The Summer Smarts course is designed to introduce new computer skills and computer terminology as well as reinforce academic content. Throughout this course, the student will engage in lessons which incorporate activities that address both academic and technology objectives.
Skills covered in this course include: applying strategies for identifying and solving simple hardware and software problems, storyboarding ideas for presentations, using various application programs such as spreadsheets and word processors, creating and editing digital photographs, creating multimedia projects, and Internet searching and cataloging.
Course Directions and Tips
• To participate in this course the student must have Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and PowerPoint installed on his or her machine. Please be sure that it is installed before taking the course.
• Students may require some assistance from the Learning Coach to complete some lessons in this course.
• The three required components of each technology lesson are the academic instruction, the technology activity, and the assessment within the instruction.
• The assessment within the instruction does not contribute to the student’s overall grade for the course.
• There are several games in each lesson. The games are optional components of the lessons.
• As a result of recent updates, some lessons have been marked as optional or moved within the course. If a lesson has been removed, the student can still click on the lesson, but a message will appear that directs the student to the next lesson.
Unit 1: Introduction – Unit Summary
In this unit, you will be presented with a series of tutorials that are designed to help you understand the content and structure of this course. You will learn that each lesson in this course presents or develops a technology skill using academic content. You will also become familiar with how the lessons are organized and how to navigate through them. Finally, you will explore basic keyboarding concepts and skills.
Lessons
1. K to the 8th Power Overview
2. The LMS and K to the 8th Power
3. Navigating K to the 8th Power
4. Keyboarding Rows
Unit 2: Internet Safety – Unit Summary
In this unit, you will learn how to use the Internet in a safe and responsible way and as a tool for communication, research, and collaboration. The unit begins by explaining the concept of a virtual community and discusses topics such as "netiquette" and online bullying. You will recognize Internet safety concerns including the importance of choosing a safe user name, risks associated with online shopping, and the threat of online predators. Finally, you will learn about
intellectual property and copyright concepts. You will also examine the consequences that are associated with piracy and illegal music downloading.
Heads-Up
Due to the mature nature of the content in some of these lessons, you may want to review the content with your Learning Coach prior to completing the lessons.
National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) Performance Indicators: All students should have opportunities to demonstrate the following performances. Prior to completion of Grade 8, students will:
1. Discuss basic issues related to responsible use of technology and information and describe personal consequences of inappropriate use. NETS-S were developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
Lessons
1. Cyber Community
2. Cyber Bullying
3. Cyber Security
4. Acceptable Use
5. Literacy Review
6. Intellectual Property
7. Learn B4U Burn
8. Personal Safety
9. Online Shopping
10. Predator Identification
11. Willing Participation
Unit 3: Study Skills – Unit Summary
In this unit, you will learn various strategies related to time management, organization, and goal setting. These strategies include color coding by subject, utilizing your student planner, and scheduling. Then you will create Venn Diagrams, and you will use these diagrams to compare and contrast information. Finally, you will explore mnemonic techniques to assist with memorization, helpful test-taking tips, and various methods of studying for tests.
Lessons
1. Organization and Time Management
2. Using Graphic Organizers
3. Memory Aids
4. Study Strategies
5. Test Taking Strategies
6. Goal Setting
Unit 4: Microsoft Word – Unit Summary
In this unit, you will learn basic Microsoft Word techniques including navigating within a document, editing and formatting text, inserting images, creating and formatting tables, and keyboard shortcuts. You will to copy text from a provided source and paste it into a Microsoft Word document. You will manipulate text by applying various formatting strategies including inserting page breaks, highlighting, bolding text, changing font size, etc. Finally, you will change properties within a Microsoft Word document
Lessons
1. Answer Factual Questions on Literature
2. Answer Questions From Reading
3. Compare Numbers
4. Conclusions and Inferences
5. Descriptive Writing
6. Edit Writing
7. Formulate Questions
8. Persuasive Writing
9. Regular and Irregular Plurals
10. Revise Writing for Correct Verb Tense
11. Sequence of Events in Fiction
12. Using Context Clues to Define Words
13. Whole Numbers
14. Word Processing - Alexander the Great
15. Write Expository Essay
Unit 5: Microsoft Excel – Unit Summary
In this unit, you will create formulas, adjust column width, and enter text into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. You will navigate between two spreadsheets and how to cut and paste data from one spreadsheet to another. You will create borders, resize fonts, and apply conditional formatting. Finally, you will use Microsoft Excel’s Chart Wizard feature to create various charts, line graphs, and bar graphs. You will also learn how to modify labels within a chart and resize and reposition a chart on a spreadsheet.
Lessons
1. Consumer Problems (Optional)
2. Common Suffixes
3. Decimals
4. Equivalent Relationships
5. Fractions
6. Mixed Numbers
7. Story Problems
Unit 6: Microsoft PowerPoint – Unit Summary
In this unit, you will explore and be introduced to a variety of features in Microsoft PowerPoint. You will learn how to select a design template, add new slides, and apply various slide layouts. You will navigate between two programs in order to copy and paste text from Microsoft Word or another word processing software program to a Microsoft PowerPoint slide. By the end of this unit, you will learn how to create and apply transitions between slides in a presentation.
Lessons
1. Narrative Writing
2. Paraphrase
Once your payment is received and processed, you will receive an email with information on how to log-in to Connexus® and access this course.
If you have any questions or have not received your email with log-in instructions within one week, please contact an Admissions and Support representative at 877-804-6222.
Seeking course credit at your full-time school? Please be aware that if you plan to transfer credit from International Connections Academy to a non-Connections Academy school, the decision about whether to accept iNaCA course credits is wholly at the discretion of the school to which you hope to transfer the credits.
We strongly recommend that you discuss with your school their transfer credit policy, and inform them about your plans to take a course or courses through iNaCA, prior to registering for an iNaCA course. You may need the course description and Credit Request Form if you are not a Connections Academy student, but are seeking to obtain credit for International Connections Academy summer school courses at your full-time school.
Please contact an Admissions and Support Representative at 888-440-2899 with questions.