POWERPOINT & COMPUTER MEDIA - HARDWARE, FIRMWARE, and OPERATING SYSTEMS

MS PowerPoint is a most-popular PRESENTATION SOFTWARE program designed to help prepare a set of multimedia, dynamic pages (or SLIDES) on a computer-projected screen to an audience in a SHOW-like presentation format. The slides of a PowerPoint presentation are intended to be highly visual, brief but objective, that will help the presenter explain, or "sell" ideas or products to an audience in an effective way. In this class, we will focus on preparing PowerPoint presentations that can help teach selected topics or ideas to children in classrooms.

Working with PowerPoint 2003 , 2007

QUESTION:  What does the inside of a typical classroom computer looks like?

Peeking inside a real PC - Search the Internet for images of the physical inside of PCs and Laptops. What do you see?

How do PC's, and most digital computers work? Basic functions: Sensing (input), transforming (processing and storage), and delivering (output) information. View the first 7 slides (physical and logical resources) of the presentation ** Computer nuts and bolts **- 2 MBytes

a) What are the 4 basic processing functions in computers? (Input, Processing, Output, Storage). What is the purpose of each, and which computer devices perform them?

b) What happens when we turn on the computer? (1 - Power feeds in, 2 - Computer checks its vital organs within (BIOS firmware), 3 - Computer starts its operating system program (OS, e.g. Windows) and checks its local accessories, 4 - Computer checks local networks (LAN), 5 - Computer checks remote networks (including WWW).

d) What are HARDWARE (physical), FIRMWARE (fixed function software), and SOFTWARE (flexible execution instructions)?

c) What is the "motherboard"? What are its parts, and what are their functions? How do they start during POWER UP ?

A motherboard picture.

        The MOTHERBOARD and its components (in Power-up sequence):

Power Supply Connector (feed electrical energy - direct current)

BIOS (firmware) (Initial health checker for motherboard components)

Microprocessor (the central "smarts" of the computer - CPU)

RAM (memory) (fast, temporary memory - assists the CPU for fast manipulations)

Disc Connectors (access to Hard Drive, CD, DVD drives, etc.)

Expansion Slots (where add-on cards plug in - expand capabilities of computers - sizes: Long, Medium, Short)

Input-Output Connectors (where external devices - keyboard, mouse, USB, network cable, video, connect/plug into the computer)

Battery (watch-type battery that helps keep basic info (mainly in BIOS) - date, time, special configurations data, when computer is off)

Animated objects in OFFICE 2003 / 2007
PULL DOWN MENU:   "Slide Show" (2003) or "Animations" (2007) > Custom Animation  (calls Custom Animation – window bar on right side)
1.- DRAW or INSERT a graphic object on the work area (can also be a text object)
2.- With the object SELECTED, request ADD EFFECT >  Entrance, Motion Path, etc.  (to select type of motion / draw path, if needed)
3.- To add sound clip tied to animation, choose entry in Custom animation list, right-mouse-click, and call "Effect options" - a new window shows and allows options

NOTE: Can always CLICK ON THE MAIN HELP LINK OF POWERPOINT - (?) Button in 2007, and use selection options/text, for assistance on details of the above and other available MISCELLANEOUS SOUND AND VIDEO EFFECTS - (such as ACTIVATING BACKGROUND SOUND/MUSIC / NARRATION, etc.)

ACTIVITY:  Use a common computer program for visual presentations: ( e.g. MS PowerPoint), and a picture of a Motherboard to create a presentation describing the motherboard and its parts. (Image of basic completed Assignment), (Animated sample, and Sample with sounds)

Assignment - Powerpoint
COMPUTER LITERACY

Create a POWERPOINT PRESENTATION (see samples above, and STARTER SAMPLE) which animates the labels for the main components of a computer motherboard. The first 5 labels (POWER SUPPLY CONNECTOR, BIOS, MICROPROCESSOR, RAM, DISC CONNECTORS should appear in the correct POWER-UP SEQUENCE ORDER - the rest can be in any order desired. Labels are inserted by drawing them, and then animating them through the Custom animation option. Entries in the custom animation list can be reordered by clicking and dragging them, Sound effects can be added by right-mouse-clicking on each entry, and choosing Effect options.

NOTE: As an alternative to the motherboard parts animation show, you can choose objects, text, and images, sounds, and animation of your choice (e.g. the Insert bar (in MSOffice 2007, the pull-down Insert > Picture .., or DRAWING toolbar (in MSOffice 2003), to create a free format Powerpoint theme with educational / classroom purpose sample-cell-parts (HTML version). Use at least 2 pages/slides - one first page for introduction.

 

QUESTION:  How can classroom computers be protected from damage caused by electrical supply disturbances?

Reliability and support: Local and remote DATA BACKUP facilities. SURGE PROTECTION, and UPS (Uninterruptible Power Systems (or Source) (UPS)

Things that can be done when the performance of a computer deteriorates with use:

1.- Clean up your hard drive - Possible space problem caused by excessive downloading

2.- Add / expand memory (DIMM) - check expansion capabilities of machine

3.- Run a defragmentation routine - In Windows: Accessories, System tools, Disk defragmenter

4.- Run anti-virus and anti-spyware software - ($)

5.- If machine is over 5 years old, consider buying a new one - ($$)

COMMON TERMS IN THE COMPUTER LINGO - Related to computer activation clock (tick) times: MILLI (thousandth) second, MICRO (millionth) second, NANO (thousand millionth) second, and PICO (10^-12) second.

A Hertz is a unit of oscillation in electronic systems.  It is equivalent to an electrical activation cycle, or an electronic heartbeat inside computers.  Computer hearts (clock) oscillate quite faster, speeding up all the operations accordingly.  Typical computers today oscillate at over 1 million times each second (1 MegaHertz - 1 MHz) and even 1 billion times each second (1 gigahertz (1 GHz). Consequently, oscillations of 1 GHz last about one - nanosecond (1 ns - billionth of a second) each.

Utility power used in home and industrial appliances in many countries use electricity that will oscillate alternatively its wires between positive, and negative charges. This is called Alternating Current (AC), and the oscillation typically occurs 60 times every second, i.e. 60 Hertz, or 60 cycles.