Microsoft Office for Kids
Suggested Age: 7-13
Prerequisite: none
Kids will learn these Microsoft Office applications:
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Word (word processing)
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Excel (spreadsheets)
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PowerPoint (slide show presentations)
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Publisher (newsletters, letterhead, greeting cards, etc.)
In a fun and creative workshop-style class, each week we will study a new topic and create a take-home project for their computer notebook. By the end of the year, your child will have completed 33 projects of which to be proud: letter, envelope, address label, book report, greeting card, PowerPoint presentation, a reading log and more! They will also learn how a computer is made. This is a great class to introduce kids to the usefulness of computers beyond games and email, and prepare them for a high school level Computer Applications course.
Homework: 1 hour per week
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class (some teachers can provide one, if needed) with Microsoft Office 2016 or later installed with Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Publisher
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NOTE: Microsoft Office On-The-Web is FREE - many advanced functions are not available in this online version (click here for details)
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A ½ in 3-ring binder WITH A PLAIN COVER to store all their printed projects for the year
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A USB flash drive to store student files

Elementary Robots
Suggested Age: 7-10
Prerequisite: None
We have all seen robots. In the future robots will be used throughout society. Do you want to learn about the world of robots and what they can do? This is the course for you!
This is our entry level course. It is aim toward elementary age students. We will be using the Ozobot EVO robot, the same robot NASA uses at their visitor center to introduce students to robotics. As a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) course the activities will integrate STEM subjects with robotics. The student will have fun but will be learning some very important skills. All projects will be done in groups or 2 or 3. In the world of technology it is so important to learn how to work with your peers.
The student will learn to code with color commands and with OzoBlockly. This course will give them the confidence to do their own programming.
Here are some of the projects we will be doing:
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Coding a story
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Create your own world for Evo
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Write Your Name in OzoCodes
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Hungry, Hungry Evo
Curriculum / Materials:
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Robot required: Ozobot Evo
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For a $50 fee instructors can provide an Ozobot robot to use in class only. These cannot be taken home.
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Or you can purchase your own EVO robot at Ozobot.com.
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Used robots may be available for purchase by contacting your instructor.
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A tablet, Chromebook or laptop with Bluetooth to drive & program the robot (no phones, please).

Web Design for Kids Using HTML5 & CSS3
Suggested Age: 10-13
Prerequisite: Microsoft Office for Kids or equivalent experience
Kids will learn:
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How a Computer Works
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The History of the Internet
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How the Internet Works
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What a Website is
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What a Blog is
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How to Plan a Website
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The Design Aspects of a Website
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Basic HTML5
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What CSS Is
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How to use Web-Authoring Tools
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Web Hosting Options
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How to get a Domain Name
In a fun and creative workshop-style class, each week we will learn how to code HTML5 and then CSS3. By the end of the year, your child will have completed a website of which to be proud! They will also learn how a computer is made and the history of the internet. This is a great class to teach kids the real power of computers, taking them beyond video games, and preparing them for a lifetime of using & creating on the Internet.
Homework: 1 hour per week
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computer required for class (some teachers can provide one, if needed). We will install a free to use text editor for programming called Visual Studio Code.
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Textbook: Web Design for Kids Using HTML5 & CSS3, by Sandra Gaiser
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A USB flash drive to store student files

Middle School Robot Programming
Suggested Age: 10-13
Prerequisite: Microsoft Office for Kids or equivalent experience
Do you want to solve problems? Do you want to learn how computers work? Do you want to learn about programming? Would it be fun to learn how to control a robot through a program you have written? This is the course for you!
This is an introductory course in computer science and programming. You will study programming concepts, computational thinking, and digital citizenship. At the end of the course you will create your own game, story or robot activity you can share.
You will learn foundational concepts of programming using drag and drop blocks rather than a programming language. Blocks are an easier way to get started and many top Universities today begin their classes with block-based programming.
The course is based Code.org’s Computer Science Fundamentals – Express online course along with the Sphero Edu robot labs. But independent exploration is encouraged.
Have your child be prepared for the jobs of the 21st century. All are not going to be programmers as a profession, but computers will be very much a part of their lives.
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptops or tablets (NO PHONES) are required (some teachers can provide one, if needed) NOTE: Newer laptops are preferred but you can purchase a newer iPad or Kindle Fire or Android tablet with a 6 or greater OS or Google. If you do not own a tablet, you can purchase a Amazon Kindle Fire HD 10 on Amazon Prime Day in July. The tablet should be discounted on that day.
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Robot required: Sphero BOLT
Keyboarding (for kids & teens!)
Suggested Age: 8-19
Prerequisite: None
Learning how to type on a computer keyboard made fun with games, contests and prizes! Every 2 weeks there is a competition to see how much each student has improved in speed and accuracy. The fastest doesn't always win, because each student competes against himself!
When should a child begin to learn keyboarding? Research states that 8 years old is a good age because students have developed the coordination and manual dexterity to keyboard efficiently. (www.keyboardingresearch.org)
Homework: 10-20 minutes of typing 4 days a week
Certificate of Completion awarded for keyboarding course
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers or tablet with a keyboard (some teachers can provide one if needed)
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Computer required for daily practice at home or local library
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Textbook: Keyboarding for Homeschoolers, 2nd Edition, by Sandra Gaiser
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A dish towel or bandanna to cover hands while typing in class and at home
Classes For TEENS & advanced Middle Schoolers


Intro to Game Programming
Suggested Age: 10-18
Prerequisites: Microsoft Office for Kids OR Office Applications 1 OR instructor approval & typing 10 wpm
This course is intended for advanced middle schoolers who excel in math and programming, and teens who have not yet been introduced to programming or want to refine their skills. Students will learn basic to advanced computer programming & logic skills while having fun CREATING THEIR OWN COMPUTER GAMES!
1st Semester:
Scratch is a fun, free, beginner-friendly programming environment, where you connect blocks of code to build programs. While most famously used to introduce kids to programming, Scratch can make computer science approachable for people of any age. Rather than type countless lines of code in a cryptic programming language, why not use colorful command blocks and cartoon sprites to create powerful scripts?
2nd Semester:
Python: A typed, command-line programming language. Whether you're new to programming or an experienced programmer, it's easy to learn and use Python. And it's Free.
Homework: 1-3 hour per week
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class w/Windows 7 or later (some teachers can provide one, if needed) - we will install 2 free programs called Scratch & Python
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Textbook: Coding Games in Python (Computer Coding for Kids) by DK
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A USB flash drive to store student files


Building JavaScript Games
Suggested Age: 14-18
Prerequisite: Intro to Game Programming OR instructor approval
JavaScript is a scripting language that enables you to create dynamically updating content, control multimedia & animate images. If it moves or interacts on the Internet, it's most likely JavaScript, so if you want to code games that are played online, JavaScript is one way to do that.
Building JavaScript Games teaches game programming through a series of engaging, arcade-style games that quickly expand your JavaScript and HTML5 skills. JavaScript is in the top ten most-used programming languages world wide, and is the basis for applications that can run in any modern browser, on any device from smart phone to tablet to PC. Special emphasis is given to touch-based interface, but all games also run using a regular mouse and keyboard setup.
The four games you’ll develop are:
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Painter
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Jewel Jam
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Penguin Pairs
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Tick Tick
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computer required w/Windows 10 or later (Some instructors may be able to provide one, if needed)
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Textbook TBD:
Microsoft Office for Teens
Suggested Age: 14-19
Prerequisite: Microsoft Office for Kids or equivalent experience
Your kids should know office applications WELL!
This stuff is CORE:
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How do you write? On a computer.
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How do you calculate? On a computer.
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How do you present? On a computer.
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How do you store information? On a computer.
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How do you collect information? On a computer.
Learn the basics of Microsoft Office Suite using Microsoft certification track manuals:
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Word
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PowerPoint
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Excel
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OneNote
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Access
Fulfills 1 credit state requirement for Technology applications
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers are required for class – it MUST have Microsoft Office (version 2016 or later) Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote & Access programs on it. Macs with Microsoft Office are fine. (Some teachers can provide one, if needed)
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Note: OneNote is built into Windows & MAC now (Free)
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Note: Access is available in the annual subscription to Office 365. If you don't have it, let the instructor know.
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NOTE: Microsoft Office On-The-Web is FREE - many advanced functions are not available in this online version (click here for details) It includes Word, Excel & PowerPoint.
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Textbooks: 5 Microsoft Office training manuals ordered by the instructor in August Online at my website – Due August 1)
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A USB flash drive to store student files
Web Programming & Design for Teens
Suggested Age: 15-19
Prerequisite: Computer Apps 1 or equivalent experience
Your student will:
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Learn beginning to intermediate web design
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Understand website layout
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Write HTML5 & CSS3
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Fulfill 1 credit state requirement for Technology Applications
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Have a fully functional website (online with approval) at the end of the course
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Earn a Certificate of Completion for Web Design
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Do 2-3 hours of homework per week
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class (some teachers can provide one, if needed).
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We will install a free to use text editor for programming called Visual Studio Code.
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1 textbook required: Basics of Web Design: HTML5 & CSS3 (5th Edition) by Terry Felke-Morris
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A USB flash drive to store student files
Animation Programming (also offered in Summer)
Suggested Age: 15-19
Prerequisite: Office Apps 1 and/or Web Design for Teens OR instructor approval
Students use Alice 3.0 to learn the basics of object-oriented computer programming.
Programming concepts like:
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Program design & implementation
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Object-oriented programming concepts
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Events & event handling
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Simple control structures
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Conditional execution
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Loops, Recursion, Boolean functions
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Lists & list processing
Alice is an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web. Alice is a teaching tool for introductory computing. It uses 3D graphics and a drag-and-drop interface to facilitate a more engaging, less frustrating first programming experience. Alice 3 is FREE to download to use in class & at home.
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class (some teachers can provide one, if needed).
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We will install a free program called Alice version 3.
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1 textbook required: Alice 3 in Action: Computing Through Animation 1st Edition, by Joel Adams
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A USB flash drive to store student files
Summer ONLY Class Offerings
Microsoft Office Workshop for Kids (summer only)
Suggested Age: 7-13
Students have fun creating a different project each week using the Microsoft Office suite of applications:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Publisher
They will make a friendly letter, a greeting card, a PowerPoint Presentation and more! Laptop computers provided or bring your own!
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher (some teachers can provide one, if needed)
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NOTE: Microsoft Office On-The-Web is FREE (click here for details)
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Textbook: Microsoft Office 2016 for Kids – Summer Text, by Sandra Gaiser
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A ½ in 3-ring binder WITH A PLAIN COVER to store all their printed projects for the summer
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A USB flash drive to store student files
Keyboarding (short summer course)
Suggested Age: 7-19
Student have fun learning to type correctly on a computer keyboard. With incentives like games, prizes, and competitions, you child will be excited to type faster than ever! There will be homework, as Keyboarding is more like a sport where one trains muscles to respond automatically. Laptop computers provided or bring your own!
Homework: 10-20 minutes of typing 4 days a week
Certificate of Completion awarded for keyboarding course
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class with a text editor like WordPad or TextEdit on Macs (some teachers can provide one, if needed)
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Computer required for daily practice at home or local library
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A bandanna or dishtowel to cover their hands while typing in class & at home
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Textbook: Keyboarding for Homeschoolers-Summer Text, by Sandra Gaiser
Web Design for Kids Using HTML5 (summer only)
Suggested Age: 10-14
Prerequisite: Computer Apps for Kids OR instructor approval
Kids will:
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Learn what web design is
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Learn to write HTML5 code to make their own websites
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Learn to use code generators and how to use templates to built sites
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Be having fun!
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Homework: 10-20 minutes of typing 4 days a week
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class (some teachers can provide one, if needed). We will install a free to use text editor for programming called Visual Studio Code.
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Textbook: Web Design for Kids Using HTML5 - Summer by Sandra Gaiser
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A USB flash drive to store student files
Game Programming for Kids (summer only)
Suggested Age: 9-12
Prerequisite: Computer Apps for Kids OR instructor approval
Kids will:
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learn basic computer programming & logic skills
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while having fun
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creating their own computer games
Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is provided free of charge. Kids will also be able to share their game with others online, too.
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class (some teachers can provide one, if needed). We will use a free online program called Scratch
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Textbook: Super Scratch Programming Adventure! (Scratch 3) by The LEAD Project (Author)
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A USB flash drive to store student files

Intro to Microsoft Office for Teens (SUMMER ONLY)
Suggested Age: 14-19
Prerequisite: Microsoft Office for Kids or equivalent experience
Learn the basics of Microsoft Office Suite using Microsoft certification track manuals:
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Word
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PowerPoint
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Excel
Fulfills 1/2 credit state requirement for Technology applications
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class: MUST have Microsoft Office (version 2016 or later) Word, Excel & PowerPoint programs on it. Macs with Microsoft Office are fine. (Some teachers can provide one, if needed)
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NOTE: Microsoft Office On-The-Web is FREE - many advanced functions are not available in this online version (click here for details) It includes Word, Excel & PowerPoint.
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Textbooks: 3 Microsoft Office training manuals ordered by the instructor in May (order online at my website - Due May 15)
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A USB flash drive to store student files
Web Programming & Design for Teens (SUMMER ONLY)
Suggested Age: 15-19
Prerequisite: Microsoft Office for Teens or equivalent experience
Your student will:
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Learn beginning to intermediate web design
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Understand website layout
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Write HTML5 & CSS3
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Fulfill 1/2 credit state requirement for Technology Applications
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Have a fully functional website (online with approval) at the end of the course
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Earn a Certificate of Completion for Web Design
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Do 2-3 hours of homework per week
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class (some teachers can provide one, if needed). We will install a free to use text editor for programming called Visual Studio Code.
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1 textbook required: Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics 5th Edition, by Jennifer Robbins
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A USB flash drive to store student files
Classes For parents Only

Intro to Microsoft Office for Parents
Suggested Age: 20+
Prerequisite: none
Learn the basics of Microsoft Office Suite using Microsoft certification track manuals:
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Word
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PowerPoint
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Excel
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Access
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OneNote
Learn what your kids should know! This stuff is CORE: How do you write? On a computer. How do you calculate? On a computer. How do you present? On a computer.
Curriculum / Materials:
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Laptop computers required for class: MUST have Microsoft Office (version 2016 or later) Word, Excel & PowerPoint programs on it. Macs with Microsoft Office are fine! (Some teachers can provide one, if needed)
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NOTE: Microsoft Office On-The-Web is FREE - many advanced functions are not available in this online version (click here for details) It includes Word, Excel & PowerPoint.
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Textbooks: 5 Microsoft Office training manuals ordered by the instructor in August Online at my website – Due August 1)
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A USB flash drive to store student files

Intro to Microsoft Office for Parents (SUMMER ONLY)
Suggested Age: 20+
Prerequisite: none
Learn the basics of Microsoft Office Suite using Microsoft certification track manuals:
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Word
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PowerPoint
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Excel
Learn what your kids should know! This stuff is CORE: How do you write? On a computer. How do you calculate? On a computer. How do you present? On a computer.
Curriculum / Materials:
-
Laptop computers required for class: MUST have Microsoft Office (version 2016 or later) Word, Excel & PowerPoint programs on it. Macs with Microsoft Office are fine! (Some teachers can provide one, if needed)
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NOTE: Microsoft Office On-The-Web is FREE - many advanced functions are not available in this online version (click here for details) It includes Word, Excel & PowerPoint.
-
Textbooks: 3 Microsoft Office training manuals ordered by the instructor (order online at my website – Due May 15)
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A USB flash drive to store student files