The third month of 2026 saw three milestones for IS101-3003/5. The first is planned. The second is a pleasant early surprise. The third excites me as I see the formation of a breakout star.
Since my February post, twenty-seven students followed Viviana, Kevin, Zakiyyah, and Josias in qualifying, taking, and passing the MO-110 Word certification exam. This milestone also marks the transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2 (see my January post for the phases). Thus far, many students are persevering and performing well in Chapter 5 Microsoft Excel :-)
JD and Nicholas earned a perfect score on MO-110 while Kevin, Josias, Chae, and Scott earned a near-perfect score.
Ten students challenged Bonus Quiz 7 – TCP/IP, One Big Thing, and Generic Top-Level Domains. Kevin and JD earned a perfect score while Ivette and Zakiyyah earned a near-perfect score.
Nine students challenged Bonus Quiz 8 – Domain Name Registration, ccTLD Hack, and URL Parts. Kevin earned a perfect score while Ivette earned a near-perfect score.
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Most students have sent in their A4 Using Table to Align and Format a Design. My favorite design came from Jay-R.
I gave three lectures/demonstrations while six students joined their nineteen classmates in sharing and showcasing their interests, homeland, and passion via A5 Slideshow Presentation. Having already delivered his A5 as one of first presenters, Kevin delivered his A8 Improved Slideshow Presentation, Homeless: Broke but Breathing. I didn't think he could improve upon his earlier slideshow. I am elated that I am wrong.
The final milestone for IS101 is the completion of all coursework, including passing all three Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Associate certifications: MO-110 Word, MO-210 Excel, and MO-310 PowerPoint. Kevin accomplished this on the final day of Spring Recess. I am so proud of him!
Upon returning from Spring Recess, I informed Kevin that he has earned enough points for the highest letter grade, without any bonus credit he has earned and is continuing earning. I was elated and proud to hear the Obsessed Hedgehog has no intention of disappearing until he finishes everything on his IS101 list.
Typically, a student reaches this state toward the end of a 16-week semester, Kevin not only reached this state with the first 8 weeks and Spring Recess, but did so with a level of professionalism and stellar performance that easily stood out from my 27 years of teaching part-time in higher education.
Not only has Kevin thoroughly analyzed and submitted bonus quizzes thus far ahead of schedule, the self-proclaimed neurotic hedgehog always produced polished results the match those from a business office instead of a college student.
The stubborn (his self-description) hedgehog impressed me with his solid performances on the two capstone assignments, A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer and A7 Mail Merge. I cannot remember the last time I modified the substance of my capstone assignments and very few students manage to fully and correctly satisfy all requirements on their first attempt. Kevin managed to join a tiny and exclusive club that did.
I am not sure which contributed more to Kevin's early completion and stellar performance in IS101-3003/5, Spring 2026: (a) his successful matriculation through a nursing degree, (b) his employer's need for an accountant instead of a registered nurse, (c) his own drive to succeed; but I am sure that Kevin Michael will earn his accounting degree with flying colors.
Earlier in the classroom today, 3/28/2026, Kevin took and passed the MO-111 Word Expert certification exam. This milestone is beyond the scope of IS101 but signaled the hedgehog wants to charge ahead complete the list. I look forward to see Mr. Michael completing (i) the rest of my signature bonus quizzes, (ii) A9 Query Options and IF Statement and A10 Workbook Investigation from my set of results-based assignments, and (iii) hitting a MOS Homerun ^_^
Focusing back to the other students, Zakiyyah, Jay-R, and Ivette submitted their A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer ahead of schedule.
In less than a week is the deadline (4/3/2026, 11:59 pm) for students to withdraw from a course or to change a course from "for grade" to "audit". If a student is considering doing either to protect his/her grade point average, then the student should still check with his/her funding source(s) (e.g. financial aid program, scholarship, employer re-imbursement, GI Bill, parents) for consequences of not receive college credit for withdrawing or auditing a course.
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I look forward to see more students continuing to persevering and performing in Chapter 5 Microsoft Excel, bonus quizzes, and A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer; perhaps even joining Kevin!
Here are the slideshows, milestones, and happenings in March (click on an image for a larger view):
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Hi, Professor Wu, I read your post and I understand what you’re saying about working ahead and trying to perform early, but for me my mindset has always been a bit different. From the very first day when we signed that agreement for the class, I already treated it like a contract, and in my head a contract is a binding promise, not something flexible or optional. I never really agreed with the idea that promises are meant to be broken, because if that’s the case then the whole purpose of having a contract disappears.
ReplyDeleteBecause of that, I approach this class more like a business transaction rather than just a typical class where I aim for grades. In my mind, you are the client, and the syllabus and blog posts are the terms of the contract that I agreed to fulfill. So instead of chasing an A+ emotionally, I focus on completing every requirement that was clearly stated, because that’s what I committed to from the start. That’s also why it may look like I’m working ahead or pushing hard, but really I’m just following through on what was already agreed upon.
When it comes to the MOS exams, especially the expert level and the bonus quizzes, I don’t really see them as competition with other students. I see them more as a way to go beyond the base contract. In my head, completing the associate level is like delivering 100 percent of the contract, but if I take the extra step and complete expert exams or additional work, it’s like I’m trying to renegotiate that value to something like 120 percent. It’s not about outperforming others, it’s more about proving that I can deliver beyond what was required and strengthening that “client relationship” mindset.
So overall, my motivation is not really tied to grades or comparison, it’s more about consistency and honoring what I agreed to do from day one. I just focus on fulfilling the contract fully, and if possible, exceeding it in a way that shows reliability and accountability.
What a wonderful mindset, Kevin :-)
DeleteUltimately, we are always striving to improve or perform better -- actualizing (the top level of Maslow's Hierarchy)!
May you continue to demonstrate reliability and accountability on top of your professionalism and stellar performance after IS101-3003/5, Spring 2026 ^_^
Hello Professor Wu. It's great to see some of the students excelling in this class It's very inspiring to see. With your help my presentation looked much more visually appealing and professional. I'll try my best to understand excel better so I can be reasonably proficient.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to everyone who has already passed the MO-110 and to those making progress in Excel. It’s also inspiring to see Kevin’s level of dedication and consistency, it shows what can be achieved with discipline and focus. Thank you, professor, for sharing these updates and for your continued support.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Professor Wu, for encouraging me to take the MO-110 Excel Exam
ReplyDeleteVery impressive of Kevin to get this ahead in this course. Although I haven't been able to make it to class, the presentations look great here!
ReplyDeleteHello Professor Wu. Honestly, it has been really interesting seeing how everyone has been improving throughout the semester. Congratulations to everyone who already passed the MOS exams, and good luck to everyone continuing to progress in Excel :)
ReplyDeleteAnd special congratulations to Kevin, because he has definitely become well known in the class for his excellent performance. It is really nice to see a classmate who is so passionate and persistent about what he does; honestly, it is very motivating.
I am proud of Kevin for his achievements in IS101. The amount of work that he has done is impressive to me. However, what stands out to me more is the amount of dedication that he has given himself. His transition from the Pessimistic Hedgehog to the Outstanding Hedgehog is an inspirational story to others.
ReplyDeleteThank you for putting my A4 Using Table to Align and Format a Design as your favorite; I had fun making it! It's nice to see a lot of people succeeding in this class. Kevin is really is in another level and really inspiring. It's amazing how time flies, we're almost done guys!
ReplyDeleteIS101 is a very practical and relevant course to every profession we may pursue. Thank you, Professor, for pushing us tirelessly to grow and scale up our skills by presenting real workplace scenarios and helping us strengthen our digital literacy to bridge our skill gaps. Congratulations, Kevin, on your outstanding performance. I truly appreciate your passion for going beyond expectations, keep it up!
ReplyDeleteIt's very inspiring to see Kevin's way of getting things done. I want to be able to apply the kind of self-discipline and mindset that he has for IS101 in all of my future classes if possible. I wish he would be a little less harsh to himself as he's such an overachiever who goes above and beyond, and serves as an inspiration for the most of us students.
ReplyDeleteIt's always refreshing to see the blog posts as we can see what in the other class has been up to in terms of progress and growth. While this class is tedious and exhausting at times when doing the work, the rewards are up to par for it. Learning life lessons in real time and having a classmate that just push pass through everything in this course is truly inspiring.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this class really pushed us to improve our skills and think more independently. Seeing everyone's hard work and growth throughout the semester has been motivating.
ReplyDeleteThank you Professor Wu for everything thus far, you've made sure I've been understanding what's going on before turning in anything.
ReplyDeleteHello professor, it's awesome to see how many people were excelling in the class. I am glad I was able to take this course it was well worth it and taught me very valuable information.
ReplyDeleteHello, Professor Wu, thank you for sharing this information with us. Also, I really admire seeing all the students' slideshow presentations that we put effort into.
ReplyDeleteDuring this time, I was out of town, so I did miss a few presentations. I enjoyed listening to my classmates presentations. It's interesting learning about different topics, and observe how creative people can be in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteHi Professor Wu! It is really inspiring to see all of the students' milestones and accomplishments; it is also a great way to motivate students to try to be highlighted by you! This was a wonderful class and it was a pleasure being your student!
ReplyDeleteReading this was really motivating honestly. Seeing someone complete all three MOS certifications and still keep pushing forward is crazy impressive. It also makes the class feel more rewarding seeing classmates succeed and showcase their hard work through the presentations and projects.
ReplyDeleteI am beyond impressed from Kevin and how willingly ahead he is, but also succeeding at a high-level above and beyond. It's encouraging and inspiring. I would like to tackle future classes in a similar manner it's great to see the benefits of what those actions result in.
ReplyDeleteHi Professor Wu, as always is really motivating to read about everyone's achievements and more if your name is listed there ha-ha.
ReplyDeleteHello professor Wu, I think it's really great that Kevin was able to impress you after 27 years of teaching. It's also really nice to see you get so excited about all of our successes and accomplishments even though for you everything is very simple and you know it backwards and forwards. I like Kevin's response because it was very humble and committed but even though he has admitted he is a pessimistic person I hope he recognizes what a great goal he accomplished. He not only completed the course quickly, but he was thorough and I remember in the beginning he had no confidence. Hooray for everyone who finished strong and amazing job Kevin, I hope you realize that your determination was a great influence to your classmates!
ReplyDeleteIt was always great reading about everyone's achievements! Hearing about them always gave me a boost of motivation to keep going. It's also nice seeing all the presentations together! There were some really good ones in March.
ReplyDelete