Posted: December 7th, 2013
TechToolTasks: Module Logs
There are five required modules EXPLAIN, EXPLORE, EXPERIENCE, EXHIBIT and EXPAND.
At the end of each module, please create a LOG discussion post. Make the subject of the LOG post an estimate of the number of hours you spent on all of the tasks associated with that module. That’s right, the subject of your posting is just a number (1, 2.5, etc). In the body of the message, provide any feedback on the module topics and tasks. You can describe some other “side-trails” you found that were interesting comment on those that you felt were not helpful or. It’s OK to leave the body of the LOG posting blank if nothing was paticularly noteworthy and you can edit your LOG as you go.
Note: You cannot view other LOG postings until you create your own posting.
· Get the idea?
· First we EXPLORE and read about the technology and understand it as much as we can in preparation.
Then we EXPERIENCE the technology by actually getting our “boots wet” by trying it out – and EXPLORING more on our own.
Then we EXHIBIT what we have learned by showing the instructor and our friends what we can now do that we couldn’t do before.
Then we EXPAND on our knowledge by seeing where we can go from here – and continue our lifelong self-study on our own.
Then we EXPERIENCE the technology by actually getting our “boots wet” by trying it out – and EXPLORING more on our own.
Then we EXHIBIT what we have learned by showing the instructor and our friends what we can now do that we couldn’t do before.
Then we EXPAND on our knowledge by seeing where we can go from here – and continue our lifelong self-study on our own.
· Let’s go, I’m EXCITED!!
1. TechToolsTask: Discussion: EXPLAIN LOG entry
2. TechToolsTask: Discussion: EXPLORE LOG entry
3. TechToolsTask: Discussion: EXPERIENCE LOG entry
4. TechToolsTask: Discussion: EXHIBIT LOG entry
5. TechToolsTask: Discussion: EXPAND LOG entry
· As you have seen a bit already, TechTools courses are going to make a lot of analogies to hiking. There are three reasons for that.
· 1. There are a lot of good analogies between hiking and the learning experience you have with new technology.
· 2. Your instructor likes both hiking and learning new technologies.
· 3. The IRS might allow some of your instructor’s hiking expenses to be tax deductible he uses hiking examples as analogies in course materials.
· Actually, #3 is probably not true, but the fact that I documented it here might make the judge go easy on me in the sentencing phase.
· But here are some important similarities:
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Topic
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Hiking
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Technology
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Objective
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The objective is something we heard was
worth the effort, like a great view! We don’t know this for sure, but we trust those that have done the trail before us. |
The objective is something we heard was
worth the effort, like a great salary! We don’t know this for sure, but we trust those that have done the trail before us. |
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Planning
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There are a lot of things you can read about
your trail before you start doing the actual hiking. Some of it sounds exciting and you are want to hit the trail right away, but other parts are scary or boring and make you consider postponing or cancelling the trip. |
There are a lot of things you can read about
the technology before you start actually working with the technology. Some of it sounds cool and you are tempted to ignore the rest of the reading and hit the keyboard right away, but other parts are intimidating or boring and make you consider postponing or cancelling the technology training. |
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Experience
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You can learn a lot from people that have
hiked the trail before you. Often, you can learn a lot more from people that have experience than you can reading about the trail. And very often, you can get started on your own, but realize how helpful experience would be once you are on the trail (or off the trail hoping to find it). |
You can learn a lot from people that have experienced
the technology before you. Often you can learn a lot more from people that have experience than you can from reading about the technology. And very often, you can get started on your own, but realize how helpful experience would be once you are using the technology (or not using it because you can’t get it to work). |
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Getting
Started |
Even though you really want to hike that trail and
start climbing that mountain, there are always a number of distractions that seem to keep you from making the trip. You plan to do it “someday” but often “someday” ends up being “next year”. You wish you were more motivated to get started. |
Even though you really want to learn that technology
and start building your personal portfolio of technology competence, there are always a number of distractions that seem to keep you from investing the effort. You plan to do it “someday” but often “someday” ends up being “next year”. You wish you were motivated to getstarted. |
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Getting
Fatigued |
“This is work!?! I thought hiking was going to be
much easier than this. I’m tired and want to be back home . . . and I’m finding bugs! But I’ve come pretty far already and everybody else is still going so I’ll hang in there for a while.” Even once you are on the trail, it is toughest at
first, but you soon get a second wind. |
“This is work!?! I thought learning new technolody
was going to be much easier than this. I’m tired and want to do something else . . . and I’m finding bugs! But I’ve come pretty far already and everybody else is still going so I’ll hang in there for a while.” Even after you get started with a new technology, it
is toughest at first, but you soon get a second wind. |
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Explore
Unexpected Side Trips |
Even though reaching the objective was your
primary goal, you start seeing interesting things along the trail and soon start exploring on short side trips to investigate these new wonders. |
Even though getting the task completed was your
primary goal, you start seeing interesting features that look interesting you start exporing on short side trips to investigate these new wonders. |
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Wow!
We made it! |
And finally, you reach the destination and discover
for yourself that it really was worth the trip. And now that you’ve done it, the rest is downhill and you will never lose the value of the journey. |
And finally, you reach the destination and discover
for yourself that it really was worth the trip. And now that you’ve done it, the rest is much easier you will never lose skills you learned along the way. |
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Exhibit
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And an unexpected thing happens on the way
downhill. Others on the trail are impressed that you made it and see you as the experienced trail guide and start asking you questions. |
And an unexpected thing happens after you start
using the technology. Others see your expertise and see you as the experienced and competent colleague and start asking you questions. |
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Expand
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And when you and your buddies get back to the
trailhead with the pride of accomplishment, you are already talking about where you are going next . . . and it usually is anothere more challenging trail. |
And when you finish your technology training and start
showing others your accomplishments, you are already thinking about where you are going next . . . and it usually is anothere more challenging technology. |
· Get the idea?
· First we EXPLORE and read about the technology and understand it as much as we can in preparation.
Then we EXPERIENCE the technology by actually getting our “boots wet” by trying it out – and EXPLORING more on our own.
Then we EXHIBIT what we have learned by showing the instructor and our friends what we can now do that we couldn’t do before.
Then we EXPAND on our knowledge by seeing where we can go from here – and continue our lifelong self-study on our own.
Then we EXPERIENCE the technology by actually getting our “boots wet” by trying it out – and EXPLORING more on our own.
Then we EXHIBIT what we have learned by showing the instructor and our friends what we can now do that we couldn’t do before.
Then we EXPAND on our knowledge by seeing where we can go from here – and continue our lifelong self-study on our own.
· Let’s go, I’m EXCITED!!
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TechToolsTask: Exhibit Word 2013 Skills
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Instructions
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EXHIBIT your new Word 2013 skills by submitting a Word 2013 document to this dropbox. The content of the document should be “Top 10 New Features in Word 2013” and you can cut and paste from online articles or make a list of your own choosing. Make it easy to read by including one feature per page. The document must demonstrate on each page as much as possible the features you list. You can use screenshots to do this or just demo the feature on the pages in the assignment
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TechToolsTask: Exhibit Excel 2013 Skills
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Instructions
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EXHIBIT your new Excel 2013 skills by submitting an Excel 2013 document to this dropbox. The content of the document should be “Top 10 New Features in Excel 2013” with a different feature demonstrated in each sheet of the workbook. Insert a text box to describe a feature that is too difficult to demonstrate (like saving to SkyDrive) but describe the specific steps you took to do it. The document must demonstrate as much as possible the features you list
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