Since my inaugural blog post for IS101-3205, Spring 2025, we have completed the first portion of Phase 1 (Online & Computing Essentials) where students (a) set up the foundations for their success, (b) acclimated to LabSim and discussions in Canvas, and (c) demonstrated their work ethics.
A2 Blog Posts, Articles, Videos, Comments was launched to give students a forum to demonstrate their professionalism, build rapport with their classmates, and leave a digital footprint of their IS101 journey on the World Wide Web.
I kicked off the second portion of Phase 1 (Microsoft Word) with my first lecture: L1 Hardware, Troubleshooting, End-User Cyber Security. The following week, a trio of students lead their classmates in A3 Slideshow Presentation.
Paulina showcased her desire to be a future tourist to Pompeii: A City Frozen In Time. What painted a smile to my face was her initiative to use the artificial intelligence ChatGPT to generate a clip art of herself as an upcoming tourist in Pompeii after I polished her draft slideshow. Though all three from the first group of student presenters will receive bonus credit, the very first one always stands out for me.
Yahir educated us on his passion for riding off-road in Off-Highway Vehicles. The young man brought a sense of professionalism with an OHV Injuries & Deaths 2021 Report from Consumer Product Safety Commission. Despite arriving late and missing Bonus Quiz 3, the quick-witted OHV rider worked Granny Daisy Moses, who made an appearance in BQ3, into his Q & A session after the presentation.
Christian shared the significance which (movie) The Butterfly Effect had on him. I found polishing his draft slideshow the easiest because of his clear and logical organization of his slideshow. I love his closing: "If given this ability and knowing the cause and effects, would you still go back to change your future?"
Click on the image for a larger/clearer view
Click on an image for a larger/clearer view
Looking back in the first month IS101-3025, Spring 2025, these are the student distinctions:
Paulina was the first reached 100% on Bonus Quiz 1 - Syllabus before the semester officially began. Fifteen classmates joined Paulina in reaching 100%: Noel, Katelyn, Yahir, Geraldine (Getty), Jorge, Skyla (Sky), Angela, Chandler Donovan, Dilanga, Isabel, Christian, Arthur, Jericho, Bezhan, and Ashlyn.
Angela alone earned the highest score on Bonus Quiz 2 - Self-Reliance and Self-Responsibility.
Chandler Donovan alone earned the highest score on Bonus Quiz 3 - File E. & A. and Special Characters in File Name.
Chandler Donovan repeated the same feat on Bonus Quiz 4 - Display, Shift/Ctrl, Boot-up, Binary, IPOS Life Cycle.
Several students have not only kept up with the semester timetable in Canvas, but worked ahead in their coursework in LabSim. Two students stood out from this elite group. Noel slowly and consistently worked ahead since the semester began. At the time of this blog post, Isabel overtook Noel by a hair.
Looking ahead to the second portion of Phase 1, students will focus on Chapter 4 Microsoft Word, which is longer than the first three chapters. Typical expressions from past students are "I didn't know Microsoft Word can do this" and "I didn't know this is how to do this feature properly".
Often, some students realized this long before Chapter 4. One student learned to use the Alt-Tab shortcut keys to quickly toggle between different windows instead of always minimizing and restoring/maximizing windows. Another mentioned learning to use right-alignment instead of simply adding spaces or tabs to move the text to the right side. I hope students will not only take note but practice and adopt the proper/better way of doing things.
Reflecting a bell curve, majority of the students are keeping up with their coursework. Some have fallen behind while some are working ahead. I hope those who are behind will be able to graduate from crawling to walking then run with Isabel and Noel toward the upcoming MO-110 Word certification exam that will mark the end of Phase 1.
Students,
Please share your thoughts on these four questions in your comment:
(1) How well or not well do you think you have done in IS101-3205, Spring 2025?
(2) What would you do differently going forward?
(4) Anything else you would like to share with the world?
%20Main%20Image.png)
%20Lecture%201%20(Albert%20Wu).png)
%20Pompeii%20A%20City%20Frozen%20In%20Time%20(Paulina%20Torres).png)
%20Off-Highway%20Vehicle%20(Yahir%20Barrientos).png)
%20The%20Butterfly%20Effect%20(Christian%20Mena).png)
So far, I believe I am doing well, but there is room for improvement, especially in my grammar and punctuation when it comes to discussions and email assignments. Another thing I would like to improve on would be my bonus quizzes. I know I can do better if I fully diagnose the reviews and questions on the quizzes.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would do differently going forward would be to study properly for bonus quizzes and practice my grammar and punctuation. One new thing that works for me is to continuously stay on top of my LabSims by completing most or all assignments of that week early on instead of one day before or on the day it's due.
The way I am prepping myself for the MO-110 Word certification exam is to do the required LabSim assignments listed in week 6 modules. Upon working on these assignments, whichever assignment course I have the most trouble with or that takes most of my time, I will redo them till I have adequately understood them.
I felt crazy busy in phase one and a little overwhelmed, but now I feel like I can somewhat manage my time for this class if I do not fall behind and tackle the easy assignments like Labsim early enough to give other assignments more of my time if they are time-consuming. I would also like to thank Professor Wu for increasing my digital literacy. There is so much I learned in this small amount of time attending this course, and I can’t wait to see how my digital literacy is by the time I complete this course.
So far, I think I've done pretty well in IS101-3205, Spring 2025. Although there have been some challenges, I’ve been able to keep up with the lessons and assignments, and I’ve noticed improvements in my digital skills. I feel more comfortable navigating the course material as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteGoing forward, I plan to work on my time management to make sure I don’t fall behind, especially during busier weeks. If I fall behind on lab simulations, I’ll try my best to catch up, but I also make sure to stay on top of everything else so I don’t get too far off track.
To prepare for the upcoming MO-110 Word certification exam, I’ve been reviewing key features in Word, like formatting, document setup, and creating tables. I’m also going over the practice exercises and ensuring I understand all the exam objectives so I can feel confident when it’s time to take it.
Overall, it’s been a great experience so far. I’ve learned so many new skills, and I look forward to continuing to improve and gaining even more knowledge as the course progresses!
So far I think I have done decently well in the course. I fell a little behind from dealing with a health issue but I am determined to do all that's needed to catch up!
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm going to do differently is try harder to get ahead in the class so if I miss day or two or something comes up that it won't set me back and I'll have some room to breathe.
I am trying to prepare for the exam by finishing what's needed before I'm able to take it so I'm where I need to be.
I don't have much else to add except that I will be putting all my efforts into the class and keeping on top of what I need to be doing and my grade!
Hi Professor Wu,
ReplyDeleteI think that I have done well with my progress in IS101. I definitely think that I have some opportunities for improvement... like the bonuses quizzes. First step to being successful for the next set of bonus quizzes is being preset for the lecture about the internet that you are currently presenting :)
I already took the MO-110 Word Certification exam and I think I did well. To prepare for this exam, I made sure that all work was completed on LabSims. I also worked on the live projects until is reached 100% on each. During the practice tests, I noticed that some of the tasks that I complete dud not fully register as full credit. I did a simple Google search to see if I could familiarize myself with a different way of completing the same task, which I think was helpful.
I am glad that I earned my Word certification and I am looking forward to earn my certification for Excel and PowerPoint as well!
I think I’m doing well in this course so far. I’m keeping up with assignments and ensuring that my LabSim tasks are completed with a 100% score. I want to maintain this momentum as I progress through the next phases of IS101.
ReplyDeleteI’d like to complete my assignments early whenever possible. When I do, I feel less stressed and pressured. It’s all about improving my time management and making sacrifices by prioritizing my schoolwork.
I prepared taking the MO-110 Word certification exam by reviewing lessons where I didn’t fully grasp the concepts or missed certain tasks in LabSim. Getting a good night’s rest and enjoying a good cup of coffee beforehand also helped.
To the world, I’d like to say that I need more coffee!
(1) How well or not well do you think you have done in IS101-3205, Spring 2025?
ReplyDeleteI think I’ve done pretty well! There were definitely some tricky moments, but I put in the effort and learned a lot along the way.
(2) What would you do differently going forward?
I’d probably start preparing for assignments and exams a little earlier instead of waiting until the last minute. Also, asking more questions and engaging more with classmates could have made things even smoother.
(3) How are you preparing for the upcoming MO-110 Word certification exam?
I actually already took it! My prep method was simple, I tested out everything on my own at home, exploring all the features hands-on. And thankfully, it worked out in the end!
(4) Anything else you would like to share with the world?
Hard work and hands-on practice really pay off! Also, don’t be afraid to experiment and learn by doing, it makes a huge difference. ^-^
1. I've managed to stay afloat, maybe not as gracefully as I would like, but I can proudly say that I am retaining the information I'm learning and using it effectively.
ReplyDelete2. I'm trying to learn the art of balance when it comes to having to put more on your plate. It's definitely a "canon event" for many people when they start entering their first years of adulthood. However, I am currently starting slow by using a day off that I have to focus on workload for the whole week.
3. Thankfully, I have already taken my MO-110 exam (as I have written this comment after the exam), and I can say that I passed! I think my methods were just writing notes of where I was messing up and tweak my executions a bit better.
4. I just did an ancestry test and my results came out that I am 97% indigenous, which is a considerably large percentage because I heard that people who derive from Latin American countries have a more diverse pool of genetics! Crazy isn't it?
1. I've been trying to stay on top of my assignments. There are days when I fall behind but I seem to find a way to catchup. I think I'm doing better than what I expected from myself in this class.
ReplyDelete2. What I would do differently going forward would be to balance LabSim and discussions. I have difficulty balancing these two, because I tend to focus more on LabSim.
3. As far as preparing for the the MO-110 certification exam, I plan on gaining knowledge by continuing to do LabSim and practicing the topics that I don't feel confident at.
4. I have finished my online classes this semester, so I can focus all my efforts into my in person classes which is IS 101 and MGT 201.
Honestly, I feel like I am doing a lot better than I first thought I would do. It has been a while since I was in school so I figured I was gonna fall way behind.
ReplyDeleteI will continue to work ahead but will try to get further ahead in LabSim, since I have some more classes picking up this month.
I took the exam this past weekend and I passed. I just continued to work in LabSim so that I was adequately prepared for the exam.
I hope the Eagles lose all their good players and suck for the foreseeable future.
I've had a good experience in IS101-3205 this semester and feel like I've done well overall. I’ve gained a solid understanding of the material and was able to apply many concepts effectively. There were definitely some challenges along the way, especially in areas that required more hands-on practice, but one section that really stood out to me was 3.4.4 Navigating Files, I learned a lot from it, and it helped me better understand file organization and management.
ReplyDeleteMoving forward, I want to stay on track with assignments to make sure I’m keeping up and making steady progress. To prepare for the MO-110 Word certification exam, I’ve been practicing LabSim assignments, which have been really helpful in reinforcing key concepts and improving my hands-on skills.
I’d also like to share one of my favorite quotes: "Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration." – Thomas Edison. This quote really resonates with me because it highlights the importance of hard work and dedication. Success doesn’t come from just having good ideas—it comes from putting in the effort, staying committed, and continuously improving. No matter the challenge, perseverance is what truly makes a difference.
I feel like I’ve done okay in the IS101-3205 course, but there are definitely areas where I could have done better. Since I’m not very experienced with computers and don’t use them as much, I found some of the material challenging. I tried to keep up with the course, but I know there’s room for improvement.
ReplyDeleteGoing forward, I think it’s important for me to spend more time outside of class reviewing the material and applying what I’ve learned. I could also ask for help from classmates or the professor when I’m stuck on something, instead of waiting too long.
I passed the exam this past weekend.
I think it’s important to remember that not everyone is comfortable with computers, and that’s okay. I’ve learned that it’s okay to struggle with new skills and that progress comes with practice. I’m trying to be patient with myself and keep improving at my own pace, even if it takes time.
(1) I believe that I have been doing well so far with the IS101-3205, Spring 2025 course. The second phase of the course is changing a bit and I will have to adjust myself to it.
ReplyDelete(2) Going forward with the course, I would want to get into class early and participate in more bonus quizzes to excel in my skills and communication. I will have to pay more attention to completing the second part of the bonus quizzes before the due date.
(3) I practiced the Word practice forms before I took the MO-110 Word certification exam and passed it last weekend.
(4) I will have completed three of my courses for this semester by the end of the week, so now I can put all my attention to IS101.
IS101-3205, Spring 2025 has definitely been a challenge for me, it’s a lot of work, but once I complete it I feel good because I learned a skill I didn’t know about. Also, returning to school from over six years ago, working full-time and being a full-time student made me realize I don’t have a day off. If I’m not stressed about one class it’s the other three, but I’m not that far behind, I just need to get ahead. I'm not the best but I'm still working to get there.
ReplyDeleteIn the future I need to actually use my planner and write assignments and due dates because keeping them in my head isn’t working.
How I prepared for the MO-110 Word certification exam, I honestly just kept working on my word practice forms. Not going to lie I had to redo them five times each till I got over 80%, so in doing so it helped me instantly remember a lot because I kept practicing. Also, I would work on it when I had the most energy. Especially when I was motivated since I was feeling sick for almost a whole month.
Overall, it’s been challenging coming back to school and working full time but I love the outcome. I’ve learned skills that is not only for this class but that I will use in my daily life for school and work. As for my other classes I'm doing good, one requires a lot of reading and giving our point of thought. My other two classes requires Fluid Mechanics, Physics, Geometry, Trigonometry, Algebra, Ohm's Law and basic arithmetic which is not as hard as I thought.
(1) I am doing well in IS101-3205, balancing 3 other classes, work, hobbies, and my social life. IS101-3205 has not been a easy walk.
ReplyDelete(2) I will procrastinate less and get my work done as soon as possible.
(3) I passed the exam. What I did was work on the live projects till I felt satisfied.
(4) I am surprised I am able to balance school, work, hobbies, and my social life. I didn't think I was able to do it when I signed up for all these classes, but here I am.
Overall, I think I am doing well and learning a lot that helps with my job and other schoolwork. Excel is harder than Word because it takes more thinking, and I find it more challenging.
ReplyDeleteAs the semester gets closer to the end, I know I need to stay ahead. When I do not stay ahead, it is easy for me to fall behind. The LabSim assignments take longer because Excel is harder for me.
At the time of writing this I have already taken and passed the MO-110 Word Certification Exam. The live project helped me the most because it let me go over the things I had trouble with.
There is not much more I want to say, except that I hope to pass the Excel exam and remember what I learned. Excel is a skill many employers want. This class has kept me busy, but I have learned a lot of useful tips and tricks.
(1) My start to IS101-3205 has been similar to a rollercoaster. It has been full of many ups and downs. I would say my performance on the LabSim and Microsoft Office tests has been good since I have got 100% on both. However, my performance on the discussions has been lackluster.
ReplyDelete(2) I will be working on consistency. I want to be able to be either caught up or ahead on all of my assignments rather than being behind on discussions and ahead on LabSim.
(3) I practiced for my exams by repeating the challenge labs until I did them quickest in the school.
(4) I believe that Excel is a very valuable skill. I have already used it in my work and have been noticed by my superiors.
1. Honestly, based on the date of this reply, my spring semester of IS101 has not been stellar, putting it lightly. But I'm continuing to do my best to catch up right now, so I got that going for me. Something clicked a couple nights ago, and i realized I got just enough time to finish the semester pretty strong.
ReplyDelete2. Motivation, motivation, motivation. That's the biggest thing I need to work on. I'll have one bad week, and let it get me down and pull me away from school. Or I'll fall a little bit behind and think "I'll never recover." But not anymore. I gotta get it together.
3. Prepping for the MOS exams has gone pretty well. I've gone back and polished off the incomplete things on TestOut, I feel confident for the word exam, as the practice A and B went by quite smoothly after everything was said and done.
4. One thing I wanna share is that I've been struggling. But I'm not giving up, and as long as I can get to the finish line strong I'll be satisfied
1. I think I could have done better, it's not that I didn't understand the materials but I think my time management needs improvement considering the burnouts I have been going through juggling 4 classes and work.
ReplyDelete2. Learn how to not spread myself too thin. I think a change needs to happen to make sure I can stay consistent with my goals.
3. I did all of the assignments on LabSim, the practices and asked all the question needed. I even stayed after class to make sure I would succeed and I did.
4. I think that if you are determined you can do everything. Everything is a mindset and what seems hard now is only hard if you believe it is. The key to success is to really believe in yourself and your abilities.
1. I think I did okay with much how much I fell behind throughout the semester, even when I did get ahead something came up where I fell behind again.
ReplyDelete2. Going forward for the next semester, I need to write more goals on a calendar and see them daily because full time student while working full time is not as easy as I thought it would be.
3. I prepared for the exams through LabSim and extra work that was given to us.
4. I’m happy I pushed myself into going back to school, it was very challenging and I struggled so much but it was worth it.๐