It's been over a decade since I taught more than one section of IS101 Introduction to Information Systems. For this semester, Spring 2026, I asked for a Friday evening section (3003) in addition to my usual Saturday morning section (3005). Hmm... should I just stay in the classroom in-between?
Doubling down on my efforts to build individual rapport with each student, I must have spent 30+ hours each week in the past two weeks meeting with students via WebEx. I learned much about each student's background and character.
Each section has twenty-two seats. As some students joined and exited the rosters, I met a total of fifty-one people, almost all before the semester officially began. Now forty-one seats are filled.
Nineteen students kept on fixing their Bonus Quiz 1 – Syllabus based on my feedback until they reached 100%. Kevin was the first student to accomplish this feat. Viviana pleasantly surprised me by achieving this on her very first submission -- it's been a few years since anyone earned this distinction.
Forty students have successfully completed their A1 Accounts Setup and Professional Communication.
Thirty-eight students participated in D1 Self Introduction, Availability, Management, Responsibility.
Thirty-seven students have successfully completed their A2 Customer Email Inbox Rules (Order Driven).
Thirty-six students began their D2 Individual Experience, Footprint, Progress, Creativity.
This assignment, A3 Blog Posts, Articles, Videos, Comments, will help students conclude their D2. The most public and long lasting assignment from my set of signature assignments kicks off with this post for January and will last until the end of the semester.
In the past two days, thirty-two students either came to the classroom early or stayed late to challenge Bonus Quiz 2 – Self Reliance and Self-Responsibility. Chantalle alone earned a perfect score while Kevin, Scott, James, Gian, and Izabelle earned a near-perfect score. I hope more students will participate in Bonus Quiz 3 – File E. & A. and Special Characters in File Name this upcoming class.
Most students are keeping pace with the semester timetable as they are working through Chapter 2 Computing Essentials. A handful of students are behind in Chapter 1 Internet Essentials. Chantelle and Ivette are beginning Chapter 3 Common Microsoft Office Features. Gian, James, Ashton, and Vania are much further along in the same chapter. Kevin is approaching the end of Chapter 4 Microsoft Word, longer than the first three short chapters combined.
Viviana has not only conquered the first of three long chapters but also the preparatory materials for the MO-110 Word certification exam. The future IT professional informed me that she is ready to take on her first Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exam as I am drafting this post. I am so excited ^_^ After MO-110, I will walk through A4 Using a Table to Format & Align a Design and A5 Slideshow Presentation with the student in the pole position.
Click on the image for a larger/clearer view
+++++Phase 1: Forming, Norming, Storming+++++
The first two or three weeks (grey section) are where students get their sea legs by setting up their accounts for organization and success, adapt/reacclimate to college schoolwork, and complete the essential skills for living online & computing concepts and common Microsoft Office skills.
The following several weeks (blue section) often elicit exclamations such as "I didn't know Microsoft Word can do this" and "So this is the way to do this properly".
Above average students continue their momentum from BQ1 & BQ2 and show up to the classroom early or stay late to challenge BQ3 through BQ6 to elevate their course grade at the end of the semester.
For almost all students, passing the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) MO-110 Word certification exam and earning their first digital literacy badge bring a sense of accomplishment and foreshadow future MOS Associates.
+++++Phase 2: Performing (Determined and Analytical)+++++
The next several weeks (green section) will force the cogs in their brain into overdrive, rotate students' thought process and perspective on their axis, and take students to the apex of IS101.
Microsoft Excel is often the most challenging software application for students as it is the least familiar compared to Word and PowerPoint. A pleasant surprise or rude awakening or both is/are instore for those believe they know Excel because they can use SUM or AVERAGE as CONCAT, TEXTJOIN, UNIQUE, COUNTIF, VLOOKUP/HLOOKUP, pivot tables, and others are introduced.
Majority of my signature lectures, demonstrations, and walkthroughs permeate this phase. One of my signature topic/skill contribute significantly to BQ7 through BQ11.
The middle phase culminates in the MO-210 Excel certification Capstone Assignment 1 (a.k.a. A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer). A6 will require students to pay attention to details as they apply what they learned in Chapter 5 Microsoft Excel, practice quality control for their own work output, and orient their perspectives when viewing and responding to a business scenario. Capstone Assignment 1 also makes up the base for BQ12 & BQ13 which can raise a student's course grade by half a letter grade.
+++++Phase 3: Performing (Creative)+++++
Capstone Assignment 2 kicks off the final and shortest phase (orange section) of the course. Chapter 6 Microsoft PowerPoint is the least taxing, most fun, and a wonderful way to conclude the required portion of the coursework. By this phase, all students would each have had his/her/their opportunity to do A5 Slideshow Presentation. MO-310 PowerPoint will give students the opportunity who passed the two earlier exams to become MOS Associates.
+++++Beyond IS101: Out-Performing (Actualizing)+++++
Above average students will create their own phase (black section) to go beyond what's required by outperforming/actualizing their digital literacy potentials by:
(a) Doing bonus assignments A8 Improved Slideshow Presentation, A9 Query Options and IF Statement, and A10 Workbook Investigation.
(b) Taking bonus quizzes BQ12 & BQ13 (taken together as a pair) BQ14, BQ15 and more impromptu bonus challenges.
(c) Challenging more MOS certification exams MO-400 Outlook, MO-500 Access, MO-111 Word Expert, and MO-211 Excel Expert. A select few stand out by earning the MOS Expert distinction. An even fewer stand out by hitting a MOS Homerun by passing ALL available seven (7) MOS certification exams.
Students,
Looking ahead to our semester together, one key highlight is your opportunity to bolster your résumé by earning certifications from the company that makes the most commonly used business productivity software application suite.
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) in the Workforce
By Certiport, February 20, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI9olyets48 (3 min 19 sec video)
Here is a video I have used to kick off each semester for the past few years:
Neil deGrasse Tyson's Ultimate Advice for Students & Young People – HOW TO SUCCEED IN LIFE
By Motivation2Study, July 26, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yv6r8Kl4bM (11 min 13 sec video)
See you in the classroom or a WebEx meeting :-)
First of all, it was an amazing and beautiful video by Neil deGrasse Tyson truly inspiring and quite touching. After watching it, I feel more committed to this class and more motivated to succeed. I'm now more focused on passing the MOS exams to earn the certification, which will serve as a stepping stone in my IT career.
ReplyDeleteGreat job Viviana we have so much work ahead but you are very motivating! The MOS in the workforce video really helped push the value of this class in the workplace. Personally I have been a bit burned out this week because of my infant, but I am feeling the motivation again because I would like to accomplish all 7 certifications. The Neil deGrasse Tyson video was very uplifting, I like how Neil had an attitude of if you are in my way, then I will find a new way. He also decided that if someone believed something because of him, then he did not properly do his job because inspiring curiosity is the goal. The idea of a scientist being a kid who never stops being curious is a great analogy. Overall, I appreciate this class and the inspirational videos I will do my part to buckle down and focus.
ReplyDeleteThat was my first time seeing Neil deGrasse Tyson’s video. It inspired me to be more disciplined, keep learning, and continue growing into the person I want to become. Everyone has a reason for showing up, it’s important to remember that reason and say focused. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, great video choice! I love Neil deGrasse Tyson. It was an inspiring video, and also heartwarming to watch. I've watched a handful of motivational videos, and this video will be added to my top three. In this video, he brings up a lot of good key points that are relevant and has brought a new perspective on challenges old and new. Thank you for sharing this wonderful video.
ReplyDeleteNeil deGrasse Tyson’s video inspired me because it conveys a message about the importance of believing in yourself and fighting for what you want without giving up when difficulties appear. It also teaches that no one has the right to impose limits on what we can achieve. Instead, those opinions should be used as motivation to keep moving forward.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Viviana! well-deserved praised from Prof. Wu! Knowing people are out there in full throttle reminds me there is always work to be done! While I am not the biggest fan of Neil DeGrasse Tyson, I will admit his video was reassuring as to the why we work so hard to better ourselves, a common thread among all college students. Very good messaging!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this update, Professor Wu. It’s really motivating to see how much progress the class has already made and how much time and effort you’ve put into meeting with students individually. Reading through the different phases of the course helps me better understand where we are and what’s coming next, which makes the workload feel more manageable and purposeful. I also appreciated the video you shared by Neil deGrasse Tyson, especially the idea of staying curious and focusing on the learning process rather than just the end result. I’m looking forward to continuing to build my skills as we move into the next chapters and appreciate the encouragement to challenge ourselves beyond the minimum requirements.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that when I chose this course and professor, I was only thinking about going to class and getting work done. Now that the work is slowly being done, mistakes being corrected and learning more than I expected, I realized college is not for everyone and that's what really pushes me to go further. The fact that the students are getting praised for their good work says a lot and giving us a breakdown on what's going to happen in the next few months makes it exhilarating to learn more. With all the tools that is given and potentially be given to us students, when used right, it would be near impossible to fail this course. I am grateful to have a professor who gets out of their way to reach out, help and inspire us. Looking forward for the rest of this semester and keep moving towards the finish line.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comment on this post because you mentioned my name, and it made me think about how I handle this class. I usually finish assignments very late, around 1 a.m. or 2 a.m., because I am a slow learner and I need more time to understand and remember things. I work ahead not because I feel confident, but because I have already dealt with unexpected issues like car problems and ER visits, so I try to prepare early in case something like that happens again.
ReplyDeleteThe Neil deGrasse Tyson video also stood out to me. I am not really a confrontational person, and I usually just step back when situations get difficult. The video made me think that learning is not only about the material, but also about dealing with challenges and situations I am not comfortable with.
For exams, I assume I will struggle, so I practice over and over to see if I actually retain what I learn. If I pass, I would be happy, but I do not expect it. I focus more on doing the work and repeating things until they make sense. Your instructions help me stay on track when I easily lose focus.
Thank you, Professor Wu, for your patience and for tolerating me even though I doubt myself all the time.
Coming into this class, I knew that obtaining experience in Microsoft Office was important, but I didn't truly understand how important. The video by Certiport opened my eyes to just how valuable these skills are in the modern workforce. I was surprised to see how having a certification in Microsoft Excel can make a big difference in the hiring process. I now feel even more motivated to focus, do the work, and achieve the certifications.
ReplyDeleteThe motivational video with Neil deGrasse Tyson didn't necessarily give any new insight on how to succeed, it repeated a fundamental idea in success of needing to believe in yourself and push past comments that may demotivate you in your journey towards your goals. It used to be that negative comments are only said face-to-face. In today's world, you can see negative comments everywhere on the internet, which is why it is now more important than ever to have a strong sense of self-belief and remember, "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me."
ReplyDeleteThis class is probably one of, if not the best class I have taken; It's an eye-opener, and it helps us build skills, habits, and a growth mindset for our future, whilst not being too overwhelmingly difficult. Thank you so much for giving us this message, I'm sure a lot of us feel even more motivated to perform better in this class.
ReplyDeleteYou make a lot of these students' efforts feel seen, not just another random student's grade on your list. You actually acknowledge what we all have been working on. I, especially, have really low self-esteem and confidence. I often think that I sit in a room full of students way smarter than I am, but this message made me realize that my skills, knowledge, and hard work are up to par, and that I am at least amongst the average. This information may seem trivial, but I assure you that to people who often doubt themselves, it means a lot. It makes us want to keep working harder because our efforts are not just unnoticed.
Also, the Neil deGrasse Tyson video is a great reminder on why "If you are on time, then you are late."
Curiosity is crucial to learning, and it is often lost when students just want to get things done to catch up to the deadlines without actually asking questions about the material (Even I, am guilty of this). If you do things early, you can take your time with it, and therefore be able to form a lot of questions out of curiosity, which then gives you more knowledge about the subject.
Thanks for sharing the videos. This class is very different than other classes I've taken so far because it makes me think about how I should complete a task, almost like solving a puzzle for each assignment, and the videos motivate me to continue and not give up. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is one that I like listening to because I enjoy his lectures about the universe and life. In the end of the video he sums up what is expected from taking a class like this which is not to learn just to remember, but to learn how to think, and that is something I strive to do.
ReplyDeleteSo excited to push myself to new subjects this semester. I have never taken a proper class on Digital Literacy and the interactive assignments given in this class have been very beneficial. I will be pursuing a degree for Accounting and the use of Microsoft software will no doubt be a part of my professional career. I can't wait to learn new forms of Digital Literacy I have not taken into consideration before. I appreciate having a professor who is willing to communicate outside of classrooms hours. I believe I will get a lot out of this class. Let's us have an amazing semester!
ReplyDeleteMany of the skills that we will learn in IS101 will help us as student prosper in the field that we choose to enter. Especially fields that will benefit from someone knowing how to use excel and the techniques needed to properly navigate through it. If you look through job posting websites you'll see many where they require or prefer candidates who know how to use excel.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to a part in the Neil DeGrasse Tyson video where it mentions a story of his father being basically motivated by spite, that is where I can usually gain some motivation as well. It also gave me a new perspective when he mentioned that being able to continue working while dealing with people you don't particularly enjoy is also a skill.
I appreciate the amount of time that you're willing to use to guide students in the right direction, thank you.
I found Neil deGrasse Tyson’s message very inspiring and encouraging, especially for someone like me who is managing multiple responsibilities while striving for a better future.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, as an accounting student, Microsoft Excel is one of the most essential tools sought by employers in the accounting profession. This reminds me that I still have significant work ahead to enhance my technical competencies in this area to remain competitive in today’s professional environment.
This is my first semester back at school, and I am very excited to have joined this class. Very excited to really learn and become proficient in Microsoft Office programs. I have already been learning a lot and applying newfound skills and i can't wait to see what else we learn from here.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the praise, Professor Wu, I really appreciate it. Watching the Neil deGrasse Tyson's video, reminded me that there's always going to be someone that doubts you, but that's more the reason to work harder and prove them wrong.
ReplyDeleteHello Professor Wu,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy this class. It helps me think critically and learn how to solve complex problems. I also appreciate how you explain concepts and guide us so we don’t lose our way. Without a doubt, it’s a great class with a great professor.
– Rafael Robles
Good afternoon! I am so excited to learn about all of the "hidden" features Microsoft has to offer. As a Safari + Apple user, having a class to learn how to use Microsoft products will be very helpful. I am excited for what's to come with this class, and even more excited to (hopefully) earn the certificates. As a student, I can really tell when a teacher is passionate about what they teach and about helping their students, you are one of those teachers! Your hard work into each assignment and each individual student doesn't go unnoticed by us, thank you for everything!
ReplyDeleteGood Evening Professor Wu,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you go above and beyond what a normal professor would ask for; it helps as a student to learn and figure out how to navigate through the challenges you give us on our own and not be led to every answer so that we don't learn anything ourselves. Just these two weeks alone have been very insightful, as I'm learning things I had never known before and am able to apply them to my daily life to make things easier for myself. I look forward to challenging myself further to learn this material and applying it into my life.
Good afternoon, Professor Wu, Albert. Thank you for sharing your knowledge about IS101 Introduction to Information Systems. Although I signed up for this class late, I'm very thankful I enrolled because I can really learn more about MOS and with your help I know I mastered it. I look forward to learning more about Excel and PowerPoint in the upcoming weeks. Also, thank you for sharing the video Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) in the Workforce. I really learned that most of the employees are requesting MOS skills which I believe is necessary for someone and that there is a growing demand for MOS skills.
ReplyDeleteGood evening professor Wu,
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that I am greatly surprised by the class and everything we can learn. I thought I knew about computers at an intermediate level, but this class showed me that I was just scratching the surface, and in a short time it has taught me things I had no idea I could do with Microsoft devices and their applications like Word, Outlook, OneDrive, among others. I am also very grateful to Professor Wu for his time and patience.
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to reach out to me. It definitely made me realize that I should step up and get my work done. The fact that you graded my assignment at almost one in the morning and were up for class the next morning, displayed a certain level of professionalism that I need to acquire that I may have lost since the military. I look forward to our semester in IS-101.
Thank you.
Hi Professor Wu,
ReplyDeleteIt’s clear to me that you are making this effort to maintain our motivation during your class. It’s nice to see your dedication and preparation for all our assignments. Thank you
Hey Professor, This Neil deGrasse Tyson video was an excellent, educational video that grabbed my attention. We the class see your devotion to the development of us, your students, and want you to know that you're appreciated from all of us. To go the extra mile and linger behind after class concluded reinforces your position as our educator and articulates what kind of teacher you show us to be. I will continue to march forward and progress through this class as long as you're (not giving answers) guiding. I will continue to strive to be the best, Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHello Professor Wu, I like having this class because it has taught me a lot about computer stuff that I never knew about. I like the way you are passionate about your work and the care you have for your students by staying late and also actually trying to teach them how to do the assignments and how you say the phase " not spoon feeding " us student. Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi Professor! I wanted to let you know how grateful I am for this class and the opportunity to learn and grow in my skills. It's rare to find a professor who is willing to WebEx you late at night or text you just because he cares! I appreciate your generosity and understanding as a teacher and look forward to continuing this semester with you. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to learning about the different features of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. This higher expertise will hopefully help me stand out when I apply to become a radiologic technologist. Even though I am not familiar with the features that Microsoft Excel offers, I will not give up on the tasks within the application until I accomplish them.
ReplyDeleteHello Professor. Seeing this shows me how grateful you are about your job and how much you care for your students. Seeing this makes me wanna learn more and shows how important this is in life, just having these skills helps so much so I am very grateful for you Professor. Thank you for being a great teacher and I hope to keep going strong thank you.
ReplyDeleteHello Professor! Coming into this class I was very nervous, but you made it very clear that you would provide me as much help as possible. That is what made me want to stay in this class, you sticking by me and being as patient as possible helped me feel motivated to be in this class. I have learned so much while being in this class. You challenge me and make me feel like I can be a better person by being here. The time you spend does not go unseen and I am forever grateful for the time you put in your work and with me to better help me understand any and ever concept. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteProfessor Wu, I believe that I am not the only one who truly appreciates what you are doing for us, your students. I tend to get discouraged very quickly, and when I realize that I have fallen behind on an assignment, it sometimes makes me want to throw everything away because I feel incapable of catching up again.
ReplyDeleteI am just now commenting on your post, and I want to thank you for attaching the video of Mr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Listening to his words made me reflect, and it helped me regain motivation about the direction I want to take in my life. I am very motivated to complete this course and to see how I will put it into practice in my professional life.
This was simply an amazing blog for January 31st. Not only a blog that gives motivation to the students, But you even tracked every student status on where they are at. There isn't a lot of Professors that put so much work into these things like you Mr. Wu. It's truly astonishing how much you care about us students. I get so motivated, now that I know my professor truly cares about us succeeding. Truly grateful for everything you do for helping us succeed.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Wu, this is such an impressive start to the semester. Your dedication to meeting individually with students and building rapport so early on clearly shows in their engagement and progress. It’s great to see so many of my fellow classmates revising until they reach 100% and pushing themselves with the bonus quizzes. Both sections seem to be off to a strong and motivated start; well done!
ReplyDeleteEnrolling into this class I didn't know what I was getting into, it wasn't until after I read the syllabus and understood what this class was about. I am really intrigued with the information I have already learned and I am excited to see what the future of this class has in store for me. Excel and Office used to scare me but now that we are slowly dipping our toe into new concepts I am feeling more confident working with it.
ReplyDeleteDear Professor,
ReplyDeleteI never really used blogs or even would read them. It's interesting that you incorporate something a lot of people use as like a social media thing to do schoolwork. It feels like you are trying to make this as easy as possible. Excel did use to scare me but at my current position I use it every day.
Good afternoon professor Wu, I appreciate the effort you dedicate to your students. It shows that you care. You provide all the necessary tools and work with us to succeed.
ReplyDelete