Summer 2008 Instructional Training Calendar

Photoshop Elements 2.0 is the consumer version of Adobe Photoshop, the standard for digital image editing.  Elements is a popular and powerful product that allows for image capture, creation and editing on both PC and Mac platforms.  The course, emphasizing image creation for the web, has a four-week duration and requires approximately 15 hours of time to complete.  Topics covered include: the interface, tools and controls, basic image correction, creating a photo montage, working with layers, photo retouching, adding text to your images, and creating a photo vignette and Web photo gallery.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 - Online (Intermediate)

This online course introduces educators to the core features of Access 2003. Practical exercises that can be easily integrated and adapted for use across the curriculum and in the workplace will be the course's focus. Topics covered will include database fundamentals, designing and creating relational databases, working with tables, forms, queries and reports, and integration with other MS Office applications. Participants who complete all the assignments will receive an 18 hour completion certificate.

Have you always wanted to learn Excel but never had the opportunity?  This is your chance!  This class is strictly for beginners!  We will start with the basics of creating spreadsheets in Excel and work our way through the different features and functions.  You will learn how to create, format, and edit your spreadsheets, manipulate your data, add graphics, and work with tables and graphs.  Confused about formulas?  This class makes them easy!   Want to use AutoFormat to change the look of your spreadsheet?  There are lots of options!  We will also examine how to sort and filter data.  Excel can be fun and very useful, and this class will help you get started!  Participants who finish the course will receive a certificate of completion for 9 hours of participation.  Registrants will be notified by email with course access information. 

Prerequisites:  Must have Microsoft Excel 2000 software or newer.  No prior knowledge of Excel needed! 

Note: Priority registration for online courses will be given to NERIC Blackboard e-Learning Service subscribers.  All online participants must login and/or contact the course instructor within one week of the start of this course. 

Dates: 07/28/08 - 08/28/08
Instructor: Hilary Delavare
Time: online
Location: online
Platform: Applicable to all
Fee: Blackboard subscribers - FREE
       Others: $88

Introduction to Digital Photography - Online 

Are you interested in taking better pictures with your digital camera, sharing your photos online, or using your digital camera for curriculum integration in the classroom?  This fun and instructional online course has a seven-week duration and will require approximately 21 hours of time to complete.  The focus will be on: taking better still pictures with a digital camera, using some of your camera’s manual features, basic photo correction, sharing and viewing your photos online, and using digital cameras for curriculum integration in the classroom.

If this is your first online session, the course will introduce the user-friendly Blackboard Learning System and its collaborative features. You may even be inspired to create your own online course or unit. Participants who finish the assignments and the course will receive a certificate of completion for 21 hours of participation. Registrants will be notified by E-mail with course access information.  Be prepared to do a lot of work!  Prerequisite: must have access to a digital still camera.

Note: Priority registration for online courses will be given to NERIC Blackboard e-Learning Service subscribers.  All online participants must login and/or contact the course instructor within one week of the start of this course.

Course Objectives
 After completing this course, participants will:

• recognize and list the different features of their camera
• frame a shot and use a camera’s automatic features and flash
• describe the relationship between aperture settings and depth of field and the relationship between shutter speed, motion and image blurriness
• take photos using different aperture, shutter speed settings and lighting conditions
• upload photos to a computer
• manipulate an image using photo editing software
• understand and describe the differences between file compression formats
• create an online album on a website
• incorporate a digital camera into the classroom curriculum
• use the Blackboard Learning System and some of its collaborative features to take an online course

SMART Board Part II (Version 9.7)

This course is designed as a follow-up for a traditional SMART Board training.  If you have attended a SMART Board presentation or training in the past, but would like some follow-up instruction, sign-up to become more familiar with this great tool.  Topics covered include: a review of the basics, exploring ideas for classroom use, searching the Gallery for resources, downloading and modifying lessons, using the Lesson Activity Toolkit, and exploring interactive Web sites.  At the conclusion of this course, you will be creating your own lesson in Notebook software.  Participants who finish the course will receive a certificate of completion for 9 hours of participation.  Registrants will be notified by email with course access information.   

Prerequisites:  You do not need to use the SMART Board itself to complete the assignments in this course.  If your district has SMART Boards and you can access them, then you can download the Notebook software for free from the SMART Web site (instructions included within the course).  Therefore, all you need is Notebook software version 9.7 and Internet access.  Additionally, you should have some familiarity with SMART Board – this course is meant to serve as a follow-up to a live session.

Note: Priority registration for online courses will be given to NERIC Blackboard e-Learning Service subscribers.  All online participants must login and/or contact the course instructor within one week of the start of this course.

Spreadsheets for Educators (Excel 2002)

This online course introduces educators  to the intermediate features of Excel 2002. The focus is on standards-based exercises that can be easily integrated and adapted for educator use across the curriculum. Topics covered will include: using spreadsheets in the classroom and school environment, enhanced gradebooks, conditional formatting, lookup tables, graphing data, importing and filtering data, working with live web-based data, lists and PivotTables. Participants who complete all the assignments will receive a 15 hour completion certificate. Registrants will be notified by E-mail with course access information.

Prerequisites: Must have Internet access and Excel 2002 software. Prior knowledge of Excel is strongly recommended.
Note: Priority registration for online courses will be given to NERIC Blackboard e-Learning Service subscribers.  All online participants must login and/or contact the course instructor within one week of the start of this course.

The Wiki Primer

Wikis are free, online websites that are used for collaborative authoring. This four-week overview emphasizes using wikis in the classroom and for remote document authoring. Participants will utilize a “closed wiki” for the duration of the course, and complete some of the exercises as part of a work group. Topics covered will include: exploring popular wikis, markup language, formatting and document design, linking, wiki etiquette and miscellaneous system functions. In keeping with the open nature of wikis, the style and some content of the wiki will be determined by the class. Participants who complete all of the assessments, exercises and projects will receive a certificate of completion for 9 hours.

Prerequisites: Must have Internet access and an email account.

The World Wide Web is full of great resources, but who has the time to spend looking for them? In this class you will be introduced to websites that can help you and your students. You will learn where you can build a free Web page, create worksheets, puzzles, and Web-quests, plus so much more.  You can't be afraid to explore and experiment in this course.  Let us do the work in pointing out some great sites!  Participants who finish the required assignments in this course will receive a certificate of completion for 9 hours of participation. Registrants will be notified through email with course access information.

Prerequisite: must have access to a computer that is connected to the Internet.

Note: Priority registration for online courses will be given to NERIC Blackboard e-Learning Service subscribers.  All online participants must login and/or contact the course instructor within one week of the start of this course.

This online course introduces educators  to the intermediate features of Word 2003. The focus is on practical exercises that can be easily managed and adapted for use across the curriculum. Topics covered will include: tabs in-depth, tables, forms, templates, mail merges and mailing labels, integration with other MS Office applications, desktop publishing features, and creating web pages in Word. Participants who complete all the assignments will receive a 15 hour completion certificate.

Prerequisites: Must have Internet access and Word 2003 software. Prior knowledge of Word is strongly recommended.
Note: Priority registration for online courses will be given to NERIC Blackboard e-Learning Service subscribers.  All online participants must login and/or contact the course instructor within one week of the start of this course.

Blackboard Curriculum Creation Workshop

Prerequisites: must be an experienced Windows or Mac user. Prior experience creating Web pages recommended.

The Excel 2007 interface is very different from previous versions of Excel.  This full-day session is designed for individuals who have worked with prior versions of Microsoft Excel.  The course will focus on relevant classroom and office exercises that can be adapted by educators and support staff.  Topics covered will include: the new work environment, worksheet and workbook formatting, new ways of manipulating equations and functions, conditional formatting, charts and graphs, importing data, and PivotTables.

Prerequisite: Participants must have prior experience using Microsoft Excel.  This class is NOT designed for beginners.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2007

This full-day session introduces the user to the new enhanced features and functionality of PowerPoint 2007.  Topics covered will include inserting graphics, creating formatted text, animating and creating a professional looking presentation.  A variety of ways to use PowerPoint to create effective presentations will be discussed.  Additionally, the class will include more in-depth work on graphics, inserting sounds, movies, styles, using master slides, creating hyperlinks, action buttons and drawing and combining PowerPoint presentations.  Participants are encouraged to bring ideas and materials for presentation development.

Microsoft Publisher Creations 2007

In this course, you will make a variety of publications with easy-to-use Microsoft Publisher. You will learn how to customize the templates provided, as well as to create great publications from scratch. Participants will learn how to make a sign, newsletter, and card, as well as large banners and posters that print on several pages.

This full-day class introduces the experienced Word user to the new enhanced features and functionality of Word 2007.  The course will focus on relevant classroom and office exercises that can be adapted by educators and support staff.  Course topics covered will include: the new interface, working with and formatting documents, tabs, tables, graphics and SmartArt, forms, styles, mail merge and desktop publishing features.

Prerequisite: Participants must have prior experience using Microsoft Word.  This class is NOT designed for beginners.

This full-day workshop will cover the fundamentals of using Windows Movie Maker, the video editing software built into the Windows XP and Vista operating systems.  Topics covered will include: system requirements, using the interface, editing fundamentals, incorporating music, titles, transitions and effects, still photos, capturing video, and making your movie.  This session will emphasize creating videos that will enhance and support the classroom curriculum.  Participants are welcome to bring a Firewire equipped digital video camera with footage and/or still photos on CD or flash drive for creation.  Practice video clips will also be supplied.

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