Fandom High School

Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:02:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

Sam looked a little sad today as everyone took their seats at the computers, and not just because it was their last class. Summer was pretty much over, which meant he'd have to go home soon, and as much as he missed New York, he knew he was going to miss Fandom fiercely too.

"So, it's our last day together, and that means that technically, we're supposed to have a final," he said, once everyone was settled. "But, it's still summer, so I figured we could go for the easy route instead: show me one thing that you learned how to do in the last few weeks here. It'll be easy for you, and interesting for me, and then you can have the rest of class to play around," he said. "You guys have been a great class, and I'm really glad you all signed up to be here."

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:24:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

"Hey guys," Sam said, once everyone had arrived. The computers were off today, and Sam was at the front of the room with a cardboard box next to him on the desk. "I'm really glad to see you all after missing you last week, and I'm really glad you're all okay." At least until the next thing came around.

"I know that so far we've been talking about computers as the things in front of us, but these days, computers are a lot more than just the machines we have here. Laptops and tablets and even phones can do a lot of the things computers can do, and there have been handheld computer games for quite a while."

Reaching into the box, Sam pulled out a keychain-sized toy. "This is a virtual pet. Just like a real pet, you have to feed it, clean up after it, and play with it to keep it happy. If you don't keep it happy, well, you lose, and you have to start over again with a new pet. I'm going to pass the box around, and I want you all to take one. Play around with it to see how it works, and try to go through as few pets as possible before we meet again next week."

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:10:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

Sam had sent an e-mail to everyone canceling class today, but in case people missed it (not being computer-savvy yet, of course) he also posted a note on the door:

Hey guys,

Class has been canceled today due to the current freaky business. Please keep yourselves safe, especially if you're going to be crazy and go outside to try to fight things. I won't discourage you, but I'd also like to see you all in one piece when this is over.

Be careful, and for God's sake, get yourselves looked at if you get sick. If any of you need me, I'm going to be in the library for the foreseeable future.

-Sam

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:51:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

When everyone arrived today, they'd find the computers turned off, and a television at the front of the room, along with bowls of popcorn and more hot chocolate. Sam really didn't like being cold, in case that wasn't obvious.

"We've seen computers do some neat things in here," he said, "but sometimes, people seriously overestimate the kinds of things computers are capable of doing. Usually, it's Hollywood that takes things too far, and today, we're going to watch a really good example of that."

It was possible that Sam's definition of "really good" didn't match up with reality.

"I hope it should go without saying that you shouldn't try any of this stuff, since it probably won't work but, seriously, don't try this stuff without a really amazing reason, okay?" Not that he was worried about anyone in here doing bad things, but there was no telling what people could secretly be capable of.

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:28:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

Normally, Sam would have been wary about mixing drinks and precious technology that didn't belong to him, but it was still really freaking cold outside, so when the students arrived, they would find hot chocolate waiting for them by their computers.

"So, one of the most useful things about computers, in my opinion, is how they help us communicate with each other," he said, once everyone was settled. "There's a lot to be said for receiving a well-written, handwritten letter, but sending messages through the computer is a lot faster, and more effective, most of the time. Communicating online is especially important for people in Fandom, because sometimes, electronic messages are the only way people here can keep in touch with friends who have gone home. To be honest, I'm not sure how it all works, but it's one of the nice things about this place that balances out things like snow in July."

"Another thing about communicating on the computer is that you don't have to talk to people you already know. There are lots of ways to meet new people who you share a common interest with, and the one we're going to play around with today is chat rooms." This had the potential for disaster, but Sam was keeping his fingers crossed that it would work out anyway. Once everyone's computers were on, he showed the students how to connect to IRC. "There are a lot of different rooms you can connect to, most of which are based on a single topic or interest. Find one that interests you, and see if you can strike up a conversation."

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:58:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

Sam had been nice and turned on all the computers again before the students arrived, since it made up for how potentially mean he was about to be.

"Hey guys, welcome back," he said, smiling at them. "So, I figured we'd start this week with the biggest reason people use computers these days - the internet. Now, I don't want to just set you loose to explore, because there's a lot of terrible stuff out there, so instead, I want to focus on a particular kind of website, namely the kind that are designed to suck you in and not let go. Whether it's encyclopedic information, lists, fiction discussion, or even pictures of animals, these sites are ridiculously addictive, but also a lot of fun." Sam showed those who didn't know how to get onto the internet and go to specific sites, and then looked around. "I want you to pick one of these sites, or another one that might interest you, and see how long it takes you to get back out of it. Then, we'll talk about what you guys think of this kind of crack." If nothing else, they'd have to stop looking when class was over, right?

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:52:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

Once again, Sam had taken over the computer lab for his workshop, and since it was the first time they were meeting, he'd made sure all the computers were on and ready to go when the students arrived.

"Hey guys," he said, perching on the edge of the desk, since it made him a little less intimidatingly tall. "I'm Sam Winchester, and you all can call me Sam because I'm really not old enough to be Mr. Winchester yet. For those of you who don't know me, I graduated from Fandom last year after four seriously crazy and awesome years, so if you've ever wondered if it's possible to survive here for that long, it totally is. If you have any questions about this place, and not just about class, I'd be happy to talk to you." Because there were few things Sam loved more than talking about Fandom, the dork. "I'm going to be spending the next few weeks getting you guys more comfortable with computers, and/or showing you how to do stuff you don't normally do. Computers are a big part of the 21st century--which, granted, we're not in right now--but if you're going to stick around for a while, you should at least learn how to not be afraid of them."

Sam stood up so he could see everyone and smiled around at the class. "Since this is our first week, I figured we could do the introduction thing like you've probably been doing everywhere else," he said. "So, names, when you're from, and how much computer experience you already have. Then, I'll show you how to set up a username and password for yourself, to use for the rest of the workshop."

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:44:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

Sam looked a little sad today as everyone took their seats at the computers. "So, it's our last day together, and that means that technically, we're supposed to have a final. But, it's also the summer, so a real final seems kind of mean. I figured we could go for the easy route instead: start the computers up, and show me something that you learned how to do in the last few weeks here. It'll be easy for you, and interesting for me," he said. "You guys have been a great class, and I'm really glad you all signed up to be here." Yes, even you, Topher.

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:31:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

When the students arrived to class today, they'd have found Sam looking a bit like crap, sitting behind the desk at the front of the room, instead of sitting on top of it.

"So, uh, I'm going to let you guys kind of play around on the computers today," he said, rubbing his forehead like that would make his headache go away. "Another way that technology has really improved things for people, besides the ones we've already talked about, is in photography. Pictures have come a long way from the old black and white stuff, and there are places all over the internet where people share the pictures they've taken, sometimes just to share them with family, and sometimes to share them with everyone in the world who wants to see them. What I want you to do today is search for pictures that interest you, and see what you can find. You might be surprised by what's out there."

Especially since, in his tired and weary state, Sam had forgotten to mention how to turn things like Safe Search back on. Oops.

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:15:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

"Hey guys, and ladies," Sam said, once everyone had arrived to the computer lab. The computers were off again today, and Sam was at the front of the room with a cardboard box next to him on the desk. "I know that so far we've been talking about computers as the things in front of us, but these days, computers are a lot more than just the machines we have here. Laptops and tablets and even phones can do a lot of the things computers can do, and there have been handheld computer games for quite a while."

Reaching into the box, Sam pulled out a keychain-sized toy. "This is a virtual pet. Just like a real pet, you have to feed it, clean up after it, and play with it to keep it happy. If you don't keep it happy, well, you lose, and you have to start over again with a new pet. I'm going to pass the box around, and I want you all to take one. Play around with it to see how it works, and try to go through as few pets as possible before we meet again next week."

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 05:54:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

When everyone arrived to class today, they'd find the computers turned off again, and a television at the front of the room, along with bowls of popcorn.

"We've seen computers do some great things in here," Sam said once everyone was settled down, "but sometimes, people seriously overestimate what kinds of things computers are capable of doing. Usually, it's Hollywood that takes things too far, and today, we're going to watch a really good example of that."

It was possible that Sam's definition of "really good" didn't match up with reality.

"I hope it should go without saying that you shouldn't try any of this stuff, since it probably won't work but, seriously, don't try this stuff without a really amazing reason, okay?" There, now if anyone did illegal things and went to jail, it wouldn't be his fault, right?

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 27 May 2011 12:09:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

This week, when the students arrived to class, they'd find the computers turned off. Sam had decided that it was time to start taking the training wheels off, at least a little bit.

"One of the most useful things about computers, in my opinion, is how they help us communicate with each other," he said. "There's a lot to be said for receiving a well-written, handwritten letter, but sending messages through the computer is a lot faster, and more effective, most of the time. Communicating online is especially important for people in Fandom, because sometimes, electronic messages are the only way people here can keep in touch with friends who have gone home. To be honest, I'm not sure how that all works, but it's one of the nice things about this place that balances out things like ending up in places where it never stops raining." Fandom was all about the balance sometimes.

"Another thing about communicating on the computer is that you don't have to talk to people you already know. There are lots of ways to meet new people who you share a common interest with, and the one we're going to play around with today is chat rooms." This had the potential for disaster, but Sam was keeping his fingers crossed that it would work out anyway. Once everyone's computers were on, he showed the students how to connect to IRC. "There are a lot of different rooms you can connect to, most of which are based on a single topic or interest. Find one that interests you, and see if you can strike up a conversation."

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 20 May 2011 05:24:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

Sam had been nice and turned on all the computers again before the students arrived, since so many of them had claimed to only have a little experience last week. Plus, it made up for how potentially mean he was about to be.

"Hey guys, welcome back," he said, smiling at them all. "So, I figured we'd start this week with the biggest reason people use computers these days - the internet. Now, I don't want to just set you loose to explore, because there's a lot of terrible stuff out there, so instead, I want to focus on a particular kind of website, namely the kind that are designed to suck you in and not let go. Whether it's encyclopedic information, lists, fiction discussion, or even pictures of animals, these sites are ridiculously addictive, but also a lot of fun." Sam showed everyone - or, at least, everyone who needed to know - how to get onto the internet and go to specific sites, and then looked around. "I want you to pick one of these sites, or another one that might interest you, and see how long it takes you to get back out of it. Then, we'll talk about what you guys think of this kind of crack." If nothing else, they'd have to stop looking when class was over, right?

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Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

Fri, 13 May 2011 05:26:00 GMT

Posted by: likethegun

Since it made the most sense to him, Sam had taken over the computer lab for his workshop, and since it was the first time they were meeting, he'd made sure all the computers were on and ready to go when the students arrived.

His students. Yeah, that wasn't going to get old any time soon.

"Hey guys," he said, perching on the edge of the desk, since it made him a little less intimidatingly tall. "I'm Sam Winchester, and you all can call me Sam because I'm really not old enough to be Mr. Winchester yet. For those of you who don't know me, I graduated from Fandom last year after four seriously crazy and awesome years, so if you've ever wondered if it's possible to survive here for that long, it totally is. If you have any questions about this place, and not just about class, I'd be happy to talk to you." Because there were few things Sam loved more than talking about Fandom, the dork. "I'm going to be spending the next few weeks getting you guys more comfortable with computers, and/or showing you how to do stuff you don't normally do. Computers are a big part of the 21st century--which, granted, we're not in right now--but if you're going to stick around for a while, you should at least learn how to not be afraid of them."

Sam stood up so he could see everyone and smiled around at the class. "Since this is our first week, I figured we could do the introduction thing?" he said, sounding slightly uncertain, but hoping everyone would go with it. "So, names, when you're from, and how much computer experience you already have. Then, I'll show you how to set up a username and password for yourself, to use for the rest of the workshop."

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Basic Computer Final [Tuesday, Period 3, April 22]

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:13:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

Mike Cannon was not in a very good mood. "We're going to make this short and simple today since I have a headache," he said. "One of the best known computer applications is having the computer play chess. When you or I play chess, we have to sit there and think through all the possible moves, analyzing them for the best possible outcome. It takes a while. The computer can do all that work in a fraction of a second, and as a bonus, it doesn't break a sweat. It doesn't get flustered."

He gestured to the computer workstations, all set up to play a chess game. "For your final exam, you're going to try and beat a computer at chess. Anyone who can beat the computer gets an automatic A on the exam. I'll also give an automatic A for the course for the person who can find me a damn cup of coffee that isn't decaf."

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Basic Computing Class #14 [Tuesday, Period 3, 4/15]

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:52:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

This week's class was back in the regular classroom. Since it was the last week before finals, Mike stopped in at J,GOB on his way in and brought cupcakes. "Congratulations on making it through the entire semester," said Mike. "Feel free to grab something to eat. You've earned it, and you may need the sugar boost to get through today's lesson."

He looked just a little bit apologetic as he continued. "Today, we're going beyond the basics of just using the computer to look at the programming language that tells the computer what to do. Now, this is probably more than you will ever have to do, and admittedly, it may be just a bit above your comprehension level, so don't worry too much if this seems really complicated. The point is to understand what's going under the hood."

With that, Mike turned around and started writing on the chalkboard.

#include <iostream.h>

main()
{
   for(;;)
     {
     cout << "Hello world! ";
   }
}

"This is all the code you need to run a very basic computer program," explained Mike. "The language we're using here is something called C++, which happens to be my very first programming language. In this program, the computer is instructed to print the words 'Hello world!' on the screen. We have a call to a function library, iostream.h, where someone else has helpfully stored the instructions for printing something on the screen. We have main(), which is a special function declaration. Don't worry about what it does. Just remember that every C++ program needs to have that. Then there's the function that starts a recursive loop..."

Mike paused here, considering his words carefully before continuing. "That's really a bit more of an advanced topic. The important part is that you see the instruction cout, which is the command to output something on the screen. The part that is within the quotation marks is what's printed, and then both functions are closed and the program exits. And that's it. What we've just done is trace a program, which means we've looked at how it is interpreted from start to finish. In a more complicated program, we'd be looking for any potential flaws that cause the program to run incorrectly."

"We'll stop there for today, but if you're interested, there are plenty more of examples of the 'Hello world!' program in other languages as well. Good luck with your final exams next week, and if you have any questions for me, I'll be holding extra office hours on Thursday."

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Basic Computing Class #13 [Tuesday, Period 3, 4/8]

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:25:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

"Today's lesson is short and sweet, but still very important for beginners," began Mike, standing at the front of the computer lab. "Save your work and save often. You don't know if you'll be attacked by a gremlin before the assignment is finished or if the power will go out before you save those last fourteen pages of your term paper." He cringed. "I spent another three hours trying to recreate the work I lost that night. It's worth your while to find a word processor that allows auto-saving in the background. On my copy of Microsoft Word, just to to Tools, and then Options, where you'll see a tab marked 'Save.' There, you can set it to auto-save and set how often you want it to auto-save. It's also a good practice to manually save every so often by hitting Ctrl + S or the save icon in the toolbar, which usually looks like a small floppy disk. Either way, you want to find out how it works before getting to any serious work."

After answering any questions ~~if there were any~~, Mike moved on. "If you've looked at the calendar, you might have noticed that we only have one more class before final exams. If there's anything that you need covered before the end of the semester, let me know now. I'll answer your questions today as best I can, and we can cover any big topics next week."

[OCD ~~coming~~ up! I have a work thing to deal with in the morning, but I should be back to pick up pings after 3 PM CDT.]

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Basic Computing Class #12 [Tuesday, Period 3, 4/1]

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:22:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

Mike had a smile on his face as he faced the students. "Don't worry. We're not going to be dealing with any weird languages today," he said.

"A few weeks back, we watched the movie 1999 and talked about the consequences of putting too much faith in technology. Today, we'll revisit that discussion after watching BattleDrill," he continued. "This time, someone puts a computer in charge of launching nuclear missiles. Afterwards, we'll talk about why it is so dangerous to use an easy-to-guess password."

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Basic Computing Class #11 [Tuesday, Period 3, 3/25]

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:01:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

Class was in the computer lab again, but today Mike was furiously typing at one of the computers. Without saying a word, he waved at the students to indicate that they should take their seats at their workstations. After a few moments, they would see an instant message pop up on their screens.

"70d4y we'Re 90in' 70 Le4rN H0w 70 sPEeK iN leE7 SPEEk."

Mike waited a moment to watch the students react before he started tapping at his keyboard.

"'Leet Speak' is used by some advanced computer users. There's several different theories as to how it originated. Some parts come from common misspellings, other pieces come from attempts to beat text-based filters. Leet speak also gives users a sense of community. It lets them differentiate themselves from n00bs, or newbies. And in turn, those n00bs feel like they're part of this community when they finally learn to understand and use all those weird words. Phr13ND2, 70d4Y \/\/3'r3 g01N' 70 L34Rn H0\/\/ n07 70 74LK L1k3 N00b2. Or, friends, today we're going to learn how not to talk like n00bs."

Mike sent the students a link to a website on l33t speak made easy and waited for the students to talk to him.

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Basic Computing Class #10 [Tuesday, Period 3, 3/18]

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:14:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

This week's class was in the Danger Room again, using the simulation of the Montecito's security office. Mike waited until everyone was seated before he began. "It's good to see that you're all back, safe and sound," he said, looking over the class. "Obviously, a lot has happened in the past week, but by working together as a community, we were able to safely bring back everyone who had been taken. A key factor was research that led to clues which helped the away teams know where to look."

There was a sense of melancholy as Mike continued. "Computers can do a lot when it comes to research, but they're not perfect. Sometimes, we can make connections between ideas that the computers can't even recognize. Before spring break, we looked at how a casino uses computers to store and track live camera footage to look for trouble. I can tell you from experience that they're not perfect. Today, we're going to look at an old case that's rather personal for me."

The control room sprang to life, with technicians running back and forth with urgency as Mike continued. "Fifteen minutes ago, an employee in the valet area reported seeing something disturbing. He got a glimpse of a panicked woman in the back of a cab, and she was holding up a makeshift sign that said 'help me.' As the employee moved to take a closer look, a tour bus pulled up and cut off his access to the cab, and by the time he went around it, the cab was gone. Now, if I play back the video," said Mike, tapping a few buttons on the computer in front him, "you can see the employee, and you can see the tour bus, but because there are so many cars, you can't really see the cab. The camera angle that would have given us the best view is totally blocked by the bus."

He replayed the footage again in slow motion, and the students might have noticed this time around that the employee who saw the cab was none other than Mike. "Your task today is to help find someone in trouble," he said. "Don't worry about the technical details, as we have plenty of help for that. What you need to do for this simulation is come up with a plan of finding the woman using the surveillance system and the technicians will help you put that plan into action. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck. The other technicians and I can give you pointers on what our computers can do or point you in the correct direction."

[OOC: I'm borrowing the plot of the Las Vegas episode "Silver Star" today. Instructions and OCD ~~will be~~ up ~~shortly~~ now!]

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Basic Computing Class #9 [Tuesday, Period 3, 3/11]

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:09:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

The computer lab had the same set-up as usual, except for one computer that was a bit further away from the others. Mike was standing by that one as he launched into his lecture. "Last week, we learned about the World Wide Web and using web portals for searching. But before you can start searching, you need to get on the Internet first."

Mike gave a brief overview of TCP/IP networking protocol in case anyone really wanted to know how it all worked, but he managed to stop himself before people started dozing off. "So, very simply, if we're setting up a computer for Internet use, you'll have a few more steps from what we covered in the first couple of classes. At the very least, you'll need a telephone cord to connect the internal modem to a phone jack for a dial-up connection. However, I strongly recommend you stay away from dial-up and go with a much faster broadband or DSL connection. For that, you'll need one of these modems," he said, holding up one of the broadband modems. He demonstrated how to connect the lone computer to the modem before continuing.

"Now, in the computer lab itself, we have a good example of a small network. Over here, we have three computers connected to a router. So, if I'm one the first computer, right here, and I need a file that's saved on the last computer at the end, I just have to look at the other computers on this network and retrieve it." Mike looked at the class, hoping that someone was comprehending the lecture but feeling doubtful. "Or, we can just connect the router to the modem and jump back into searching the Internet."

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Basic Computing Class #8 [Tuesday, Period 3, 3/4]

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:25:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

"Good morning, everyone," said Mike as he walked into the computer lab. "Congratulations on surviving the first half of the semester, and more importantly, surviving spring break. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and we have to get back to education. So, today we're going to start talking about the Internet."

Mike launched into a very technical explanation of the history of the Internet, starting with ARPANET and continuing to the World Wide Web. Predictably, it was a little dry and went a little overboard on detail, but Mike was getting better at knowing when to stop. "So that's all the technical details, for those of you who really need to know that stuff. For the rest of us, there are only a few things you need to get started. And relax, we're not going to cover the entire Internet in one day," he reassured them with a chuckle.

"Basically, you can create a network with just two computers and some cables. The Internet is essentially one big network connecting your computer to a lot of other computers out there. What does that mean for us? That means that right from the computer you're sitting at right now, you can look up the current weather conditions in Moscow, find the date and starting time of the next UNLV men's basketball game, or a comedy club in the D.C. area if you're planning an outing with friends," said Mike. "The best way to do that is to find a web portal like Yahoo or Google and use their search engine. And that sounds like a good place to stop for today. Next week, we'll get to explore more of the Internet."

[~~Please wait for the~~ OCD is up!]

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Basic Computing Class #7 [Tuesday, Period 3, 2/19]

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:40:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

Today's class was being held in the Danger Room, which was set up to look like a room full of television monitors. There were a large number of desks, each with its own computer and keyboard. One of the desks was occupied by a man in a wheelchair, and Mike was standing next to him. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," said Mike. "Please go ahead and take a seat at any empty desk. For today's class, we'll be looking at a completely different computer application. Welcome to the surveillance room of the Montecito resort and casino. Every one of these monitors shows us what is happening on a different camera, from the blackjack tables to the elevators to the pool."

( Overview of today's activity )

[~~Please wait for the~~ OCD up! I'm headed to bed, but I'll pick up pings in the morning and should be around for good after 3 PM EST.]

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Basic Computing Class #6 [Tuesday, Period 3, 2/12]

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:10:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

Mike had ~~handwavily~~ instructed the class to meet in the classroom today. There was not a computer in sight, just a teacher drinking lots of coffee and a television set. "I had to make a slight change to the syllabus since my computer crashed and I lost the presentation I had been working on," Mike said apologetically. "That should be a lesson in itself. When you're working with a computer, hit 'save' frequently and make regular back-ups. If you have any trouble figuring out how to do that, see me during office hours."

He took another gulp of coffee before continuing. "This week we're supposed to be covering spreadsheets, but when I thought about it, I realized that you guys probably won't need spreadsheets all that much. So here's spreadsheets in a nutshell. They have rows and columns of empty spaces. You plug in numbers. The computer calculates stuff based on what you need the spreadsheet to do. If you think this is something you need to know more about, see me after class."

After answering any questions ~~if there were any~~, Mike continued. "For the remainder of class, we're going to be watching the film 1999: An Intergalactic Journey. Pay special attention to the problems caused by HEL 6000, a supercomputer that serves as the villian in this story. Is HEL really that bad, or was he just programmed that way? What does this movie say about putting our faith in technology? And seeing that we're in 2008, how does this picture of the future, made in 1968, differ from the modern world? I'd like you to answer those questions for homework. Oh, and just this once, you can either type up your answers or write them out by hand. Just remember that we will be having a practical exam for the midterm next week and you will want to be comfortable with typing."

[OCD ~~coming~~ up!]

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Basic Computing Class #5 [Tuesday, Period 3, 2/5]

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:51:00 GMT

Posted by: mike-cannon.livejournal.com

The class was meeting back in the computer lab again, and this week they were all using Windows XP workstations. "I'm going to start by telling you that today's subject may not necessarily apply to all of you," started Mike, totally not looking at Cimorene ~~if she was there~~.

( Word Up )

"Okay, that seems like a good place for me to stop for today," said Mike. "Your assignment for today is to type up a basic one paragraph document, save it, and print it out. The subject really doesn't matter since I just want you to get some practice with working with the computers. I'll be around if you need any help, and you can definitely see me in my office hours on Monday if you have any more questions."

[Credit goes to the awesome people behind Webopedia for actually describing word processors in basic terms and Lifehacker for just generally making my life easier. OCD up ~~shortly~~.]

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