EXTRA CREDIT - SUMMER 2007 -Jt

You can do one of the following extra credit assignments. You can earn up to 10 points for it. If you do Extra credit, you must get it in to your TA by the last Monday of class - July 16th.

The following assignments are mostly free form, but you are expected to stick to the theme and topic selected and not make up your own. (The reason for this is so it is clear you did new work and didn't just re-use something old you had lying around for another class. You won't get any points if you do not do what the assignment asks for.)

Most of the assignments use software that is available in the Rutgers labs; the rest is software available over the Internet for free. None of these are taught in this class. You are expected to learn most of the software on your own. You can do this by using the built-in help, or buying a book on that software from any bookstore. (Most of the software chosen is rather popular and many books exist.) Also, many of the features in this software are rather easy to figure out on your own, if you are not afraid to experiment. (As usual, experiment with the software first using documents you don't mind messing up. This is much wiser than experimenting on the real version of your work.) You may want to do the assignment with a piece of software that you are interested in using more often in the future - some of these should fit into an area of interest that you may have.

This is extra credit and that is why I feel it is fair to make it necessary for you to research this software on your own. I will be helping out somewhat by giving you some preliminary info about each piece of software as an overview and linking the information to the webpage you are currently reading. (Click on the following link to go to the this page of information: HINTS ) These hints will be updated periodically - so check back often if you are having trouble. Feel free to email me suggestions as to information you think should be included..

Much of the following software is available on the Macs and PCs in the labs. See the hints page for their exact location.

1. Make a one page newsletter using Adobe InDesign. Make sure it has multiple columns, several pictures and consists of more than one article. The topic of the newsletter should be "Use The Internet To Make A Purchase" of some product. It can contain information on what type of info is available, where it can be found, how to use it, and your own personal opinions and experiences. Stick to the theme, but feel free to include anything interesting in the newsletter. (Mail Kooshiar if you have questions about InDesign.)
2. Scan in at least one image and modify the image in at least four major ways using Adobe PhotoShop. Print the images on the color printers. (You will print two printouts - a "BEFORE" and a final "AFTER.") Within the image should be a picture of the type of product you opted to purchase for your application theme (a camera, a bicycle, a computer etc.) A picture of you should also be in the image. (The chances are very great that if you look through old snapshots you will find such an image - but if not, you can use Photoshop to combine two images together.) You can, of course, have other things in the image besides just your product and you. (Mail Kooshiar if you have questions about PhotoShop.)
3. Make a 10 slide presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint. The presentation should be about computers, what new information you feel you learned in this course and how these new things were helpful in doing your various "Purchasing a Product Using the Web" assignments. You should print the presentation 4 slides per sheet. (Alternatively, you can try to email the presentation to your TA as an attachment.) (Mail Kooshiar if you have questions about PowerPoint.)
4. Use Quicken to create and print your own personal monthly budget. Include the cost for attending college and monthly payments towards purchasing your theme product. (Mail Kooshiar if you have questions about Quicken.)
5. Use Maple to solve 5 different integrals and also 5 derivatives of your choice. Also, graph 2 functions. (Mail Kooshiar if you have questions about Maple)
6. Download Google Earth on your own computer and plot the location of your home and five places nearby where you can buy  your theme product. Print out three different views of this map with different orientations and features shown.  (Change the zoom level, rotate, slant, show landmarks etc.)
7. Download Google Picasa on your own computer and make a photo album containing at least 12 pictures of your product. From this create a slideshow with appropriate music in the background.  Burn this to a CD that you submit to your TA.  (Make sure that the CD includes a copy of the Picasa viewer so the TA will automatically be shown the slideshow when the CD is placed into a PC.)