Advanced Computer Applications II

Woman working on computerGetting comfortable with Microsoft Office Suite is a great start learning authentic business software.  Advanced Computer Applications I is structured to introduce the world's most popular productivity software in the context of desktop publishing, basic multimedia, and organizing & working with data.

Let's extend that understanding by looking at some important computer applications that are fun, but commonly used in business and in media.  We will use Kahoot to review terms and concepts, but mostly our focus is hands-on, project-based learning.

We will begin the semester with SQL (Structured Query Language), the standard language for relational database management systems. SQL statements are used to perform tasks such as update data on a database, or retrieve data from a database.  Next, we'll revisit desktop publishing & photo editing/adjusting for print. 

We will then move on move on to multimedia including audio mastering, video editing, and basics of video production.  The last weeks, as time permits, we will look at web design & programming

  1. MS Publisher Projects (Publisher Resources & Tutorials)
    1. Tri-Fold Brochure w/Template, "About ME!"
    2. Business Card Templates (video tutorial 1 & video tutorial 2)
    3. Birthday & Greeting Cards (video tutorial)
    4. Create a Poster (video tutorial)
    5. Make a Flyer Video Tutorial (2 min 4 second demonstration with no audio).  Flyer Project Rubric.  A flyer is a specialized poster or brochure.  MS Publisher has lots of flyer templates. 
    6. Newsletter (8 1/2" x 11") w/Template (right click to download using SAVE LINK AS).  For text content, we will use a trick from professional designers, dummy text generated by lipson.com. (create a newsletter w/o template video tutorial).
    7. Infographic w/o Template & Example:  Mr. B's Top 5 Favorite Jazz Guitarists (comprehensive video tutorial, 45 minutes)
    8. Summative Assessment:  Create informative tri-fold brochure of your choice (rubric)
  2. Adobe Photoshop (CS5)
    1. How-To Geek Cheat Sheet:  Photoshop CS5 (downloadable, printable .pdf)
    2. Getting Started:  Learning the Photoshop Interface (.pdf form) and web tutorial:  What Does Everything Do? Toolbar, Pallets, and More with Practice Image (right-click and SAVE AS)
    3. Cropping, Sizing, Resolution, Levels, and Mode with Practice Image 1 (underexposed) and Practice Image 2 (overexposed)
    1. B/W Conversion with Practice Image
    2. Skin Retouching with Practice Image
    3. Zoom Blur with Practice Image
    4. Change Sky Background with Practice Image & Replacement Sky
    5. Image Noise Reduction with Practice Image
    6. Dodging & Burning with Practice Image
    7. Whitening Eyes with Practice Image
    8. Whitening Teeth with Practice Image
    9. Removing Blemishes with Practice Image
    10. Removing Wrinkles with Practice Image
    11. Brighten Underexposed Photos With The Screen Blend Mode In Photoshop with Practice Image
    12. 30 Very Useful Photoshop CS5 Tutorials
    13. 50 Excellent Photoshop CS5 Tutorials
    14. Summative Review:  Adjusting & Enhancing Pictures with Overexposed and Underexposed image files
    15. Summative Assessment with Overexposed and Underexposed image files and Rubric
  3. Adobe InDesign (Separate subweb)
  4. Sony Vegas (NOTE:  Current version is owned by Magix Software GmbH)
    1. Mr. B's Easy Video 1-2-3 Web
    2. Easy Video 1-2-3 Writing Prompts (.pdf form)
    3. Vegas Basics & Tutorial Resources
    4. Project 1:  Old McDonald Had a Farm
    5. Mr. B's Photoshop Tips N Tricks:  Cropping & Sizing a Picture -- Creating 1920 x 1040 Pixel Images for Widescreen Videos (downloadable, printable .pdf)
    6. Project 2 (Summative):  Music Video Rubric -- YOUR CHOICE! (downloadable, printable .pdf)
  5. Data Analysis:  Advanced Features MS Excel
    1. Infographic in Excel
    2. Convert Word Docs to Excel:  Part 1 & Part 2
    3. Parse Full Names
    4. Freeze Page Command
    5. Excel Data Form
    6. "IF" Function
    7. Excel AutoFilter
    8. Random Number Generator
    9. V Lookup
    10. Fair Coin Tosses & Law of Large Numbers and MS Excel Workbook Example with Protected Cells
    11. Virtual Dice and MS Excel Workbook Example with Protected Cells
    12. Modeling Rocks, Paper, Scissors and MS Excel Workbook Example with Protected Cells
  6. Getting Started with HTML & CSS
    1. Hello World:  HTML & CSS (web example) and HTM & CSS with Comments (web example)
    2. Code For "Hello World" (.txt) and Code with Comments (txt)
    3. My First Web Page (web example)
    4. Code for "My First Web Page" (txt)
    1. Building Your First Web Page
    2. HTML 5 Tutorial
    3. CSS Tutorial
    4. HTML vrs XHTML (The Web Standards Project)
    5. HTML vrs XHTML (Diffen)
    6. HTML vrs XHTML (w3schools)

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