Computer maintenance and useful applications for creating teaching resources (NCTE/T4)

The course will demonstrate how a number of IT applications can be integrated to produce interactive resources to suit the individual learning styles of their students.  As teachers use a desktop/laptop as a teaching tool, the basic maintenance and care of this hardware will also be an aspect of this course.

Unit 1 - Basic maintenance and care of desktop/laptop computers
While it is not feasible for teachers to maintain the computer hardware, it is feasible for them to maintain the system and application software. Computers get slower over time.  This is due to a combination of factors, all software related.  With regular maintenance, it is possible to keep computers running at their optimal speed.  This unit will deals with issues such as storage maintenance, scheduled tasks, disk imaging and malware.

Unit 2: Creating worksheets using MS Word 2007
This unit will deal creating worksheets using MS Word.  A number of other applications will be used in the creation of the material such as SolidWorks and image capturing software.  Converting worksheets to Portable Document Format (pdf) using freeware where appropriate will also be addressed.

Unit 3: Creating worksheets using MS Publisher 2007
Microsoft Publisher gives you the opportunity to combine images, graphics and text in ways that will suit the production of most worksheets for the technology subjects. It is also a useful application for the production of design portfolios, reports, etc.

Unit 4: Creating PowerPoint presentations (1)
A PowerPoint presentation is a collection of electronic slides which can contain text, tables, graphics, pictures, sound and video. This first of two units explores:

•Creating slides containing text, tables and graphics
•Custom animation of slides
•Animating presentations
•Creating master slides

Unit 5: Creating PowerPoint presentations (2)
The second unit in creating PowerPoint presentations will focus on the following:

•Inserting SolidWorks eDrawings
•Inserting Movie and Sound files
•File management issues

Unit 6: Creating AVI files for on-line tutorials
Video tutorials are a very powerful communication tool which allows users to watch and learn at their own pace. These tutorials give an over the shoulder view of the tasks being carried out in a clear and logical manner for learning. This unit explores the creation of video tutorials and basic editing