Transcript PDA Initiative and ALS 103 Extra Credit

PDA Initiative and
ALS 103 Extra Credit
College of Agriculture
& Life Sciences
PDA Initiative: Quick Overview
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Animal Science, Pocket Dairy databases
Crop Science, barcode readers and
spreadsheets in USTL, greenhouses
Zoology, wireless polling, Web article access
and markup
Horticulture, barcode readers, plant ID
Ambassador program, outreach presentations
and event documentation
ALS Orientation Courses
(103, 295g)
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Handheld loan program, optional
Participants receive a Palm Zire 71 (built-in
camera) or a Palm Tungsten C (WiFi access to
Web and email), by choice
Participants sign a contract to borrow this state
property, and agree to return it in working order
at the end of the semester
Participants asked to complete a survey at the
end of the semester, rating their experience
Zire 71
Tungsten C
Benefits of Participation
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Access to a digital camera or wireless email
and Web for a semester (using “hot spots”)
Extended, hands-on experience with a loaned
PDA can help you decide whether or not to
purchase your own device, and which model
Extra credit activities aligned with course
assignments can add to your overall points
total, or you can elect to skip certain regular
assignments as marked in the syllabus*
Minimal Requirements
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To use a PDA, students will need access to a
personal computer (PC or Mac) with USB port
You will need to load
Palm Desktop and
other software tools
on this computer
All PDA software
will be provided
to you
Minimal Requirements
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Some extra credit assignments require
students to access Microsoft Word on this
same personal computer
If you do not have Microsoft Word on your
computer, you can still participate in about 60%
of the extra credit assignments
Extra Credit (Detail):
Time Management Assignment
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Students can download a time management
matrix in Excel or Word format from the class
Web page
After completing their matrix, students can
install and use Documents to Go to transfer
their file to the handheld, then beam this file to
the TA or instructor (10 points)
Docs to Go will be provided to students with
Word on their personal computer
Extra Credit (Detail):
Oracle Calendar Assignment
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Next week we will overview the new electronic
calendar tool available to every student at NC
State: Oracle Calendar
Most students will access their electronic
calendar via the Web (like Webmail)
Students with PDAs can set up a sync between
their PDA and Oracle Desktop on their
personal computer, to transfer all dates into
their Palm DateBook application (10 points)
Extra Credit (Detail):
Finding Internships Assignment
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Students with PDAs can set up a free software
tool called Plucker to extract Web pages and
place them on their PDA
For extra credit, students will use Plucker to
download the “About” Web pages for two
companies (10 points)
Extra Credit (Detail):
Resume Assignment
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Students will install and use the software tool
Documents to Go to transfer Word files to their
handheld
For extra credit, students will transfer their
resume to their handheld, then “beam” that file
to the instructor or TA (10 points)
Extra Credit (Detail):
Interview Assignment
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In interview situations, it is helpful to have a
copy of your business card and/or resume for
the interviewer
For extra credit, students with PDAs can create
an electronic business card and beam that file
to the instructor or TA (10 points)
Extra Credit (Detail):
Clubs & Orgs. Assignment
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Students with PDAs can transfer a worksheet
to their handheld with Docs to Go, and answer
the listed questions about clubs or
organizations they visit
For extra credit, students beam their completed
worksheet to the instructor or TA (10 points)
Extra Credit (Detail):
Using D.H. Hill Library Assignment
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The Zire 71 includes a built-in digital camera
For extra credit, students with a Zire 71 can
take two digital pictures at the library with their
camera (one each of reference and circulation
desk), download these files to their personal
computer, edit the files by adding a title over
the photo (i.e., their name), and then beaming
the photos with their name to the TA or
instructor (10 points)
Extra Credit (Detail):
Ethical Issues Assignment
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Students with PDAs can install the free Idea
Pad program to create a basic concept map
about the ethical issue they have researched;
beam to instructor or TA for 10 points
One student per team can install the free Margi
software to convert their PowerPoint
presentation to a handheld file; the
presentation can then be delivered from the
handheld (10 points)
Extra Credit (Detail):
Planetarium Software
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Students can install and use the free
Planetarium software tool to research
astronomical data
For extra credit, students answer scavengerhunt type questions provided on the software
documentation, using the handheld MemoPad
application, then beam those answers to the TA
or instructor (10 points)
Some Procedures
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To receive extra credit, you must bring your
PDA and show your work on the device to the
instructor or TA. In many cases, you can
“beam” your extra credit assignment to the
instructor or TA electronically.
If any regular assignment asks you to turn in a
printed page (e.g., resume), and the PDA extra
credit assignment asks you to beam an
electronic copy of this same file to the TA or
instructor, you must do BOTH
You Are Not Alone
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PDA Initiative Web Site:
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/index.cfm?
showpage=258
Documentation Page, Quick Guides, Manuals,
Step-by-Step Instructions
Training and Help Page, Form to Request Oneon-One Help, Sessions Held in 118 Patterson
Hall
Please View Assignment Sheets
from the Class Web Page
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Due to last minute additions of extra credit
assignments, some changes do not appear in
your printed coursepack
Please use the class Web page to view the
most current version of all assignment sheets
Class Web link on syllabus:
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/index.cfm?
showpage=301