Course Descriptions

Training courses are offered at various skill levels for the following software applications and specialty topics.
 

 Software Applications

   Specialty Topics
Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Photoshop
FileMaker Pro
Microsoft Access
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
Microsoft PowerPoint
  Blackboard
Classroom Audio/Visual Equipment
Mobile Technology Carts


Adobe Acrobat
In this course, you will learn how to convert Office documents to Acrobat PDF format.  Once you have created a PDF, you will learn how to add bookmarks for easy navigation, edit existing text, add new text, and apply password protection and file permissions.  Finally, you will learn how to create an interactive PDF by adding field elements to your form and formatting their content.

Adobe Photoshop: Basics
In this course, you will learn how to navigate around the Photoshop window and use the Photoshop toolbox.  Using existing photographs, you will learn how to resize, rotate and crop images.  You will learn how to add borders and optimize file size and image quality for printing or web publishing.  For easy editing, you will learn how to select areas of your image and change their colors.  Finally, you will learn how to remove the background by making it transparent.

Adobe Photoshop: Advanced (Image Quality)
In this course, you will learn how to make your image more vibrant and true to life by adding adjustment layers.  You will learn how to automatically and manually adjust the lightness, darkness, hue, and saturation of your image.  To adjust only certain areas of your image, you will learn how to apply masks.  Finally, to decrease the blurriness of an image you will learn how to apply an unsharp mask.

Blackboard: Basics
In this course, you will learn how to utilize your course's BlackBoard site to enhance your instruction.  To maintain an organized site, you will learn how to create folders and add content to these folders, including Word documents, PDFs, images, sounds, and PowerPoint presentations.  You will also learn how to add internal and external links to your site. For course management, you will learn how to use BlackBoard's email, digital drop box, and grade book tools.  Finally, you will learn how to add and remove student accounts to update your course roster.  

Blackboard: Gradebook/Tests/Surveys
In this course, you will learn how to configure Blackboard's Gradebook by adding, removing and saving grades.  You will also learn how to create a test or quiz using Blackboard.  Finally, you will learn how to create a survey and/or a pool of questions.

Classroom Audio/Visual Equipment
In this course, you will learn how to use the available technology in one of the IT-enabled classrooms on the Medford campus.  To create a conducive learning environment, you will learn how to turn on and adjust the room's lights.  You will learn how to turn on the control system and projector to display content on the classroom screen.  You will lean how to present from the content sources available in that classroom - for a list of IT-enabled classrooms and the available A/V equipment please view the Classroom Connection.  Finally, you will learn how to properly turn off all A/V equipment, the control system, and the projector when your class is finished.

FileMaker Pro: Basics
In this course, you will learn how a relational database works by navigating around the FileMaker window.  For data management, you will learn how to create, edit, duplicate, and delete records.  To search your database and retrieve data, you will learn how to perform simple and complex finds.  You will also learn how to sort data for easy data viewing.  To improve data entry, you will learn how to create a simple form using the layout wizard.  Finally, you will learn how to plan and create a new database by creating tables, defining fields, and adding relationships.

FileMaker Pro: Advanced
In this course, you will learn how to create a new database by importing data, creating new tables, defining fields, and adding relationships.  You will learn how to create new forms using the layout wizard and a blank form.  For more efficient data entry, you will learn how to add data entry tools like menus, check boxes, and radio buttons, to a layout.  Finally, you will learn how to create more advanced layouts like envelopes, labels, and letters.

Microsoft Access: Basics
In this course, you will discover how a relationship database works by exploring an existing Access database.  For data management, you will learn how to create tables with the wizard, in design view, and by entering data.  You will learn how to add relationships between these tables to create your relational database.  For data entry, you will learn how to create a form using the form wizard.  To search for data in your database, you will learn how to create a query using the wizard and in design view.  Finally, you learn how to use the report wizard to create reports that summarize your data.

Microsoft Access: Advanced I (Tables & Forms)
In this course, you will learn how to customize the design of your database's tables and forms to improve data entry and management.  To restrict how data is entered into a database, you will learn how to customize the field properties and create input masks.  To create drop-down menus in your tables and/or forms, you will learn how to create lookup wizards.  Finally, you will learn how to design a new form by adding text, graphs, and adding advanced fields like check boxes.

Microsoft Access: Advanced II (Queries & Reports)
In this course, you will learn how to customize the design of your database's queries and reports.  To search for data within your database, you will learn how to create a query and modify existing queries.  You will learn how to filter and sort your query data for improved data viewing.  You will learn how to use queries to update, append, and delete records in existing tables.  For data summaries, you will learn how to create a report using the report wizard.  You will learn how to modify the existing report's design, sort data in a report, and calculate sums, averages, minimum, and maximum values for data in a table or query.  Finally, you will learn how to export your queries and reports to Excel and Word, respectively.

Microsoft Excel: Basics
In this course, you will learn how to construct a basic spreadsheet for data management.  To effectively display and organize your data, you will learn basic design concepts like resizing rows and columns, formatting cells and text, applying colors and borders, and applying conditional formatting.  You will learn how to calculate basic functions using the AUTOSUM button.  Finally, you will learn how to insert custom headers and footers for printing.

Microsoft Excel: Advanced I (Functions & Formulas)
In this course, you will learn how to  construct simple and complex functions like the minimum, maximum, and average values of a range of cells.  To determine the appropriate function to use for calculations, you will learn how to search within Excel's Help.  For original equations, you will learn how to calculate simple and complex formulas. 

Microsoft Excel: Advanced II (Charting)
In this course, you will learn how to use the Chart Wizard to graphically display data.  You will learn also learn how to modify existing charts by changing the chart type and source data, amongst other chart options.

Microsoft PowerPoint: Basics
In this course, you will learn how to create a new presentation using the Task Pane.  You will learn how to select a slide design and adjust its color scheme.  You will learn how to add new slides to your presentation and select a slide layout for those slides.  To add content to your slides, you will lean how to add text to your slides and format that text.  To make your presentation more attractive, you will learn how to add images and graphics.  Finally, you will learn how to add slide transitions and custom animations to highlight the content on your slides.

Microsoft PowerPoint: Advanced (Templates)
In this course, you will learn how to create a PowerPoint template, known as a master slide.  You will learn how to view the master slide, design custom backgrounds, and add geometric design elements to these backgrounds.  To maintain a uniform text size and appearance, you will learn how to format the text and bullets on your text slides.  Finally, you will learn how to add logos or text footers to all of the slides in your presentation.

Microsoft Word: Basics
In this course, you will learn how to use Word's menus and toolbars.  You will learn how to compose a basic document and apply formatting like Bold, Italics, and Underline.  To change line spacing and margins, you will learn how to format individual paragraphs or the entire document.  To correct spelling and grammar mistakes in your document, you will learn how to use AutoCorrect and the Spelling and Grammar check.  You will learn techniques for saving your document to prevent losing work.  Finally, you will learn how to use Word's help as a resource for technical information.

Microsoft Word: Advanced I (Document Design)
In this course, you will learn basic design concepts to create an attractive document.  You will learn how to apply advanced formatting to text and paragraphs, design custom headers and footers, format bullets, and insert images.  For newspaper-like documents, you will learn how to create a multiple column layout. 

Microsoft Word: Advanced II (Mail Merge)
In this course, you will learn how to use Word's Mail Merge to create letters, labels, or group emails.

Mobile Technology Carts: Basics
In this course, you will learn how to obtain and set up a projector cart.  You will learn how to turn on and configure the data projector to properly display the image on the classroom's projector screen.  You will learn how to set up and use the cart's PC.  If you plan to use your own laptop, you will learn how to connect and use your laptop with the cart.  You will learn how to play a VHS using the cart's built in VCR.  Finally, you will learn how to properly shut down, pack up, and store the cart.

Mobile Technology Carts: Troubleshooting
In this course, you will learn how to troubleshoot common cart problems reported by staff and faculty. 


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