if you have any questions!

Sam

 

Also:  Thanks to Professor Reynolds!  I hated missing the first week of class but it was unavoidable and I sincerly appreciate his assistance!

Welcome IT 102-50 Students!

Looking forward to seeing you all in class.  We'll have a bit of an interesting start to the semester, more details on that when you get to the first class session!

 

Please be sure to check the class blog frequently at http://infotechbuzz.blogspot.com/

 

Also be sure to log in to see the details at:  http://ecampus.monmouth.edu

 

My email should you need to get me fastest is: sposten@gmail.com

You can also send it to posten@monmouth.edu

 

I look forward to talking to you all soon!

 

Sam

 

 

FW: ITADJUNCTS: Library Post-test

Please answer all of the following questions and send the results to posten@monmouth.edu

 

Thank you

 

Sam

 

 

 

1.       Which of the following will help you find books in the Monmouth University Library?

a.     The Interlibrary Loan Service

b.     The Research Databases of the Library

c.     The Library Catalog

d.     The Google Search Engine

 

2.      What research tool should you use to get an authoritative and reliable overview of a topic that you knew very little about?

a.     Wikipedia

b.     An encyclopedia

c.     A newspaper

d.     A popular magazine

 

3.      In the APA citation below, what is the title of the journal?

Nicholls, R. (2007). Postcards from the Past: Pressing questions and a persistent vitality.  American Scholar, 76(1), 34-37.  Retrieved Thursday, May 3, 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database.

a.      Nicholls, R.

b.     Academic Search Premier

c.     American Scholar

d.     Postcards from the Past

 

4.      Which of the following statements is TRUE?

a.     Most full-text journal articles in the Library Research Databases are also freely available to anyone who searches on the Internet.

b.     You can find articles from scholarly journals in the Library’s Research Databases

c.     Google search engine is the best tool to search for journal articles

d.     You cannot search the Library’s Research Databases from home

 

5.      Which of the following statements is TRUE about scholarly journals?

a.     They contain colorful, glossy pages and typically accept commercial advertising

b.     They are mainly for laymen and non-professionals to read

c.     They have plain pages, minimal graphics, and detailed references

d.     They contain glossy photos but not charts or tables

 

6.      Journal Locator is used to:

a.     Find a reference book

b.     Find initial topics in your research

c.     Find a government document

d.     Find print and online journals the library subscribes to

 

7.      Interlibrary Loan is a system for Monmouth University students to:

a.     Purchase books and journals

b.     Borrow books owned by the Monmouth University Library

c.     Borrow books and journal articles that are NOT owned by the University Library

d.     Travel to area libraries and check books out of them

 

8.      What are the key concepts of the following statement: “Discuss how the breakup of the Soviet Union has impacted U.S. foreign policy”?

a.     Breakup, “United States’ foreign policy”, “Soviet Union”

b.     “Soviet Union”, “United States”

c.     “United States’ policy”, ”Soviet Union’s foreign policy”

d.     Breakup, “United States’ foreign policy”

 

9.      Which of the following would be the best tool to use to obtain journal articles for your selected topic?

a.     The online library catalog

b.     A research database (e.g. Academic Search Premier)

c.     An encyclopedia

d.     Google Scholar

 

10.  You are writing a paper on capital punishment as a deterrent to crime.  What are the best keyword strategies for your search?

a.     “capital punishment” OR crime

b.     Deterrent AND crime

c.     “capital punishment” AND crime

d.     Prison AND crime

 

11.  What is the easiest way to find out if the Library has the 1998 issues of Journal of Communication?

a.     Search the Library’s periodical stacks

b.     Search the Journal Locator

c.     Search Google Scholar

d.     Search NoodleTools

 

12.  In order to locate a library book on the shelf, you will need:

a.     The call number

b.     The location

c.     The status

d.     Answers a, b, and c

 

13.  You are writing a research paper and you read an article on your topic.  In which of the following instances would you cite the material as a footnote/reference in your paper?

a.     When you write an idea from the article in your own words

b.     When you quote from the article, using quotation marks

c.     If you have not used anything from the article

d.     Answers a and b

 

14.  What are services provided by the Library?

a.     You can access the Library resources via your eCampus courses

b.     You can borrow a laptop computer at the Circulation Desk

c.     You can IM a librarian at any time of the day

d.     You  have wireless Internet access

e.     Answers a, b, and d

15.  You are writing a report on automobile safety and tires.  You have found several sources.  Which would be the most trustworthy because of the likelihood of having objective information?

a.     Survey from a tire manufacturer

b.     Article in a consumer advocate magazine

c.     Information from a car manufacturer’s website

d.     Article in a women’s magazine

DISCLAIMER:
E-mail Confidentiality/Proprietary Notice: The information contained in this transmission may be proprietary and subject to protection under the law. The message is intended for the sole use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use, distribution or copying of the message is strictly prohibited. If you received this transmission in error, please contact the sender immediately by replying to this e-mail and delete the material from any computer. Thank you.

Introducing Knols

Google introduced their competitor to Wikipedia today, "Knols" which are units of knowledge.  Interesting concept and different philosophy than what Wiki tries to do.

 

Rough Type has the best insight on it so far:

http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2007/12/google_knol_tak.php

NEW - Drop box assignment due today

_______________________________________________
itadjuncts mailing list
itadjuncts@monmouth.edu
http://mail.monmouth.edu/mailman/listinfo/itadjuncts

<<ATT172174.txt>>
https://monmouth.desire2learn.com/d2l/tools/dropbox/dropboxPickup/pickupFolderContents.asp?ou=33002&db=290078

I know this is similar question to the drop box assignment zero where I asked you to list out your technology experience and expectations, but the School has asked us to be a bit more specific in asking:  Did you take a technology course in high school?  Answer yes or no.  Do

not include personal typing courses.  If so, what was the content of
this course? 

Please upload the answer to this question on ecampus at the drop box listed above. If at all possible please answer this question today, if you can. 

Thank you so very much.

Sam and the IT dept.

DISCLAIMER:
E-mail Confidentiality/Proprietary Notice: The information contained in this transmission may be proprietary and subject to protection under the law. The message is intended for the sole use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use, distribution or copying of the message is strictly prohibited. If you received this transmission in error, please contact the sender immediately by replying to this e-mail and delete the material from any computer. Thank you.

Access Practice Test enclosed, meet at Library tonight

OK, the access practice test is enclosed.  To do the practice test tho you need to have read our book's chapters about creating table relationships.  In the past we did all this by creating simple queries but now MS has moved this into it's own relationships tabs.  Perhaps you can still do it by just making queries but it's best for us to follow the recommended route.

 

If the book's way of doing things didnt work so well for you, try the tutorial on the CDs I gave you.  There are also the official MS web pages that describe the process here:

 

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access/CH100645681033.aspx

and

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access/CH100645771033.aspx

 

Give the sample test a shot.  Our actual exam that we will take on Thursday uses a VERY simple table relationship and I'll be pretty flexible about helping you make this work since we won't have actually done it live in class.  But you need to try this and see how it works before attempting it on the test.  Complete the pretest by tomorrow night at the latest so that if you have any questions you can contact me long before we are set to take the test on Thursday.

 

ALSO!  Tonight we are meeting DIRECTLY at the library.  DO NOT GO TO OUR REGULAR MEETING ROOM.  Meet in the library lobby at 5:55.

 

See you there tonight.

Sam

Asynchronous/Virtual class!

We have something special planned for Tuesday night, a class that will be conducted virtually!

 

First, read the class lecture notes at:

http://zorak.monmouth.edu/~posten/homepc.ppt

 

Then tomorrow night you can log in to http://ecampus.monmouth.edu and join the chat room for our IT 102-50 section to discuss issues regarding what you need to think about when budgeting for a home computer.  A log of the conversation will be mailed out as well for an 'asynchronous' learning experience.  You can log in from a home computer, one in the dorms, or actually go to our classroom. 

 

Once the lecture and discussion session are complete, your homework assignment will be to design and budget a 'dream' home computer system.  If unlimited funds were available what kind of computer would you build and why?  Would you want something simple just to email, surf the web and do reports on?  Or would you want a killer audio/video powerhouse that could play all the latest games at their best quality?  Maybe you would want a monster video and audio editing system where you could do photography and make movies.  Or will you go for something simple and elegant with moderate power like an Apple iMac or Dell's new Dell ONE?

 

You will gather a list of all the features and create a powerpoint presentation showing what your system can and can't do and an excel spreadsheet that details ALL of the costs it would take to acquire such a system.  Dont forget printers, LCDs, peripherals and software, also tax shipping and other hidden costs.  Together this should be a 3-4 page presentation and a single excel spreadsheet, and should be ready to show the rest of the class on Thursday night.

 

Let me know if you have any questions, I'll see you (virtually!) tomorrow night.

 

Sam

Is email dead?

Slate thinks so:

http://slate.com/id/2177969/pagenum/all/#page_start

Thomas Hawk agrees:

http://thomashawk.com/2007/11/email-1961-2007-rip-thank-god.html

 

 

You Tube HD?  Yes please.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/11/15/youtube-hd-coming-soon/

 

Colussus:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7094881.stm

 

Hacker of the year arrested:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/security/police-swoop-on-hacker-of-the-year/2007/11/15/1194766821481.html