New ACTC Classes

Registration for classes July 19-Sept 30 is now OPEN.  See the schedule and fill out the online registration form at the top of this page.

New for FY 11: 

• T3 Group: a technology group to discuss the latest and greatest technologies. Join us one Tuesday per month to see what's in your future. (see schedule for dates and fill out this form to register): http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEJsMmk0b0tsWHJyUlRBRU9MeUdLZHc6MQ
• Google Docs for Spreadsheets: You've mastered Excel, now learn how you can share your spreadsheets (and word documents) in REAL TIME. Learn how technology has jumped to a new level.
• Computer Literacy for ESL: a class designed to help ESL students master the skills needed to understand computers and their function.
• Computer Vocabulary: don't understand what a link is? confused about terms like blogging and wikis? do you just want to feel with it? This is the class for you.
• MS Office 2007: An overview of what features you can find in Office 2007, see what you need to know.
• VISTA: find out about computer operating systems and how they can help you get the information that you need.

The Year that Was

As we wind down one year and gear up for the next, I thought I'd share some highlights with you.

• The ACTC gave out 1782 Elevate America vouchers (from IL and Microsoft) at the beginning of the year, Many of the recipients came back to the ACTC to take additional classes.
• 1122 individual students took classes this year, doubling the previous year.
• New classes were added in the fall, including Accounting 101 (to help prepare for Quick Books classes) and Absolutely Basics! for those who are need a foundation level class to alleviate the fear of using computers.
• In January, Waubonsee Community College donated 15 computers to the ACTC, replacing the outdated computers and allowing us to upgrade to Office 2007.
• This blog has had over 3500 visitors since it started!
• In early April, a new ONLINE Registration component was added, allowing another format for registering for classes. To date, 204 of you have used this fast and easy means of registering. We hope more of you will use this in the future.
• In April, new classes were added, including: Google Doc Spreadsheets, the newest way to share documents with other users (your online registration and class schedules utilize this tool). Also added were Blogs and Wikis, and Animoto Photography.

Thank you for a great year, and we hope to see you back in July...we're developing some new courses (Vista, MS Office Overview, ESL Vocabulary, Digital Literacy for ESL and others). Come back and see what's new for FY11. As always, let us know what you'd like to see at the ACTC...this is YOUR center!

Cheers~

Judith Sotir
ACTC Manager

Online Class Cancellation Form

Please note that a new Online Class Cancellation form has been added. It is located next to the Online Registration form, at the top of this page. If you have an emergency and cannot attend a scheduled class, please let us know so that we can fill the space with another student. There is also a space on the form for rescheduling the same class at a later time/date. We really appreciate your consideration.

FY 11 Class Schedule: July-Sept, NOW AVAILABLE

The schedule of classes from July 19-Sept. 30 is now available. Please access it from the left column, and register for classes via our online registration form. If you have questions, call us at 630-906-4248. Additional months will be added in the next few weeks, after teaching assignments are completed.
The colors refer to instructors assigned to teach each class. Please note that if there are a series of classes (such as Excel 1 and 2, or Quickbooks 1-4), they will be coded as Excel 101 and 102, or Quickbooks 301-304. Beginning classes with no pre-requisites will be coded with a 00, as in Absolutely Basic 001 and 002. Quickbooks requires starting from 301 and completing through 304, and you should register for Accounting 101 before taking QB classes if you have no previous experience with accounting.
Classes that are on the schedule but have a strike through (eg. Accounting 101) means that the class is filled. While October -December are posted, I've put a strike-through on all classes because this schedule is not confirmed. As soon as it is, I will remove the strike-throughs and open the classes for registration.  As always, if a class is filled, you will be given additional classes to register.
Please keep fellow students in mind, and if you cannot make a scheduled class, let us know in advance so that we can offer that spot to someone else.

Tech Tools and Techniques: T3 Group

Do you know what a CLOUD is? Are Wikis Wicked? Animoto can do WHAT to my digital photos? You want to GOOGLE my DOCS?!?

 If you have desire to learn about technology from an insider, sign up for our TECH TOOLS and TECHNIQUES Group, also known as T3, which will meet monthly to get the lowdown...skim the skinny...net the news...and basically give you a place to see the newest and most interesting technologies we can find. Sign up and come visit with us. You'll learn something new every time! The first group will meet at 11 am on Tuesday, July 20.  Sign up in the T3 Group site in the left hand column.

Judith

Bringing YOU the Newest Technologies

It's summertime (finally) and time to take things slow and easy. It's also a time to start thinking about what you can do to promote your career and better your life. Technology has taken over, sometimes for the better and sometimes, well, it's just darned frustrating!

We're going to take a little breather to regroup for the year ahead, so the ACTC will be closed from July 1-July 19th,  When we come back, we'll have even more ideas to help you through the technology maze. As you know, we switched to Office 2007 this spring, and will continue to offer the core Office programs: Excel, Word and PowerPoint. Excel, by the way, is our most popular offering. The second most popular class is our Quick Books series, which is four classes on using Quick Books in your small business or office. We added a pre-class this year called Accounting Basics, so that you have a firm foundation in accounting terms and vocabulary. Another popular class added this year is Absolutely Basics!, for those who have little or no experience with computers, and want to start out with a clear understanding of what computers can (and can't) do. It's meant to dispel the fear of what can happen when you turn the computer on, and breaks down the 'fear factor' that keeps many people from using them.

Specialty classes in things like Blogs and Wikis, and Google Docs were also added. These are Web 2.0 technologies, which simply means interactive capabilities for using and sharing information. If you think of Web 1.0 (the original) as a one-way street, 2.0 is a two-way street, with the readers being able to take an active role in the application. There's also a lot to be learned by understanding clouds, not the puffy white ones in the sky but a resource and storage site for information that you want to share with a particular group. The term 'cloud' is simply a metaphor for the Internet. There are public clouds, community clouds, business clouds and private clouds. Digital Photography and Animoto Video can show you how to use technology in all aspects of your life. To help you understand all these strange new trends, we'll set up a monthly date to share information about the newest tech applications (Tech Tools and Techniques), so you too can feel a part of the revolution that is Web 2.0. I'll also try to throw in a few posts on the newest applications. We want you to be comfortable with all aspects of technology. Come join us, learn with us and share in the fun.

Finally, after an amazingly fast first year (for me), we have experience with what works and what doesn't and we'll do what we can to streamline things like registering for classes. The online registration option (now conveniently located at the top of the blog, just under the title) is the best. It's available 24/7 and when you add your email address to the form, we can confirm your classes by email. Obviously, some people still prefer to call in, which is an option we'll continue to offer. Classes are going to be coded in a traditional college fashion: 001 will indicate beginning level or no experience needed. 100 level will indicate the core programs (such as Office) and we'll use 101 to indicate the first class and 102 or higher to indicate subsequent classes. Advanced or specialty classes will be coded as 300 or 400 level classes. You'll know at a glance what type of class is being offered. The schedule itself will get an overhaul, and will offer the core classes on a more regular basis.

So come back and see what we have to offer. If you would like to learn something we don't yet teach, let me know. This blog is one of those two-way Web 2.0 technologies.  I hope the new format makes it easier to use. You can comment on any of these posts by using the 'comment' feature below each post. Click on the word and a comment box will appear. Please be sure to type in your name so I know who you are and can respond back to you. Remember, this is YOUR technology center!

Warmly,

Judith Sotir, ACTC Manager

PS: Here's a useful tip: to know when this blog is updated, just look in the left side column for the 'Followers' post. Click on it and add your email address. When this blog changes, it will 'ping' (notify) your email. How cool is that??

Math Review Tool Kit

Things just aren't ADDING up? Are your concerns MULTIPLYING? Are you ready to DIVIDE and conquer? Need an easy way to brush up on some rusty skills so you can SUBTRACT your fears and turn some NEGATIVES into POSITIVES? It will take only a FRACTION of your time.

Tuesday, June 29th from 2-4 is the date and time for our MATH REVIEW class. Sign up today. The ODDS are good that you will find success.

Good News!

I am very pleased to report that the ACTC received funding for the next year, starting July 1. Our current classes go through June 30. I will be working on the schedule for the next semester, and will have it available before the start of classes July 19th. We are looking forward to developing new classes, and hope to see YOU there too.  Until then, enjoy the warm days of summer, and remember that we will be here to keep you up to date in technology.

Cheers!
Judith

Cool Tip: Online Registration

Don't forget to add an email address to your online registration. We'll send out a confirmation email to remind you when your classes are scheduled.