fandomhigh | Basic Computing Class #1 [Tuesday, Period 3, 1/8]

Mike sipped his coffee and waited for the students to file into the computer lab, which oddly enough was devoid of computers except for one at the front of the room. There were, however, large boxes at each workstation, each with the name and logo of a different major computer manufacturer. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Basic Computing! My name is Mike Cannon and I’ll be your instructor this semester. My goal is to make sure that each and every one of you is comfortable with using computers by the end of the term. Let’s get started today with introductions. Yes, I listened to the radio last night and if I could come up with something cooler than introductions, I would use it. Sorry. Tell me your name, how comfortable you are with computers, and what you’re hoping to get out of this class."

Once the introductions were over, Mike grinned and moved to the workstation at the front of the room. "Let's move on. Here we have the basic personal computer, hereafter known as the PC. There’s a few basic components that every PC must have. First off is the central processing unit, or CPU. This is the guts of your computer. It does the actual work." Mike started to go into an explanation of how the processor worked, but he could see that most of the class was starting to tune out.

"Okay, that's really a bit more in depth than we should cover right now. Next, we have our input devices, the keyboard and mouse. The keyboard allows you to enter data to be processed by the CPU. The mouse is not entirely necessary, but with a graphical interface, it's tough to live without. It looks like a little mouse, doesn’t it? See, here's the tail," he said, holding up the mouse by the cord and grinning until he realized that not everyone was smiling back at him.

"Last but not least, we have the monitor. This is where your CPU outputs data. Without that, you're out of luck until they build a computer that transmits straight to your brain. I wonder if I could build something like… Actually, that’s not important, but if anyone's looking for an extra credit project, see me after class."

"Alright, folks, we'll finish up with a little activity for you to get to know your PCs. Each workstation has a box that contains a CPU tower, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and a whole lot of cables, but none of it is connected. We’re going to put these babies together and get them up and running by the end of class. Be sure you grab a copy of the syllabus. My office hours are on Mondays, but seeing as it is the first week of class, I'll be in my office tomorrow morning if you need to see me. I'm also looking for a TA, so if you’re interested, stop by and talk to me after class."

[~~Please wait for the OCD.~~ Have fun! ETA: I will be leaving shortly for the place that doesn't let me access the Internet from their workstations and will pick up any pings after I return.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

All collapse-y like!

Edited 2008-01-08 06:40 (UTC)

Ferris Bueller

Cassandra Cain.

Sora

Edward Elric

Listen, take notes, pass notes, and all that jazz.

Ferris was listening. This was mostly because it was the first class and that probably wasn't going to last.

Sora was listening intently as taking notes as fast as he could write them down.

Why are you taking the class? Mike wants to know.

"Hi," Ferris said, standing up first and turning to face everyone else. "I'm Ferris Bueller. Senior. I'm new, so I don't know any of you, but I'm sure I will after the introductions. I'm from 1987, so while I have a computer at home, I'm told my skills and knowledge about technology are a little behind the times, so I guess this class will bring me up to speed so I can bewilder my future college professors by seeming to be a genius when, in fact, I'm getting by on dashing good looks and knowledge of future technology."

"Actually, by getting a jump on future technology, you can just say that you're working smarter, not harder," said Mike, nodding in approval.

"Computers are important," Cassandra offered not-very-helpfully.

"That they are," agreed Mike. "Have you worked with them before?"

Cassandra nodded, then frowned. "But voice controlled. Not..." she waved, "This."

Sora took a deep breath and stood up. "I'm hoping to learn how to use a computer properly, since I get yelled at every time I just hit random buttons. I'm also looking into how to use a computer without being sucked inside of it and turned into a program."

Sadly yes, he was serious.

"Yes, hitting random buttons doesn't work very well. I'll definitely be able to show you the right ones," said Mike. "I've never personally been sucked inside of a computer. Actually, I didn't even know that was possible. Might have to do a little research, I think, but I'll see what I can do to help."

"I think the MCP has to have turned evil for you to be," Sora shrugged. "But Since that's the only real computer experience I have, it's all I can say."

"Still, it would be kind of fascinating to go into a computer and see what the programs go through," said Mike, jotting down some notes. "What's the MCP?"

"Master Control Program," Sora answered immediately. "And it's kinda cool, very blue though."

"I'm Edward Elric," he said with a shrug. "I like seeing how things work."

"So do I. That's how I ended up becoming an engineer," said Mike. "You'll definitely get to look at the guts of a computer and how it all works this semester."

There's one box for each student. It contains all the ~~moddable~~ things one would expect to find when one buys a brand new computer. Students can work alone or in pairs.

The thing with computers was that even though they developed over the years, some things always stayed the same. Ferris opened the box and started unpacking everything. He figured out what cords went where the same way everyone else who got a new computer did - trial and error. Power cord went into the tower. Monitor was hooked up. The mouse and keyboard were plugged in, although Ferris wasted some time investigating the USB cords. They were new. He got it done fairly quickly and then left it at his station to go and see what everyone else was doing.

While Cassandra didn't actually know much about computers, she wasn't too bad at puzzles. It helped that most of the cables and the places they were supposed to go were color-coded, could only plug into certain places, or both.

This some how didn't look right; it was too small and in a bunch of peices. Sora unpacked everything and set them on the desk, jsut staring at them. "Man... where's Leon and Tron when I need them."

He's here to listen to you.

ZOMG first class!

I am going to be out of town on January 29 and most likely without Internet access, so if anyone would like to be the TA and post class on that day, let me know and I will be eternally grateful.

Basic Computing Class #1 [Tuesday, Period 3, 1/8]

Sign In [1/8]

Re: Sign In [1/8]

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Lecture [1/8]

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Introductions [1/8]

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Activity: Putting Your New Computer Together [1/8]

Re: Activity: Putting Your New Computer Together [1/8]

Re: Activity: Putting Your New Computer Together [1/8]

Re: Activity: Putting Your New Computer Together [1/8]

Talk to Mike [1/8]

OOC [1/8]