Computers I

Mmmm...donuts.

Class syllabus | Gradebook.

Current Projects

This series is an excellent introduction to Excel 2010.

• Open your H: (shared) drive, and create a folder called "[Last] Excel Basic Practice." (Replace "[Last]" with your last name.) To create a folder, press "New Folder" in the top bar or press ctrl+shift+n.
• Click the link above, and go over the first 6 tutorials.
• Some tutorials have a spreadsheet at the end to download and modify. Download them as you go, and complete the instructions to practice what you have learned.
• As you finish each, save the spreadsheet to the folder you created. Name the files "Practice [#]" replacing "[#]" with the number of the tutorial.

Previous Projects

Résumé Building

Slideshow here.

During this exercise you'll create (or clean up/update) your résumé. We'll use Google Docs for the heavy lifting, and apply some of what we learned from the pretty syllabus exercise. You'll need this document, so open it and make a copy to your Drive. Fill in the blanks as thoroughly as possible—dates and addresses are very helpful. Your school's address is 1202 W Easton St. Tulsa, OK 74127.

After filling out the form with your information, look over the templates available from Google. Most are terrible for reasons we have discussed, but there are a few that can be polished nicely. Once you've chosen one, begin moving your information from the form to the template, making sure to keep an eye on formatting. A review of the formatting rules:

• Two fonts are more than enough.
• The same information (titles, addresses, descriptions) get the same formatting.
• Handwritten/script, gothic/blackletter, and decorative fonts have their place. This is not it, unless you created it yourself or are Johannes Gutenberg.

Once you are satisfied that your résumé is complete, share the file (blue button in Docs) with the person you share a desk with. They should check for the layout rules above, as well as misspellings and missing information. Use the "Suggesting" option in Docs for this. Once they are finished, they should add their name to the footer and let you know they have finished.

Share it with me when both of you are satisfied with your résumés.

MLA Citation Tutorial

Today you will create a tutorial for the new MLA format released this summer. There are a few changes to keep in mind as we learn the new format, and OWL at Purdue has an excellent overview.

1. Open a new Word document and create a 2 x 9 table.
2. Insert each core element into its own row in the first column, then provide an explanation for that element in the right column adjacent. Don't forget to include the punctuation necessary.
3. Include an example (or two) for each element.
4. Below the table, write a proper citation of Millie Bobby Brown's performance in episode 2 of Stranger Things. This will place her in the first element: author (as she is the creator of her performance). Include the director and writer in the fourth element slot.
5. Email the document to me.

Inkscape Intro

We are going to switch tracks a bit today and start learning Inkscape, a program that will help you create vector images, which are made up of nodes and rendered mathematically. In contrast, programs like Photoshop, GIMP, and MS Paint create raster images, which are made up of pixels. Here's an illustration of the difference:

File:Bitmap VS SVG.svg

Most of the images we see on the web are raster images (like .png, .bmp, .jpg, etc.) because they were easy to render on early monitors, and easily represent lots of detail and gradient colors, like photographs and some artwork. Vector images, however, are becoming more widely used when scaling is important and detail is essential. They are used in many video games and for professional publishing and screen printing. It is also possible to control them through simple coding, so we will be using them later when you code your own video games in Computers II.

Assignment: Create a Vector Doughnut

Here is a tutorial for creating an adorable doughnut. Open Inkscape on your computer, (File:Inkscape Logo.svg) then follow along with the tutorial below. If you do not have headphones, use the closed captioning. This is partly a test of your resilience and problem-solving skills, so if you get stuck, ask a neighbor or Google for an answer.

I can't wait to see what you make! We will wrap up your work on Monday, but if you knock it out early, try to make your doughnut look disgusting, radioactive, or give it a face!

Document Formatting

Make the syllabus look professional, in both Drive and Word.

1. In Drive, open your "ugly" syllabus from yesterday.
2. Press ctrl + a to select everything, then use to erase the format of your twisted creation!
3. That won't clear up the text arrangement, though, so you'll need to do those by hand
4. ...
5. Or, you can use the Revision History feature to turn back your edits to the beginning.
   1. Click File, then See revision history.
   2. Choose Show more detailed revisions in the bottom right, then choose the earliest revision and click Restore this revision.
6. Once the file is restored to its less-ugly state, download the file to Word. (File -> Download as... -> Microsoft Word)
7. Open the file in Word.
8. Read over the document, cleaning up any errors in grammar and punctuation.

Apply Style Format

1. Click Change Style in the Home ribbon. Select Style set, then Default (Black and White).
2. Select the title, then click Title in the style window.
3. Select each main heading and select Heading 1 in the style window after each.
4. Select each subheading in the document, then select Heading 2 in the style window after each.
5. Select the bullet lists, then select the bullet icon in the Home ribbon.
6. Select the numbered lists, then select the numbered list icon in the Home ribbon.
7. Select the regular paragraphs, then select Normal in the style window.

Change Style Format

1. Select the title, then apply a new font (and size if you'd like). Remember, your heading and title font should be heavier than your body font, readable, and is often (but not always) serif. Here is a list of respectable system fonts.
2. Highlight the title, right-click Title in the style window, then select Update Title to Match Selection. By doing this, you are changing the style entry for Titles. Any new title you put in the document will have the same style.
3. Select one heading and change the font to match the title. Again, right-click Heading 1 in the style window, then Update Heading 1 to Match Selection. Watch as all of your headings change to match!
4. Repeat the process with Heading 2.
5. Select a Normal paragraph, then select a font that works well with your header font. It should be lighter, and, above all, readable. Finding guides to match common Windows fonts is difficult, but eere is a great tool to help!
6. Change the Normal style in the style window as above, and you're done!
7. Save to your H: drive, then email to me.

MLA Formatting

• Type/Font: Highlight everything, make 12pt Times New Roman.
• Line Spacing: Highlight everything, make double spaced. Remove spaces before and after paragraphs, if needed.
• Margins: 1" all around.
• Header: Align your last name and page number to the right. Make sure the font is also 12pt Times New Roman.
• Heading: Your full name, teacher's name, class name, and date—all on separate lines.
• Title: 12pt Times New Roman—don't bold or italicize it. Center on page.
• Paragraphs: Indent each 1/2".

Make the Syllabus UGLY

Learn about Google Drive login, navigation, document creation, and sharing.

• Copy this file to your own Google Drive by pressing File, then Make a Copy. This creates your own version, independent of mine and your peers'.
• Play with font size, typefaces, color, highlighting, drawing, etc.
• Share the file with me:
  • Click Share in upper right
  • Enter my email, then press send!

Copy/Paste

Learn to copy (ctrl+c), cut (ctrl+x), paste (ctrl+v), and paste without formatting (ctrl+shift+v). Find an awesome thing online and email it to me in a proper hyperlink:

1. Navigate to the website, copy the URL
2. Open Gmail in another tab, put my email address in the To: box
3. Type a subject alerting me to the amazing thing
4. Type "Link" in the body
5. Highlight "Link," then press ctrl+k
6. Paste the URL into the box, then press enter
7. Send the email

Better Gmail Names

If your email name is not your name:

1. On your computer, open [gmail.com Gmail]. You can't change your username from the Gmail app.
2. In the top right, click Settings.
3. Click the Accounts and Import tab.
4. In the "Send mail as" section, click edit info.
5. Add the name you want to show when you send messages.
6. At the bottom, click Save Changes.