6-Week Exploration   

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin writing grant proposals, including real-world scenarios, and the opportunity to improve their work by reviewing previous grant proposals completed by peers.

A to Z Grant Writing will take you through the planning process for documenting the need for funding in a Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. Beginning with writing about what will be implemented (your vision for change and impact) when the project is funded, the worksheet begins to come to life. Exploring why funding is needed is the beginning of articulating the statement of need. You will learn how to document your projection of how, when funded, your project will initiate change. Once you’ve created the project’s goals, the worksheet asks for inputs or resources (mirroring a logic model’s format). Your thought processes and imagination will be tested in the implementation activities & timeline section. You’ll also have a chance to develop outputs and outcomes for the planned project. Finally, you’ll learn how to develop a project budget. Where does all of this lead? Every lesson is one step closer to having 100% of the information you’ll need to write a highly competitive grant proposal. Additional features include six teachable moments videos and six choose your own adventure branching scenarios to fuel your creative thinking processes.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word or equivalent word processor (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin the planning process for projects in need of grant funding. An approach to grantseeking begins with thinking about why the funding is needed and involving the grant applicant’s stakeholders in the planning process.

Grant Writer Roles

This first lesson will explore the roles of a grant writer. You will learn about the grant writing profession, what a grant writer does, and, most importantly, the work ethics of a grant writer. As an employee or consultant, realizing just how much a grant writer is expected to do will help you understand the grant profession and the multiple job titles of people who are assigned to write grant requests. By the end of the lesson, you will have had an extensive overview of the field of grant writing and the expected ethics of a grant writer.

Grant Funding Research

What are the best websites for researching grant funding opportunities? So many are rip-off websites, how will you determine what is real and what is fake? In this lesson, you learn how to use different kinds of trusted online grant-research databases to locate funding opportunities for your organization and its projects. By the end of the lesson, you will have developed expert skills in entering on-target keyword search terms for finetuning your grant funding research.

Grant Writing Planning Process

If you know that your nonprofit or NGO needs additional funding, why do you need to understand the grant planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn how to expedite and navigate the grant planning process by using a Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. Why can't you just get started by writing your grant proposal? This lesson will also provide rational justification on why the planning process for projects in need of grant funding is a critical step that cannot be bypassed. This pre-writing planning process also enables the grant writer to gather valuable ideas from the project's stakeholders. By the end of the lesson, you'll be eager to explore more information about conducting a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Introduction to Peer Review and Constructive Feedback

What is peer review and why is it needed? Why do grant writers need a peer to review their work before hitting the submit button? How important is peer review? In this lesson, you'll learn the importance of providing and receiving feedback from peers. You'll also learn about the fundamentals of the peer- review process in the grant-writing industry. By the end of this lesson, you'll be better able to understand the benefits of peer review by experiencing it firsthand during this course's peer-to-peer review process.

Executive Summary

How can you summarize any topic before you write the finite details about it? How does the executive summary fit into the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn the purpose of an executive summary in the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how to outline the information needed for the executive summary. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to extract information for an executive summary during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning process.

Statement of Need for Funding

Why do you have to prove that you need funding? Can't a potential funder just look at your financial statements and tell that your organization is operating on a shoestring? In this lesson, you'll learn that potential funders require extensive information about your target population, the people or animals or other types of projects in need of funding. You'll also see that funders require validated information to justify a grant request. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly drill down the research and statistics needed to present your statement-of-need narrative for potential funding sources.

Benefit to the Target Population

How will grant funding change the dire circumstances for your target population? How will you explain the return on a funder's investment in quantitative terms to show how grant funding will impact your grant project's outcomes? In this lesson, you'll learn how grant-funded projects can initiate change. You will also learn how to delineate the benefits for your target population when the change unfolds within their circumstances. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to articulate return-on-investment outputs for funders.

Project Goals and Measurable Objectives

When you try to write your goals, are you often confused as to how our daily to-do's (aka goals to complete) differ from the goals for a grant project? In this lesson, you will learn about the types of goals for a grant project. You will also learn the correct way to write non-measurable and measurable project goals to include in your final grant application. Using the Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet, you'll learn how to create project goals for funding requests. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create measurable project objectives for each goal.

Evidence-Based Solutions to Address the Need

Did you know that your solutions to solve the target population's needs must be evidence based? Did you know that potential funders rely on accurate, well-researched best-practice models to form the framework for all of the activities that you plan to carry out when your grant project is funded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to research evidence-based solutions and why potential funders require them. You'll also learn how to use the Internet to identify best-practice models in your project's subject area. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create activities and timelines for your grant-funded project's implementation plan.

Resources

How do you think a potential funder views your grant request when you have nothing to leverage against the grant project's budget request? In this lesson, you will learn how to identify the internal resources available for grant projects. You'll also learn how to identify the external resources for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, with the help of your stakeholders, you'll be able to create a comprehensive list of internal and external resources during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Funding Outcomes and Evaluation

Why does every funder's guidelines for submitting a grant request include a section on your funding outcomes and how you will evaluate the grant-funded project? How can you predict outcomes before the funding is awarded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to fully describe the outcomes for your grant project during the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how your project's stakeholders can help you outline the changes that will happen for the target population as a direct effect of the project's funding. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create an evaluation plan that describes your grant-funded project's projected success.

Developing a Project Budget

Do you get nervous when you have to guess how much funding is needed to support the implementation of a grant project? Is juggling numbers your least favorite task? In this lesson, you'll learn how to outline your project's budget expenses by using every narrative section that you've already written in your Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. You'll also learn how to justify each line-item expense for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly identify the difference between soft and hard cash leveraging funds and to develop a comprehensive grant project budget summary and a detailed narrative document.

What you will learn

• The writing profession, outlook, and the work ethic of a grant writer
• How the grant planning process works
• Ways to apply peer reviewed strategies when evaluating written assignments
• The relationship between a theory of change and a grant proposal

How you will benefit

• Complete a grant application from start to finish
• Organize stakeholders for best use of time and information
• Develop skills to research grant funding projects
• Obtain the elements needed for a grant proposal

Dr. Beverly A. Browning is a grant writing consultant and visionary who uses thought leadership to work with nonprofit organizations struggling with the woes of revenue stream imbalances. She has been researching grant funding, grantmaking trends, and board-related barriers to nonprofit capacity building for over 40 years. Together she and her team have helped her clients win over $750 million in grant awards.

Dr. Browning is the founder and director of the Grant Writing Training Foundation and Bev Browning, LLC. She is the author of 44 grant writing publications, including six editions of Grant Writing for Dummies and the 6th edition of Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (to be published in 2021).

Dr. Browning holds graduate and post-graduate degrees in organizational development, public administration, and business administration. She is also a Certified Strategic Planning Facilitator (CSPF), has a McNellis Compression Planning Institute Facilitation Training distinction, and is an Approved Trainer for the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), the Certified Fund Raising Executive International (CFRE, and the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI).

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin writing grant proposals, including real-world scenarios, and the opportunity to improve their work by reviewing previous grant proposals completed by peers.

A to Z Grant Writing will take you through the planning process for documenting the need for funding in a Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. Beginning with writing about what will be implemented (your vision for change and impact) when the project is funded, the worksheet begins to come to life. Exploring why funding is needed is the beginning of articulating the statement of need. You will learn how to document your projection of how, when funded, your project will initiate change. Once you’ve created the project’s goals, the worksheet asks for inputs or resources (mirroring a logic model’s format). Your thought processes and imagination will be tested in the implementation activities & timeline section. You’ll also have a chance to develop outputs and outcomes for the planned project. Finally, you’ll learn how to develop a project budget. Where does all of this lead? Every lesson is one step closer to having 100% of the information you’ll need to write a highly competitive grant proposal. Additional features include six teachable moments videos and six choose your own adventure branching scenarios to fuel your creative thinking processes.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word or equivalent word processor (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin the planning process for projects in need of grant funding. An approach to grantseeking begins with thinking about why the funding is needed and involving the grant applicant’s stakeholders in the planning process.

Grant Writer Roles

This first lesson will explore the roles of a grant writer. You will learn about the grant writing profession, what a grant writer does, and, most importantly, the work ethics of a grant writer. As an employee or consultant, realizing just how much a grant writer is expected to do will help you understand the grant profession and the multiple job titles of people who are assigned to write grant requests. By the end of the lesson, you will have had an extensive overview of the field of grant writing and the expected ethics of a grant writer.

Grant Funding Research

What are the best websites for researching grant funding opportunities? So many are rip-off websites, how will you determine what is real and what is fake? In this lesson, you learn how to use different kinds of trusted online grant-research databases to locate funding opportunities for your organization and its projects. By the end of the lesson, you will have developed expert skills in entering on-target keyword search terms for finetuning your grant funding research.

Grant Writing Planning Process

If you know that your nonprofit or NGO needs additional funding, why do you need to understand the grant planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn how to expedite and navigate the grant planning process by using a Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. Why can't you just get started by writing your grant proposal? This lesson will also provide rational justification on why the planning process for projects in need of grant funding is a critical step that cannot be bypassed. This pre-writing planning process also enables the grant writer to gather valuable ideas from the project's stakeholders. By the end of the lesson, you'll be eager to explore more information about conducting a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Introduction to Peer Review and Constructive Feedback

What is peer review and why is it needed? Why do grant writers need a peer to review their work before hitting the submit button? How important is peer review? In this lesson, you'll learn the importance of providing and receiving feedback from peers. You'll also learn about the fundamentals of the peer- review process in the grant-writing industry. By the end of this lesson, you'll be better able to understand the benefits of peer review by experiencing it firsthand during this course's peer-to-peer review process.

Executive Summary

How can you summarize any topic before you write the finite details about it? How does the executive summary fit into the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn the purpose of an executive summary in the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how to outline the information needed for the executive summary. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to extract information for an executive summary during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning process.

Statement of Need for Funding

Why do you have to prove that you need funding? Can't a potential funder just look at your financial statements and tell that your organization is operating on a shoestring? In this lesson, you'll learn that potential funders require extensive information about your target population, the people or animals or other types of projects in need of funding. You'll also see that funders require validated information to justify a grant request. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly drill down the research and statistics needed to present your statement-of-need narrative for potential funding sources.

Benefit to the Target Population

How will grant funding change the dire circumstances for your target population? How will you explain the return on a funder's investment in quantitative terms to show how grant funding will impact your grant project's outcomes? In this lesson, you'll learn how grant-funded projects can initiate change. You will also learn how to delineate the benefits for your target population when the change unfolds within their circumstances. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to articulate return-on-investment outputs for funders.

Project Goals and Measurable Objectives

When you try to write your goals, are you often confused as to how our daily to-do's (aka goals to complete) differ from the goals for a grant project? In this lesson, you will learn about the types of goals for a grant project. You will also learn the correct way to write non-measurable and measurable project goals to include in your final grant application. Using the Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet, you'll learn how to create project goals for funding requests. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create measurable project objectives for each goal.

Evidence-Based Solutions to Address the Need

Did you know that your solutions to solve the target population's needs must be evidence based? Did you know that potential funders rely on accurate, well-researched best-practice models to form the framework for all of the activities that you plan to carry out when your grant project is funded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to research evidence-based solutions and why potential funders require them. You'll also learn how to use the Internet to identify best-practice models in your project's subject area. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create activities and timelines for your grant-funded project's implementation plan.

Resources

How do you think a potential funder views your grant request when you have nothing to leverage against the grant project's budget request? In this lesson, you will learn how to identify the internal resources available for grant projects. You'll also learn how to identify the external resources for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, with the help of your stakeholders, you'll be able to create a comprehensive list of internal and external resources during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Funding Outcomes and Evaluation

Why does every funder's guidelines for submitting a grant request include a section on your funding outcomes and how you will evaluate the grant-funded project? How can you predict outcomes before the funding is awarded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to fully describe the outcomes for your grant project during the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how your project's stakeholders can help you outline the changes that will happen for the target population as a direct effect of the project's funding. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create an evaluation plan that describes your grant-funded project's projected success.

Developing a Project Budget

Do you get nervous when you have to guess how much funding is needed to support the implementation of a grant project? Is juggling numbers your least favorite task? In this lesson, you'll learn how to outline your project's budget expenses by using every narrative section that you've already written in your Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. You'll also learn how to justify each line-item expense for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly identify the difference between soft and hard cash leveraging funds and to develop a comprehensive grant project budget summary and a detailed narrative document.

What you will learn

• The writing profession, outlook, and the work ethic of a grant writer
• How the grant planning process works
• Ways to apply peer reviewed strategies when evaluating written assignments
• The relationship between a theory of change and a grant proposal

How you will benefit

• Complete a grant application from start to finish
• Organize stakeholders for best use of time and information
• Develop skills to research grant funding projects
• Obtain the elements needed for a grant proposal

Dr. Beverly A. Browning is a grant writing consultant and visionary who uses thought leadership to work with nonprofit organizations struggling with the woes of revenue stream imbalances. She has been researching grant funding, grantmaking trends, and board-related barriers to nonprofit capacity building for over 40 years. Together she and her team have helped her clients win over $750 million in grant awards.

Dr. Browning is the founder and director of the Grant Writing Training Foundation and Bev Browning, LLC. She is the author of 44 grant writing publications, including six editions of Grant Writing for Dummies and the 6th edition of Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (to be published in 2021).

Dr. Browning holds graduate and post-graduate degrees in organizational development, public administration, and business administration. She is also a Certified Strategic Planning Facilitator (CSPF), has a McNellis Compression Planning Institute Facilitation Training distinction, and is an Approved Trainer for the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), the Certified Fund Raising Executive International (CFRE, and the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI).

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin writing grant proposals, including real-world scenarios, and the opportunity to improve their work by reviewing previous grant proposals completed by peers.

A to Z Grant Writing will take you through the process of finding and writing a grant application. Using a Theory of Change process to engage stakeholders in framing a grant application, you will prepare a draft of a grant application of your choice step-by-step. In doing so, you will learn what grant funders look for in an application by reviewing pieces of your peers' grant proposals to provide and receive feedback. Additional features include six teachable moments videos and six choose your own adventure branching scenarios.

 

Requirements:

 

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word or equivalent word processor (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This informative course will enable you to learn best practices for finding and writing a grant application. Complete with peer review, the planning process, and writing your grant proposal, you will be able to guide your organization or client from a state of need to funding outcomes and evaluation.

 

Grant Writer Roles

 

This first lesson will explore the roles of a grant writer. You will learn about the grant writing profession, what a grant writer does, and, most importantly, the work ethics of a grant writer. As an employee or consultant, realizing just how much a grant writer is expected to do will help you understand the grant profession and the multiple job titles of people who are assigned to write grant requests. By the end of the lesson, you will have had an extensive overview of the field of grant writing and the expected ethics of a grant writer.

Grant Funding Research

What are the best websites for researching grant funding opportunities? So many are rip-off websites, how will you determine what is real and what is fake? In this lesson, you learn how to use different kinds of trusted online grant-research databases to locate funding opportunities for your organization and its projects. By the end of the lesson, you will have developed expert skills in entering on-target keyword search terms for finetuning your grant funding research.

Grant Writing Planning Process

If you know that your nonprofit or NGO needs additional funding, why do you need to understand the grant planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn how to expedite and navigate the grant planning process by using a Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. Why can't you just get started by writing your grant proposal? This lesson will also provide rational justification on why the planning process for projects in need of grant funding is a critical step that cannot be bypassed. This pre-writing planning process also enables the grant writer to gather valuable ideas from the project's stakeholders. By the end of the lesson, you'll be eager to explore more information about conducting a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Introduction to Peer Review and Constructive Feedback

What is peer review and why is it needed? Why do grant writers need a peer to review their work before hitting the submit button? How important is peer review? In this lesson, you'll learn the importance of providing and receiving feedback from peers. You'll also learn about the fundamentals of the peer- review process in the grant-writing industry. By the end of this lesson, you'll be better able to understand the benefits of peer review by experiencing it firsthand during this course's peer-to-peer review process.

Executive Summary

How can you summarize any topic before you write the finite details about it? How does the executive summary fit into the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn the purpose of an executive summary in the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how to outline the information needed for the executive summary. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to extract information for an executive summary during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning process.

Statement of Need for Funding

Why do you have to prove that you need funding? Can't a potential funder just look at your financial statements and tell that your organization is operating on a shoestring? In this lesson, you'll learn that potential funders require extensive information about your target population, the people or animals or other types of projects in need of funding. You'll also see that funders require validated information to justify a grant request. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly drill down the research and statistics needed to present your statement-of-need narrative for potential funding sources.

Benefit to the Target Population

How will grant funding change the dire circumstances for your target population? How will you explain the return on a funder's investment in quantitative terms to show how grant funding will impact your grant project's outcomes? In this lesson, you'll learn how grant-funded projects can initiate change. You will also learn how to delineate the benefits for your target population when the change unfolds within their circumstances. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to articulate return-on-investment outputs for funders.

Project Goals and Measurable Objectives

When you try to write your goals, are you often confused as to how our daily to-do's (aka goals to complete) differ from the goals for a grant project? In this lesson, you will learn about the types of goals for a grant project. You will also learn the correct way to write non-measurable and measurable project goals to include in your final grant application. Using the Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet, you'll learn how to create project goals for funding requests. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create measurable project objectives for each goal.

Evidence-Based Solutions to Address the Need

Did you know that your solutions to solve the target population's needs must be evidence based? Did you know that potential funders rely on accurate, well-researched best-practice models to form the framework for all of the activities that you plan to carry out when your grant project is funded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to research evidence-based solutions and why potential funders require them. You'll also learn how to use the Internet to identify best-practice models in your project's subject area. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create activities and timelines for your grant-funded project's implementation plan.

Resources

How do you think a potential funder views your grant request when you have nothing to leverage against the grant project's budget request? In this lesson, you will learn how to identify the internal resources available for grant projects. You'll also learn how to identify the external resources for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, with the help of your stakeholders, you'll be able to create a comprehensive list of internal and external resources during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Funding Outcomes and Evaluation

Why does every funder's guidelines for submitting a grant request include a section on your funding outcomes and how you will evaluate the grant-funded project? How can you predict outcomes before the funding is awarded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to fully describe the outcomes for your grant project during the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how your project's stakeholders can help you outline the changes that will happen for the target population as a direct effect of the project's funding. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create an evaluation plan that describes your grant-funded project's projected success.

Developing a Project Budget

Do you get nervous when you have to guess how much funding is needed to support the implementation of a grant project? Is juggling numbers your least favorite task? In this lesson, you'll learn how to outline your project's budget expenses by using every narrative section that you've already written in your Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. You'll also learn how to justify each line-item expense for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly identify the difference between soft and hard cash leveraging funds and to develop a comprehensive grant project budget summary and a detailed narrative document.

 

Self-Study

 

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin writing grant proposals, including real-world scenarios, and the opportunity to improve their work by reviewing previous grant proposals completed by peers.

A to Z Grant Writing will take you through the process of finding and writing a grant application. Using a Theory of Change process to engage stakeholders in framing a grant application, you will prepare a draft of a grant application of your choice step-by-step. In doing so, you will learn what grant funders look for in an application by reviewing pieces of your peers' grant proposals to provide and receive feedback. Additional features include six teachable moments videos and six choose your own adventure branching scenarios.

 

Requirements:

 

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word or equivalent word processor (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This informative course will enable you to learn best practices for finding and writing a grant application. Complete with peer review, the planning process, and writing your grant proposal, you will be able to guide your organization or client from a state of need to funding outcomes and evaluation.

 

Grant Writer Roles

 

This first lesson will explore the roles of a grant writer. You will learn about the grant writing profession, what a grant writer does, and, most importantly, the work ethics of a grant writer. As an employee or consultant, realizing just how much a grant writer is expected to do will help you understand the grant profession and the multiple job titles of people who are assigned to write grant requests. By the end of the lesson, you will have had an extensive overview of the field of grant writing and the expected ethics of a grant writer.

Grant Funding Research

What are the best websites for researching grant funding opportunities? So many are rip-off websites, how will you determine what is real and what is fake? In this lesson, you learn how to use different kinds of trusted online grant-research databases to locate funding opportunities for your organization and its projects. By the end of the lesson, you will have developed expert skills in entering on-target keyword search terms for finetuning your grant funding research.

Grant Writing Planning Process

If you know that your nonprofit or NGO needs additional funding, why do you need to understand the grant planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn how to expedite and navigate the grant planning process by using a Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. Why can't you just get started by writing your grant proposal? This lesson will also provide rational justification on why the planning process for projects in need of grant funding is a critical step that cannot be bypassed. This pre-writing planning process also enables the grant writer to gather valuable ideas from the project's stakeholders. By the end of the lesson, you'll be eager to explore more information about conducting a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Introduction to Peer Review and Constructive Feedback

What is peer review and why is it needed? Why do grant writers need a peer to review their work before hitting the submit button? How important is peer review? In this lesson, you'll learn the importance of providing and receiving feedback from peers. You'll also learn about the fundamentals of the peer- review process in the grant-writing industry. By the end of this lesson, you'll be better able to understand the benefits of peer review by experiencing it firsthand during this course's peer-to-peer review process.

Executive Summary

How can you summarize any topic before you write the finite details about it? How does the executive summary fit into the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn the purpose of an executive summary in the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how to outline the information needed for the executive summary. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to extract information for an executive summary during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning process.

Statement of Need for Funding

Why do you have to prove that you need funding? Can't a potential funder just look at your financial statements and tell that your organization is operating on a shoestring? In this lesson, you'll learn that potential funders require extensive information about your target population, the people or animals or other types of projects in need of funding. You'll also see that funders require validated information to justify a grant request. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly drill down the research and statistics needed to present your statement-of-need narrative for potential funding sources.

Benefit to the Target Population

How will grant funding change the dire circumstances for your target population? How will you explain the return on a funder's investment in quantitative terms to show how grant funding will impact your grant project's outcomes? In this lesson, you'll learn how grant-funded projects can initiate change. You will also learn how to delineate the benefits for your target population when the change unfolds within their circumstances. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to articulate return-on-investment outputs for funders.

Project Goals and Measurable Objectives

When you try to write your goals, are you often confused as to how our daily to-do's (aka goals to complete) differ from the goals for a grant project? In this lesson, you will learn about the types of goals for a grant project. You will also learn the correct way to write non-measurable and measurable project goals to include in your final grant application. Using the Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet, you'll learn how to create project goals for funding requests. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create measurable project objectives for each goal.

Evidence-Based Solutions to Address the Need

Did you know that your solutions to solve the target population's needs must be evidence based? Did you know that potential funders rely on accurate, well-researched best-practice models to form the framework for all of the activities that you plan to carry out when your grant project is funded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to research evidence-based solutions and why potential funders require them. You'll also learn how to use the Internet to identify best-practice models in your project's subject area. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create activities and timelines for your grant-funded project's implementation plan.

Resources

How do you think a potential funder views your grant request when you have nothing to leverage against the grant project's budget request? In this lesson, you will learn how to identify the internal resources available for grant projects. You'll also learn how to identify the external resources for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, with the help of your stakeholders, you'll be able to create a comprehensive list of internal and external resources during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Funding Outcomes and Evaluation

Why does every funder's guidelines for submitting a grant request include a section on your funding outcomes and how you will evaluate the grant-funded project? How can you predict outcomes before the funding is awarded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to fully describe the outcomes for your grant project during the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how your project's stakeholders can help you outline the changes that will happen for the target population as a direct effect of the project's funding. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create an evaluation plan that describes your grant-funded project's projected success.

Developing a Project Budget

Do you get nervous when you have to guess how much funding is needed to support the implementation of a grant project? Is juggling numbers your least favorite task? In this lesson, you'll learn how to outline your project's budget expenses by using every narrative section that you've already written in your Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. You'll also learn how to justify each line-item expense for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly identify the difference between soft and hard cash leveraging funds and to develop a comprehensive grant project budget summary and a detailed narrative document.

 

Self-Study

 

Sharpen your grant research skills, write the most important sections of grant applications, and learn the types of grants available.

Are you ready to continue your journey into the world of grants? You will learn how to create a fundraising plan for all types of grantmakers. In addition, you will explore websites for finding and reviewing corporate, foundation, and government grant funding opportunities and grant application guidelines.

You will go through every aspect of strategic funding research, preparing a fundraising plan, writing an award-winning plan of operation, and creating a project budget without red flags. Then you will journey into the world of grants available for your projects. The excitement will build when you discover just how many funding opportunities are available.

You will see grants for arts and humanities, education, medical, science and agriculture, human services, and corporate foundation grants. You will also explore new grant-writing trends and what to do when you're notified of a grant award or a grant rejection. Don't worry, there's a plan to implement for future grant seeking success if you don't get your project funded.

By the end of the course, you will be prepared to continue tracking future grant-writing and funding trends, bounce back successfully from rejection notices, and manage all of your grant awards proficiently. In addition, you will gain confidence in all areas of grant seeking, grant writing, and grants management (post-award reporting requirements).

 

Requirements:

 

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Take your grant writing expertise to the next level as you learn how to get funding. This course will equip you with the skills you need to research funding sources, create a fundraising plan, and write winning grant proposals.

 

The Fundraising Plan

 

 

This first lesson will explore the fundraising plan. You will learn the plan's purpose and how to format a working document, and you will learn how to determine how much grant money you need and by what date. You will also look at possible types of funders from the private sector (corporate and foundation grantmakers) to the public sector (government agency grantmakers). In addition, you will learn a few basics about corporate sponsorships, and you will find out about matching funds and how to identify cash and in-kind matching funds. By the end of this lesson, you will have a good overview of how to identify your grant-funding needs, agencies you might consider targeting for your projects, and how to put in place a proper fundraising plan.

 

Before You Begin Writing

 

How do government funding agencies eliminate so many hopeful grant applicants? This lesson will walk you through finding government grant funding opportunities, reading grant application guidelines that are complex and often confusing, and learning how to find and engage the best types of community partners as committed stakeholders in your proposed project.

 

Strategic Grant Writing

 

Did you know that the most strategic grant writing is in the plan of operation? The plan of operation includes goals and objectives, implementation strategies, a logic model, a plan for key personnel or a management plan, an evaluation plan, and a project sustainability plan. Get ready! In this lesson, you will find out how to develop an award-winning plan of operation with all of the required components.

 

Budgeting 101

 

Are you always in doubt when you have to develop a project budget for your grant application? What do funders really want to see in your budget summary and narrative? How do you plot key personnel salaries and benefits? Where do general operating expenses go? What are the common mistakes that you should avoid? This budgeting 101 lesson will answer all the above questions and more!

 

Arts and Humanities Grants

 

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for arts and humanities projects? In this lesson, you learn about some opportunities and challenges associated with grant funding in these areas, and you will also learn best practices in approaching community and regional arts organizations for potential partnership opportunities as well as corporate sponsorship opportunities. Finally, you will discover some excellent resources to guide you through the arts and humanities funding tunnel.

 

Education Grants

 

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for education projects? Are you familiar with Pre-K-12 and higher education grantmakers? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the challenges and who are the funders for these types of projects? This lesson will answer these questions and provide you with resources to guide you through the world of education grants.

 

Medical, Science, and Agriculture Grants

 

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for medical, science, and agriculture projects? Are you familiar with the grantmakers in these three grant funding areas? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the challenges and who are the funders for these types of projects? In this lesson, you will find answers to these questions as well as some resources to guide you through the world of medical, science, and agriculture grants!

 

Human Services Grants

 

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for human services projects? Are you familiar with the grantmakers in this area of funding? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the opportunities and challenges when searching for and writing human services grants? In this lesson, you will explore the answers to these questions and get some resources to guide you through the world of human service grants.

 

Corporate Foundation Grants

 

Do you know the ins and outs of foundation grants? What are the pros and cons of applying to corporate foundations? How can you overcome the challenges of finding potential funders and writing letters of inquiry and grant proposals to corporate foundations? Do you know what these foundations fund? If you don't know the answers to these questions yet, you will soon enough. This lesson will cover everything you need to know about applying for corporate foundation grants.

 

New Grantmaking Trends

 

This lesson is all about grantmaking trends. Are you aware of the latest funding trends in government or corporate foundations? Are you monitoring future trends, so you will understand what projects are most likely to be funded by grantmakers? This lesson will look at the fastest-growing industries impacting the world of nonprofits and government agencies and will discuss online applications and why so many funders have changed their processes and moved to online e-grant application systems.

 

I Didn't Get That Grant—Now What?

 

What do you do when you receive notification that you didn't get the grant? It's not the desired outcome, but it's important to be prepared to do a post-assessment and debrief your partners. In this lesson, you will find out how to assess your application and gather crucial information so that you can have a better chance of success the next time, and you will review best practices in debriefing partnering organizations. The lesson will walk you through the road to funding recovery, including practical planning for reapplication and funding down the slate.

 

I Got That Grant—Now What?

 

Your hard work paid off! You've received notification of a forthcoming grant award. Are you excited and overwhelmed? Are you stressing about the paperwork, reporting deadlines, and how to set up separate audit trails for incoming grant funds? This lesson will take a close look at contracts, timelines, and accounting requirements. Then, you will learn how to avoid red flags and how to collect data and report to funding agencies. Finally, you will get some tips on communicating with your federal project officer.

 

 

What you will learn

 

• Learn how to create a fundraising plan for all types of grantmakers
• Go through every aspect of strategic funding research and preparing a fundraising plan
• Learn to write a good plan of operation
• Understand how to create a project budget without red flags
• Explore new grant-writing trends
• Understand what to do if you're notified of a grant award or a grant rejection

How you will benefit

• Gain confidence in all areas of grant seeking, grant writing, and grants management
• Learn how to find and assess new sources of funding for your projects
• Open the door to new opportunities as a professional grant writer

 

Dr. Beverly A. Browning is a grant writing consultant and visionary who uses thought leadership to work with nonprofit organizations struggling with the woes of revenue stream imbalances. She has been researching grant funding, grantmaking trends, and board-related barriers to nonprofit capacity building for over 40 years. Together she and her team have helped her clients win over $750 million in grant awards.

 

Dr. Browning is the founder and director of the Grant Writing Training Foundation and Bev Browning, LLC. She is the author of 44 grant writing publications, including six editions of Grant Writing for Dummies and the 6th edition of Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (to be published in 2021).

Dr. Browning holds graduate and post-graduate degrees in organizational development, public administration, and business administration. She is also a Certified Strategic Planning Facilitator (CSPF), has a McNellis Compression Planning Institute Facilitation Training distinction, and is an Approved Trainer for the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), the Certified Fund Raising Executive International (CFRE, and the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI).

Sharpen your grant research skills, write the most important sections of grant applications, and learn the types of grants available.

Are you ready to continue your journey into the world of grants? You will learn how to create a fundraising plan for all types of grantmakers. In addition, you will explore websites for finding and reviewing corporate, foundation, and government grant funding opportunities and grant application guidelines.

You will go through every aspect of strategic funding research, preparing a fundraising plan, writing an award-winning plan of operation, and creating a project budget without red flags. Then you will journey into the world of grants available for your projects. The excitement will build when you discover just how many funding opportunities are available.

You will see grants for arts and humanities, education, medical, science and agriculture, human services, and corporate foundation grants. You will also explore new grant-writing trends and what to do when you're notified of a grant award or a grant rejection. Don't worry, there's a plan to implement for future grant seeking success if you don't get your project funded.

By the end of the course, you will be prepared to continue tracking future grant-writing and funding trends, bounce back successfully from rejection notices, and manage all of your grant awards proficiently. In addition, you will gain confidence in all areas of grant seeking, grant writing, and grants management (post-award reporting requirements).

 

Requirements:

 

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Take your grant writing expertise to the next level as you learn how to get funding. This course will equip you with the skills you need to research funding sources, create a fundraising plan, and write winning grant proposals.

 

The Fundraising Plan

 

 

This first lesson will explore the fundraising plan. You will learn the plan's purpose and how to format a working document, and you will learn how to determine how much grant money you need and by what date. You will also look at possible types of funders from the private sector (corporate and foundation grantmakers) to the public sector (government agency grantmakers). In addition, you will learn a few basics about corporate sponsorships, and you will find out about matching funds and how to identify cash and in-kind matching funds. By the end of this lesson, you will have a good overview of how to identify your grant-funding needs, agencies you might consider targeting for your projects, and how to put in place a proper fundraising plan.

 

Before You Begin Writing

 

How do government funding agencies eliminate so many hopeful grant applicants? This lesson will walk you through finding government grant funding opportunities, reading grant application guidelines that are complex and often confusing, and learning how to find and engage the best types of community partners as committed stakeholders in your proposed project.

 

Strategic Grant Writing

 

Did you know that the most strategic grant writing is in the plan of operation? The plan of operation includes goals and objectives, implementation strategies, a logic model, a plan for key personnel or a management plan, an evaluation plan, and a project sustainability plan. Get ready! In this lesson, you will find out how to develop an award-winning plan of operation with all of the required components.

 

Budgeting 101

 

Are you always in doubt when you have to develop a project budget for your grant application? What do funders really want to see in your budget summary and narrative? How do you plot key personnel salaries and benefits? Where do general operating expenses go? What are the common mistakes that you should avoid? This budgeting 101 lesson will answer all the above questions and more!

 

Arts and Humanities Grants

 

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for arts and humanities projects? In this lesson, you learn about some opportunities and challenges associated with grant funding in these areas, and you will also learn best practices in approaching community and regional arts organizations for potential partnership opportunities as well as corporate sponsorship opportunities. Finally, you will discover some excellent resources to guide you through the arts and humanities funding tunnel.

 

Education Grants

 

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for education projects? Are you familiar with Pre-K-12 and higher education grantmakers? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the challenges and who are the funders for these types of projects? This lesson will answer these questions and provide you with resources to guide you through the world of education grants.

 

Medical, Science, and Agriculture Grants

 

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for medical, science, and agriculture projects? Are you familiar with the grantmakers in these three grant funding areas? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the challenges and who are the funders for these types of projects? In this lesson, you will find answers to these questions as well as some resources to guide you through the world of medical, science, and agriculture grants!

 

Human Services Grants

 

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for human services projects? Are you familiar with the grantmakers in this area of funding? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the opportunities and challenges when searching for and writing human services grants? In this lesson, you will explore the answers to these questions and get some resources to guide you through the world of human service grants.

 

Corporate Foundation Grants

 

Do you know the ins and outs of foundation grants? What are the pros and cons of applying to corporate foundations? How can you overcome the challenges of finding potential funders and writing letters of inquiry and grant proposals to corporate foundations? Do you know what these foundations fund? If you don't know the answers to these questions yet, you will soon enough. This lesson will cover everything you need to know about applying for corporate foundation grants.

 

New Grantmaking Trends

 

This lesson is all about grantmaking trends. Are you aware of the latest funding trends in government or corporate foundations? Are you monitoring future trends, so you will understand what projects are most likely to be funded by grantmakers? This lesson will look at the fastest-growing industries impacting the world of nonprofits and government agencies and will discuss online applications and why so many funders have changed their processes and moved to online e-grant application systems.

 

I Didn't Get That Grant—Now What?

 

What do you do when you receive notification that you didn't get the grant? It's not the desired outcome, but it's important to be prepared to do a post-assessment and debrief your partners. In this lesson, you will find out how to assess your application and gather crucial information so that you can have a better chance of success the next time, and you will review best practices in debriefing partnering organizations. The lesson will walk you through the road to funding recovery, including practical planning for reapplication and funding down the slate.

 

I Got That Grant—Now What?

 

Your hard work paid off! You've received notification of a forthcoming grant award. Are you excited and overwhelmed? Are you stressing about the paperwork, reporting deadlines, and how to set up separate audit trails for incoming grant funds? This lesson will take a close look at contracts, timelines, and accounting requirements. Then, you will learn how to avoid red flags and how to collect data and report to funding agencies. Finally, you will get some tips on communicating with your federal project officer.

 

 

What you will learn

 

• Learn how to create a fundraising plan for all types of grantmakers
• Go through every aspect of strategic funding research and preparing a fundraising plan
• Learn to write a good plan of operation
• Understand how to create a project budget without red flags
• Explore new grant-writing trends
• Understand what to do if you're notified of a grant award or a grant rejection

How you will benefit

• Gain confidence in all areas of grant seeking, grant writing, and grants management
• Learn how to find and assess new sources of funding for your projects
• Open the door to new opportunities as a professional grant writer

 

Dr. Beverly A. Browning is a grant writing consultant and visionary who uses thought leadership to work with nonprofit organizations struggling with the woes of revenue stream imbalances. She has been researching grant funding, grantmaking trends, and board-related barriers to nonprofit capacity building for over 40 years. Together she and her team have helped her clients win over $750 million in grant awards.

 

Dr. Browning is the founder and director of the Grant Writing Training Foundation and Bev Browning, LLC. She is the author of 44 grant writing publications, including six editions of Grant Writing for Dummies and the 6th edition of Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (to be published in 2021).

Dr. Browning holds graduate and post-graduate degrees in organizational development, public administration, and business administration. She is also a Certified Strategic Planning Facilitator (CSPF), has a McNellis Compression Planning Institute Facilitation Training distinction, and is an Approved Trainer for the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), the Certified Fund Raising Executive International (CFRE, and the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI).

Sharpen your grant research skills, write the most important sections of grant applications, and learn the types of grants available.

Are you ready to continue your journey into the world of grants? You will learn how to create a fundraising plan for all types of grantmakers. In addition, you will explore websites for finding and reviewing corporate, foundation, and government grant funding opportunities and grant application guidelines.

You will go through every aspect of strategic funding research, preparing a fundraising plan, writing an award-winning plan of operation, and creating a project budget without red flags. Then you will journey into the world of grants available for your projects. The excitement will build when you discover just how many funding opportunities are available.

You will see grants for arts and humanities, education, medical, science and agriculture, human services, and corporate foundation grants. You will also explore new grant-writing trends and what to do when you're notified of a grant award or a grant rejection. Don't worry, there's a plan to implement for future grant seeking success if you don't get your project funded.

By the end of the course, you will be prepared to continue tracking future grant-writing and funding trends, bounce back successfully from rejection notices, and manage all of your grant awards proficiently. In addition, you will gain confidence in all areas of grant seeking, grant writing, and grants management (post-award reporting requirements).

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Sharpen your grant research skills, write the most important sections of grant applications, and learn the types of grants available.

The Fundraising Plan

This first lesson will explore the fundraising plan. You will learn the plan's purpose and how to format a working document, and you will learn how to determine how much grant money you need and by what date. You will also look at possible types of funders from the private sector (corporate and foundation grantmakers) to the public sector (government agency grantmakers). In addition, you will learn a few basics about corporate sponsorships, and you will find out about matching funds and how to identify cash and in-kind matching funds. By the end of this lesson, you will have a good overview of how to identify your grant-funding needs, agencies you might consider targeting for your projects, and how to put in place a proper fundraising plan.

Before You Begin Writing

How do government funding agencies eliminate so many hopeful grant applicants? This lesson will walk you through finding government grant funding opportunities, reading grant application guidelines that are complex and often confusing, and learning how to find and engage the best types of community partners as committed stakeholders in your proposed project.

Strategic Grant Writing

Did you know that the most strategic grant writing is in the plan of operation? The plan of operation includes goals and objectives, implementation strategies, a logic model, a plan for key personnel or a management plan, an evaluation plan, and a project sustainability plan. Get ready! In this lesson, you will find out how to develop an award-winning plan of operation with all of the required components.

Budgeting 101

Are you always in doubt when you have to develop a project budget for your grant application? What do funders really want to see in your budget summary and narrative? How do you plot key personnel salaries and benefits? Where do general operating expenses go? What are the common mistakes that you should avoid? This budgeting 101 lesson will answer all the above questions and more!

Arts and Humanities Grants

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for arts and humanities projects? In this lesson, you learn about some opportunities and challenges associated with grant funding in these areas, and you will also learn best practices in approaching community and regional arts organizations for potential partnership opportunities as well as corporate sponsorship opportunities. Finally, you will discover some excellent resources to guide you through the arts and humanities funding tunnel.

Education Grants

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for education projects? Are you familiar with Pre-K-12 and higher education grantmakers? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the challenges and who are the funders for these types of projects? This lesson will answer these questions and provide you with resources to guide you through the world of education grants.

Medical, Science, and Agriculture Grants

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for medical, science, and agriculture projects? Are you familiar with the grantmakers in these three grant funding areas? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the challenges and who are the funders for these types of projects? In this lesson, you will find answers to these questions as well as some resources to guide you through the world of medical, science, and agriculture grants!

Human Services Grants

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for human services projects? Are you familiar with the grantmakers in this area of funding? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the opportunities and challenges when searching for and writing human services grants? In this lesson, you will explore the answers to these questions and get some resources to guide you through the world of human service grants.

Corporate Foundation Grants

Do you know the ins and outs of foundation grants? What are the pros and cons of applying to corporate foundations? How can you overcome the challenges of finding potential funders and writing letters of inquiry and grant proposals to corporate foundations? Do you know what these foundations fund? If you don't know the answers to these questions yet, you will soon enough. This lesson will cover everything you need to know about applying for corporate foundation grants.

New Grantmaking Trends

This lesson is all about grantmaking trends. Are you aware of the latest funding trends in government or corporate foundations? Are you monitoring future trends, so you will understand what projects are most likely to be funded by grantmakers? This lesson will look at the fastest-growing industries impacting the world of nonprofits and government agencies and will discuss online applications and why so many funders have changed their processes and moved to online e-grant application systems.

I Didn't Get That Grant—Now What?

What do you do when you receive notification that you didn't get the grant? It's not the desired outcome, but it's important to be prepared to do a post-assessment and debrief your partners. In this lesson, you will find out how to assess your application and gather crucial information so that you can have a better chance of success the next time, and you will review best practices in debriefing partnering organizations. The lesson will walk you through the road to funding recovery, including practical planning for reapplication and funding down the slate.

I Got That Grant—Now What?

Your hard work paid off! You've received notification of a forthcoming grant award. Are you excited and overwhelmed? Are you stressing about the paperwork, reporting deadlines, and how to set up separate audit trails for incoming grant funds? This lesson will take a close look at contracts, timelines, and accounting requirements. Then, you will learn how to avoid red flags and how to collect data and report to funding agencies. Finally, you will get some tips on communicating with your federal project officer.

Self-Study

Sharpen your grant research skills, write the most important sections of grant applications, and learn the types of grants available.

Are you ready to continue your journey into the world of grants? You will learn how to create a fundraising plan for all types of grantmakers. In addition, you will explore websites for finding and reviewing corporate, foundation, and government grant funding opportunities and grant application guidelines.

You will go through every aspect of strategic funding research, preparing a fundraising plan, writing an award-winning plan of operation, and creating a project budget without red flags. Then you will journey into the world of grants available for your projects. The excitement will build when you discover just how many funding opportunities are available.

You will see grants for arts and humanities, education, medical, science and agriculture, human services, and corporate foundation grants. You will also explore new grant-writing trends and what to do when you're notified of a grant award or a grant rejection. Don't worry, there's a plan to implement for future grant seeking success if you don't get your project funded.

By the end of the course, you will be prepared to continue tracking future grant-writing and funding trends, bounce back successfully from rejection notices, and manage all of your grant awards proficiently. In addition, you will gain confidence in all areas of grant seeking, grant writing, and grants management (post-award reporting requirements).

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Sharpen your grant research skills, write the most important sections of grant applications, and learn the types of grants available.

The Fundraising Plan

This first lesson will explore the fundraising plan. You will learn the plan's purpose and how to format a working document, and you will learn how to determine how much grant money you need and by what date. You will also look at possible types of funders from the private sector (corporate and foundation grantmakers) to the public sector (government agency grantmakers). In addition, you will learn a few basics about corporate sponsorships, and you will find out about matching funds and how to identify cash and in-kind matching funds. By the end of this lesson, you will have a good overview of how to identify your grant-funding needs, agencies you might consider targeting for your projects, and how to put in place a proper fundraising plan.

Before You Begin Writing

How do government funding agencies eliminate so many hopeful grant applicants? This lesson will walk you through finding government grant funding opportunities, reading grant application guidelines that are complex and often confusing, and learning how to find and engage the best types of community partners as committed stakeholders in your proposed project.

Strategic Grant Writing

Did you know that the most strategic grant writing is in the plan of operation? The plan of operation includes goals and objectives, implementation strategies, a logic model, a plan for key personnel or a management plan, an evaluation plan, and a project sustainability plan. Get ready! In this lesson, you will find out how to develop an award-winning plan of operation with all of the required components.

Budgeting 101

Are you always in doubt when you have to develop a project budget for your grant application? What do funders really want to see in your budget summary and narrative? How do you plot key personnel salaries and benefits? Where do general operating expenses go? What are the common mistakes that you should avoid? This budgeting 101 lesson will answer all the above questions and more!

Arts and Humanities Grants

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for arts and humanities projects? In this lesson, you learn about some opportunities and challenges associated with grant funding in these areas, and you will also learn best practices in approaching community and regional arts organizations for potential partnership opportunities as well as corporate sponsorship opportunities. Finally, you will discover some excellent resources to guide you through the arts and humanities funding tunnel.

Education Grants

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for education projects? Are you familiar with Pre-K-12 and higher education grantmakers? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the challenges and who are the funders for these types of projects? This lesson will answer these questions and provide you with resources to guide you through the world of education grants.

Medical, Science, and Agriculture Grants

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for medical, science, and agriculture projects? Are you familiar with the grantmakers in these three grant funding areas? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the challenges and who are the funders for these types of projects? In this lesson, you will find answers to these questions as well as some resources to guide you through the world of medical, science, and agriculture grants!

Human Services Grants

How do you find grant-funding opportunities for human services projects? Are you familiar with the grantmakers in this area of funding? Are you experiencing challenges in writing these types of grant applications? What are the opportunities and challenges when searching for and writing human services grants? In this lesson, you will explore the answers to these questions and get some resources to guide you through the world of human service grants.

Corporate Foundation Grants

Do you know the ins and outs of foundation grants? What are the pros and cons of applying to corporate foundations? How can you overcome the challenges of finding potential funders and writing letters of inquiry and grant proposals to corporate foundations? Do you know what these foundations fund? If you don't know the answers to these questions yet, you will soon enough. This lesson will cover everything you need to know about applying for corporate foundation grants.

New Grantmaking Trends

This lesson is all about grantmaking trends. Are you aware of the latest funding trends in government or corporate foundations? Are you monitoring future trends, so you will understand what projects are most likely to be funded by grantmakers? This lesson will look at the fastest-growing industries impacting the world of nonprofits and government agencies and will discuss online applications and why so many funders have changed their processes and moved to online e-grant application systems.

I Didn't Get That Grant—Now What?

What do you do when you receive notification that you didn't get the grant? It's not the desired outcome, but it's important to be prepared to do a post-assessment and debrief your partners. In this lesson, you will find out how to assess your application and gather crucial information so that you can have a better chance of success the next time, and you will review best practices in debriefing partnering organizations. The lesson will walk you through the road to funding recovery, including practical planning for reapplication and funding down the slate.

I Got That Grant—Now What?

Your hard work paid off! You've received notification of a forthcoming grant award. Are you excited and overwhelmed? Are you stressing about the paperwork, reporting deadlines, and how to set up separate audit trails for incoming grant funds? This lesson will take a close look at contracts, timelines, and accounting requirements. Then, you will learn how to avoid red flags and how to collect data and report to funding agencies. Finally, you will get some tips on communicating with your federal project officer.

Self-Study

Gain a marketable new skill by learning the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, financial reporting, and more.

In this comprehensive course, you will learn the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, as well as how to analyze and record financial transactions. You will get hands-on experience with handling accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll procedures, sales taxes, and various common banking activities.

Accounting Fundamentals covers all the bases, from writing checks to preparing an income statement and closing out accounts at the end of each fiscal period. Whether you're a sole proprietor looking to manage your business finances or you simply want to gain an understanding of accounting basics for career advancement or for personal use, this course will give you a solid foundation in financial matters.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
• A calculator and a printer.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

If you want to increase your financial awareness and gain a marketable skill, this course is for you. You will learn the double-entry bookkeeping, financial transactions, financial reporting, and more.

Account Classifications, Account Titles, T Accounts, and the Accounting Equation

Welcome to Accounting Fundamentals! In this first lesson, you will learn all about account classifications, debits, credits, and T accounts. You will learn the difference between a liability and an asset and find out how to determine an owner's equity.

General Ledger Accounts and the Balance Sheet

Here's where you will begin your hands-on accounting practice: You will start by creating an imaginary company for which you will be the accountant. You will learn how to analyze your company's transactions to determine which amounts go into which accounts, then you will create your company's own General Ledger forms and post a few transactions into those accounts.

Journalizing Transactions and Posting to the General Ledger

Now that you understand the functions of the General Ledger, you're ready to move on to the next phase of recording transactions: the Journal. In this lesson, you will learn how to enter transactions into an 11-column journal and then post or transfer those amounts into appropriate General Ledger accounts.

Journalizing and Posting Cash and Charge Purchases and Payments on Account

In this lesson, you will learn all about Accounts Payable--money that you owe your vendors and suppliers. You will practice journalizing cash purchases and purchases on account, and you will get hands-on practice transferring those purchases to their corresponding Accounts Payable Ledger accounts.

Journalizing and Posting Cash and Charge Sales and Cash Received on Account

In this lesson, you will learn about Accounts Receivable, which is another name for money owed to your company by its customers. You will learn how to journalize and post those sales on account, how to enter charge sales into the journal, and how to transfer the information into an Accounts Receivable Ledger.

Payroll and Various Deductions

It's payday! This lesson will teach you how to determine gross pay, deductions, and net pay. You will learn how to prepare a payroll, write payroll checks, and how to prepare and maintain accurate payroll records.

Banking Services and Reports

In this lesson, you will learn all about banks and banking services: You will learn the proper way to write checks, make out deposit tickets, and reconcile your company's checking account with the bank statement--skills you will find valuable in both your business and personal life!

Posting Journal Totals to the General Ledger and Schedule of Accounts Payable and Schedule of Accounts Receivable

This lesson will teach you how to prepare a Schedule of Accounts Payable and a Schedule of Accounts Receivable. These reports can be used to compare the amount of money your business owes its creditors with the amount of money your customers owe your business.

End-Of-Year Worksheet

In this lesson, you will prepare a worksheet showing the net income or net loss for the fiscal period. The worksheet will show all income and expenses for the fiscal period as well as the assets, liabilities, and owner's equity account balances.

End-Of-Year Financial Reports

In this lesson, you will learn how to prepare various reports that are vital to the well-being of your company. You will learn how these reports can be used to make sound financial decisions in the next fiscal period. You will discover how to put together an Owner's Equity Statement, an Income Statement, and a Distribution of Net Income.

Journalizing and Posting Adjusting Entries

In this lesson, you will prepare for the end of the fiscal period by adjusting your asset account balances to accurately reflect the assets remaining at the end of the year. You will also find out how to journalize and post adjusting and closing entries to bring your company's General Ledger up to date.

Journalizing and Posting Closing Entries and Preparing a Post Closing Trial Balance

In the final lesson, you will prepare a Post Closing Trial Balance report to ensure that all of your debits and credits in the General Ledger balance out in preparation for the new fiscal period.

What you will learn

• Learn the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, as well as how to analyze and record financial transactions
• Get hands-on experience with handing accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll procedures, sales taxes, and various common banking activities
• Learn about writing checks, preparing an income statement, and closing out accounts at the end of a fiscal period

How you will benefit

• Learn everything you need to know to better manage your finances
• Gain a solid understanding of accounting basics to be able to manage business finances or advance your career
• Open the door to more career opportunities in the in-demand field of accounting and finance

Nancy Koenig is an experienced industry professional with over 40 years in the workforce, including decades in finance. Nancy has worked in various finance roles in banking, insurance, and a hospital billing office. For the last 27 years of her career, she was an administrative assistant at a technical school, which involved running and overseeing the entire budget, amongst other duties. Nancy has also held part-time jobs as a bookkeeper for an auto parts store and a cable company, where she used QuickBooks computerized software. Over the past several years, she has also co-taught the Accounting Fundamentals and Accounting Fundamentals II courses with Charlene Messier.

Gain a marketable new skill by learning the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, financial reporting, and more.

In this comprehensive course, you will learn the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, as well as how to analyze and record financial transactions. You will get hands-on experience with handling accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll procedures, sales taxes, and various common banking activities.

Accounting Fundamentals covers all the bases, from writing checks to preparing an income statement and closing out accounts at the end of each fiscal period. Whether you're a sole proprietor looking to manage your business finances or you simply want to gain an understanding of accounting basics for career advancement or for personal use, this course will give you a solid foundation in financial matters.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
• A calculator and a printer.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

If you want to increase your financial awareness and gain a marketable skill, this course is for you. You will learn the double-entry bookkeeping, financial transactions, financial reporting, and more.

Account Classifications, Account Titles, T Accounts, and the Accounting Equation

Welcome to Accounting Fundamentals! In this first lesson, you will learn all about account classifications, debits, credits, and T accounts. You will learn the difference between a liability and an asset and find out how to determine an owner's equity.

General Ledger Accounts and the Balance Sheet

Here's where you will begin your hands-on accounting practice: You will start by creating an imaginary company for which you will be the accountant. You will learn how to analyze your company's transactions to determine which amounts go into which accounts, then you will create your company's own General Ledger forms and post a few transactions into those accounts.

Journalizing Transactions and Posting to the General Ledger

Now that you understand the functions of the General Ledger, you're ready to move on to the next phase of recording transactions: the Journal. In this lesson, you will learn how to enter transactions into an 11-column journal and then post or transfer those amounts into appropriate General Ledger accounts.

Journalizing and Posting Cash and Charge Purchases and Payments on Account

In this lesson, you will learn all about Accounts Payable--money that you owe your vendors and suppliers. You will practice journalizing cash purchases and purchases on account, and you will get hands-on practice transferring those purchases to their corresponding Accounts Payable Ledger accounts.

Journalizing and Posting Cash and Charge Sales and Cash Received on Account

In this lesson, you will learn about Accounts Receivable, which is another name for money owed to your company by its customers. You will learn how to journalize and post those sales on account, how to enter charge sales into the journal, and how to transfer the information into an Accounts Receivable Ledger.

Payroll and Various Deductions

It's payday! This lesson will teach you how to determine gross pay, deductions, and net pay. You will learn how to prepare a payroll, write payroll checks, and how to prepare and maintain accurate payroll records.

Banking Services and Reports

In this lesson, you will learn all about banks and banking services: You will learn the proper way to write checks, make out deposit tickets, and reconcile your company's checking account with the bank statement--skills you will find valuable in both your business and personal life!

Posting Journal Totals to the General Ledger and Schedule of Accounts Payable and Schedule of Accounts Receivable

This lesson will teach you how to prepare a Schedule of Accounts Payable and a Schedule of Accounts Receivable. These reports can be used to compare the amount of money your business owes its creditors with the amount of money your customers owe your business.

End-Of-Year Worksheet

In this lesson, you will prepare a worksheet showing the net income or net loss for the fiscal period. The worksheet will show all income and expenses for the fiscal period as well as the assets, liabilities, and owner's equity account balances.

End-Of-Year Financial Reports

In this lesson, you will learn how to prepare various reports that are vital to the well-being of your company. You will learn how these reports can be used to make sound financial decisions in the next fiscal period. You will discover how to put together an Owner's Equity Statement, an Income Statement, and a Distribution of Net Income.

Journalizing and Posting Adjusting Entries

In this lesson, you will prepare for the end of the fiscal period by adjusting your asset account balances to accurately reflect the assets remaining at the end of the year. You will also find out how to journalize and post adjusting and closing entries to bring your company's General Ledger up to date.

Journalizing and Posting Closing Entries and Preparing a Post Closing Trial Balance

In the final lesson, you will prepare a Post Closing Trial Balance report to ensure that all of your debits and credits in the General Ledger balance out in preparation for the new fiscal period.

What you will learn

• Learn the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, as well as how to analyze and record financial transactions
• Get hands-on experience with handing accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll procedures, sales taxes, and various common banking activities
• Learn about writing checks, preparing an income statement, and closing out accounts at the end of a fiscal period

How you will benefit

• Learn everything you need to know to better manage your finances
• Gain a solid understanding of accounting basics to be able to manage business finances or advance your career
• Open the door to more career opportunities in the in-demand field of accounting and finance

Nancy Koenig is an experienced industry professional with over 40 years in the workforce, including decades in finance. Nancy has worked in various finance roles in banking, insurance, and a hospital billing office. For the last 27 years of her career, she was an administrative assistant at a technical school, which involved running and overseeing the entire budget, amongst other duties. Nancy has also held part-time jobs as a bookkeeper for an auto parts store and a cable company, where she used QuickBooks computerized software. Over the past several years, she has also co-taught the Accounting Fundamentals and Accounting Fundamentals II courses with Charlene Messier.

Gain a marketable new skill by learning the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, financial reporting, and more.

In this comprehensive course, you will learn the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, as well as how to analyze and record financial transactions. You will get hands-on experience with handling accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll procedures, sales taxes, and various common banking activities.

Accounting Fundamentals covers all the bases, from writing checks to preparing an income statement and closing out accounts at the end of each fiscal period. Whether you're a sole proprietor looking to manage your business finances or you simply want to gain an understanding of accounting basics for career advancement or for personal use, this course will give you a solid foundation in financial matters.

 

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
• A calculator and a printer.

Gain a marketable new skill by learning the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, financial reporting, and more.

Account Classifications, Account Titles, T Accounts, and the Accounting Equation

Welcome to Accounting Fundamentals! In this first lesson, you will learn all about account classifications, debits, credits, and T accounts. You will learn the difference between a liability and an asset, and you will find out how to determine an owner's equity.

General Ledger Accounts and the Balance Sheet

Here's where you will begin your hands-on accounting practice: You will start by creating an imaginary company for which you will be the accountant. You will learn how to analyze your company's transactions to determine which amounts go into which accounts, then you will create your company's own General Ledger forms and post a few transactions into those accounts.

Journalizing Transactions and Posting to the General Ledger

Now that you understand the functions of the General Ledger, you're ready to move on to the next phase of recording transactions: the Journal. In this lesson, you will learn how to enter transactions into an 11-column journal and then post or transfer those amounts into appropriate General Ledger accounts.

Journalizing and Posting Cash and Charge Purchases and Payments on Account

In this lesson, you will learn all about Accounts Payable--money that you owe your vendors and suppliers. You will practice journalizing cash purchases and purchases on account, and you will get hands-on practice transferring those purchases to their corresponding Accounts Payable Ledger accounts.

Journalizing and Posting Cash and Charge Sales and Cash Received on Account

In this lesson, you will learn about Accounts Receivable, which is another name for money owed to your company by its customers. You will learn how to journalize and post those sales on account, how to enter charge sales into the journal, and how to transfer the information into an Accounts Receivable Ledger.

Payroll and Various Deductions

It's payday! This lesson will teach you how to determine gross pay, deductions, and net pay. You will learn how to prepare a payroll, write payroll checks, and how to prepare and maintain accurate payroll records.

Banking Services and Reports

In this lesson, you will learn all about banks and banking services: You will learn the proper way to write checks, make out deposit tickets, and reconcile your company's checking account with the bank statement--skills you will find valuable in both your business and personal life!

Posting Journal Totals to the General Ledger and Schedule of Accounts Payable and Schedule of Accounts Receivable

This lesson will teach you how to prepare a Schedule of Accounts Payable and a Schedule of Accounts Receivable. These reports can be used to compare the amount of money your business owes its creditors with the amount of money your customers owe your business.

End-of-Year Worksheet

In this lesson, you will prepare a worksheet showing the net income or net loss for the fiscal period. The worksheet will show all income and expenses for the fiscal period as well as the assets, liabilities, and owner's equity account balances.

End-of-Year Financial Reports

In this lesson, you will learn how to prepare various reports that are vital to the well-being of your company. You will learn how these reports can be used to make sound financial decisions in the next fiscal period. You will discover how to put together an Owner's Equity Statement, an Income Statement, and a Distribution of Net Income.

Journalizing and Posting Adjusting Entries

In this lesson, you will prepare for the end of the fiscal period by adjusting your asset account balances to accurately reflect the assets remaining at the end of the year. You will also find out how to journalize and post adjusting and closing entries to bring your company's General Ledger up to date.

Journalizing and Posting Closing Entries and Preparing a Post Closing Trial Balance

In the final lesson, you will prepare a Post Closing Trial Balance report to ensure that all of your debits and credits in the General Ledger balance out in preparation for the new fiscal period.

Self-Study

Gain a marketable new skill by learning the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, financial reporting, and more.

In this comprehensive course, you will learn the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, as well as how to analyze and record financial transactions. You will get hands-on experience with handling accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll procedures, sales taxes, and various common banking activities.

Accounting Fundamentals covers all the bases, from writing checks to preparing an income statement and closing out accounts at the end of each fiscal period. Whether you're a sole proprietor looking to manage your business finances or you simply want to gain an understanding of accounting basics for career advancement or for personal use, this course will give you a solid foundation in financial matters.

 

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
• A calculator and a printer.

Gain a marketable new skill by learning the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, financial reporting, and more.

Account Classifications, Account Titles, T Accounts, and the Accounting Equation

Welcome to Accounting Fundamentals! In this first lesson, you will learn all about account classifications, debits, credits, and T accounts. You will learn the difference between a liability and an asset, and you will find out how to determine an owner's equity.

General Ledger Accounts and the Balance Sheet

Here's where you will begin your hands-on accounting practice: You will start by creating an imaginary company for which you will be the accountant. You will learn how to analyze your company's transactions to determine which amounts go into which accounts, then you will create your company's own General Ledger forms and post a few transactions into those accounts.

Journalizing Transactions and Posting to the General Ledger

Now that you understand the functions of the General Ledger, you're ready to move on to the next phase of recording transactions: the Journal. In this lesson, you will learn how to enter transactions into an 11-column journal and then post or transfer those amounts into appropriate General Ledger accounts.

Journalizing and Posting Cash and Charge Purchases and Payments on Account

In this lesson, you will learn all about Accounts Payable--money that you owe your vendors and suppliers. You will practice journalizing cash purchases and purchases on account, and you will get hands-on practice transferring those purchases to their corresponding Accounts Payable Ledger accounts.

Journalizing and Posting Cash and Charge Sales and Cash Received on Account

In this lesson, you will learn about Accounts Receivable, which is another name for money owed to your company by its customers. You will learn how to journalize and post those sales on account, how to enter charge sales into the journal, and how to transfer the information into an Accounts Receivable Ledger.

Payroll and Various Deductions

It's payday! This lesson will teach you how to determine gross pay, deductions, and net pay. You will learn how to prepare a payroll, write payroll checks, and how to prepare and maintain accurate payroll records.

Banking Services and Reports

In this lesson, you will learn all about banks and banking services: You will learn the proper way to write checks, make out deposit tickets, and reconcile your company's checking account with the bank statement--skills you will find valuable in both your business and personal life!

Posting Journal Totals to the General Ledger and Schedule of Accounts Payable and Schedule of Accounts Receivable

This lesson will teach you how to prepare a Schedule of Accounts Payable and a Schedule of Accounts Receivable. These reports can be used to compare the amount of money your business owes its creditors with the amount of money your customers owe your business.

End-of-Year Worksheet

In this lesson, you will prepare a worksheet showing the net income or net loss for the fiscal period. The worksheet will show all income and expenses for the fiscal period as well as the assets, liabilities, and owner's equity account balances.

End-of-Year Financial Reports

In this lesson, you will learn how to prepare various reports that are vital to the well-being of your company. You will learn how these reports can be used to make sound financial decisions in the next fiscal period. You will discover how to put together an Owner's Equity Statement, an Income Statement, and a Distribution of Net Income.

Journalizing and Posting Adjusting Entries

In this lesson, you will prepare for the end of the fiscal period by adjusting your asset account balances to accurately reflect the assets remaining at the end of the year. You will also find out how to journalize and post adjusting and closing entries to bring your company's General Ledger up to date.

Journalizing and Posting Closing Entries and Preparing a Post Closing Trial Balance

In the final lesson, you will prepare a Post Closing Trial Balance report to ensure that all of your debits and credits in the General Ledger balance out in preparation for the new fiscal period.

Self-Study

Give yourself skills that are in high demand by exploring corporate accounting.

While it is true that accounting professionals are scarce, those with corporate accounting experience are even scarcer. This course will provide you with a solid understanding of corporate accounting practices.

In Accounting Fundamentals II, you will explore such topics as special journals, uncollectible accounts receivable, plant assets, depreciation, notes and interest, accrued revenue and expenses, dividends, retained earnings, and various financial reports for corporations.

If you're interested in increasing your financial awareness and accountability while also gaining a marketable skill, this is the course for you.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
• A calculator and a printer.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Explore the world of corporate accounting and increase your financial know-how while gaining in-demand skills. This course will provide you with a solid understanding of recording and analyzing plant assets, depreciation, interest, dividends, revenue and other important corporate money matters.

Accounts Payable

In this lesson, you will learn all about accounts payable. You will be journalizing and posting your company's purchases and preparing a Schedule of Accounts Payable. This lesson will give you the tools you need to successfully track those accounts.

Accounts Receivable

In this lesson you will take a close look at accounts receivable. After completing this lesson, you will know how to enter charge sales into your Sales Journal and then post them to your General Ledger. You will have also learned how to journalize payments on account received from your charge customers.

Uncollectible Accounts Receivable

In this lesson you will learn about uncollectible accounts receivable. While many believe customers will always pay what they owe, that is not always the case. You will learn how to account for long overdue receivables that probably won't ever be paid.

Plant Assets and Depreciation

In this lesson, you will learn about plant assets and depreciation. Just like your car, business assets depreciate over time, so you will need to know how to account for that expense in your records. You will also need to record these assets and calculate their depreciation in a timely manner.

Notes Payable and Notes Receivable

This lesson is all about notes payable and notes receivable. You will learn all you need to know about accounting for these situations as you learn how to record the issuance and payment of these notes payables and notes receivables.

Accrued Income and Accrued Expenses

In this lesson, you will learn how to deal with accrued income and accrued expenses. Accrued income is money that the company earns in one fiscal period but doesn't receive until after another fiscal period begins.

Dividends and Starting the Year-End Worksheet

In this lesson, you will be dealing with dividends, which is money paid to the company's stockholders on their investment. You will learn how the business accounts for the dividends it pays to its stockholders. You will also look at retained earnings, or the amount of profit the corporation retains for future use.

Complete Year-End Worksheet With Adjustments

In this lesson, you will determine whether your business has a net income or a net loss by completing the worksheet started in the previous lesson. Because many General Ledger accounts change throughout the fiscal period, you will also need to bring these accounts up to date.

End-Of-Fiscal-Period Financial Reports

It's time to begin wrapping up your books for the end of the fiscal period. In this lesson, you will learn how to compile most of the various financial reports a corporation needs to complete at the end of the fiscal period.

Adjusting and Closing Entries and Post Closing Trial Balance

In this lesson, you will get the books all caught up and ready for the next fiscal period. You will go back and journalize those adjusting entries you entered into your worksheet, then you will enter closing entries into your journal.

Preparing a Payroll

This lesson covers every employee's favorite subject: Payroll. You will learn about various mandatory and voluntary deductions from employees' pay, as well as how to journalize and post an entire payroll. As an added bonus, after this lesson, you will be able to check the accuracy of your own paycheck.

Preparing Federal Tax Deposits and Year-End Tax Reports

The final lesson focuses on preparing a variety of end-of-year tax reports. Here's your chance to go step-by-step through a multitude of IRS forms with instructions that are much easier to understand. You will fill out the federal Form 941, then learn how to make federal income tax deposits.

What you will learn

• Learn about accounts payable and receivable
• Understand how to represent uncollectible accounts in reports
• Learn about plant assets and timely depreciation of these assets
• Learn how to deal with accrued income and accrued expenses
• Understand stock dividends and retained earnings
• Learn how to prepare year-end financial documents including tax forms

How you will benefit

• Become more indispensable to any organization as you develop higher level accounting skills
• Learn everything you need to know to accurately keep the books for any type of business
• Become more aware of the accuracy of your own personal pay stubs and tax documents
• Open the door to more career opportunities in accounting

Nancy Koenig is an experienced industry professional with over 40 years in the workforce, including decades in finance. Nancy has worked in various finance roles in banking, insurance, and a hospital billing office. For the last 27 years of her career, she was an administrative assistant at a technical school, which involved running and overseeing the entire budget, amongst other duties. Nancy has also held part-time jobs as a bookkeeper for an auto parts store and a cable company, where she used QuickBooks computerized software. Over the past several years, she has also co-taught the Accounting Fundamentals and Accounting Fundamentals II courses with Charlene Messier.

Give yourself skills that are in high demand by exploring corporate accounting.

While it is true that accounting professionals are scarce, those with corporate accounting experience are even scarcer. This course will provide you with a solid understanding of corporate accounting practices.

In Accounting Fundamentals II, you will explore such topics as special journals, uncollectible accounts receivable, plant assets, depreciation, notes and interest, accrued revenue and expenses, dividends, retained earnings, and various financial reports for corporations.

If you're interested in increasing your financial awareness and accountability while also gaining a marketable skill, this is the course for you.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
• A calculator and a printer.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Explore the world of corporate accounting and increase your financial know-how while gaining in-demand skills. This course will provide you with a solid understanding of recording and analyzing plant assets, depreciation, interest, dividends, revenue and other important corporate money matters.

Accounts Payable

In this lesson, you will learn all about accounts payable. You will be journalizing and posting your company's purchases and preparing a Schedule of Accounts Payable. This lesson will give you the tools you need to successfully track those accounts.

Accounts Receivable

In this lesson you will take a close look at accounts receivable. After completing this lesson, you will know how to enter charge sales into your Sales Journal and then post them to your General Ledger. You will have also learned how to journalize payments on account received from your charge customers.

Uncollectible Accounts Receivable

In this lesson you will learn about uncollectible accounts receivable. While many believe customers will always pay what they owe, that is not always the case. You will learn how to account for long overdue receivables that probably won't ever be paid.

Plant Assets and Depreciation

In this lesson, you will learn about plant assets and depreciation. Just like your car, business assets depreciate over time, so you will need to know how to account for that expense in your records. You will also need to record these assets and calculate their depreciation in a timely manner.

Notes Payable and Notes Receivable

This lesson is all about notes payable and notes receivable. You will learn all you need to know about accounting for these situations as you learn how to record the issuance and payment of these notes payables and notes receivables.

Accrued Income and Accrued Expenses

In this lesson, you will learn how to deal with accrued income and accrued expenses. Accrued income is money that the company earns in one fiscal period but doesn't receive until after another fiscal period begins.

Dividends and Starting the Year-End Worksheet

In this lesson, you will be dealing with dividends, which is money paid to the company's stockholders on their investment. You will learn how the business accounts for the dividends it pays to its stockholders. You will also look at retained earnings, or the amount of profit the corporation retains for future use.

Complete Year-End Worksheet With Adjustments

In this lesson, you will determine whether your business has a net income or a net loss by completing the worksheet started in the previous lesson. Because many General Ledger accounts change throughout the fiscal period, you will also need to bring these accounts up to date.

End-Of-Fiscal-Period Financial Reports

It's time to begin wrapping up your books for the end of the fiscal period. In this lesson, you will learn how to compile most of the various financial reports a corporation needs to complete at the end of the fiscal period.

Adjusting and Closing Entries and Post Closing Trial Balance

In this lesson, you will get the books all caught up and ready for the next fiscal period. You will go back and journalize those adjusting entries you entered into your worksheet, then you will enter closing entries into your journal.

Preparing a Payroll

This lesson covers every employee's favorite subject: Payroll. You will learn about various mandatory and voluntary deductions from employees' pay, as well as how to journalize and post an entire payroll. As an added bonus, after this lesson, you will be able to check the accuracy of your own paycheck.

Preparing Federal Tax Deposits and Year-End Tax Reports

The final lesson focuses on preparing a variety of end-of-year tax reports. Here's your chance to go step-by-step through a multitude of IRS forms with instructions that are much easier to understand. You will fill out the federal Form 941, then learn how to make federal income tax deposits.

What you will learn

• Learn about accounts payable and receivable
• Understand how to represent uncollectible accounts in reports
• Learn about plant assets and timely depreciation of these assets
• Learn how to deal with accrued income and accrued expenses
• Understand stock dividends and retained earnings
• Learn how to prepare year-end financial documents including tax forms

How you will benefit

• Become more indispensable to any organization as you develop higher level accounting skills
• Learn everything you need to know to accurately keep the books for any type of business
• Become more aware of the accuracy of your own personal pay stubs and tax documents
• Open the door to more career opportunities in accounting

Nancy Koenig is an experienced industry professional with over 40 years in the workforce, including decades in finance. Nancy has worked in various finance roles in banking, insurance, and a hospital billing office. For the last 27 years of her career, she was an administrative assistant at a technical school, which involved running and overseeing the entire budget, amongst other duties. Nancy has also held part-time jobs as a bookkeeper for an auto parts store and a cable company, where she used QuickBooks computerized software. Over the past several years, she has also co-taught the Accounting Fundamentals and Accounting Fundamentals II courses with Charlene Messier.

Give yourself skills that are in high demand by exploring corporate accounting.

While it is true that accounting professionals are scarce, those with corporate accounting experience are even scarcer. This course will provide you with a solid understanding of corporate accounting practices.

In Accounting Fundamentals II, you will explore such topics as special journals, uncollectible accounts receivable, plant assets, depreciation, notes and interest, accrued revenue and expenses, dividends, retained earnings, and various financial reports for corporations.

If you're interested in increasing your financial awareness and accountability while also gaining a marketable skill, this is the course for you.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
• A calculator and a printer.

Give yourself skills that are in high demand by exploring corporate accounting.

Accounts Payable

In this lesson, you will learn all about accounts payable. You will be journalizing and posting your company's purchases and preparing a Schedule of Accounts Payable. This lesson will give you the tools you need to successfully track those accounts.

Accounts Receivable

In this lesson you will take a close look at accounts receivable. After completing this lesson, you will know how to enter charge sales into your Sales Journal and then post them to your General Ledger. You will have also learned how to journalize payments on account received from your charge customers.

Uncollectible Accounts Receivable

In this lesson you will learn about uncollectible accounts receivable. While many believe customers will always pay what they owe, that is not always the case. You will learn how to account for long overdue receivables that probably won't ever be paid.

Plant Assets and Depreciation

In this lesson, you will learn about plant assets and depreciation. Just like your car, business assets depreciate over time, so you will need to know how to account for that expense in your records. And you will need to record these assets and calculate their depreciation in a timely manner.

Notes Payable and Notes Receivable

This lesson is all about notes payable and notes receivable. You will learn all you need to know about accounting for these situations as you learn how to record the issuance and payment of these notes payables and notes receivables.

Accrued Income and Accrued Expenses

In this lesson, you will learn how to deal with accrued income and accrued expenses. Accrued income is money that the company earns in one fiscal period but doesn't receive until after another fiscal period begins.

Dividends and Starting the Year-End Worksheet

In this lesson, you will be dealing with dividends, which is money paid to the company's stockholders on their investment. You will learn how the business accounts for the dividends it pays to its stockholders. You will also look at retained earnings, or the amount of profit the corporation retains for future use.

Complete Year-End Worksheet with Adjustments

In this lesson you will determine if your business has a net income or a net loss by completing the worksheet started in the previous lesson. And because many General Ledger accounts change throughout the fiscal period—you will need to bring these accounts up to date.

End-of-Fiscal-Period Financial Reports

It's time to begin wrapping up your books for the end of the fiscal period. In this lesson, you will learn how to compile most of the various financial reports a corporation needs to complete at the end of the fiscal period.

Adjusting and Closing Entries and Post Closing Trial Balance

In this lesson, you will get the books all caught up and ready for the next fiscal period. You will go back and journalize those adjusting entries you entered into your worksheet, then you will enter closing entries into your journal.

Preparing a Payroll

This lesson covers every employee's favorite subject: Payroll. You will learn about various mandatory and voluntary deductions from employees' pay, as well as how to journalize and post an entire payroll. As an added bonus, after this lesson, you will be able to check the accuracy of your own paycheck.

Preparing Federal Tax Deposits and Year-End Tax Reports

The final lesson focuses on preparing a variety of end-of-year tax reports. Here's your chance to go step-by-step through a multitude of IRS forms with instructions that are much easier to understand. You will fill out the federal Form 941, then learn how to make federal income tax deposits.

Self-Study

Give yourself skills that are in high demand by exploring corporate accounting.

While it is true that accounting professionals are scarce, those with corporate accounting experience are even scarcer. This course will provide you with a solid understanding of corporate accounting practices.

In Accounting Fundamentals II, you will explore such topics as special journals, uncollectible accounts receivable, plant assets, depreciation, notes and interest, accrued revenue and expenses, dividends, retained earnings, and various financial reports for corporations.

If you're interested in increasing your financial awareness and accountability while also gaining a marketable skill, this is the course for you.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
• A calculator and a printer.

Give yourself skills that are in high demand by exploring corporate accounting.

Accounts Payable

In this lesson, you will learn all about accounts payable. You will be journalizing and posting your company's purchases and preparing a Schedule of Accounts Payable. This lesson will give you the tools you need to successfully track those accounts.

Accounts Receivable

In this lesson you will take a close look at accounts receivable. After completing this lesson, you will know how to enter charge sales into your Sales Journal and then post them to your General Ledger. You will have also learned how to journalize payments on account received from your charge customers.

Uncollectible Accounts Receivable

In this lesson you will learn about uncollectible accounts receivable. While many believe customers will always pay what they owe, that is not always the case. You will learn how to account for long overdue receivables that probably won't ever be paid.

Plant Assets and Depreciation

In this lesson, you will learn about plant assets and depreciation. Just like your car, business assets depreciate over time, so you will need to know how to account for that expense in your records. And you will need to record these assets and calculate their depreciation in a timely manner.

Notes Payable and Notes Receivable

This lesson is all about notes payable and notes receivable. You will learn all you need to know about accounting for these situations as you learn how to record the issuance and payment of these notes payables and notes receivables.

Accrued Income and Accrued Expenses

In this lesson, you will learn how to deal with accrued income and accrued expenses. Accrued income is money that the company earns in one fiscal period but doesn't receive until after another fiscal period begins.

Dividends and Starting the Year-End Worksheet

In this lesson, you will be dealing with dividends, which is money paid to the company's stockholders on their investment. You will learn how the business accounts for the dividends it pays to its stockholders. You will also look at retained earnings, or the amount of profit the corporation retains for future use.

Complete Year-End Worksheet with Adjustments

In this lesson you will determine if your business has a net income or a net loss by completing the worksheet started in the previous lesson. And because many General Ledger accounts change throughout the fiscal period—you will need to bring these accounts up to date.

End-of-Fiscal-Period Financial Reports

It's time to begin wrapping up your books for the end of the fiscal period. In this lesson, you will learn how to compile most of the various financial reports a corporation needs to complete at the end of the fiscal period.

Adjusting and Closing Entries and Post Closing Trial Balance

In this lesson, you will get the books all caught up and ready for the next fiscal period. You will go back and journalize those adjusting entries you entered into your worksheet, then you will enter closing entries into your journal.

Preparing a Payroll

This lesson covers every employee's favorite subject: Payroll. You will learn about various mandatory and voluntary deductions from employees' pay, as well as how to journalize and post an entire payroll. As an added bonus, after this lesson, you will be able to check the accuracy of your own paycheck.

Preparing Federal Tax Deposits and Year-End Tax Reports

The final lesson focuses on preparing a variety of end-of-year tax reports. Here's your chance to go step-by-step through a multitude of IRS forms with instructions that are much easier to understand. You will fill out the federal Form 941, then learn how to make federal income tax deposits.

Self-Study

Published writer shows you how to give yourself the credibility you need to get your books and articles published.

Do you know the five most common reasons why manuscripts are instantly rejected? If your goal is to become a published freelance writer of fiction or nonfiction for books or magazines, this comprehensive course will help you guide your work directly into the hands of an editor and onto the shelves of your favorite stores.

Your success in the writing game will be determined by the amount of credibility publishers attach to you and your work. This course will teach you how to give yourself the kind of credibility you need to succeed. This course will provide you with instant access to critical information most other writers don't discover for years and will walk you through every step of the publishing process. If you really want to be a writer, this course will give you all the tools you need to get published.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Get your writing directly into the hands of an editor and on the shelves of your favorite stores. This course, taught by a successful journalist and author, will help you understand every step of the publishing process and how to give yourself the credibility publishers notice.

Becoming a Published Writer

As an unpublished writer, what you don't know could hold you back. What you learn here in this first lesson will help you understand what to look for and what to avoid in the publishing industry, as well as how to reach your publishing goals. By learning how to get published quickly and often, you should be well on your way to a lifetime of publishing success!

Breaking in and First Markets

In this lesson, you'll learn why it's difficult to break into the world of publishing, why publishers prefer to work with published writers, and why editors can be as choosy as they want to be. It'll also teach you about five of the easiest publishing markets.

Writing Contests and Credibility

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use writing contests to gain publishing credibility. It'll provide you with examples to steer you away from contest scams, and show you how to find legitimate writing contests. Then it'll discuss how to retain some rights to your work and resell your contest submissions.

Manuscript Mechanics and Formats

In this lesson, you'll learn how to format a manuscript for submission to a publisher. You'll find out how to narrow down your chances of rejection by making sure you follow all the submission guidelines. You'll learn all the basic manuscript mechanics, from paper to font choices. Then you'll go over all the formatting rules, including the importance of saving your work.

Proofreading, Printing, and Submission Logs

In this lesson, you'll learn the final steps to prepare your manuscript for submission. If publishers perceive you as careless or sloppy in any way, they may reject your manuscript without ever reading it. Publishers don't need to waste their time with writers who submit unpolished material. You'll also learn how to create a submission log to track your manuscripts for future reference.

Copyright, Rights, and Pseudonyms

This is perhaps the most important lesson of all. Before submitting your work to a publisher, make sure you take the necessary steps to protect your work against copyright infringement. That means ensuring your work has copyright protection, as well as maintaining rights to sell the work again and again if desired. This lesson will tell you everything you need to know about that. You'll also learn about using pseudonyms.

Mainstream, Subsidy, and Self-Publishing

Once you've completed your manuscript—that is, finished writing, editing, proofreading, formatting, and printing it—you've reached the halfway point of your publishing process. Finding the right publisher and publishing method for your work can mean the difference between a novel on the best-seller list and a garage full of unsold books. This lesson will teach you how to do that and also go over the pros and cons of subsidy publishing and self-publishing.

All About Query Letters

A query letter is a very important part of the submission process. In this lesson, you'll learn what a query letter is and why it's important to your submission. You'll see how to format a query letter, including what information you should include and what you should leave out. You'll also learn when and how to submit your queries to a publisher.

Submissions, Offers, and Rejections

Your manuscript must be packaged and delivered to a publisher in a professional manner. In this lesson, you'll learn how to mail your manuscript, including how to submit photos and illustrations with your submission. You'll also learn what a simultaneous submission is and when you can use this method of submission. This lesson will also show you how to evaluate the offers and rejections you receive from publishers following your submissions.

All About Agents and Contracts

You'll learn all about literary agents in this lesson. An agent isn't a necessity for most submissions, but one is recommended for certain publisher contract negotiations. You'll learn when, where, and why to get an agent to represent you. You'll discover why finding a reputable agent is just as important as finding a reputable publisher. You'll also explore agent contracts, fees, and publisher contract terms.

Clubs, Conferences, and Writer's Block

In your writing and publishing efforts, it's important to remember that you aren't alone in this venture. There are millions of other writers out there who can offer you information, inspiration, and encouragement when you need it. In this lesson, you'll learn how to connect with other writers. You'll also learn what to do when you're face to face with that dreaded writer's block. If you can't think of anything to write, how will you ever get published?

The Future of Publishing

In the last lesson, you'll learn that there are certain publishing taboos that you should avoid. Neither talent nor determination will help you if you fail to follow simple publisher guidelines. You'll also learn how to format the items that publishers request following acceptance of your manuscript. In addition, you'll learn about the future of publishing.

What you will learn

• Learn the every step and concern involved in the publishing process
• Discover how to build credibility as an author and convince the publishing industry to give you their full attention
• Examine the most common reasons why manuscripts are rejected and learn how to avoid these mistakes
• Acquire inside secrets of the publishing industry from a successful journalist and author

How you will benefit

• Discover how to build credibility and use it to your advantage
• Gain access to critical information that the competition may only learn after years of experience
• Gain confidence in your ability to turn your writing skill into a profitable career

LeeAnne Krusemark is a journalist, published author, successful business owner, and adjunct professor. LeeAnne began her career in journalism, working as a reporter, then editor, then managing editor for various newspapers in New York and California. She started a successful writing/public relations business in 1988, and has served as Chamber of Commerce president. She is the published author of countless newspaper and magazine articles and two non-fiction books. LeeAnne also spends time guest lecturing about business and writing at a number of colleges, including Purdue and Kent State University.

Published writer shows you how to give yourself the credibility you need to get your books and articles published.

Do you know the five most common reasons why manuscripts are instantly rejected? If your goal is to become a published freelance writer of fiction or nonfiction for books or magazines, this comprehensive course will help you guide your work directly into the hands of an editor and onto the shelves of your favorite stores.

Your success in the writing game will be determined by the amount of credibility publishers attach to you and your work. This course will teach you how to give yourself the kind of credibility you need to succeed. This course will provide you with instant access to critical information most other writers don't discover for years and will walk you through every step of the publishing process. If you really want to be a writer, this course will give you all the tools you need to get published.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Get your writing directly into the hands of an editor and on the shelves of your favorite stores. This course, taught by a successful journalist and author, will help you understand every step of the publishing process and how to give yourself the credibility publishers notice.

Becoming a Published Writer

As an unpublished writer, what you don't know could hold you back. What you learn here in this first lesson will help you understand what to look for and what to avoid in the publishing industry, as well as how to reach your publishing goals. By learning how to get published quickly and often, you should be well on your way to a lifetime of publishing success!

Breaking in and First Markets

In this lesson, you'll learn why it's difficult to break into the world of publishing, why publishers prefer to work with published writers, and why editors can be as choosy as they want to be. It'll also teach you about five of the easiest publishing markets.

Writing Contests and Credibility

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use writing contests to gain publishing credibility. It'll provide you with examples to steer you away from contest scams, and show you how to find legitimate writing contests. Then it'll discuss how to retain some rights to your work and resell your contest submissions.

Manuscript Mechanics and Formats

In this lesson, you'll learn how to format a manuscript for submission to a publisher. You'll find out how to narrow down your chances of rejection by making sure you follow all the submission guidelines. You'll learn all the basic manuscript mechanics, from paper to font choices. Then you'll go over all the formatting rules, including the importance of saving your work.

Proofreading, Printing, and Submission Logs

In this lesson, you'll learn the final steps to prepare your manuscript for submission. If publishers perceive you as careless or sloppy in any way, they may reject your manuscript without ever reading it. Publishers don't need to waste their time with writers who submit unpolished material. You'll also learn how to create a submission log to track your manuscripts for future reference.

Copyright, Rights, and Pseudonyms

This is perhaps the most important lesson of all. Before submitting your work to a publisher, make sure you take the necessary steps to protect your work against copyright infringement. That means ensuring your work has copyright protection, as well as maintaining rights to sell the work again and again if desired. This lesson will tell you everything you need to know about that. You'll also learn about using pseudonyms.

Mainstream, Subsidy, and Self-Publishing

Once you've completed your manuscript—that is, finished writing, editing, proofreading, formatting, and printing it—you've reached the halfway point of your publishing process. Finding the right publisher and publishing method for your work can mean the difference between a novel on the best-seller list and a garage full of unsold books. This lesson will teach you how to do that and also go over the pros and cons of subsidy publishing and self-publishing.

All About Query Letters

A query letter is a very important part of the submission process. In this lesson, you'll learn what a query letter is and why it's important to your submission. You'll see how to format a query letter, including what information you should include and what you should leave out. You'll also learn when and how to submit your queries to a publisher.

Submissions, Offers, and Rejections

Your manuscript must be packaged and delivered to a publisher in a professional manner. In this lesson, you'll learn how to mail your manuscript, including how to submit photos and illustrations with your submission. You'll also learn what a simultaneous submission is and when you can use this method of submission. This lesson will also show you how to evaluate the offers and rejections you receive from publishers following your submissions.

All About Agents and Contracts

You'll learn all about literary agents in this lesson. An agent isn't a necessity for most submissions, but one is recommended for certain publisher contract negotiations. You'll learn when, where, and why to get an agent to represent you. You'll discover why finding a reputable agent is just as important as finding a reputable publisher. You'll also explore agent contracts, fees, and publisher contract terms.

Clubs, Conferences, and Writer's Block

In your writing and publishing efforts, it's important to remember that you aren't alone in this venture. There are millions of other writers out there who can offer you information, inspiration, and encouragement when you need it. In this lesson, you'll learn how to connect with other writers. You'll also learn what to do when you're face to face with that dreaded writer's block. If you can't think of anything to write, how will you ever get published?

The Future of Publishing

In the last lesson, you'll learn that there are certain publishing taboos that you should avoid. Neither talent nor determination will help you if you fail to follow simple publisher guidelines. You'll also learn how to format the items that publishers request following acceptance of your manuscript. In addition, you'll learn about the future of publishing.

What you will learn

• Learn the every step and concern involved in the publishing process
• Discover how to build credibility as an author and convince the publishing industry to give you their full attention
• Examine the most common reasons why manuscripts are rejected and learn how to avoid these mistakes
• Acquire inside secrets of the publishing industry from a successful journalist and author

How you will benefit

• Discover how to build credibility and use it to your advantage
• Gain access to critical information that the competition may only learn after years of experience
• Gain confidence in your ability to turn your writing skill into a profitable career

LeeAnne Krusemark is a journalist, published author, successful business owner, and adjunct professor. LeeAnne began her career in journalism, working as a reporter, then editor, then managing editor for various newspapers in New York and California. She started a successful writing/public relations business in 1988, and has served as Chamber of Commerce president. She is the published author of countless newspaper and magazine articles and two non-fiction books. LeeAnne also spends time guest lecturing about business and writing at a number of colleges, including Purdue and Kent State University.

Published writer shows you how to give yourself the credibility you need to get your books and articles published.

Do you know the five most common reasons why manuscripts are instantly rejected? If your goal is to become a published freelance writer of fiction or nonfiction for books or magazines, this comprehensive course will help you guide your work directly into the hands of an editor and onto the shelves of your favorite stores.

Your success in the writing game will be determined by the amount of credibility publishers attach to you and your work. This course will teach you how to give yourself the kind of credibility you need to succeed. This course will provide you with instant access to critical information most other writers don't discover for years and will walk you through every step of the publishing process. If you really want to be a writer, this course will give you all the tools you need to get published.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Get your writing directly into the hands of an editor and on the shelves of your favorite stores. This course, taught by a successful journalist and author, will help you understand every step of the publishing process and how to give yourself the credibility publishers notice.

Becoming a Published Writer

As an unpublished writer, what you don't know could hold you back. What you learn here in this first lesson will help you understand what to look for and what to avoid in the publishing industry, as well as how to reach your publishing goals. By learning how to get published quickly and often, you should be well on your way to a lifetime of publishing success!

Breaking in and First Markets

In this lesson, you'll learn why it's difficult to break in to the world of publishing, why publishers prefer to work with published writers, and why editors can be as choosy as they want to be. It'll also teach you about five of the easiest publishing markets.

Writing Contests and Credibility

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use writing contests to gain publishing credibility. It'll provide you with examples to steer you away from contest scams, and show you how to find legitimate writing contests. Then it'll discuss how to retain some rights to your work and resell your contest submissions.

Manuscript Mechanics and Formats

In this lesson, you'll learn how to format a manuscript for submission to a publisher. You'll find out how to narrow down your chances of rejection by making sure you follow all the submission guidelines. You'll learn all the basic manuscript mechanics, from paper to font choices. Then you'll go over all the formatting rules, including the importance of saving your work.

Proofreading, Printing, and Submission Logs

In this lesson, you'll learn the final steps to prepare your manuscript for submission. If publishers perceive you as careless or sloppy in any way, they may reject your manuscript without ever reading it. Publishers don't need to waste their time with writers who submit unpolished material. You'll also learn how to create a submission log to track your manuscripts for future reference.

Copyright, Rights, and Pseudonyms

This is perhaps the most important lesson of all. Before submitting your work to a publisher, make sure you take the necessary steps to protect your work against copyright infringement. That means ensuring your work has copyright protection, as well as maintaining rights to sell the work again and again if desired. This lesson will tell you everything you need to know about that. You'll also learn about using pseudonyms.

Mainstream, Subsidy, and Self-Publishing

Once you've completed your manuscript—that is, finished writing, editing, proofreading, formatting, and printing it—you've reached the halfway point of your publishing process. Finding the right publisher and publishing method for your work can mean the difference between a novel on the best-seller list and a garage full of unsold books. This lesson will teach you how to do that and also go over the pros and cons of subsidy publishing and self-publishing.

All About Query Letters

A query letter is a very important part of the submission process. In this lesson, you'll learn what a query letter is and why it's important to your submission. You'll see how to format a query letter, including what information you should include and what you should leave out. You'll also learn when and how to submit your queries to a publisher.

Submissions, Offers, and Rejections

Your manuscript must be packaged and delivered to a publisher in a professional manner. In this lesson, you'll learn how to mail your manuscript, including how to submit photos and illustrations with your submission. You'll also learn what a simultaneous submission is and when you can use this method of submission. This lesson will also show you how to evaluate the offers and rejections you receive from publishers following your submissions.

All About Agents and Contracts

You'll learn all about literary agents in this lesson. An agent isn't a necessity for most submissions, but one is recommended for certain publisher contract negotiations. You'll learn when, where, and why to get an agent to represent you. You'll discover why finding a reputable agent is just as important as finding a reputable publisher. You'll also explore agent contracts, fees, and publisher contract terms.

Clubs, Conferences, and Writer's Block

In your writing and publishing efforts, it's important to remember that you aren't alone in this venture. There are millions of other writers out there who can offer you information, inspiration, and encouragement when you need it. In this lesson, you'll learn how to connect with other writers. You'll also learn what to do when you're face to face with that dreaded writer's block. If you can't think of anything to write, how will you ever get published?

The Future of Publishing

In the last lesson, you'll learn that there are certain publishing taboos that you should avoid. Neither talent nor determination will help you if you fail to follow simple publisher guidelines. You'll also learn how to format the items that publishers request following acceptance of your manuscript. In addition, you'll learn about the future of publishing.

Self-Study

Published writer shows you how to give yourself the credibility you need to get your books and articles published.

Do you know the five most common reasons why manuscripts are instantly rejected? If your goal is to become a published freelance writer of fiction or nonfiction for books or magazines, this comprehensive course will help you guide your work directly into the hands of an editor and onto the shelves of your favorite stores.

Your success in the writing game will be determined by the amount of credibility publishers attach to you and your work. This course will teach you how to give yourself the kind of credibility you need to succeed. This course will provide you with instant access to critical information most other writers don't discover for years and will walk you through every step of the publishing process. If you really want to be a writer, this course will give you all the tools you need to get published.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Get your writing directly into the hands of an editor and on the shelves of your favorite stores. This course, taught by a successful journalist and author, will help you understand every step of the publishing process and how to give yourself the credibility publishers notice.

Becoming a Published Writer

As an unpublished writer, what you don't know could hold you back. What you learn here in this first lesson will help you understand what to look for and what to avoid in the publishing industry, as well as how to reach your publishing goals. By learning how to get published quickly and often, you should be well on your way to a lifetime of publishing success!

Breaking in and First Markets

In this lesson, you'll learn why it's difficult to break in to the world of publishing, why publishers prefer to work with published writers, and why editors can be as choosy as they want to be. It'll also teach you about five of the easiest publishing markets.

Writing Contests and Credibility

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use writing contests to gain publishing credibility. It'll provide you with examples to steer you away from contest scams, and show you how to find legitimate writing contests. Then it'll discuss how to retain some rights to your work and resell your contest submissions.

Manuscript Mechanics and Formats

In this lesson, you'll learn how to format a manuscript for submission to a publisher. You'll find out how to narrow down your chances of rejection by making sure you follow all the submission guidelines. You'll learn all the basic manuscript mechanics, from paper to font choices. Then you'll go over all the formatting rules, including the importance of saving your work.

Proofreading, Printing, and Submission Logs

In this lesson, you'll learn the final steps to prepare your manuscript for submission. If publishers perceive you as careless or sloppy in any way, they may reject your manuscript without ever reading it. Publishers don't need to waste their time with writers who submit unpolished material. You'll also learn how to create a submission log to track your manuscripts for future reference.

Copyright, Rights, and Pseudonyms

This is perhaps the most important lesson of all. Before submitting your work to a publisher, make sure you take the necessary steps to protect your work against copyright infringement. That means ensuring your work has copyright protection, as well as maintaining rights to sell the work again and again if desired. This lesson will tell you everything you need to know about that. You'll also learn about using pseudonyms.

Mainstream, Subsidy, and Self-Publishing

Once you've completed your manuscript—that is, finished writing, editing, proofreading, formatting, and printing it—you've reached the halfway point of your publishing process. Finding the right publisher and publishing method for your work can mean the difference between a novel on the best-seller list and a garage full of unsold books. This lesson will teach you how to do that and also go over the pros and cons of subsidy publishing and self-publishing.

All About Query Letters

A query letter is a very important part of the submission process. In this lesson, you'll learn what a query letter is and why it's important to your submission. You'll see how to format a query letter, including what information you should include and what you should leave out. You'll also learn when and how to submit your queries to a publisher.

Submissions, Offers, and Rejections

Your manuscript must be packaged and delivered to a publisher in a professional manner. In this lesson, you'll learn how to mail your manuscript, including how to submit photos and illustrations with your submission. You'll also learn what a simultaneous submission is and when you can use this method of submission. This lesson will also show you how to evaluate the offers and rejections you receive from publishers following your submissions.

All About Agents and Contracts

You'll learn all about literary agents in this lesson. An agent isn't a necessity for most submissions, but one is recommended for certain publisher contract negotiations. You'll learn when, where, and why to get an agent to represent you. You'll discover why finding a reputable agent is just as important as finding a reputable publisher. You'll also explore agent contracts, fees, and publisher contract terms.

Clubs, Conferences, and Writer's Block

In your writing and publishing efforts, it's important to remember that you aren't alone in this venture. There are millions of other writers out there who can offer you information, inspiration, and encouragement when you need it. In this lesson, you'll learn how to connect with other writers. You'll also learn what to do when you're face to face with that dreaded writer's block. If you can't think of anything to write, how will you ever get published?

The Future of Publishing

In the last lesson, you'll learn that there are certain publishing taboos that you should avoid. Neither talent nor determination will help you if you fail to follow simple publisher guidelines. You'll also learn how to format the items that publishers request following acceptance of your manuscript. In addition, you'll learn about the future of publishing.

Self-Study

If you have a story that needs to be written, an online writing workshop is a great place to start. This course will help improve your writing skills and discover new ways to stretch your creative muscles.

Some of the best works of fiction and nonfiction were crafted in a writer's workshop. This online course will help you write your own creative piece. Like a true writing workshop, you will learn literary techniques, peer review a classmate's work, and receive constructive criticism on your work.

In addition, you will learn how to move your work from the prewriting stage to editing and final revision. You will also learn how to use literary devices, meaningful dialogue, and imagery in your different drafts. By the end of this online workshop, you will have a thoroughly developed creative writing piece. You might even be ready for publication!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word is recommended (not included in enrollment).
• QuickTime.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

If you have a story that needs to be written, an online writing workshop is a great place to start. This course will help improve your writing skills and discover new ways to stretch your creative muscles.

Preparing to Write

Sometimes getting into the mood to write can be the hardest part! Learn how to build your confidence as a writer and create an environment conducive to writing.

Brainstorming

Now that you're in the mood to write, you need to figure out what you're going to write about. This lesson will offer a variety of ways you can be inspired.

Literary Devices

Good writers know how to sprinkle similes, metaphors, and other forms of figurative language into their prose to help their language reach readers. Learn about common and uncommon figurative language in this lesson.

Genres

Fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, personal essays. Some are genres, others subgenres. This lesson will help you sort through the different categories of genres.

Peer Review/Workshop

Every writer has an editor – actually, writers have several editors. Peer editing is an effective way to gain feedback on your work while creating a writing community. This lesson will teach you the basics on peer editing and connect you with other writers.

Story, Plot, and Narrative

Story, plot, and narrative are the same things, right? Think again. In this lesson, you will learn that all three are different, even though these words are often used interchangeably.

Characters and Dialogue

What is a story without good characters? Learning to develop the protagonist and antagonist, and characterizing them directly and indirectly is the theme of this lesson. You will also learn about archetypes in literature.

Points of View and Tense

Deciding whether you want your piece to be written in the first, second, or third person is crucial. Similarly, choosing to write in the past or present tense is another decision you have to make as a writer. This lesson will help you choose wisely.

Descriptive Writing

Painting a picture in the mind of a reader is every writer's goal. Having the reader hear, smell, touch, and even taste the words on the page takes imagery to a whole new level. In this lesson, you will receive the tools necessary to make it happen.

Overcoming Writer's Block

Writer's block is frustrating and can lead to inertia. In this lesson, you will learn several techniques to help you fight against it.

Editing vs. Revision

You've come far in your piece by now, so it's time to revise and edit. This lesson will teach you the difference between the two.

Getting Published

Now that you've reached the end of your writing project, it's time to explore different avenues to getting published. This lesson will help you navigate the process of getting published.

What you will learn

• Prewriting techniques, from brainstorming to outlining
• Use of literary devices, such as figurative language
• Editing and revising your story drafts

How you will benefit

• Participate in a flexible, online writing workshop with other beginner-level writers
• Sharpen your writing skills and add new techniques to your writer's toolbox
• Understand how to submit your creative writing for publication

Carmen Marquez is a seasoned journalist, writer, and writing instructor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Rutgers University and teaching certificate from Montclair State University.

If you have a story that needs to be written, an online writing workshop is a great place to start. This course will help improve your writing skills and discover new ways to stretch your creative muscles.

Some of the best works of fiction and nonfiction were crafted in a writer's workshop. This online course will help you write your own creative piece. Like a true writing workshop, you will learn literary techniques, peer review a classmate's work, and receive constructive criticism on your work.

In addition, you will learn how to move your work from the prewriting stage to editing and final revision. You will also learn how to use literary devices, meaningful dialogue, and imagery in your different drafts. By the end of this online workshop, you will have a thoroughly developed creative writing piece. You might even be ready for publication!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word is recommended (not included in enrollment).
• QuickTime.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

If you have a story that needs to be written, an online writing workshop is a great place to start. This course will help improve your writing skills and discover new ways to stretch your creative muscles.

Preparing to Write

Sometimes getting into the mood to write can be the hardest part! Learn how to build your confidence as a writer and create an environment conducive to writing.

Brainstorming

Now that you're in the mood to write, you need to figure out what you're going to write about. This lesson will offer a variety of ways you can be inspired.

Literary Devices

Good writers know how to sprinkle similes, metaphors, and other forms of figurative language into their prose to help their language reach readers. Learn about common and uncommon figurative language in this lesson.

Genres

Fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, personal essays. Some are genres, others subgenres. This lesson will help you sort through the different categories of genres.

Peer Review/Workshop

Every writer has an editor – actually, writers have several editors. Peer editing is an effective way to gain feedback on your work while creating a writing community. This lesson will teach you the basics on peer editing and connect you with other writers.

Story, Plot, and Narrative

Story, plot, and narrative are the same things, right? Think again. In this lesson, you will learn that all three are different, even though these words are often used interchangeably.

Characters and Dialogue

What is a story without good characters? Learning to develop the protagonist and antagonist, and characterizing them directly and indirectly is the theme of this lesson. You will also learn about archetypes in literature.

Points of View and Tense

Deciding whether you want your piece to be written in the first, second, or third person is crucial. Similarly, choosing to write in the past or present tense is another decision you have to make as a writer. This lesson will help you choose wisely.

Descriptive Writing

Painting a picture in the mind of a reader is every writer's goal. Having the reader hear, smell, touch, and even taste the words on the page takes imagery to a whole new level. In this lesson, you will receive the tools necessary to make it happen.

Overcoming Writer's Block

Writer's block is frustrating and can lead to inertia. In this lesson, you will learn several techniques to help you fight against it.

Editing vs. Revision

You've come far in your piece by now, so it's time to revise and edit. This lesson will teach you the difference between the two.

Getting Published

Now that you've reached the end of your writing project, it's time to explore different avenues to getting published. This lesson will help you navigate the process of getting published.

What you will learn

• Prewriting techniques, from brainstorming to outlining
• Use of literary devices, such as figurative language
• Editing and revising your story drafts

How you will benefit

• Participate in a flexible, online writing workshop with other beginner-level writers
• Sharpen your writing skills and add new techniques to your writer's toolbox
• Understand how to submit your creative writing for publication

Carmen Marquez is a seasoned journalist, writer, and writing instructor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Rutgers University and teaching certificate from Montclair State University.

Learn how blockchain is used for secure, real-time transactions through mining, minting, and the algorithms that determine consensus.

This course provides a foundation in a practical knowledge of blockchain. Beginning with an understanding of blockchain technology and its intended purpose, the course progresses into blockchain architecture. You will review the enterprise implementation and practical use of blockchain, such as in banking, healthcare and government applications. Throughout the course, you will also learn how blockchain evolved from its beginnings with cryptocurrencies and the role it plays in the trading, distribution, and other transactions that occur with cryptocurrency.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course provides a foundation in the underlying methodology of blockchain, including the roles of participants of mining, minting, and the algorithms that determine consensus.

Introduction to Blockchain

This lesson begins our study of blockchain by taking a 30,000-foot view of what blockchain is, how it works, and where it is used. We define some of the specialized terminology you need to understand how blockchain works. You'll learn about the beginnings of Bitcoin with a ground-breaking white paper written by a mysterious author, followed by a discussion of other cryptocurrencies and development platforms.

Why Is Blockchain Needed?

Why do we even have blockchain? This lesson describes the global financial crisis that led to the problem that blockchain can solve—a lack of trust in traditional financial markets and instruments. Blockchain's greatest advantage is that it secures the data integrity of transactions and supports many common business models.

The Blockchain Marketplace & Workforce

This lesson illustrates how blockchain is part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and provides examples of how specific business sectors—such as the financial, healthcare, and supply chain sectors—are applying blockchain. You'll learn about disruptive companies offering new services by leveraging blockchain. Finally, we summarize the common roles and responsibilities of blockchain team members.

Ownership Concepts in Blockchain

A key concept in the security of transactions stored in blockchain is ownership. This lesson covers how blockchain works to prove ownership of tangible items like homes and less-tangible things like identity while maintaining privacy. We look at the basic security concepts of identity, authentication, and authorization related to proving ownership in blockchain.

The Shared Ledger

This lesson explains how blockchain's shared ledger stores transactions that associate owners with things they own by tracking the history of the item's purchases. Records for an automobile purchase, an airline reservation, medical treatment, bank account information, or payroll records are all examples of transactions that are stored by blockchain's shared ledger. Anyone can access the data while the blockchain conceals the private information of transaction participants through encryption.

Securing Transactions with Cryptography

Blockchain's great security is based on its use of hashing functions. This lesson delves into the cryptology of blockchains, describing how hash functions work. The lesson goes on to present the concept of digital signatures and shows how blockchain verifies them to authorize transactions.

Distributing the Shared Ledger

Blockchain relies on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks to store and maintain data. This lesson identifies common network structures and their characteristics, then explains the attributes and advantages of peer-to-peer networks. The lesson also illustrates how peer nodes support trust in the blockchain.

Gaining Consensus on Blockchain

Because blockchain depends on its network participants to validate transactions and ensure data integrity, the concept of consensus is vital. All nodes on the blockchain must agree that the data presented is valid. This lesson explains how consensus algorithms work, focusing on the Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, and alternative consensus algorithms. The lesson also presents various incentives that blockchain networks use to entice and reward their participants.

Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency, was the first and is still the most recognized application of blockchain. This lesson defines cryptocurrency and explains its origins and evolution. It also discusses how cryptocurrencies and tokens are monetized, valued, and exchanged.

Blockchain Business Cases

Blockchain provides transparency, data integrity, and security for transactions. How do businesses actually use it in the real world? This lesson examines core use cases, such as proving existence or non-existence. Then it considers enterprise use cases, along with specific implementations of blockchain such as shared business processes. Finally, it covers application use cases, such as payments and settlements.

Implementing Blockchain

So how do you know if blockchain may benefit your organization? This lesson describes how to decide whether or not blockchain is suitable for a given project, then explains the roles of blockchain project team members. Also discussed is the issue of which blockchain platform to choose.

The Future of Blockchain

The benefits and characteristics of blockchain provide numerous opportunities for improving processes and disrupting industries. This lesson projects potential future implementations and market disruptions. Although blockchain addresses many business problems, the fact that it is still a young technology with room for improvement is also considered.

What you will learn

• Describe the concept of blockchain and its origins.
• Identify the core problems blockchain solves and how it addresses them.
• Summarize how businesses are applying blockchain and staffing blockchain projects.
• Describe how the concept of ownership is elemental to blockchain technology.
• Describe the purpose and properties of the shared ledger and how it supports data integrity in blockchain applications.
• Define cryptographic hashing and its role in securing blockchain transactions.
• Describe what peer nodes are, what they do, and how they communicate.
• Describe how consensus is maintained on the blockchain.
• Explain the origination, common applications, and usage of cryptocurrencies.
• Explain the common application space for blockchain.
• Explain how to plan and staff a blockchain project.
• Summarize the potential for the future of blockchain and how it is applied.

How you will benefit

• Learn how blockchain is widely used in industries, providing secure and real-time systems.
• You'll understand how blockchain works and be able to explain its benefits to stakeholders.

David Iseminger is an author and technology veteran, with expertise in computing, networking, wireless and cloud technologies, data and analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. While with Microsoft, David worked on early versions of Windows and its core networking infrastructure, and on transmission protocols, security, data visualizations, and multiple emerging cloud technologies. David is passionate about education, serving as a School Board director for over 10 years, advocating at state and federal levels for increased learning standards, and has taught over 40,000 students through multiple technology courses. He has an awarded patent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) object detection and social posting methodologies, and is the founder and CEO of the blockchain company that created IronWeave, the unlimited scale blockchain platform, based on his patent-pending blockchain innovations and inventions.

Learn how blockchain is used for secure, real-time transactions through mining, minting, and the algorithms that determine consensus.

This course provides a foundation in a practical knowledge of blockchain. Beginning with an understanding of blockchain technology and its intended purpose, the course progresses into blockchain architecture. You will review the enterprise implementation and practical use of blockchain, such as in banking, healthcare and government applications. Throughout the course, you will also learn how blockchain evolved from its beginnings with cryptocurrencies and the role it plays in the trading, distribution, and other transactions that occur with cryptocurrency.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course provides a foundation in the underlying methodology of blockchain, including the roles of participants of mining, minting, and the algorithms that determine consensus.

Introduction to Blockchain

This lesson begins our study of blockchain by taking a 30,000-foot view of what blockchain is, how it works, and where it is used. We define some of the specialized terminology you need to understand how blockchain works. You'll learn about the beginnings of Bitcoin with a ground-breaking white paper written by a mysterious author, followed by a discussion of other cryptocurrencies and development platforms.

Why Is Blockchain Needed?

Why do we even have blockchain? This lesson describes the global financial crisis that led to the problem that blockchain can solve—a lack of trust in traditional financial markets and instruments. Blockchain's greatest advantage is that it secures the data integrity of transactions and supports many common business models.

The Blockchain Marketplace & Workforce

This lesson illustrates how blockchain is part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and provides examples of how specific business sectors—such as the financial, healthcare, and supply chain sectors—are applying blockchain. You'll learn about disruptive companies offering new services by leveraging blockchain. Finally, we summarize the common roles and responsibilities of blockchain team members.

Ownership Concepts in Blockchain

A key concept in the security of transactions stored in blockchain is ownership. This lesson covers how blockchain works to prove ownership of tangible items like homes and less-tangible things like identity while maintaining privacy. We look at the basic security concepts of identity, authentication, and authorization related to proving ownership in blockchain.

The Shared Ledger

This lesson explains how blockchain's shared ledger stores transactions that associate owners with things they own by tracking the history of the item's purchases. Records for an automobile purchase, an airline reservation, medical treatment, bank account information, or payroll records are all examples of transactions that are stored by blockchain's shared ledger. Anyone can access the data while the blockchain conceals the private information of transaction participants through encryption.

Securing Transactions with Cryptography

Blockchain's great security is based on its use of hashing functions. This lesson delves into the cryptology of blockchains, describing how hash functions work. The lesson goes on to present the concept of digital signatures and shows how blockchain verifies them to authorize transactions.

Distributing the Shared Ledger

Blockchain relies on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks to store and maintain data. This lesson identifies common network structures and their characteristics, then explains the attributes and advantages of peer-to-peer networks. The lesson also illustrates how peer nodes support trust in the blockchain.

Gaining Consensus on Blockchain

Because blockchain depends on its network participants to validate transactions and ensure data integrity, the concept of consensus is vital. All nodes on the blockchain must agree that the data presented is valid. This lesson explains how consensus algorithms work, focusing on the Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, and alternative consensus algorithms. The lesson also presents various incentives that blockchain networks use to entice and reward their participants.

Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency, was the first and is still the most recognized application of blockchain. This lesson defines cryptocurrency and explains its origins and evolution. It also discusses how cryptocurrencies and tokens are monetized, valued, and exchanged.

Blockchain Business Cases

Blockchain provides transparency, data integrity, and security for transactions. How do businesses actually use it in the real world? This lesson examines core use cases, such as proving existence or non-existence. Then it considers enterprise use cases, along with specific implementations of blockchain such as shared business processes. Finally, it covers application use cases, such as payments and settlements.

Implementing Blockchain

So how do you know if blockchain may benefit your organization? This lesson describes how to decide whether or not blockchain is suitable for a given project, then explains the roles of blockchain project team members. Also discussed is the issue of which blockchain platform to choose.

The Future of Blockchain

The benefits and characteristics of blockchain provide numerous opportunities for improving processes and disrupting industries. This lesson projects potential future implementations and market disruptions. Although blockchain addresses many business problems, the fact that it is still a young technology with room for improvement is also considered.

What you will learn

• Describe the concept of blockchain and its origins.
• Identify the core problems blockchain solves and how it addresses them.
• Summarize how businesses are applying blockchain and staffing blockchain projects.
• Describe how the concept of ownership is elemental to blockchain technology.
• Describe the purpose and properties of the shared ledger and how it supports data integrity in blockchain applications.
• Define cryptographic hashing and its role in securing blockchain transactions.
• Describe what peer nodes are, what they do, and how they communicate.
• Describe how consensus is maintained on the blockchain.
• Explain the origination, common applications, and usage of cryptocurrencies.
• Explain the common application space for blockchain.
• Explain how to plan and staff a blockchain project.
• Summarize the potential for the future of blockchain and how it is applied.

How you will benefit

• Learn how blockchain is widely used in industries, providing secure and real-time systems.
• You'll understand how blockchain works and be able to explain its benefits to stakeholders.

David Iseminger is an author and technology veteran, with expertise in computing, networking, wireless and cloud technologies, data and analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. While with Microsoft, David worked on early versions of Windows and its core networking infrastructure, and on transmission protocols, security, data visualizations, and multiple emerging cloud technologies. David is passionate about education, serving as a School Board director for over 10 years, advocating at state and federal levels for increased learning standards, and has taught over 40,000 students through multiple technology courses. He has an awarded patent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) object detection and social posting methodologies, and is the founder and CEO of the blockchain company that created IronWeave, the unlimited scale blockchain platform, based on his patent-pending blockchain innovations and inventions.

This course provides a foundation in the underlying methodology of blockchain, including the roles of participants of mining, minting, and the algorithms that determine consensus.

This course provides a foundation in a practical knowledge of blockchain. Beginning with an understanding of blockchain technology and its intended purpose, the course progresses into blockchain architecture. You will review the enterprise implementation and practical use of blockchain, such as in banking, healthcare and government applications. Throughout the course, you will also learn how blockchain evolved from its beginnings with cryptocurrencies and the role it plays in the trading, distribution, and other transactions that occur with cryptocurrency.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course provides a foundation in the underlying methodology of blockchain, including the roles of participants of mining, minting, and the algorithms that determine consensus.

Introduction to Blockchain

This lesson begins our study of blockchain by taking a 30,000-foot view of what blockchain is, how it works, and where it is used. We define some of the specialized terminology you need to understand how blockchain works. You'll learn about the beginnings of Bitcoin with a ground-breaking white paper written by a mysterious author, followed by a discussion of other cryptocurrencies and development platforms.

Why Is Blockchain Needed?

Why do we even have blockchain? This lesson describes the global financial crisis that led to the problem that blockchain can solve—a lack of trust in traditional financial markets and instruments. Blockchain's greatest advantage is that it secures the data integrity of transactions and supports many common business models.

The Blockchain Marketplace & Workforce

This lesson illustrates how blockchain is part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and provides examples of how specific business sectors—such as the financial, healthcare, and supply chain sectors—are applying blockchain. You'll learn about disruptive companies offering new services by leveraging blockchain. It also summarizes the common roles and responsibilities of blockchain team members.

Ownership Concepts in Blockchain

A key concept in the security of transactions stored in blockchain is ownership. This lesson covers how blockchain works to prove ownership of tangible items like homes and less-tangible things like identity while maintaining privacy. We look at the basic security concepts of identity, authentication, and authorization related to proving ownership in blockchain.

The Shared Ledger

This lesson explains how blockchain's shared ledger stores transactions that associate owners with things they own by tracking the history of the item's purchases. Records for an automobile purchase, an airline reservation, medical treatment, bank account information, or payroll records are all examples of transactions that are stored by blockchain's shared ledger. Anyone can access the data while the blockchain conceals the private information of transaction participants through encryption.

Securing Transactions with Cryptography

Blockchain's great security is based on its use of hashing functions. This lesson delves into the cryptology of blockchains, describing how hash functions work. The lesson goes on to present the concept of digital signatures and shows how blockchain verifies them to authorize transactions.

Distributing the Shared Ledger

Blockchain relies on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks to store and maintain data. This lesson identifies common network structures and their characteristics, then explains the attributes and advantages of peer-to-peer networks. The lesson also illustrates how peer nodes support trust in the blockchain.

Gaining Consensus on Blockchain

Because blockchain depends on its network participants to validate transactions and ensure data integrity, the concept of consensus is vital. All nodes on the blockchain must agree that the data presented is valid. This lesson explains how consensus algorithms work, focusing on the Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, and alternative consensus algorithms. The lesson also presents various incentives that blockchain networks use to entice and reward their participants.

Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency, was the first and is still the most recognized application of blockchain. This lesson defines cryptocurrency and explains its origins and evolution. It also discusses how cryptocurrencies and tokens are monetized, valued, and exchanged.

Blockchain Business Cases

Blockchain provides transparency, data integrity, and security for transactions. How do businesses actually use it in the real world? This lesson examines core use cases, such as proving existence or non-existence. Then it considers enterprise use cases, along with specific implementations of blockchain such as shared business processes. Finally, it covers application use cases, such as payments and settlements.

Implementing Blockchain

So how do you know if blockchain may benefit your organization? This lesson describes how to decide whether or not blockchain is suitable for a given project, then explains the roles of blockchain project team members. Also discussed is the issue of which blockchain platform to choose.

The Future of Blockchain

The benefits and characteristics of blockchain provide numerous opportunities for improving processes and disrupting industries. This lesson projects potential future implementations and market disruptions. And while blockchain addresses many business problems, the fact that it is still a young technology with room for improvement is also considered.

Self-Study

This course provides a foundation in the underlying methodology of blockchain, including the roles of participants of mining, minting, and the algorithms that determine consensus.

This course provides a foundation in a practical knowledge of blockchain. Beginning with an understanding of blockchain technology and its intended purpose, the course progresses into blockchain architecture. You will review the enterprise implementation and practical use of blockchain, such as in banking, healthcare and government applications. Throughout the course, you will also learn how blockchain evolved from its beginnings with cryptocurrencies and the role it plays in the trading, distribution, and other transactions that occur with cryptocurrency.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course provides a foundation in the underlying methodology of blockchain, including the roles of participants of mining, minting, and the algorithms that determine consensus.

Introduction to Blockchain

This lesson begins our study of blockchain by taking a 30,000-foot view of what blockchain is, how it works, and where it is used. We define some of the specialized terminology you need to understand how blockchain works. You'll learn about the beginnings of Bitcoin with a ground-breaking white paper written by a mysterious author, followed by a discussion of other cryptocurrencies and development platforms.

Why Is Blockchain Needed?

Why do we even have blockchain? This lesson describes the global financial crisis that led to the problem that blockchain can solve—a lack of trust in traditional financial markets and instruments. Blockchain's greatest advantage is that it secures the data integrity of transactions and supports many common business models.

The Blockchain Marketplace & Workforce

This lesson illustrates how blockchain is part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and provides examples of how specific business sectors—such as the financial, healthcare, and supply chain sectors—are applying blockchain. You'll learn about disruptive companies offering new services by leveraging blockchain. It also summarizes the common roles and responsibilities of blockchain team members.

Ownership Concepts in Blockchain

A key concept in the security of transactions stored in blockchain is ownership. This lesson covers how blockchain works to prove ownership of tangible items like homes and less-tangible things like identity while maintaining privacy. We look at the basic security concepts of identity, authentication, and authorization related to proving ownership in blockchain.

The Shared Ledger

This lesson explains how blockchain's shared ledger stores transactions that associate owners with things they own by tracking the history of the item's purchases. Records for an automobile purchase, an airline reservation, medical treatment, bank account information, or payroll records are all examples of transactions that are stored by blockchain's shared ledger. Anyone can access the data while the blockchain conceals the private information of transaction participants through encryption.

Securing Transactions with Cryptography

Blockchain's great security is based on its use of hashing functions. This lesson delves into the cryptology of blockchains, describing how hash functions work. The lesson goes on to present the concept of digital signatures and shows how blockchain verifies them to authorize transactions.

Distributing the Shared Ledger

Blockchain relies on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks to store and maintain data. This lesson identifies common network structures and their characteristics, then explains the attributes and advantages of peer-to-peer networks. The lesson also illustrates how peer nodes support trust in the blockchain.

Gaining Consensus on Blockchain

Because blockchain depends on its network participants to validate transactions and ensure data integrity, the concept of consensus is vital. All nodes on the blockchain must agree that the data presented is valid. This lesson explains how consensus algorithms work, focusing on the Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, and alternative consensus algorithms. The lesson also presents various incentives that blockchain networks use to entice and reward their participants.

Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency, was the first and is still the most recognized application of blockchain. This lesson defines cryptocurrency and explains its origins and evolution. It also discusses how cryptocurrencies and tokens are monetized, valued, and exchanged.

Blockchain Business Cases

Blockchain provides transparency, data integrity, and security for transactions. How do businesses actually use it in the real world? This lesson examines core use cases, such as proving existence or non-existence. Then it considers enterprise use cases, along with specific implementations of blockchain such as shared business processes. Finally, it covers application use cases, such as payments and settlements.

Implementing Blockchain

So how do you know if blockchain may benefit your organization? This lesson describes how to decide whether or not blockchain is suitable for a given project, then explains the roles of blockchain project team members. Also discussed is the issue of which blockchain platform to choose.

The Future of Blockchain

The benefits and characteristics of blockchain provide numerous opportunities for improving processes and disrupting industries. This lesson projects potential future implementations and market disruptions. And while blockchain addresses many business problems, the fact that it is still a young technology with room for improvement is also considered.

Self-Study

What are the secrets to managing successful teams in the workplace? Explore communication techniques and problem-solving skills that will help you get your team on track in no time.

Teams are becoming a staple in today's workplace. In this course, you will learn the components of a successful team and the stages of its development. You will master the skills you will need to effectively manage projects, make decisions, and solve problems in a team setting. Plus, you will have a chance to learn the pitfalls of unhealthy group interaction and minimize any of its effects on your team.

Along the way, you will follow real-life examples and scenarios to help you identify with the team-building process. There's a lot more to it than just getting several people together in a room at the same time. Are you eager to develop your leadership qualities and be a quality team participant? Many of today's teams rotate leadership roles, so it's crucial to understand both perspectives as you learn the best ways to communicate and work together for positive change.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Chances are you will be part of a professional or personal team at some point. This course provides you with communication, problem-solving and leadership skills to keep your team on the right track and real-life scenarios that will help you master successful team-building and management.

Learning All About Teams

If you're on a team, this course is for you. Only by understanding teams fully and completely will you be able to create an outstanding team that works effectively and with high energy. In your first lesson, you will learn the characteristics of teams, the ways they can transform your workplace, and how to deal with resistance.

Building an Enthusiastic and Productive Team

Do you want to know the secrets of building passionate and dynamic teams? It's not as hard as you might think. You will begin this lesson by going over the basics: The different kinds of teams and the optimal number of members. Then, you will discover how to choose participants and clarify everyone's roles and responsibilities.

Developing a Strong Team

Don't go into a team blind. In this lesson, you will learn all the stages that teams go through and how to move successfully through each one. You will also learn the importance of creating a strong charter that will guide your team in accomplishing its goals. What can you do if members don't live up to your charter agreements? This lesson will also discuss how to approach them and get the best response.

Cultivating Leadership Skills

Are you aspiring to be a team leader, or do you already have a team to direct? A lot of teams even have rotating leadership where everyone gets a chance. In either case, this lesson is for you. By the end of the lesson, you will be confident enough to accept a leadership role with poise and purpose.

Ramping Up Team Spirit

Everyone needs to understand how to work well with other teammates. At the beginning of this lesson, you will measure your affinity for working with a team and learn how to develop strong relationships. Team spirit comes along with those strong relationships, rounding out your interactions to be complete and fulfilling.

Holding Great Meetings

Have you ever attended a meeting that made you yawn and want to dash for the door? Nobody likes to sit through those. In this lesson, you will learn how to avoid these types of meetings by understanding the ground rules. Then, you will learn about the problems that derail meetings from their full potential.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Your team exists in order to make good decisions and solve one or more problems. Communication is the key to accomplishing both. In this lesson, you will learn how to communicate in a team setting as well as different techniques your team can use to make the best decisions possible and solve problems effectively.

Completing Team Projects

Your team's job is to deliver the properly completed project on time, within budget. This lesson will show you how to create this plan. You will also learn how to share your plan with stakeholders, people who aren't on the team but experience the effects of your decisions, and how to interview those stakeholders so you can take their input into account.

Assembling a Virtual Team

Have you heard of virtual teams? With these teams, members live and work in different places. In this lesson you will discover what virtual teams are, what technology they use, and how teammates can work well in this environment.

Avoiding Obstacles

You have your team up and running, and then things start going awry. It's better to know how to avoid negative traps before you fall into them. In this lesson, you will learn how to deal with common team obstacles, including the bandwagon effect, the Abilene Paradox, core group domination, and escalation of commitment.

Dealing With Interpersonal Conflicts

This lesson deals with conflict. You may think that because teams come together to achieve a common goal, everyone should be working for the greater good and harmony should rule. Nothing could be further from the truth. You will look at what conflict is, how it comes about, how to handle it, and how it can actually benefit your team.

Assessing Team Progress

The final lesson explores methods of assessing team progress. How do you know your team is doing what it's supposed to be doing and if there's room for improvement? The best way is to assess your team's progress and use different methods to realign when necessary.

What you will learn

• Learn the components of a successful team and the stages of its development
• Master the skills you'll need to effectively manage projects, make decisions, and solve problems in a team setting
• Learn the pitfalls of unhealthy group interaction and minimize any of its effects on your team
• Learn the best ways to communicate and work together for positive change

How you will benefit

• Follow real-life examples and scenarios to help you identify with the team-building process
• Develop your leadership qualities and be a quality team participant
• Become an indispensable part of any organization as you learn to effectively lead or contribute to team projects

Vivian Harte has been teaching people the skills they need to build and maintain successful teams for over 15 years.  In addition to her online course, she helped students at a major university learn the skills of being a great team member and a team leader in the classroom, in the workplace, and in organizations.

What are the secrets to managing successful teams in the workplace? Explore communication techniques and problem-solving skills that will help you get your team on track in no time.

Teams are becoming a staple in today's workplace. In this course, you will learn the components of a successful team and the stages of its development. You will master the skills you will need to effectively manage projects, make decisions, and solve problems in a team setting. Plus, you will have a chance to learn the pitfalls of unhealthy group interaction and minimize any of its effects on your team.

Along the way, you will follow real-life examples and scenarios to help you identify with the team-building process. There's a lot more to it than just getting several people together in a room at the same time. Are you eager to develop your leadership qualities and be a quality team participant? Many of today's teams rotate leadership roles, so it's crucial to understand both perspectives as you learn the best ways to communicate and work together for positive change.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Chances are you will be part of a professional or personal team at some point. This course provides you with communication, problem-solving and leadership skills to keep your team on the right track and real-life scenarios that will help you master successful team-building and management.

Learning All About Teams

If you're on a team, this course is for you. Only by understanding teams fully and completely will you be able to create an outstanding team that works effectively and with high energy. In your first lesson, you will learn the characteristics of teams, the ways they can transform your workplace, and how to deal with resistance.

Building an Enthusiastic and Productive Team

Do you want to know the secrets of building passionate and dynamic teams? It's not as hard as you might think. You will begin this lesson by going over the basics: The different kinds of teams and the optimal number of members. Then, you will discover how to choose participants and clarify everyone's roles and responsibilities.

Developing a Strong Team

Don't go into a team blind. In this lesson, you will learn all the stages that teams go through and how to move successfully through each one. You will also learn the importance of creating a strong charter that will guide your team in accomplishing its goals. What can you do if members don't live up to your charter agreements? This lesson will also discuss how to approach them and get the best response.

Cultivating Leadership Skills

Are you aspiring to be a team leader, or do you already have a team to direct? A lot of teams even have rotating leadership where everyone gets a chance. In either case, this lesson is for you. By the end of the lesson, you will be confident enough to accept a leadership role with poise and purpose.

Ramping Up Team Spirit

Everyone needs to understand how to work well with other teammates. At the beginning of this lesson, you will measure your affinity for working with a team and learn how to develop strong relationships. Team spirit comes along with those strong relationships, rounding out your interactions to be complete and fulfilling.

Holding Great Meetings

Have you ever attended a meeting that made you yawn and want to dash for the door? Nobody likes to sit through those. In this lesson, you will learn how to avoid these types of meetings by understanding the ground rules. Then, you will learn about the problems that derail meetings from their full potential.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Your team exists in order to make good decisions and solve one or more problems. Communication is the key to accomplishing both. In this lesson, you will learn how to communicate in a team setting as well as different techniques your team can use to make the best decisions possible and solve problems effectively.

Completing Team Projects

Your team's job is to deliver the properly completed project on time, within budget. This lesson will show you how to create this plan. You will also learn how to share your plan with stakeholders, people who aren't on the team but experience the effects of your decisions, and how to interview those stakeholders so you can take their input into account.

Assembling a Virtual Team

Have you heard of virtual teams? With these teams, members live and work in different places. In this lesson you will discover what virtual teams are, what technology they use, and how teammates can work well in this environment.

Avoiding Obstacles

You have your team up and running, and then things start going awry. It's better to know how to avoid negative traps before you fall into them. In this lesson, you will learn how to deal with common team obstacles, including the bandwagon effect, the Abilene Paradox, core group domination, and escalation of commitment.

Dealing With Interpersonal Conflicts

This lesson deals with conflict. You may think that because teams come together to achieve a common goal, everyone should be working for the greater good and harmony should rule. Nothing could be further from the truth. You will look at what conflict is, how it comes about, how to handle it, and how it can actually benefit your team.

Assessing Team Progress

The final lesson explores methods of assessing team progress. How do you know your team is doing what it's supposed to be doing and if there's room for improvement? The best way is to assess your team's progress and use different methods to realign when necessary.

What you will learn

• Learn the components of a successful team and the stages of its development
• Master the skills you'll need to effectively manage projects, make decisions, and solve problems in a team setting
• Learn the pitfalls of unhealthy group interaction and minimize any of its effects on your team
• Learn the best ways to communicate and work together for positive change

How you will benefit

• Follow real-life examples and scenarios to help you identify with the team-building process
• Develop your leadership qualities and be a quality team participant
• Become an indispensable part of any organization as you learn to effectively lead or contribute to team projects

Vivian Harte has been teaching people the skills they need to build and maintain successful teams for over 15 years.  In addition to her online course, she helped students at a major university learn the skills of being a great team member and a team leader in the classroom, in the workplace, and in organizations.

Write great marketing copy to improve your company's image and your chances of getting hired or promoted.

Are you a writer working in the business world? Or a marketing professional responsible for obtaining great marketing copy? Maybe you're just interested in a writing or marketing career. Whatever your background, this fun, introductory course will teach you to write or identify copy that achieves business and marketing goals. Improve your work, your knowledge, your company's image, and your chances of getting hired, promoted or applauded!

Using clear explanations, real-life examples, and an animated style, the course solidifies the relationship between business, marketing principles, and written communications. You will learn how business and marketing objectives affect writing choices. You'll get practical writing instruction in grammar, clarity, structure and more. You'll understand issues unique to this discipline, such as buzzwords, working with a team, and marketing ethics. This course will help you understand the power of writing and use it to present a solid, cohesive message to your target audience.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Expand your writing skills and learn to create copy that achieves business and marketing goals. This course will help you use the power of writing to present a solid, cohesive message to your target audience and improve your chances of getting hired or promoted.

The Role of Business and Marketing Writing

The first lesson starts off with a discussion about the purpose of marketing and the goals of writing, and then talks about the unique roles, responsibilities, and challenges of business and marketing writing. You'll learn exactly what business and marketing writers do as you begin exploring this exciting field.

The Ins and Outs of Image

Before you can write or recognize successful copy, you'll need to understand your corporate identity: who the company is and what the company offers. In this lesson, you'll delve into all the aspects of corporate image that writers and marketing professionals need to ponder before producing effective projects.

Writing Approaches and Strategies

Now that you understand image, what can you do with it? In this lesson, you'll analyze business and marketing goals—and the needs of your audience—to figure out the appropriate writing style for any project.

Media

It's a creative field, but certain projects require certain conventions. In this lesson, you'll see how a particular medium or project type can guide your writing style and approach, helping you save time and stay on target.

Putting It All Together: Writing Project

This lesson will gather up the information you explored in the previous four lessons and put it all together. It will illustrate how to apply everything you've learned so far as you develop an original writing project from start to finish.

Complete and Incomplete Sentences

Do you need to write in complete sentences? What is a complete sentence, anyway? This lesson will give you a brief refresher on sentence construction and then go over some guidelines for using fragments in business writing. You'll also learn to recognize and fix one of the most common errors in modern writing: the comma splice.

Word Choices

You can't write without words! In this lesson, you'll learn to make accurate word choices. The lesson will discuss the level of vocabulary appropriate for business writing and show you how to choose words that reinforce a project's theme. It'll also clarify some tricky word pairs and discuss word-choice problems whose usage can undermine the professionalism of your writing.

Internal Communication

In this lesson, you'll take a critical look at the inside of a company. First, you'll see how to develop "marketing" projects for audiences within a company. Then you'll explore the roles of the various specialists who contribute to a single marketing piece—bosses, clients, editors, junior writers, artists, and designers. You'll learn how to work with all of them to create smoother relationships and better projects.

Banishing the Bureaucracy

For even the most experienced writers, bureaucratic influences can creep in to reduce creativity and impede communication. In this lesson, you'll take a look at buzzwords and jargon, and then explore some ways to achieve maximum power and effectiveness by keeping your writing clear, concise, and active.

Editing, Proofreading and Evaluating

In this lesson, you'll explore the final steps. You'll learn to enhance and refine business and marketing projects during the editing and proofreading processes. You'll also learn to evaluate finished pieces and even test their effectiveness in the real world!

Putting It All Together: Editing Project

In this lesson, you'll once again be putting it all together, but this time as an editor. You'll apply everything you've learned so far in the course, editing a project from beginning to end.

Marketing Ethics

Marketing involves images, and it's easy to lose sight of the truth. In the final lesson of the course, you'll go over some important considerations that marketing professionals need to think about.

What you will learn

• Learn how to communicate marketing and business goals in your writing
• Discover the best way to align written communication with a corporate identity
• Examine methods for writing with purpose and developing a cohesive message for a target audience
• Learn how grammatical and stylistic choices can augment business and marketing strategies

How you will benefit

• Learn to communicate effectively and express your values to a target audience
• Gain confidence in your ability to reach and affect people with your writing
• Open the door to new career opportunities as you gain invaluable skills in the fundamentals of business and marketing communication

Lisa Adams is a web development expert specializing in marketing, user experience, and e-commerce. In addition to building and maintaining hundreds of websites, Lisa has helped a wide variety of clients and students to create their own sites and modify existing ones to make them more attractive and user-friendly.

Write great marketing copy to improve your company's image and your chances of getting hired or promoted.

Are you a writer working in the business world? Or a marketing professional responsible for obtaining great marketing copy? Maybe you're just interested in a writing or marketing career. Whatever your background, this fun, introductory course will teach you to write or identify copy that achieves business and marketing goals. Improve your work, your knowledge, your company's image, and your chances of getting hired, promoted or applauded!

Using clear explanations, real-life examples, and an animated style, the course solidifies the relationship between business, marketing principles, and written communications. You will learn how business and marketing objectives affect writing choices. You'll get practical writing instruction in grammar, clarity, structure and more. You'll understand issues unique to this discipline, such as buzzwords, working with a team, and marketing ethics. This course will help you understand the power of writing and use it to present a solid, cohesive message to your target audience.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Expand your writing skills and learn to create copy that achieves business and marketing goals. This course will help you use the power of writing to present a solid, cohesive message to your target audience and improve your chances of getting hired or promoted.

The Role of Business and Marketing Writing

The first lesson starts off with a discussion about the purpose of marketing and the goals of writing, and then talks about the unique roles, responsibilities, and challenges of business and marketing writing. You'll learn exactly what business and marketing writers do as you begin exploring this exciting field.

The Ins and Outs of Image

Before you can write or recognize successful copy, you'll need to understand your corporate identity: who the company is and what the company offers. In this lesson, you'll delve into all the aspects of corporate image that writers and marketing professionals need to ponder before producing effective projects.

Writing Approaches and Strategies

Now that you understand image, what can you do with it? In this lesson, you'll analyze business and marketing goals—and the needs of your audience—to figure out the appropriate writing style for any project.

Media

It's a creative field, but certain projects require certain conventions. In this lesson, you'll see how a particular medium or project type can guide your writing style and approach, helping you save time and stay on target.

Putting It All Together: Writing Project

This lesson will gather up the information you explored in the previous four lessons and put it all together. It will illustrate how to apply everything you've learned so far as you develop an original writing project from start to finish.

Complete and Incomplete Sentences

Do you need to write in complete sentences? What is a complete sentence, anyway? This lesson will give you a brief refresher on sentence construction and then go over some guidelines for using fragments in business writing. You'll also learn to recognize and fix one of the most common errors in modern writing: the comma splice.

Word Choices

You can't write without words! In this lesson, you'll learn to make accurate word choices. The lesson will discuss the level of vocabulary appropriate for business writing and show you how to choose words that reinforce a project's theme. It'll also clarify some tricky word pairs and discuss word-choice problems whose usage can undermine the professionalism of your writing.

Internal Communication

In this lesson, you'll take a critical look at the inside of a company. First, you'll see how to develop "marketing" projects for audiences within a company. Then you'll explore the roles of the various specialists who contribute to a single marketing piece—bosses, clients, editors, junior writers, artists, and designers. You'll learn how to work with all of them to create smoother relationships and better projects.

Banishing the Bureaucracy

For even the most experienced writers, bureaucratic influences can creep in to reduce creativity and impede communication. In this lesson, you'll take a look at buzzwords and jargon, and then explore some ways to achieve maximum power and effectiveness by keeping your writing clear, concise, and active.

Editing, Proofreading and Evaluating

In this lesson, you'll explore the final steps. You'll learn to enhance and refine business and marketing projects during the editing and proofreading processes. You'll also learn to evaluate finished pieces and even test their effectiveness in the real world!

Putting It All Together: Editing Project

In this lesson, you'll once again be putting it all together, but this time as an editor. You'll apply everything you've learned so far in the course, editing a project from beginning to end.

Marketing Ethics

Marketing involves images, and it's easy to lose sight of the truth. In the final lesson of the course, you'll go over some important considerations that marketing professionals need to think about.

What you will learn

• Learn how to communicate marketing and business goals in your writing
• Discover the best way to align written communication with a corporate identity
• Examine methods for writing with purpose and developing a cohesive message for a target audience
• Learn how grammatical and stylistic choices can augment business and marketing strategies

How you will benefit

• Learn to communicate effectively and express your values to a target audience
• Gain confidence in your ability to reach and affect people with your writing
• Open the door to new career opportunities as you gain invaluable skills in the fundamentals of business and marketing communication

Lisa Adams is a web development expert specializing in marketing, user experience, and e-commerce. In addition to building and maintaining hundreds of websites, Lisa has helped a wide variety of clients and students to create their own sites and modify existing ones to make them more attractive and user-friendly.

This course will introduce different strategies employed during the budgeting process, the techniques and tools commonly used to make budgeting forecasts, the components of a basic operating budget, and how businesses make certain decisions that may impact their budgeted amounts.

If the idea of creating a budget for your business, department, or project seems overwhelming, this course will alleviate all of those fears. Taught in an approachable and relatable format, this course walks you through the budgeting process so you can go from numbers averse to budgeting super-hero. The downloadable templates included in the course allow you to easily and quickly take what you learn and apply it to your job. The storytelling used throughout the course makes the topic more approachable and engaging so you can obtain the soft skills that will help you be successful implementing and tracking a budget in the real world. And finally, the course challenge is something that will pique your curiosity at the beginning of the course and provide motivation to complete the course and continue learning the material.

A company's budgeting process involves a lot more than just rows and columns of numbers on a spreadsheet. The reality is that budgeting is a sometimes organic and sometimes organized process. Most often, it's an equal mix of both in an attempt to add some level of certainty to an uncertain future. These processes are what we are going to explore in this course. You will be introduced to different strategies employed during the budgeting process, the techniques and tools that are commonly used to make budgeting forecasts, the components of a basic operating budget, and how businesses make certain decisions that may impact their budgeted amounts.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

In this comprehensive, beginner-friendly course, you will learn the elementary skills needed to be successful in the budgeting process and work gradually work your way up to creating a budget. You will also discover how to best evaluate the results of your budget and make decisions to help your business maximize its profits.

Predicting the Future

In this lesson, you'll explore how budgeting at its core is a process of looking forward. It's about making informed predictions about the future. Next, you'll see how a company's vision can lead to setting goals for the company. These visions are often aspirational and state the path for where the company plans to go in the future. Then, we'll also start the conversation about the human side of budgeting.

Budget Strategies

In this lesson, you'll begin to look at various budgeting strategies, including strategic, capital, and operations budgeting techniques. This lesson will include some real-life examples of planning activities, but to further bring these concepts to life, we'll also highlight a fictional company, Curly's Pool Service and Supplies. You'll finish the lesson by helping Curly formulate some plans and budgets!

It's All About Sales!

This lesson will focus all on sales, specifically the role that sales play in the budgeting process. We'll examine the best practices for compiling a sales forecast and how to increase the chances that the sales forecast will actually mimic real life. We'll also discover how to create an inventory needs budget to determine just how much inventory to purchase based on a sales forecast. Finally, we'll discuss how to formulate a labor requirements budget to accurately project just how much labor you may need to employ to meet the needs of the company, again based on the sales forecast.

Cost Behavior – Part 1

In this lesson, you are going to detour a bit from the actual preparation of a budget and dive into how certain types of costs behave. Understanding how costs increase or decrease relative to an activity is an essential part of learning how to accurately budget for costs in a business. So, in the upcoming chapters, you're going to discover how to distinguish between variable, fixed, and mixed costs. We will use these cost types to calculate the contribution margin for the business. Then, we will show you how to use contribution margin to make certain predictions and decisions in a business. Most notably, you'll see how to use contribution margin to calculate the all-important break-even point and margin of safety for a business.

Cost Behavior – Part 2

This lesson will be a continuation of our discussion about cost behavior. In this lesson, you're going to explore how to evaluate a company's sales mix and how to calculate operating leverage using tools given throughout the course. Operating leverage is just another key component of cost analysis that will allow you to, once again, easily make projections about the future. We'll end the lesson with a discussion about how companies set prices for the products and services they offer. You can probably guess that this process is a bit more involved than just selecting a price out of thin air. It's actually an essential part of a company's overall budgeting process and should not be taken lightly.

Expense and Manufacturing Production Budgets

In this lesson, we'll examine the steps needed to build both a direct materials budget and a direct labor budget. We'll also examine how a manufacturing company budgets for manufacturing overhead. All of these components are key to developing an overall production budget for a business that manufactures a product. Finally, we will end this lesson by describing the components of a production budget.

Cash Is King!

In this lesson, you'll learn how to prepare a complete cash budget for a business. You'll get the chance to take an even closer look at how a company might forecast cash collections from credit sales and cash payments on credit purchases for big-ticket items like inventory or other expensive capital projects. We'll even take a look at how some companies mitigate the risk of running out of cash by utilizing lines of credit and other sources of cash instead of just relying on cash generated from sales.

Capital Budgeting

In this lesson, you'll learn some of the basic methodologies that can be applied in many different capital budgeting scenarios. We'll begin with an explanation of a technique that does not include an evaluation of how time impacts the valuation of money. Then, you'll learn how the passage of time and its impact on the value of a dollar is incorporated into capital budgeting decisions. Since capital projects often span years, or even decades in some cases, the time value of money is key to improving accuracy in budgeting for capital projects. The lesson will finish up with a thorough review of, perhaps, the most common technique that is used in capital budgeting decisions: net present value.

Business Decision-Making – Part 1

In this lesson and the one that follows, we're going to explore how businesses use budgeted data in combination with a formalized decision-making process to improve their chances of making better decisions. For a business, a better decision is one that maximizes profit and aligns with the company's goals and values. We'll start with an examination of what types of budgeted information are relevant to making a decision and what types of information you can ignore. You'll see the differences between quantitative and qualitative information and how each can be used to improve decision-making. Then we'll finish up with an example including some specific steps you can use as a model for making better decisions.

Business Decision-Making – Part 2

In this lesson, you'll continue to practice with these same techniques by applying them to a few other common business decisions. You'll start by examining how a business uses budgeted information to make the choice to replace an existing asset with a new asset, such as replacing an old piece of manufacturing equipment with a brand-new one. Next, you'll explore how a business might use budgeted information when deciding whether to eliminate a product or service that it offers. We'll finish up the lesson by examining one of the most critical business decisions you'll ever need to make: how to allocate your most scarce resource to maximize profit in your business.

Bringing It All Together

In this lesson and the one that follows, we will focus on how best to evaluate the financial stability and performance of the business using budgeted information. We'll start by taking a close look at using the components of a company's operating budget to compile the pro forma balance sheet. Next, we'll examine the steps needed to prepare the pro forma income statement, again by using the information found in many of the other operating budget components. To finish up the lesson, we'll dive into some straightforward techniques that are useful to evaluate the balances found on the pro forma balance sheet and income statements.

Evaluation, Control, and Methods

In this lesson, you'll spend more time on the budget evaluation process by examining how companies use variance analysis to evaluate differences between actual results and the budget. To keep things manageable, we'll stick to the basics here so that you're equipped with some tools to take with you when applying these techniques in a real company. As part of this process, we'll take a look at how budget variances are defined and interpreted. Then, we'll discuss some techniques like flexible budgeting to evaluate and isolate certain budget fluctuations in a way that provides clarity to a business owner or manager. We'll finish up the lesson with a brief discussion of the budgetary control process and the soft skills needed for this process.

Self-Study

This course will introduce different strategies employed during the budgeting process, the techniques and tools commonly used to make budgeting forecasts, the components of a basic operating budget, and how businesses make certain decisions that may impact their budgeted amounts.

If the idea of creating a budget for your business, department, or project seems overwhelming, this course will alleviate all of those fears. Taught in an approachable and relatable format, this course walks you through the budgeting process so you can go from numbers averse to budgeting super-hero. The downloadable templates included in the course allow you to easily and quickly take what you learn and apply it to your job. The storytelling used throughout the course makes the topic more approachable and engaging so you can obtain the soft skills that will help you be successful implementing and tracking a budget in the real world. And finally, the course challenge is something that will pique your curiosity at the beginning of the course and provide motivation to complete the course and continue learning the material.

A company's budgeting process involves a lot more than just rows and columns of numbers on a spreadsheet. The reality is that budgeting is a sometimes organic and sometimes organized process. Most often, it's an equal mix of both in an attempt to add some level of certainty to an uncertain future. These processes are what we are going to explore in this course. You will be introduced to different strategies employed during the budgeting process, the techniques and tools that are commonly used to make budgeting forecasts, the components of a basic operating budget, and how businesses make certain decisions that may impact their budgeted amounts.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

In this comprehensive, beginner-friendly course, you will learn the elementary skills needed to be successful in the budgeting process and work gradually work your way up to creating a budget. You will also discover how to best evaluate the results of your budget and make decisions to help your business maximize its profits.

Predicting the Future

In this lesson, you'll explore how budgeting at its core is a process of looking forward. It's about making informed predictions about the future. Next, you'll see how a company's vision can lead to setting goals for the company. These visions are often aspirational and state the path for where the company plans to go in the future. Then, we'll also start the conversation about the human side of budgeting.

Budget Strategies

In this lesson, you'll begin to look at various budgeting strategies, including strategic, capital, and operations budgeting techniques. This lesson will include some real-life examples of planning activities, but to further bring these concepts to life, we'll also highlight a fictional company, Curly's Pool Service and Supplies. You'll finish the lesson by helping Curly formulate some plans and budgets!

It's All About Sales!

This lesson will focus all on sales, specifically the role that sales play in the budgeting process. We'll examine the best practices for compiling a sales forecast and how to increase the chances that the sales forecast will actually mimic real life. We'll also discover how to create an inventory needs budget to determine just how much inventory to purchase based on a sales forecast. Finally, we'll discuss how to formulate a labor requirements budget to accurately project just how much labor you may need to employ to meet the needs of the company, again based on the sales forecast.

Cost Behavior – Part 1

In this lesson, you are going to detour a bit from the actual preparation of a budget and dive into how certain types of costs behave. Understanding how costs increase or decrease relative to an activity is an essential part of learning how to accurately budget for costs in a business. So, in the upcoming chapters, you're going to discover how to distinguish between variable, fixed, and mixed costs. We will use these cost types to calculate the contribution margin for the business. Then, we will show you how to use contribution margin to make certain predictions and decisions in a business. Most notably, you'll see how to use contribution margin to calculate the all-important break-even point and margin of safety for a business.

Cost Behavior – Part 2

This lesson will be a continuation of our discussion about cost behavior. In this lesson, you're going to explore how to evaluate a company's sales mix and how to calculate operating leverage using tools given throughout the course. Operating leverage is just another key component of cost analysis that will allow you to, once again, easily make projections about the future. We'll end the lesson with a discussion about how companies set prices for the products and services they offer. You can probably guess that this process is a bit more involved than just selecting a price out of thin air. It's actually an essential part of a company's overall budgeting process and should not be taken lightly.

Expense and Manufacturing Production Budgets

In this lesson, we'll examine the steps needed to build both a direct materials budget and a direct labor budget. We'll also examine how a manufacturing company budgets for manufacturing overhead. All of these components are key to developing an overall production budget for a business that manufactures a product. Finally, we will end this lesson by describing the components of a production budget.

Cash Is King!

In this lesson, you'll learn how to prepare a complete cash budget for a business. You'll get the chance to take an even closer look at how a company might forecast cash collections from credit sales and cash payments on credit purchases for big-ticket items like inventory or other expensive capital projects. We'll even take a look at how some companies mitigate the risk of running out of cash by utilizing lines of credit and other sources of cash instead of just relying on cash generated from sales.

Capital Budgeting

In this lesson, you'll learn some of the basic methodologies that can be applied in many different capital budgeting scenarios. We'll begin with an explanation of a technique that does not include an evaluation of how time impacts the valuation of money. Then, you'll learn how the passage of time and its impact on the value of a dollar is incorporated into capital budgeting decisions. Since capital projects often span years, or even decades in some cases, the time value of money is key to improving accuracy in budgeting for capital projects. The lesson will finish up with a thorough review of, perhaps, the most common technique that is used in capital budgeting decisions: net present value.

Business Decision-Making – Part 1

In this lesson and the one that follows, we're going to explore how businesses use budgeted data in combination with a formalized decision-making process to improve their chances of making better decisions. For a business, a better decision is one that maximizes profit and aligns with the company's goals and values. We'll start with an examination of what types of budgeted information are relevant to making a decision and what types of information you can ignore. You'll see the differences between quantitative and qualitative information and how each can be used to improve decision-making. Then we'll finish up with an example including some specific steps you can use as a model for making better decisions.

Business Decision-Making – Part 2

In this lesson, you'll continue to practice with these same techniques by applying them to a few other common business decisions. You'll start by examining how a business uses budgeted information to make the choice to replace an existing asset with a new asset, such as replacing an old piece of manufacturing equipment with a brand-new one. Next, you'll explore how a business might use budgeted information when deciding whether to eliminate a product or service that it offers. We'll finish up the lesson by examining one of the most critical business decisions you'll ever need to make: how to allocate your most scarce resource to maximize profit in your business.

Bringing It All Together

In this lesson and the one that follows, we will focus on how best to evaluate the financial stability and performance of the business using budgeted information. We'll start by taking a close look at using the components of a company's operating budget to compile the pro forma balance sheet. Next, we'll examine the steps needed to prepare the pro forma income statement, again by using the information found in many of the other operating budget components. To finish up the lesson, we'll dive into some straightforward techniques that are useful to evaluate the balances found on the pro forma balance sheet and income statements.

Evaluation, Control, and Methods

In this lesson, you'll spend more time on the budget evaluation process by examining how companies use variance analysis to evaluate differences between actual results and the budget. To keep things manageable, we'll stick to the basics here so that you're equipped with some tools to take with you when applying these techniques in a real company. As part of this process, we'll take a look at how budget variances are defined and interpreted. Then, we'll discuss some techniques like flexible budgeting to evaluate and isolate certain budget fluctuations in a way that provides clarity to a business owner or manager. We'll finish up the lesson with a brief discussion of the budgetary control process and the soft skills needed for this process.

Self-Study

Learn the basics of collaborative problem-solving, working in teams and why it's important to our professional and personal success in this online course.

The Collaborative Problem Solving course will help you become familiar with the basics of working in teams and why teamwork is important to our professional and personal success. This course will provide you with essential strategies for solving problems and challenges that arise during collaboration, and provide you with ways to move forward toward achieving a common goal.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course will help you develop the collaborative problem-solving skills you need to succeed in virtually any work environment while focusing on the importance and many benefits of working in teams.

1. Collaborative problem-solving
   1. Requires consensus
   2. Involves groups or teams to make decisions
2. Steps of the collaborative problem-solving process
   1. Identifying the problem and the solution
   2. Identifying the leadership of the group
   3. Identifying the goal of the group
3. Principles for collaborative problem-solving
   1. Collaborative problem-solving is used to maximize productivity, minimize expenses, resolving conflict, improving morale, and integrating departments
   2. Using technology in the process
4. Best practices for managing the collaborative problem-solving process

What you will learn

• Collaborative problem-solving techniques
• Steps of the collaborative problem-solving process
• Principles for collaborative problem-solving
• Best practices for managing the collaborative problem-solving process

How you will benefit

• You will better be able to work with others
• You will gain techniques and skills to improve your team performance
• You will learn to more effectively communicate in a team environment

Self-Study

Learn the basics of collaborative problem-solving, working in teams and why it's important to our professional and personal success in this online course.

The Collaborative Problem Solving course will help you become familiar with the basics of working in teams and why teamwork is important to our professional and personal success. This course will provide you with essential strategies for solving problems and challenges that arise during collaboration, and provide you with ways to move forward toward achieving a common goal.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course will help you develop the collaborative problem-solving skills you need to succeed in virtually any work environment while focusing on the importance and many benefits of working in teams.

1. Collaborative problem-solving
   1. Requires consensus
   2. Involves groups or teams to make decisions
2. Steps of the collaborative problem-solving process
   1. Identifying the problem and the solution
   2. Identifying the leadership of the group
   3. Identifying the goal of the group
3. Principles for collaborative problem-solving
   1. Collaborative problem-solving is used to maximize productivity, minimize expenses, resolving conflict, improving morale, and integrating departments
   2. Using technology in the process
4. Best practices for managing the collaborative problem-solving process

What you will learn

• Collaborative problem-solving techniques
• Steps of the collaborative problem-solving process
• Principles for collaborative problem-solving
• Best practices for managing the collaborative problem-solving process

How you will benefit

• You will better be able to work with others
• You will gain techniques and skills to improve your team performance
• You will learn to more effectively communicate in a team environment

Self-Study

Learn how to create websites with WordPress, the world's most popular website building platform.

Learn how to create attractive, sophisticated blogs and websites—without any coding! WordPress is the world's most popular content management system, powering more than 40 percent of all sites on the Internet. WordPress is an easy-to-use solution that will help you put your site on the web in far less time than by coding, and at a much lower cost than hiring a professional.

In these lessons, you'll get hands-on experience with this powerful tool as you create your own WordPress.org site and blog. You'll find out how to use WordPress to create pages and posts, add images and videos, change a site's look and feel, and include user-friendly features. You'll discover the ease of using WordPress design themes to express your creativity, and you'll see how much fun it is to be part of the vibrant WordPress online community.

In addition to mastering the technical elements of WordPress, you'll learn how to organize a blog or website, create appealing content, keep your site secure, and achieve better positions on search engine results pages. By the end of this course, you'll be able to confidently use WordPress to create a blog or a personal, business, or organizational website.

The WordPress.org version covered in this class is the platform the pros use. To set up a practice site for this class, you will need to sign up for a hosting account. Several options are described in the lessons. WordPress itself is free, but you'll need to host it somewhere.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge are preferred. Mozilla Firefox and Safari are also compatible.
• WordPress.org requires a paid hosting account. You'll receive instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Learn how to create websites with WordPress, the world's most popular website building platform.

Getting Started With WordPress

This first lesson explores the magic of WordPress! You'll discover how to use this WordPress to create an attractive, dynamic blog or website—without needing to learn any special code. You'll find out what the two "flavors" of WordPress are and why most experts recommend the WordPress.org version we will use in this course. Then you'll go online, sign up for a hosting account, and tour the WordPress Dashboard.

Creating a Blog

What can a blog do that a website can't? Blogging's become a popular way to establish an online presence. This lesson focuses on how adding a blog can make a traditional website more effective. Then you'll build a blog with WordPress—by creating, refining, and categorizing posts. You'll also find out how to encourage and control visitor feedback.

Making a WordPress Website

Get the best of both worlds by combining a blog with a traditional website. In this lesson, you'll use WordPress to create and organize web pages. You will also learn how to convert your blog to a traditional website—or vice versa—with the click of a button.

Making Your Pages Look Great

This lesson is all about WordPress themes—the templates that give your website its look and feel. You'll discover how to choose a theme, install it, and tweak it.

Working With Images and Multimedia

Photos, drawings, charts, videos, and audio clips can make your website more appealing and understandable. This lesson teaches you how to use WordPress to upload and insert images and multimedia files.

Plugins: The Modular Solution for Functional Websites

Plugins are little programs that add features to your WordPress website. In this lesson, you'll learn how to find and use them.

Making a User-Friendly Website

If your online visitors have trouble understanding or navigating your website, they'll go somewhere else. This lesson helps you pinpoint and eliminate usability problems.

Polishing Your WordPress Website

In this lesson, you'll take a long, hard look at your class project and how to make it better. You'll create a front page featuring both static and dynamic content; add links to pages, documents, email, and other sites; and repair typos, grammatical errors, and other mistakes.

Getting Search Engines to Love Your Website

What if you launched a website and nobody came? This lesson will show you how to keep that from happening. You'll find out what makes search engines tick and how to get them to visit your pages.

Making the Most of Statistics and Social Networking

Statistics are just a bunch of numbers if you don't know how to use them. This lesson focuses on how to analyze stats so you can improve your site. You'll also find out how to tie your WordPress pages into social sites like Facebook and Twitter.

WordPress Security and Monetization

This lesson will teach you how to protect a WordPress site against hackers and reviews money-making strategies for blogs and websites.

Mastering Your Domains

In the final lesson, you will take a tour of the hosting control panel, discuss domain naming strategies, and review where to get help after the course ends.

What you will learn

• Learn to use WordPress to create pages and posts, add images and videos, change a site's look and feel, and include user-friendly features
• Learn how to organize a blog or website and create appealing content
• Discover how to keep your site secure and achieve better positions on search engine results pages

How you will benefit

• Confidently use WordPress to create a blog or a personal, business, or organizational website
• Open the door to more career opportunities as a WordPress designer for small businesses
• Create your own personal website to brand yourself and your business services online

Richard Mansfield is a best-selling author and widely recognized expert on computer programming. He holds a master's degree in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has written numerous articles and columns on computer topics, and was the editor of Compute! Magazine. In addition, he has authored or co-authored 44 books, including the best sellers Machine Language for Beginners (Compute!) and The Visual Guide to Visual Basic (Ventana). His more recent titles include Creating Web Pages for Dummies (co-authored, Wiley), XML for Dummies: All-in-One Desktop Reference (co-authored, Wiley), Mastering VBA for Office 2019 (Sybex), and Programming: A Beginner's Guide (McGraw-Hill). Richard's books have sold more than 600,000 copies worldwide and have been translated into 12 languages.

Learn how to create websites with WordPress, the world's most popular website building platform.

Learn how to create attractive, sophisticated blogs and websites—without any coding! WordPress is the world's most popular content management system, powering more than 40 percent of all sites on the Internet. WordPress is an easy-to-use solution that will help you put your site on the web in far less time than by coding, and at a much lower cost than hiring a professional.

In these lessons, you'll get hands-on experience with this powerful tool as you create your own WordPress.org site and blog. You'll find out how to use WordPress to create pages and posts, add images and videos, change a site's look and feel, and include user-friendly features. You'll discover the ease of using WordPress design themes to express your creativity, and you'll see how much fun it is to be part of the vibrant WordPress online community.

In addition to mastering the technical elements of WordPress, you'll learn how to organize a blog or website, create appealing content, keep your site secure, and achieve better positions on search engine results pages. By the end of this course, you'll be able to confidently use WordPress to create a blog or a personal, business, or organizational website.

The WordPress.org version covered in this class is the platform the pros use. To set up a practice site for this class, you will need to sign up for a hosting account. Several options are described in the lessons. WordPress itself is free, but you'll need to host it somewhere.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge are preferred. Mozilla Firefox and Safari are also compatible.
• WordPress.org requires a paid hosting account. You'll receive instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Learn how to create websites with WordPress, the world's most popular website building platform.

Getting Started With WordPress

This first lesson explores the magic of WordPress! You'll discover how to use this WordPress to create an attractive, dynamic blog or website—without needing to learn any special code. You'll find out what the two "flavors" of WordPress are and why most experts recommend the WordPress.org version we will use in this course. Then you'll go online, sign up for a hosting account, and tour the WordPress Dashboard.

Creating a Blog

What can a blog do that a website can't? Blogging's become a popular way to establish an online presence. This lesson focuses on how adding a blog can make a traditional website more effective. Then you'll build a blog with WordPress—by creating, refining, and categorizing posts. You'll also find out how to encourage and control visitor feedback.

Making a WordPress Website

Get the best of both worlds by combining a blog with a traditional website. In this lesson, you'll use WordPress to create and organize web pages. You will also learn how to convert your blog to a traditional website—or vice versa—with the click of a button.

Making Your Pages Look Great

This lesson is all about WordPress themes—the templates that give your website its look and feel. You'll discover how to choose a theme, install it, and tweak it.

Working With Images and Multimedia

Photos, drawings, charts, videos, and audio clips can make your website more appealing and understandable. This lesson teaches you how to use WordPress to upload and insert images and multimedia files.

Plugins: The Modular Solution for Functional Websites

Plugins are little programs that add features to your WordPress website. In this lesson, you'll learn how to find and use them.

Making a User-Friendly Website

If your online visitors have trouble understanding or navigating your website, they'll go somewhere else. This lesson helps you pinpoint and eliminate usability problems.

Polishing Your WordPress Website

In this lesson, you'll take a long, hard look at your class project and how to make it better. You'll create a front page featuring both static and dynamic content; add links to pages, documents, email, and other sites; and repair typos, grammatical errors, and other mistakes.

Getting Search Engines to Love Your Website

What if you launched a website and nobody came? This lesson will show you how to keep that from happening. You'll find out what makes search engines tick and how to get them to visit your pages.

Making the Most of Statistics and Social Networking

Statistics are just a bunch of numbers if you don't know how to use them. This lesson focuses on how to analyze stats so you can improve your site. You'll also find out how to tie your WordPress pages into social sites like Facebook and Twitter.

WordPress Security and Monetization

This lesson will teach you how to protect a WordPress site against hackers and reviews money-making strategies for blogs and websites.

Mastering Your Domains

In the final lesson, you will take a tour of the hosting control panel, discuss domain naming strategies, and review where to get help after the course ends.

What you will learn

• Learn to use WordPress to create pages and posts, add images and videos, change a site's look and feel, and include user-friendly features
• Learn how to organize a blog or website and create appealing content
• Discover how to keep your site secure and achieve better positions on search engine results pages

How you will benefit

• Confidently use WordPress to create a blog or a personal, business, or organizational website
• Open the door to more career opportunities as a WordPress designer for small businesses
• Create your own personal website to brand yourself and your business services online

Richard Mansfield is a best-selling author and widely recognized expert on computer programming. He holds a master's degree in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has written numerous articles and columns on computer topics, and was the editor of Compute! Magazine. In addition, he has authored or co-authored 44 books, including the best sellers Machine Language for Beginners (Compute!) and The Visual Guide to Visual Basic (Ventana). His more recent titles include Creating Web Pages for Dummies (co-authored, Wiley), XML for Dummies: All-in-One Desktop Reference (co-authored, Wiley), Mastering VBA for Office 2019 (Sybex), and Programming: A Beginner's Guide (McGraw-Hill). Richard's books have sold more than 600,000 copies worldwide and have been translated into 12 languages.

An informative introduction to the fascinating world of digital photography.

Discover Digital Photography is designed for the novice photographer with no previous experience with digital cameras.

This course will teach you all about digital cameras, from DSLRs to smart phone cameras and what different equipment is used for. You will learn about different display methods for your camera, including sizing, print options, online storage, and how social media factors into digital photography. If you have old slides, negatives, or prints, this course will also teach you how to scan those "old school" photo assets.

After completing the course, you will understand how the process of composing photos has changed with the evolving capabilities of digital photography.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Gain the skills you need to take great photos with your digital camera and never miss a memorable moment again. This course is an informative introduction to digital photography, from DSLRs to smart phone cameras.

What Is Digital Photography?

In your first lesson, you'll have a chance to become familiar with the online classroom and discover the many resources available to you, including the beginning of the Digital Dictionary. You will also learn how digital photography works and what's needed to get started with a digital workshop at home.

Learn About Cameras

In this lesson, you'll have an opportunity to understand the key features of a digital camera. This will be helpful as you learn about what to look for both inside and outside the camera and as you explore the different levels of equipment available.

Shopping for Digital Equipment

When it's time to buy your own camera, you'll want to know how to make the right choice. This lesson covers more of the attributes and features of digital photography, so you're ready to go shopping!

Storing Digital Images

Digital storage is a big issue. In this lesson, you will learn the ways to address this aspect of digital photography. When it comes to digital images, you'll need storage space—not only on your camera, but also on your computer and somewhere offline for backup. This lesson also recommends how to get the most out of your storage space and the best backup option.

Phone and Tablet Photography

Digital photography isn't limited to traditional cameras! You probably have your phone or tablet with you most of the time, and this lesson explores the option of using that camera to take pictures, display your images, or even do quick editing. If you've been a bit confused by all the new terminology connected with smartphones and tablets, here you'll find easy explanations and clear examples of how to make the most of this technology.

The Digital Darkroom

The ability to edit your digital images is one of the most compelling features of digital photography. This lesson will show you several of the software programs available to you and some of the many features you'll find in digital editing programs.

Digital Photography Online

Using digital images online and on your computer are big parts of digital photography. In this lesson, you'll discover ways you can easily use digital images with email and on websites. You will also learn how to size images for use on the Internet. You'll love learning how simple it is to use your images as backgrounds and computer wallpaper. With digital photography, you can customize almost anything!

Digital Printing

Printing digital images can take many forms. This lesson explores the options for printing at home and the extensive network of retail printers available for digital work. You'll also learn how to prepare your images for the best quality prints, regardless of where you print them. If archival quality is important to you, or if you're scrapbooking, there are some things you'll want to know!

A Changing Society

This lesson explores how new and how digital imaging is changing communication, business practices, and the way photographers protect their images.

Scanning and Restoring Photos

Scanning printed images is an important option for digital photography. This lesson focuses on restoring old and damaged photos, as well as using scanners to convert slides, negatives, and prints into digital images. You'll even learn how to capture an image of a 3D object with a scanner! A scanner is a terrific tool for digital photographers and does an excellent job of connecting traditional photography with the digital era. This is an especially important lesson for scrapbookers who are working on family histories with damaged images or printed documents.

Traveling With Digital Equipment

Travel photography is always a favorite subject for photographers, whether you're shooting in your own backyard or around the world. Digital photography presents some different challenges and opportunities. This lesson focuses on how professionals in the field handle the challenges, as well as techniques and opportunities you can use when you travel, including file organization with Adobe's Lightroom.

Composing Digitally

Your final lesson will teach you how to compose your pictures with digital options in mind. There's a lot more to being a digital photographer than just owning a digital camera. In this lesson, you will see some great examples of difficult situations that you can remedy with digital solutions. The more you learn about your options, the more you'll want to experiment!

What you will learn

• Become familiar with digital photography basics and decision-making tools for choosing the right computer for you
• Explore the features and functions of digital cameras
• Understand the need for image storage and the options available
• Become familiar with the resources for digital photographers on computers and the Internet
• Explore the options for printing quality prints from digital images
• Examine the equipment available for scanning film and prints, as well as options for restoring damaged images
• Realize the options for composing images where you intend to use digital editing as part of the artistic process

How you will benefit

• Gain confidence using your digital camera to take pictures
• Capture perfect memories with family and friends
• Develop a great new, creative hobby

Beverly Richards Schulz is an award-winning photographer and graduate of the New York Institute of Photography. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from UC Berkeley and a master's degree in Adult and Continuing Education. For the past 10 years, Schulz has taught at the University of San Francisco. With more than 15 years teaching experience, she has written over 30 digital photography and digital editing courses. She co-authored the book "Photoshop Elements 14—What's New?"

An informative introduction to the fascinating world of digital photography.

Discover Digital Photography is designed for the novice photographer with no previous experience with digital cameras.

This course will teach you all about digital cameras, from DSLRs to smart phone cameras and what different equipment is used for. You will learn about different display methods for your camera, including sizing, print options, online storage, and how social media factors into digital photography. If you have old slides, negatives, or prints, this course will also teach you how to scan those "old school" photo assets.

After completing the course, you will understand how the process of composing photos has changed with the evolving capabilities of digital photography.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Gain the skills you need to take great photos with your digital camera and never miss a memorable moment again. This course is an informative introduction to digital photography, from DSLRs to smart phone cameras.

What Is Digital Photography?

In your first lesson, you'll have a chance to become familiar with the online classroom and discover the many resources available to you, including the beginning of the Digital Dictionary. You will also learn how digital photography works and what's needed to get started with a digital workshop at home.

Learn About Cameras

In this lesson, you'll have an opportunity to understand the key features of a digital camera. This will be helpful as you learn about what to look for both inside and outside the camera and as you explore the different levels of equipment available.

Shopping for Digital Equipment

When it's time to buy your own camera, you'll want to know how to make the right choice. This lesson covers more of the attributes and features of digital photography, so you're ready to go shopping!

Storing Digital Images

Digital storage is a big issue. In this lesson, you will learn the ways to address this aspect of digital photography. When it comes to digital images, you'll need storage space—not only on your camera, but also on your computer and somewhere offline for backup. This lesson also recommends how to get the most out of your storage space and the best backup option.

Phone and Tablet Photography

Digital photography isn't limited to traditional cameras! You probably have your phone or tablet with you most of the time, and this lesson explores the option of using that camera to take pictures, display your images, or even do quick editing. If you've been a bit confused by all the new terminology connected with smartphones and tablets, here you'll find easy explanations and clear examples of how to make the most of this technology.

The Digital Darkroom

The ability to edit your digital images is one of the most compelling features of digital photography. This lesson will show you several of the software programs available to you and some of the many features you'll find in digital editing programs.

Digital Photography Online

Using digital images online and on your computer are big parts of digital photography. In this lesson, you'll discover ways you can easily use digital images with email and on websites. You will also learn how to size images for use on the Internet. You'll love learning how simple it is to use your images as backgrounds and computer wallpaper. With digital photography, you can customize almost anything!

Digital Printing

Printing digital images can take many forms. This lesson explores the options for printing at home and the extensive network of retail printers available for digital work. You'll also learn how to prepare your images for the best quality prints, regardless of where you print them. If archival quality is important to you, or if you're scrapbooking, there are some things you'll want to know!

A Changing Society

This lesson explores how new and how digital imaging is changing communication, business practices, and the way photographers protect their images.

Scanning and Restoring Photos

Scanning printed images is an important option for digital photography. This lesson focuses on restoring old and damaged photos, as well as using scanners to convert slides, negatives, and prints into digital images. You'll even learn how to capture an image of a 3D object with a scanner! A scanner is a terrific tool for digital photographers and does an excellent job of connecting traditional photography with the digital era. This is an especially important lesson for scrapbookers who are working on family histories with damaged images or printed documents.

Traveling With Digital Equipment

Travel photography is always a favorite subject for photographers, whether you're shooting in your own backyard or around the world. Digital photography presents some different challenges and opportunities. This lesson focuses on how professionals in the field handle the challenges, as well as techniques and opportunities you can use when you travel, including file organization with Adobe's Lightroom.

Composing Digitally

Your final lesson will teach you how to compose your pictures with digital options in mind. There's a lot more to being a digital photographer than just owning a digital camera. In this lesson, you will see some great examples of difficult situations that you can remedy with digital solutions. The more you learn about your options, the more you'll want to experiment!

What you will learn

• Become familiar with digital photography basics and decision-making tools for choosing the right computer for you
• Explore the features and functions of digital cameras
• Understand the need for image storage and the options available
• Become familiar with the resources for digital photographers on computers and the Internet
• Explore the options for printing quality prints from digital images
• Examine the equipment available for scanning film and prints, as well as options for restoring damaged images
• Realize the options for composing images where you intend to use digital editing as part of the artistic process

How you will benefit

• Gain confidence using your digital camera to take pictures
• Capture perfect memories with family and friends
• Develop a great new, creative hobby

Beverly Richards Schulz is an award-winning photographer and graduate of the New York Institute of Photography. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from UC Berkeley and a master's degree in Adult and Continuing Education. For the past 10 years, Schulz has taught at the University of San Francisco. With more than 15 years teaching experience, she has written over 30 digital photography and digital editing courses. She co-authored the book "Photoshop Elements 14—What's New?"

It's truly amazing how much you can communicate just by using your hands. Add in different facial expressions, and you have a full conversation! In this course, you will discover how to use this graceful, expressive language to communicate.

Discover Sign Language will teach you how to sign basic phrases and complete sentences and how to put it all together, allowing you to introduce yourself and start a conversation. Along the way, you will learn signs for colors, numbers, locations, family, and the activities you like to do.

Throughout the course, you will learn by watching videos that demonstrate how to make the signs and how to incorporate facial expressions to communicate in this beautiful language. This course is taught using the best practices of the industry with a minimum of audio support. Throughout it, you will be immersed in silence, which will help you gain an understanding of the perspective of Deaf people and sign language.

You will also gain an introduction to the world of the Deaf culture and explore topics such as lip reading, baby signs, and the career of interpreting. By the end of the course, when you meet a Deaf person, you will be ready to sign!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Gain confidence in your ability to sign with the Deaf community. This course immerses you in silence to help you gain an understanding of the perspective of the hearing impaired and uses videos to demonstrate not only how to make signs, but how to communicate with facial expression.

Getting Started

What is sign language? Is it a real language? How did it develop? In this lesson, you will discover what sign language is and who uses it. This lesson introduces American Sign Language and a basic approach to learning it—signing the numbers 0 to 15.

Fingerspelling

Master your ABCs as you learn how to fingerspell the alphabet. You will discover how double letters are made when they're inside a word and how they're signed when they fall at the beginning and end of words. You will also learn tips on how to read fingerspelling.

Introducing Yourself

How do you do? In this lesson, you will take the first steps toward having a conversation as you learn how to introduce yourself. In addition to learning the basic signs for this kind of interaction, you will also gain some more strategies for learning and understanding new signs, including the four aspects that make up each sign. While you add these skills to your signing arsenal, you will also learn more about the Deaf community, including what Deaf people expect to learn about you when you meet for the first time, and the role facial expression plays in sign language.

Getting to Know You

Next, you will build on the introduction you learned in the last lesson and see how to keep the conversation going. You will explore the different customs of conversation in the Deaf community, such as how to know when one person is finished talking and how to take turns. In addition, you will continue to navigate your introduction by adding more information about yourself. Finally, you will gain some additional vocabulary as you learn the signs for colors and numbers 16 to 30.

Continuing the Conversation

In this lesson, you will learn more signs to help you continue the conversation you started in the two previous lessons. You will learn about the cherished custom Deaf people have of giving name signs, so you will understand what to call yourself, your city, and your state. You will also gain more vocabulary about objects in your living environment. You will learn to sign the types of dwellings people live in and modes of transportation. In addition, you will add to your knowledge of numbers by mastering the signs for numbers 31 to 66. This lesson closes with a discussion about an important issue in the Deaf community: whether deafness is considered a disability.

Talking About Family

Signing becomes a family affair as you learn signs for family members. You will understand how sign language categorizes the signs for each gender and communication in families with a Deaf person. This includes lip reading and other communication strategies. This lesson closes with the signs for numbers 67 to 100.

Extended Family and Beyond

This lesson focuses on signs for extended family members. You will also learn signs to describe how you're related to them. Start to put together longer sentences to practice using your new vocabulary. You will be introduced to number systems beginning with age and telling how old family members are.

A Sign for the Times

What time is it? In this lesson, you will discover how to tell time as well as sign the days of the week and other time periods such as minutes and hours. You'll learn how spoken languages handle past, present, and future tenses and then examine how sign language does it. Finally, you will discover the impact of the "Deaf President Now" movement had on the lives of Deaf people.

More Time on Your Hands

This lesson teaches signs for additional time frames such as yesterday, today, and tomorrow. You will learn signs for indoor and outdoor activities. Then, you will learn signs for your opinion, so you can explain which activities you like and don't like. You will also learn about CODAs—a group of hearing people unique to the Deaf community.

Feelings and Traits

Now it's time to learn the signs for feelings and personality traits, and you will combine these signs with signs learned in previous lessons. You will see how to communicate how you're doing, how to ask how others are doing, and how to describe different personal attributes. You will also learn more about Deaf culture—this time, about physical contact and getting the attention of a Deaf person both nearby and across the room. Finally, you will gain tips for practicing your signs.

Clothing and Hairstyle

In the final lesson, you will learn signs for clothing and hairstyles, such as jacket and long hair. You will learn about classifiers and how to use them with the patterns such as stripes. Then you will learn signs for descriptions such as mustache and beard. You will also explore another important aspect of Deaf culture: teaching hearing babies to sign.

Food and Animals

The course concludes with a lesson that teaches you to wish a friend happy birthday, offer a birthday treat, and talk about your favorite animal. You will start by learning to sign the months of the year and how to say, "Happy birthday!" You will also learn some signs for food and animals. This lesson will cover how English is translated into sign language and the role of the professional sign language interpreter. You will even get some tips on using an interpreter with a Deaf person.

What you will learn

• Learn to create the signs for numbers and letters of the alphabet
• Learn to sign phrases and expand to complete sentences
• Understand how to put it all together so you can introduce yourself and start a conversation
• Learn signs for colors, where you live, family, and the activities you like to do
• Explore topics such as lip reading, baby signs, and the career of interpreting

How you will benefit

• Learn to effectively communicate with Deaf people using their language
• Gain confidence in your ability to walk up to and start a conversation with someone who is Deaf
• Experience sign language and be immersed in a course that is mostly silent
• Explore the profession of interpreting

Erin Trimble holds a Bachelor of Science in American Sign Language/English Interpreting from William Woods University and a Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies degree from Western Oregon University. Since 2003, Trimble has been professionally interpreting across a variety of settings including education, community, and medical. She has been both a staff interpreter and a freelance interpreter.

It's truly amazing how much you can communicate just by using your hands. Add in different facial expressions, and you have a full conversation! In this course, you will discover how to use this graceful, expressive language to communicate.

Discover Sign Language will teach you how to sign basic phrases and complete sentences and how to put it all together, allowing you to introduce yourself and start a conversation. Along the way, you will learn signs for colors, numbers, locations, family, and the activities you like to do.

Throughout the course, you will learn by watching videos that demonstrate how to make the signs and how to incorporate facial expressions to communicate in this beautiful language. This course is taught using the best practices of the industry with a minimum of audio support. Throughout it, you will be immersed in silence, which will help you gain an understanding of the perspective of Deaf people and sign language.

You will also gain an introduction to the world of the Deaf culture and explore topics such as lip reading, baby signs, and the career of interpreting. By the end of the course, when you meet a Deaf person, you will be ready to sign!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Gain confidence in your ability to sign with the Deaf community. This course immerses you in silence to help you gain an understanding of the perspective of the hearing impaired and uses videos to demonstrate not only how to make signs, but how to communicate with facial expression.

Getting Started

What is sign language? Is it a real language? How did it develop? In this lesson, you will discover what sign language is and who uses it. This lesson introduces American Sign Language and a basic approach to learning it—signing the numbers 0 to 15.

Fingerspelling

Master your ABCs as you learn how to fingerspell the alphabet. You will discover how double letters are made when they're inside a word and how they're signed when they fall at the beginning and end of words. You will also learn tips on how to read fingerspelling.

Introducing Yourself

How do you do? In this lesson, you will take the first steps toward having a conversation as you learn how to introduce yourself. In addition to learning the basic signs for this kind of interaction, you will also gain some more strategies for learning and understanding new signs, including the four aspects that make up each sign. While you add these skills to your signing arsenal, you will also learn more about the Deaf community, including what Deaf people expect to learn about you when you meet for the first time, and the role facial expression plays in sign language.

Getting to Know You

Next, you will build on the introduction you learned in the last lesson and see how to keep the conversation going. You will explore the different customs of conversation in the Deaf community, such as how to know when one person is finished talking and how to take turns. In addition, you will continue to navigate your introduction by adding more information about yourself. Finally, you will gain some additional vocabulary as you learn the signs for colors and numbers 16 to 30.

Continuing the Conversation

In this lesson, you will learn more signs to help you continue the conversation you started in the two previous lessons. You will learn about the cherished custom Deaf people have of giving name signs, so you will understand what to call yourself, your city, and your state. You will also gain more vocabulary about objects in your living environment. You will learn to sign the types of dwellings people live in and modes of transportation. In addition, you will add to your knowledge of numbers by mastering the signs for numbers 31 to 66. This lesson closes with a discussion about an important issue in the Deaf community: whether deafness is considered a disability.

Talking About Family

Signing becomes a family affair as you learn signs for family members. You will understand how sign language categorizes the signs for each gender and communication in families with a Deaf person. This includes lip reading and other communication strategies. This lesson closes with the signs for numbers 67 to 100.

Extended Family and Beyond

This lesson focuses on signs for extended family members. You will also learn signs to describe how you're related to them. Start to put together longer sentences to practice using your new vocabulary. You will be introduced to number systems beginning with age and telling how old family members are.

A Sign for the Times

What time is it? In this lesson, you will discover how to tell time as well as sign the days of the week and other time periods such as minutes and hours. You'll learn how spoken languages handle past, present, and future tenses and then examine how sign language does it. Finally, you will discover the impact of the "Deaf President Now" movement had on the lives of Deaf people.

More Time on Your Hands

This lesson teaches signs for additional time frames such as yesterday, today, and tomorrow. You will learn signs for indoor and outdoor activities. Then, you will learn signs for your opinion, so you can explain which activities you like and don't like. You will also learn about CODAs—a group of hearing people unique to the Deaf community.

Feelings and Traits

Now it's time to learn the signs for feelings and personality traits, and you will combine these signs with signs learned in previous lessons. You will see how to communicate how you're doing, how to ask how others are doing, and how to describe different personal attributes. You will also learn more about Deaf culture—this time, about physical contact and getting the attention of a Deaf person both nearby and across the room. Finally, you will gain tips for practicing your signs.

Clothing and Hairstyle

In the final lesson, you will learn signs for clothing and hairstyles, such as jacket and long hair. You will learn about classifiers and how to use them with the patterns such as stripes. Then you will learn signs for descriptions such as mustache and beard. You will also explore another important aspect of Deaf culture: teaching hearing babies to sign.

Food and Animals

The course concludes with a lesson that teaches you to wish a friend happy birthday, offer a birthday treat, and talk about your favorite animal. You will start by learning to sign the months of the year and how to say, "Happy birthday!" You will also learn some signs for food and animals. This lesson will cover how English is translated into sign language and the role of the professional sign language interpreter. You will even get some tips on using an interpreter with a Deaf person.

What you will learn

• Learn to create the signs for numbers and letters of the alphabet
• Learn to sign phrases and expand to complete sentences
• Understand how to put it all together so you can introduce yourself and start a conversation
• Learn signs for colors, where you live, family, and the activities you like to do
• Explore topics such as lip reading, baby signs, and the career of interpreting

How you will benefit

• Learn to effectively communicate with Deaf people using their language
• Gain confidence in your ability to walk up to and start a conversation with someone who is Deaf
• Experience sign language and be immersed in a course that is mostly silent
• Explore the profession of interpreting

Erin Trimble holds a Bachelor of Science in American Sign Language/English Interpreting from William Woods University and a Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies degree from Western Oregon University. Since 2003, Trimble has been professionally interpreting across a variety of settings including education, community, and medical. She has been both a staff interpreter and a freelance interpreter.

Learn where to look, who to contact, and how to use research tools to begin an exciting and fascinating exploration of your roots.

Tracing your family's history is a fascinating journey. Genealogy Basics will help you understand the genealogy research process and how to interpret the information you find. This course guides you through the search process for family names using several subscription-based websites, which you can access while enrolled in this class.

You will learn through hands-on examples that help you dig deeper into your family's past. You will develop a strategy to accomplish your objectives, evaluate the results, and share that information with others. You will discover where to look, who to contact, and how to make your family history come alive!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Learn to trace your family history and make it come alive. This course provides hands-on examples that help you dig deeper into your family's past using several subscription-based websites that you will be able to access during the course.

Where Do I Begin?

In the first lesson, you'll learn how to gather family information and organize your collection of materials. You will discover which sources provide the best information and explore standard collection methods and interview techniques. You will be provided with a PDF toolkit that includes all the forms you'll need to get started. Each lesson ends with a small crossword puzzle to help you remember important genealogy terms.

What Do You Want to Learn?

In this lesson, you'll answer the question, What's missing in my family tree? You'll organize your findings using research timelines, then determine which records will be the most helpful. You will also use different Internet search techniques including an online search of the Social Security Death Index.

Vital Records (Birth, Death and Marriage)

In this lesson, you'll explore and analyze vital records such as Birth, Death, and Marriage. You will also learn how to request copies for your research and what to look for in those records. This lesson uses several easy-to-follow examples for finding vital records in databases on the Internet.

Census Records

This is perhaps the most important of all the lessons. You will learn the value of census records and discover that spelling really doesn't count! You will learn which census records are available, where to find them, and how to analyze them. This lesson uses three hands-on examples you can try for searching the complete 1880 US Census and the 1881 Census for Canada and Great Britain, without leaving your house or renting microfilm.

Why Can't I Find My Ancestors?

In this lesson, you'll hear some of the reasons why you may not be able to find an elusive ancestor. Contrary to what you may think, they're not in a witness protection program! You'll explore the Soundex system and learn its value in solving some mysteries. You'll also learn how to analyze old handwriting.

How Computers Search

In this lesson, you'll learn how computers search, both on and off the Internet. Local and distant searches—when done properly—can answer many of your questions. You'll also learn how to use the LDS Library website to find published information, saving you hours or days of research time.

Potpourri

In this lesson, you'll explore writing styles, unusual resources, and the value of email. You'll discover the value of mailing lists and learn how to subscribe, unsubscribe, and post messages. You'll also learn how to search past archives for messages that might help fill in missing branches on your family tree.

Military Records

In this lesson, you'll learn what resources are available for researching military records and where to find them. The example in this lesson walks you through a search of the US Civil War database and explains how valuable pension records can be in learning more about your ancestors.

Land Records

In this lesson, you'll learn to research maps, deeds, and grants for genealogy. You will investigate abstracting deeds and do a search of the Bureau of Land Management website for Land Grants and Homesteading Patents.

Immigration

This lesson explains how your ancestors immigrated. You will learn about America's immigration patterns and discover how to use naturalization and passport documents to find the information you need. Your class has an account already set up on the Ellis Island website for you to use. The assignment will walk you through a real example and eventually show you the actual ships manifest.

Newspapers, Directories, Periodicals, and Wills

In this lesson, you'll learn about some of the exciting things that can come from researching newspapers, city directories, periodicals, and wills. You'll also learn a great way to find collateral lines (cousins), and perhaps fill in some middle names or reveal new locations by sharing your work with others.

Genealogy Tools, Sources, and Software Reviews

In the last lesson, you'll explore more genealogy tools, sources, and software. This lesson will show you the best genealogy software programs and will review each one. By using a software program, you can discover how easy it is to put it all together.

What you will learn

• Learn to identify the techniques of gathering family information and explore interview styles
• Develop research timelines and learn to locate records
• Explore and analyze vital records and learn how to request copies for your research
• Discover resources available for researching military records
• Learn the research value of maps, deeds, and grants in genealogy
• Learn to use Will and Probate records as well as newspapers, city directories and periodicals

How you will benefit

• Go through the fascinating journey of looking at your family history
• Solve some mysteries and fill in some gaps in your family tree
• Discover the best software program and find out how you can easily put all you have learned together for your benefit and the benefit of other family members

Carrie Ehrfurth is a historic preservation specialist and works to place buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in art history, a graduate certificate in historic preservation, and a master's degree in business administration. Ehrfurth also researches family genealogy and takes great joy in weaving together historic information to create a complete picture of one's past.

Bob Moyer (deceased) was a college instructor, graphic designer, technical writer, and author of this course. Bob held degrees in education, business, and Civil Engineering. He had more than 12 years of experience as an instructor and developed genealogy courses for several colleges. His passion for research and family history resulted in several genealogy-related books and speaking engagements.

Learn where to look, who to contact, and how to use research tools to begin an exciting and fascinating exploration of your roots.

Tracing your family's history is a fascinating journey. Genealogy Basics will help you understand the genealogy research process and how to interpret the information you find. This course guides you through the search process for family names using several subscription-based websites, which you can access while enrolled in this class.

You will learn through hands-on examples that help you dig deeper into your family's past. You will develop a strategy to accomplish your objectives, evaluate the results, and share that information with others. You will discover where to look, who to contact, and how to make your family history come alive!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Learn to trace your family history and make it come alive. This course provides hands-on examples that help you dig deeper into your family's past using several subscription-based websites that you will be able to access during the course.

Where Do I Begin?

In the first lesson, you'll learn how to gather family information and organize your collection of materials. You will discover which sources provide the best information and explore standard collection methods and interview techniques. You will be provided with a PDF toolkit that includes all the forms you'll need to get started. Each lesson ends with a small crossword puzzle to help you remember important genealogy terms.

What Do You Want to Learn?

In this lesson, you'll answer the question, What's missing in my family tree? You'll organize your findings using research timelines, then determine which records will be the most helpful. You will also use different Internet search techniques including an online search of the Social Security Death Index.

Vital Records (Birth, Death and Marriage)

In this lesson, you'll explore and analyze vital records such as Birth, Death, and Marriage. You will also learn how to request copies for your research and what to look for in those records. This lesson uses several easy-to-follow examples for finding vital records in databases on the Internet.

Census Records

This is perhaps the most important of all the lessons. You will learn the value of census records and discover that spelling really doesn't count! You will learn which census records are available, where to find them, and how to analyze them. This lesson uses three hands-on examples you can try for searching the complete 1880 US Census and the 1881 Census for Canada and Great Britain, without leaving your house or renting microfilm.

Why Can't I Find My Ancestors?

In this lesson, you'll hear some of the reasons why you may not be able to find an elusive ancestor. Contrary to what you may think, they're not in a witness protection program! You'll explore the Soundex system and learn its value in solving some mysteries. You'll also learn how to analyze old handwriting.

How Computers Search

In this lesson, you'll learn how computers search, both on and off the Internet. Local and distant searches—when done properly—can answer many of your questions. You'll also learn how to use the LDS Library website to find published information, saving you hours or days of research time.

Potpourri

In this lesson, you'll explore writing styles, unusual resources, and the value of email. You'll discover the value of mailing lists and learn how to subscribe, unsubscribe, and post messages. You'll also learn how to search past archives for messages that might help fill in missing branches on your family tree.

Military Records

In this lesson, you'll learn what resources are available for researching military records and where to find them. The example in this lesson walks you through a search of the US Civil War database and explains how valuable pension records can be in learning more about your ancestors.

Land Records

In this lesson, you'll learn to research maps, deeds, and grants for genealogy. You will investigate abstracting deeds and do a search of the Bureau of Land Management website for Land Grants and Homesteading Patents.

Immigration

This lesson explains how your ancestors immigrated. You will learn about America's immigration patterns and discover how to use naturalization and passport documents to find the information you need. Your class has an account already set up on the Ellis Island website for you to use. The assignment will walk you through a real example and eventually show you the actual ships manifest.

Newspapers, Directories, Periodicals, and Wills

In this lesson, you'll learn about some of the exciting things that can come from researching newspapers, city directories, periodicals, and wills. You'll also learn a great way to find collateral lines (cousins), and perhaps fill in some middle names or reveal new locations by sharing your work with others.

Genealogy Tools, Sources, and Software Reviews

In the last lesson, you'll explore more genealogy tools, sources, and software. This lesson will show you the best genealogy software programs and will review each one. By using a software program, you can discover how easy it is to put it all together.

What you will learn

• Learn to identify the techniques of gathering family information and explore interview styles
• Develop research timelines and learn to locate records
• Explore and analyze vital records and learn how to request copies for your research
• Discover resources available for researching military records
• Learn the research value of maps, deeds, and grants in genealogy
• Learn to use Will and Probate records as well as newspapers, city directories and periodicals

How you will benefit

• Go through the fascinating journey of looking at your family history
• Solve some mysteries and fill in some gaps in your family tree
• Discover the best software program and find out how you can easily put all you have learned together for your benefit and the benefit of other family members

Carrie Ehrfurth is a historic preservation specialist and works to place buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in art history, a graduate certificate in historic preservation, and a master's degree in business administration. Ehrfurth also researches family genealogy and takes great joy in weaving together historic information to create a complete picture of one's past.

Bob Moyer (deceased) was a college instructor, graphic designer, technical writer, and author of this course. Bob held degrees in education, business, and Civil Engineering. He had more than 12 years of experience as an instructor and developed genealogy courses for several colleges. His passion for research and family history resulted in several genealogy-related books and speaking engagements.

Learn to perform basic computer networking tasks such as DSL connectivity, configuring connections to an ISP and creating a private network.

Businesses, schools, and other organizations rely on computer networks, which explains why employees and contributors with networking skills are in high demand.

Are you ready to learn the fundamentals of computer networking in terms you can easily understand? If so, the online Introduction to Networking course will help you understand why networks have become so important, how software and hardware make networking possible, and how networks function. This course will also give you the foundation to understand and get ahead in any career involving the world of computers, networks, the Internet, and the cloud.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Learn to perform basic computer networking tasks such as DSL connectivity, configuring connections to an ISP and creating a private network. This course explains computer networking basics in easy-to-understand terms, using concepts common to everyday, non-computing experience.

History of Networking

Have you ever wondered how networks started? We're surrounded by networks, whether they're computer networks, networks of roads, or the network of telephones that allow us to communicate every day. In our first lesson, you'll learn how networks have evolved over the last hundred years. You'll also find out why every additional device that connects to a network greatly increases the value of the network. By the time you've completed this lesson, you'll have a framework of knowledge that will take you through the rest of the course.

How Networks Operate

In this lesson, you'll jump right into networks and networking, and learn how they work. We'll use examples from our everyday experience. You'll learn how to tell the difference between a network and networking, and realize that computer networks are a lot like freeway networks. You'll never look at an interstate the same way again! You'll also find out why shipping your data from one computer to the next is a lot like sending your distant uncle a new cookie jar for his birthday. Believe it or not, freeways and shipped gifts have a direct correlation to how networks and networking operate!

Peer-To-Peer Versus Client/Server

Have you ever heard someone refer to a computer as a server? Maybe you've heard someone talk about connecting computers in a peer-to-peer environment. Understanding the difference between client/server and peer-to-peer networks really helps you learn about computers and networking. So in this lesson, you'll learn how to tell the difference between client/server and peer-to-peer networks, and when to use one instead of the other.

Network Types and Topologies

Many people have heard of Ethernet, but what does that mean exactly? In this lesson, you'll learn all about Ethernet and a whole lot more. Here you'll learn the difference between a star topology and a bus topology, and the advantages of each. Is Ethernet or Token Ring the best modern network technology, and why? In this lesson you'll get those answers and many more!

Segmentation and Routing

In this lesson we'll explore how routers operate, and you'll see why routers operate a lot like how a receptionist in a growing company handles telephone calls. We'll build on information you learned in previous lessons, and then you'll find out how a single interconnected network (the Internet) can actually span the entire globe. A global network is an amazing feat, accomplished by interconnecting network segments and routing data! When you've completed this lesson, you'll understand how routing helps our data to cross the city, state, or an entire ocean.

Protocols

When people communicate they speak a language, such as English or French, to exchange information. Computers communicate similarly over a network, but instead of speaking a language they use something called a protocol. Protocols are similar to languages and in this lesson, you'll learn about the protocols used in networking. You'll also learn which protocol has emerged as the dominant computer protocol, and why!

TCP/IP

In this lesson you'll learn how the networking protocol TCP/IP operates. TCP/IP is a collection of protocols, and we'll discuss how TCP/IP divides its tasks. We'll go over how TCP/IP uses addresses to direct data to its rightful owner - it's similar to how we use street addresses.

Name Resolution and Services

Have you ever wondered how your computer converts a Web address into a website that appears on your screen? In this lesson you'll learn how the Domain Name System (DNS) translates names into numeric addresses, and how all that allows your favorite website, email, or file to appear on your computer screen. You'll also learn how the entire computer industry comes to a consensus about how the Internet should work.

Wide Area Networks (WANs)

We'll take a look at Wide Area Networks (WANs) and how they compare to Local Area Networks (LANs), and we'll discuss different types of modern WANs. You'll learn all about how data gets sent over long distances and how the Internet changed expensive, long-distance network connections. You'll also learn how VPNs secure those Internet connections from prying eyes.

Remote Access

If you connect to the Internet, you use remote access. In this lesson, we'll explore the traditional means of connecting to remote LANs and talk about exactly how DSL and cable Internet access works. Then we'll discuss other means by which many people connect to the Internet, including wireless and cellular networks.

Making Internet Connections

In this lesson you'll apply many of the concepts you've learned so far in this course. We'll walk through the process of building a network with many different wired and wireless devices. Each step of the way, you'll come to understand what's going on behind the scenes. From there we'll jump to connecting to the Internet using broadband connections, configuring a home router, and testing what you've done.

Review and Conclusion

In our final lesson we'll tie all the previous lessons together, clarifying how new information about networks and networking can be quickly understood. You'll learn three categories into which networking knowledge can be placed, and see examples to apply your newfound network categories. By the end of this lesson, your understanding of networking will be solid as a rock, and you'll be well-prepared for a lifetime of continued learning about networks and networking!

What you will learn

• Learn how and why networks work rather than focusing on memorization of terms and numbers
• Be capable of performing basic computer networking tasks
• Understand the difference between client/server and peer-to peer networks
• Learn how routers operate
• Learn to connect to the Internet using broadband connections, configuring a home router, and testing what you've done
• Be well prepared to apply your newfound knowledge to future changes in networks and networking

How you will benefit

• Easily understand how and why computer networking works
• Have access to an instructor who completely understands networking and can convey that understanding to others
• Prove helpful in your day to day dealings with computer networks and the Internet
• Be well prepared for a lifetime of continued learning about networks and networking

David Iseminger

David Iseminger is an author and technology veteran, with expertise in computing, networking, wireless and cloud technologies, data and analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. While with Microsoft, David worked on early versions of Windows and its core networking infrastructure, and on transmission protocols, security, data visualizations, and multiple emerging cloud technologies.

David is passionate about education, serving as a School Board director for over 10 years, advocating at state and federal levels for increased learning standards, and has taught over 40,000 students through multiple technology courses. He has an awarded patent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) object detection and social posting methodologies, and is the founder and CEO of the blockchain company that created IronWeave, the unlimited scale blockchain platform, based on his patent-pending blockchain innovations and inventions.

Learn to perform basic computer networking tasks such as DSL connectivity, configuring connections to an ISP and creating a private network.

Businesses, schools, and other organizations rely on computer networks, which explains why employees and contributors with networking skills are in high demand.

Are you ready to learn the fundamentals of computer networking in terms you can easily understand? If so, the online Introduction to Networking course will help you understand why networks have become so important, how software and hardware make networking possible, and how networks function. This course will also give you the foundation to understand and get ahead in any career involving the world of computers, networks, the Internet, and the cloud.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Learn to perform basic computer networking tasks such as DSL connectivity, configuring connections to an ISP and creating a private network. This course explains computer networking basics in easy-to-understand terms, using concepts common to everyday, non-computing experience.

History of Networking

Have you ever wondered how networks started? We're surrounded by networks, whether they're computer networks, networks of roads, or the network of telephones that allow us to communicate every day. In our first lesson, you'll learn how networks have evolved over the last hundred years. You'll also find out why every additional device that connects to a network greatly increases the value of the network. By the time you've completed this lesson, you'll have a framework of knowledge that will take you through the rest of the course.

How Networks Operate

In this lesson, you'll jump right into networks and networking, and learn how they work. We'll use examples from our everyday experience. You'll learn how to tell the difference between a network and networking, and realize that computer networks are a lot like freeway networks. You'll never look at an interstate the same way again! You'll also find out why shipping your data from one computer to the next is a lot like sending your distant uncle a new cookie jar for his birthday. Believe it or not, freeways and shipped gifts have a direct correlation to how networks and networking operate!

Peer-To-Peer Versus Client/Server

Have you ever heard someone refer to a computer as a server? Maybe you've heard someone talk about connecting computers in a peer-to-peer environment. Understanding the difference between client/server and peer-to-peer networks really helps you learn about computers and networking. So in this lesson, you'll learn how to tell the difference between client/server and peer-to-peer networks, and when to use one instead of the other.

Network Types and Topologies

Many people have heard of Ethernet, but what does that mean exactly? In this lesson, you'll learn all about Ethernet and a whole lot more. Here you'll learn the difference between a star topology and a bus topology, and the advantages of each. Is Ethernet or Token Ring the best modern network technology, and why? In this lesson you'll get those answers and many more!

Segmentation and Routing

In this lesson we'll explore how routers operate, and you'll see why routers operate a lot like how a receptionist in a growing company handles telephone calls. We'll build on information you learned in previous lessons, and then you'll find out how a single interconnected network (the Internet) can actually span the entire globe. A global network is an amazing feat, accomplished by interconnecting network segments and routing data! When you've completed this lesson, you'll understand how routing helps our data to cross the city, state, or an entire ocean.

Protocols

When people communicate they speak a language, such as English or French, to exchange information. Computers communicate similarly over a network, but instead of speaking a language they use something called a protocol. Protocols are similar to languages and in this lesson, you'll learn about the protocols used in networking. You'll also learn which protocol has emerged as the dominant computer protocol, and why!

TCP/IP

In this lesson you'll learn how the networking protocol TCP/IP operates. TCP/IP is a collection of protocols, and we'll discuss how TCP/IP divides its tasks. We'll go over how TCP/IP uses addresses to direct data to its rightful owner - it's similar to how we use street addresses.

Name Resolution and Services

Have you ever wondered how your computer converts a Web address into a website that appears on your screen? In this lesson you'll learn how the Domain Name System (DNS) translates names into numeric addresses, and how all that allows your favorite website, email, or file to appear on your computer screen. You'll also learn how the entire computer industry comes to a consensus about how the Internet should work.

Wide Area Networks (WANs)

We'll take a look at Wide Area Networks (WANs) and how they compare to Local Area Networks (LANs), and we'll discuss different types of modern WANs. You'll learn all about how data gets sent over long distances and how the Internet changed expensive, long-distance network connections. You'll also learn how VPNs secure those Internet connections from prying eyes.

Remote Access

If you connect to the Internet, you use remote access. In this lesson, we'll explore the traditional means of connecting to remote LANs and talk about exactly how DSL and cable Internet access works. Then we'll discuss other means by which many people connect to the Internet, including wireless and cellular networks.

Making Internet Connections

In this lesson you'll apply many of the concepts you've learned so far in this course. We'll walk through the process of building a network with many different wired and wireless devices. Each step of the way, you'll come to understand what's going on behind the scenes. From there we'll jump to connecting to the Internet using broadband connections, configuring a home router, and testing what you've done.

Review and Conclusion

In our final lesson we'll tie all the previous lessons together, clarifying how new information about networks and networking can be quickly understood. You'll learn three categories into which networking knowledge can be placed, and see examples to apply your newfound network categories. By the end of this lesson, your understanding of networking will be solid as a rock, and you'll be well-prepared for a lifetime of continued learning about networks and networking!

What you will learn

• Learn how and why networks work rather than focusing on memorization of terms and numbers
• Be capable of performing basic computer networking tasks
• Understand the difference between client/server and peer-to peer networks
• Learn how routers operate
• Learn to connect to the Internet using broadband connections, configuring a home router, and testing what you've done
• Be well prepared to apply your newfound knowledge to future changes in networks and networking

How you will benefit

• Easily understand how and why computer networking works
• Have access to an instructor who completely understands networking and can convey that understanding to others
• Prove helpful in your day to day dealings with computer networks and the Internet
• Be well prepared for a lifetime of continued learning about networks and networking

David Iseminger

David Iseminger is an author and technology veteran, with expertise in computing, networking, wireless and cloud technologies, data and analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. While with Microsoft, David worked on early versions of Windows and its core networking infrastructure, and on transmission protocols, security, data visualizations, and multiple emerging cloud technologies.

David is passionate about education, serving as a School Board director for over 10 years, advocating at state and federal levels for increased learning standards, and has taught over 40,000 students through multiple technology courses. He has an awarded patent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) object detection and social posting methodologies, and is the founder and CEO of the blockchain company that created IronWeave, the unlimited scale blockchain platform, based on his patent-pending blockchain innovations and inventions.

Learn to decipher and solve almost any problem with your PC.

Don't spend your hard-earned cash on expensive PC repairs! The vast majority of the problems people experience with their computers are completely avoidable, and most can be solved with nothing more than a few minutes of your time. Intro to PC Troubleshooting takes you step by step through the typical hardware and operating system problems encountered by technicians, teaching troubleshooting techniques to decipher any problem, and giving you the skills you need to solve them.

Once you've mastered the basics, the course launches into some of the more advanced and nasty problems that crop up in the PC, teaching you how to diagnose and fix those problems as well! Finally, Intro to PC Troubleshooting shows you how to maintain and optimize a Windows PC. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to troubleshoot and fix some PCs!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
• You will also need access to one or more computers that do not contain any data you consider sensitive.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Don't spend your hard-earned cash on PC repairs that you can fix yourself with a little troubleshooting knowledge. This course takes you step-by-step through typical hardware and operating system problems and gives you the skills you need to solve them as you learn to maintain and optimize a Windows PC.

The Computing Process

This lesson starts you on the path to troubleshooting PCs like a pro. You'll first look at input devices, or how you tell the computer to do stuff. In the second part of the lesson, you'll explore the pieces that do the work inside the computer. The final section describes the output devices, where the computer communicates to you.

Troubleshooting Theory

This lesson will take you through the troubleshooting process. It's not a guide to solving specific computer problems, but the steps explained here will enable you to tackle any computer problems you might encounter. The three main steps are identifying the problem, testing solutions, and completing the process.

Operating System Overview

This lesson introduces you to some of the basic components and tools of an operating system. First, you'll find out about the primary functions of operating systems. You'll then explore the major parts of Microsoft Windows, including the Desktop and Windows Explorer. You'll finish the lesson by learning about the most important troubleshooting tools for fixing operating systems.

OS Fixes

This lesson leads you through the basic steps of troubleshooting an operating system, including startup, video, sound, and application errors. You'll look at tools like Safe Mode and the System Configuration utility and learn about driver rollback. You'll end the lesson by learning how to troubleshoot audio/visual errors.

Avoiding OS Obstacles

How would you like to prevent system problems instead of rushing to fix them? In this lesson, you'll master the three most important types of preventive maintenance: backing up data that's on a hard drive, updating or upgrading the operating system, and using Windows utilities that help you monitor and maintain the OS.

Networking Basics

This lesson covers the basics of networking. First, you'll find out how networks work and what the necessary components are for a wired network. Next, you'll discover wireless networks and everything that separates them from their wired-network brethren. Finally, you'll learn about the biggest network of them all, the Internet.

Troubleshooting Network and Internet Issues

This lesson covers the steps to take when trying to fix your network or Internet connections. You'll learn how to troubleshoot wired and wireless networks, share files, and fix a dial-up or broadband Internet connection.

Preventing Internet Problems

Keep your computer safe from Internet-based attacks, including viruses and spyware! You'll discover the many types of malicious software that can infect your computer, and go through the five-step process of recovering from a virus infection. You'll also read about safe browsing and safe email use and find out how to configure a firewall to help defend your PC.

Introduction to PC Hardware

All PC techs needs to get their hands dirty eventually, which means diving inside the case and checking things out from the inside. In this lesson, you'll learn about the power of different PC parts, including what to look for when shopping for new parts. The lesson will also guide you through the safe and proper handling of components.

Installing Hardware

Replacing hardware components can dramatically improve your PC's performance. For instance, RAM can speed up your computer, a second hard drive increases your data storage capacity, and expansion cards can add features and ports to your computer. In this lesson, you'll learn to handle RAM, hard drives, and expansion cards.

Maintaining Hardware

Dirt happens! You can't make your PC last forever, but you can make it last longer and run better by keeping it clean. Get out your canned air and your distilled water (but not your pencil erasers or your household vacuum cleaner), and learn safe and effective ways to check, clean, and maintain the inside and outside of your computer. You'll also learn about how to donate an old computer and how to throw away a computer without losing data or harming the environment.

Life of a PC Troubleshooter

You've come a long way since the beginning of this course. Before you complete your PC troubleshooting training, you'll be reminded about the computing process and troubleshooting theory. Combined with your new knowledge of PC hardware, software, and networking, you can use these tools to fix all sorts of problems. You'll learn more about your future as a PC troubleshooter, including the certifications and careers available to anyone with the right skills.

What you will learn

• Learn the typical hardware and operating system problems encountered by technicians
• Gain the skills you need to solve common PC problems
• Learn how to diagnose and fix more advanced problems as well
• Learn how to maintain and optimize a Windows PC

How you will benefit

• Save time and money by learning to diagnose and troubleshoot common computer problems that you may encounter personally and professionally
• Gain confidence as you learn to fix problems on your PC and business computers
• Open the door to new career opportunities as the go to person for technology issues in most companies

David Rush has been an IT instructor and expert for over 35 years with degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering. He has been the senior instructor for the industry leader in CompTIA certification books, videos, and learning tools for the past 11 years.

In this capacity, Dave has taught computer technology, A+, and Network+ to the FBI, DEA, CIA, and other federal law enforcement agencies. He also creates train-the-trainer courses and materials for educational institutions. He conducts weekly, live online seminars on using Raspberry Pi computers and Linux as tools to foster studies toward CompTIA certifications.

In addition to his involvement in IT instruction, Dave has had a wide and varied career, including time as an airline pilot with U.S. and international airlines.

Learn to decipher and solve almost any problem with your PC.

Don't spend your hard-earned cash on expensive PC repairs! The vast majority of the problems people experience with their computers are completely avoidable, and most can be solved with nothing more than a few minutes of your time. Intro to PC Troubleshooting takes you step by step through the typical hardware and operating system problems encountered by technicians, teaching troubleshooting techniques to decipher any problem, and giving you the skills you need to solve them.

Once you've mastered the basics, the course launches into some of the more advanced and nasty problems that crop up in the PC, teaching you how to diagnose and fix those problems as well! Finally, Intro to PC Troubleshooting shows you how to maintain and optimize a Windows PC. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to troubleshoot and fix some PCs!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
• You will also need access to one or more computers that do not contain any data you consider sensitive.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Don't spend your hard-earned cash on PC repairs that you can fix yourself with a little troubleshooting knowledge. This course takes you step-by-step through typical hardware and operating system problems and gives you the skills you need to solve them as you learn to maintain and optimize a Windows PC.

The Computing Process

This lesson starts you on the path to troubleshooting PCs like a pro. You'll first look at input devices, or how you tell the computer to do stuff. In the second part of the lesson, you'll explore the pieces that do the work inside the computer. The final section describes the output devices, where the computer communicates to you.

Troubleshooting Theory

This lesson will take you through the troubleshooting process. It's not a guide to solving specific computer problems, but the steps explained here will enable you to tackle any computer problems you might encounter. The three main steps are identifying the problem, testing solutions, and completing the process.

Operating System Overview

This lesson introduces you to some of the basic components and tools of an operating system. First, you'll find out about the primary functions of operating systems. You'll then explore the major parts of Microsoft Windows, including the Desktop and Windows Explorer. You'll finish the lesson by learning about the most important troubleshooting tools for fixing operating systems.

OS Fixes

This lesson leads you through the basic steps of troubleshooting an operating system, including startup, video, sound, and application errors. You'll look at tools like Safe Mode and the System Configuration utility and learn about driver rollback. You'll end the lesson by learning how to troubleshoot audio/visual errors.

Avoiding OS Obstacles

How would you like to prevent system problems instead of rushing to fix them? In this lesson, you'll master the three most important types of preventive maintenance: backing up data that's on a hard drive, updating or upgrading the operating system, and using Windows utilities that help you monitor and maintain the OS.

Networking Basics

This lesson covers the basics of networking. First, you'll find out how networks work and what the necessary components are for a wired network. Next, you'll discover wireless networks and everything that separates them from their wired-network brethren. Finally, you'll learn about the biggest network of them all, the Internet.

Troubleshooting Network and Internet Issues

This lesson covers the steps to take when trying to fix your network or Internet connections. You'll learn how to troubleshoot wired and wireless networks, share files, and fix a dial-up or broadband Internet connection.

Preventing Internet Problems

Keep your computer safe from Internet-based attacks, including viruses and spyware! You'll discover the many types of malicious software that can infect your computer, and go through the five-step process of recovering from a virus infection. You'll also read about safe browsing and safe email use and find out how to configure a firewall to help defend your PC.

Introduction to PC Hardware

All PC techs needs to get their hands dirty eventually, which means diving inside the case and checking things out from the inside. In this lesson, you'll learn about the power of different PC parts, including what to look for when shopping for new parts. The lesson will also guide you through the safe and proper handling of components.

Installing Hardware

Replacing hardware components can dramatically improve your PC's performance. For instance, RAM can speed up your computer, a second hard drive increases your data storage capacity, and expansion cards can add features and ports to your computer. In this lesson, you'll learn to handle RAM, hard drives, and expansion cards.

Maintaining Hardware

Dirt happens! You can't make your PC last forever, but you can make it last longer and run better by keeping it clean. Get out your canned air and your distilled water (but not your pencil erasers or your household vacuum cleaner), and learn safe and effective ways to check, clean, and maintain the inside and outside of your computer. You'll also learn about how to donate an old computer and how to throw away a computer without losing data or harming the environment.

Life of a PC Troubleshooter

You've come a long way since the beginning of this course. Before you complete your PC troubleshooting training, you'll be reminded about the computing process and troubleshooting theory. Combined with your new knowledge of PC hardware, software, and networking, you can use these tools to fix all sorts of problems. You'll learn more about your future as a PC troubleshooter, including the certifications and careers available to anyone with the right skills.

What you will learn

• Learn the typical hardware and operating system problems encountered by technicians
• Gain the skills you need to solve common PC problems
• Learn how to diagnose and fix more advanced problems as well
• Learn how to maintain and optimize a Windows PC

How you will benefit

• Save time and money by learning to diagnose and troubleshoot common computer problems that you may encounter personally and professionally
• Gain confidence as you learn to fix problems on your PC and business computers
• Open the door to new career opportunities as the go to person for technology issues in most companies

David Rush has been an IT instructor and expert for over 35 years with degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering. He has been the senior instructor for the industry leader in CompTIA certification books, videos, and learning tools for the past 11 years.

In this capacity, Dave has taught computer technology, A+, and Network+ to the FBI, DEA, CIA, and other federal law enforcement agencies. He also creates train-the-trainer courses and materials for educational institutions. He conducts weekly, live online seminars on using Raspberry Pi computers and Linux as tools to foster studies toward CompTIA certifications.

In addition to his involvement in IT instruction, Dave has had a wide and varied career, including time as an airline pilot with U.S. and international airlines.

Take your first steps toward a career as a computer programmer as you master basic programming concepts and get hands-on practice in writing applications containing GUIs, sound, and graphics.

Take your first steps toward a career as a computer programmer! In this course, you'll learn to use Just BASIC, a free Windows programming language, to create stand-alone applications for professional or personal use.

Even if you've never programmed before, you'll find it easy to follow the step-by-step instructions in each lesson. By the end of the course, you'll have the skills and confidence you need to program in BASIC and design your own custom applications for home, school, or work.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. Macs are not compatible.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Take your first steps toward a career as a computer programmer as you get hands-on practice writing applications containing GUIs, sound, and graphics. This course will provide the skills and confidence you need to program in BASIC and design your own custom applications for home, school, or work.

Getting Started With Just BASIC

For many people, the prospect of learning how to become a computer programmer is more than a little scary. Fortunately, you'll soon learn that you don't have to be a computer genius to learn how to program. You'll begin by going through a brief history of the evolution of computer programming. The lesson will cover some basic programming concepts and terms and will then zero in specifically on Just BASIC, the programming language that you'll use throughout the course. You'll then download and install Just BASIC, and at the conclusion of the lesson, you'll create and execute your first Just BASIC program!

Creating Programs With Just Basic

In order to work with any programming language, you need access to a set of software tools. These tools include such things as a code editor, a compiler or interpreter, and a source code debugger. This lesson will introduce you to the resources that Just BASIC provides. You'll see how you can use these tools to develop software applications and spend some time getting comfortable with Just BASIC's code editor. You'll learn how to configure it to suit your personal preferences and work habits. Finally, for some great practice, you'll create your first actual computer game: the Legend of Mighty Molly.

Creating Windows for Graphical User Interfaces

You'll begin this lesson by exploring how to create the fundamental building blocks of Windows application GUIs. You'll learn how to create different types of windows, including regular windows, text windows, graphics windows, and dialog windows. The lesson will also cover some of the finer details of creating windows, such as how to set foreground and background colors and how to set font attributes. You'll close out the lesson by creating the Math Madness computer game, which will give you some great practice in working with GUIs.

Adding Controls to Windows

You already know how windows work, but most desktop application user interfaces are more than just windows. They also consist of a collection of interface controls, such as buttons and text boxes. So controls are what you'll concentrate on in this lesson. Just BASIC allows you to create many different types of controls. You'll look at each of Just BASIC's controls in detail and then examine each one's programming syntax. As always, there will be a cool application project for you to develop: the Lottery Picker application. By the end of this lesson, you should feel confident in your ability to create attractive, user-friendly graphical interfaces.

Working With Controls and FreeForm-J

In this lesson, you'll continue your exploration of GUI elements. The lesson will show you how to fine-tune your controls to make them do exactly what you want them to do. Then, you'll learn how to build application menus, an integral part of many applications. Next, you'll dig into FreeForm-J, the powerful Just BASIC application that allows you to visually design your GUIs. You'll wrap things up with a quick look at Just BASIC's built-in dialogs, prebuilt tools that can communicate with users and even collect small amounts of information. You'll also work on another project application: the Family Photo Album. This application will test all that you've learned so far about GUI elements.

Working With Variables and Arrays

The subject for this lesson is the retrieval and storage of data in computer memory. Specifically, you'll be digging into how to store and retrieve individual pieces of data in variables. You'll also take a look at how to store groups of data using arrays, including the rules to follow when naming variables and arrays. Another important topic is the different types of data that can be stored, along with how to convert numbers to strings and vice versa. To test your newfound knowledge, you'll create a computer application called the Ask Mustafa game.

Making Decisions With Conditional Logic

To create complex applications, a computer program needs a way of evaluating different values to determine a logical direction in which to proceed. As a programmer, you can do this with conditional programming statements that use mathematical, comparison, and logical operators. That's what you'll focus on in this lesson. With conditional logic, you can create applications that react differently depending on the data that they receive. This provides an interactive user experience and programs that are adaptive enough to handle different types of situations. To illustrate how conditional logic works, you'll wrap up the lesson with a project application called the Karaoke Night game.

Using Loops to Process Data

In this lesson, you'll learn how to create and work with loops. Loops are code blocks that repeat a series of programming statements over and over again. Using loops, you can develop applications that can process large amounts of data using a minimum number of programming statements. You'll look at how to use a number of different types of loops and learn the types of situations that each type of loop is best for. By the end of this lesson, you should feel confident enough in your knowledge of loops to create the Guess My Number game.

Functions and Subroutines

The larger your applications become, the more complicated your program code becomes. One effective way of making your programs easier to create and maintain is to break them up into small parts, called procedures. In this lesson, you'll learn how to work with two types of procedures: subroutines and functions. You'll learn how to pass data to your subroutines and functions for processing. You'll also learn how to return data back from functions. This lesson's application project is the BASIC BlackJack game, which will give you the opportunity to practice working with subroutines and functions.

Working With Text Files

Like most other programming languages, Just BASIC allows you to interact with your computer's file system. You can retrieve information about your computer's drives, and you can open files, read from them, write to them, and close them. As such, you can create reports, documents, and log files, so that's what you'll focus on in this lesson. The application for lesson is the Tic Tac Toe game. It's a project that will exercise many of the programming muscles that you've developed throughout the course so far.

Working With Sound and Graphics

It's no secret that graphical user interfaces provide users with a stimulating interactive experience. Some programming languages, including Just BASIC, allow you to take things a step further by integrating sound and graphics into desktop applications, so that's what you'll focus on in this lesson. You'll learn how to draw custom graphics and how to incorporate WAV and MIDI sounds into your Windows applications. You'll also work on a new project application that should be a lot of fun: the Slot Machine game.

Debugging Your Applications

In this final lesson, you'll learn how to track down and deal with the errors that inevitably crop up when you develop a new software application. Program errors can occur for any number of reasons, so this lesson will show you the fundamental steps for identifying and correcting them. You'll learn about the development of error handling procedures and investigate using Just BASIC's debugger as a means of keeping an eye on the internal operation of your programs. Your final project application will be to develop a computer version of that old classic, the Hangman game. On the surface, it seems like a simple program, but it will put all of your new Just BASIC skills to the test.

What you will learn

• Explore the BASIC programming language
• Learn how to work with graphical user interfaces, controls, variables, arrays, conditional logic, and loops
• Examine subroutines, functions, and debugging
• Discover how to add sound and graphics to your Just BASIC programs
• Create a working computer-game application

How you will benefit

• Gain the skills and confidence you need to program in BASIC and design your own custom applications for home, school, or work
• Learn to create computer applications for work or for your own personal enjoyment
• Take your first steps toward a career as a computer programmer

Richard Blum has been an IT industry professional for over 20 years, working mainly as a network and systems administrator. During this time, he has worked with Microsoft, Novell, Unix, and Linux servers, and has created websites using a variety of different programming languages. Blum is the author of several programming and systems administration books, including Professional Assembly Language, C# Network Programming, PostgreSQL 8 for Windows, Sendmail for Linux, Postfix, and Network Performance Open Source Toolkit.

Take your first steps toward a career as a computer programmer as you master basic programming concepts and get hands-on practice in writing applications containing GUIs, sound, and graphics.

Take your first steps toward a career as a computer programmer! In this course, you'll learn to use Just BASIC, a free Windows programming language, to create stand-alone applications for professional or personal use.

Even if you've never programmed before, you'll find it easy to follow the step-by-step instructions in each lesson. By the end of the course, you'll have the skills and confidence you need to program in BASIC and design your own custom applications for home, school, or work.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course must be taken on a PC. Macs are not compatible.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Take your first steps toward a career as a computer programmer as you get hands-on practice writing applications containing GUIs, sound, and graphics. This course will provide the skills and confidence you need to program in BASIC and design your own custom applications for home, school, or work.

Getting Started With Just BASIC

For many people, the prospect of learning how to become a computer programmer is more than a little scary. Fortunately, you'll soon learn that you don't have to be a computer genius to learn how to program. You'll begin by going through a brief history of the evolution of computer programming. The lesson will cover some basic programming concepts and terms and will then zero in specifically on Just BASIC, the programming language that you'll use throughout the course. You'll then download and install Just BASIC, and at the conclusion of the lesson, you'll create and execute your first Just BASIC program!

Creating Programs With Just Basic

In order to work with any programming language, you need access to a set of software tools. These tools include such things as a code editor, a compiler or interpreter, and a source code debugger. This lesson will introduce you to the resources that Just BASIC provides. You'll see how you can use these tools to develop software applications and spend some time getting comfortable with Just BASIC's code editor. You'll learn how to configure it to suit your personal preferences and work habits. Finally, for some great practice, you'll create your first actual computer game: the Legend of Mighty Molly.

Creating Windows for Graphical User Interfaces

You'll begin this lesson by exploring how to create the fundamental building blocks of Windows application GUIs. You'll learn how to create different types of windows, including regular windows, text windows, graphics windows, and dialog windows. The lesson will also cover some of the finer details of creating windows, such as how to set foreground and background colors and how to set font attributes. You'll close out the lesson by creating the Math Madness computer game, which will give you some great practice in working with GUIs.

Adding Controls to Windows

You already know how windows work, but most desktop application user interfaces are more than just windows. They also consist of a collection of interface controls, such as buttons and text boxes. So controls are what you'll concentrate on in this lesson. Just BASIC allows you to create many different types of controls. You'll look at each of Just BASIC's controls in detail and then examine each one's programming syntax. As always, there will be a cool application project for you to develop: the Lottery Picker application. By the end of this lesson, you should feel confident in your ability to create attractive, user-friendly graphical interfaces.

Working With Controls and FreeForm-J

In this lesson, you'll continue your exploration of GUI elements. The lesson will show you how to fine-tune your controls to make them do exactly what you want them to do. Then, you'll learn how to build application menus, an integral part of many applications. Next, you'll dig into FreeForm-J, the powerful Just BASIC application that allows you to visually design your GUIs. You'll wrap things up with a quick look at Just BASIC's built-in dialogs, prebuilt tools that can communicate with users and even collect small amounts of information. You'll also work on another project application: the Family Photo Album. This application will test all that you've learned so far about GUI elements.

Working With Variables and Arrays

The subject for this lesson is the retrieval and storage of data in computer memory. Specifically, you'll be digging into how to store and retrieve individual pieces of data in variables. You'll also take a look at how to store groups of data using arrays, including the rules to follow when naming variables and arrays. Another important topic is the different types of data that can be stored, along with how to convert numbers to strings and vice versa. To test your newfound knowledge, you'll create a computer application called the Ask Mustafa game.

Making Decisions With Conditional Logic

To create complex applications, a computer program needs a way of evaluating different values to determine a logical direction in which to proceed. As a programmer, you can do this with conditional programming statements that use mathematical, comparison, and logical operators. That's what you'll focus on in this lesson. With conditional logic, you can create applications that react differently depending on the data that they receive. This provides an interactive user experience and programs that are adaptive enough to handle different types of situations. To illustrate how conditional logic works, you'll wrap up the lesson with a project application called the Karaoke Night game.

Using Loops to Process Data

In this lesson, you'll learn how to create and work with loops. Loops are code blocks that repeat a series of programming statements over and over again. Using loops, you can develop applications that can process large amounts of data using a minimum number of programming statements. You'll look at how to use a number of different types of loops and learn the types of situations that each type of loop is best for. By the end of this lesson, you should feel confident enough in your knowledge of loops to create the Guess My Number game.

Functions and Subroutines

The larger your applications become, the more complicated your program code becomes. One effective way of making your programs easier to create and maintain is to break them up into small parts, called procedures. In this lesson, you'll learn how to work with two types of procedures: subroutines and functions. You'll learn how to pass data to your subroutines and functions for processing. You'll also learn how to return data back from functions. This lesson's application project is the BASIC BlackJack game, which will give you the opportunity to practice working with subroutines and functions.

Working With Text Files

Like most other programming languages, Just BASIC allows you to interact with your computer's file system. You can retrieve information about your computer's drives, and you can open files, read from them, write to them, and close them. As such, you can create reports, documents, and log files, so that's what you'll focus on in this lesson. The application for lesson is the Tic Tac Toe game. It's a project that will exercise many of the programming muscles that you've developed throughout the course so far.

Working With Sound and Graphics

It's no secret that graphical user interfaces provide users with a stimulating interactive experience. Some programming languages, including Just BASIC, allow you to take things a step further by integrating sound and graphics into desktop applications, so that's what you'll focus on in this lesson. You'll learn how to draw custom graphics and how to incorporate WAV and MIDI sounds into your Windows applications. You'll also work on a new project application that should be a lot of fun: the Slot Machine game.

Debugging Your Applications

In this final lesson, you'll learn how to track down and deal with the errors that inevitably crop up when you develop a new software application. Program errors can occur for any number of reasons, so this lesson will show you the fundamental steps for identifying and correcting them. You'll learn about the development of error handling procedures and investigate using Just BASIC's debugger as a means of keeping an eye on the internal operation of your programs. Your final project application will be to develop a computer version of that old classic, the Hangman game. On the surface, it seems like a simple program, but it will put all of your new Just BASIC skills to the test.

What you will learn

• Explore the BASIC programming language
• Learn how to work with graphical user interfaces, controls, variables, arrays, conditional logic, and loops
• Examine subroutines, functions, and debugging
• Discover how to add sound and graphics to your Just BASIC programs
• Create a working computer-game application

How you will benefit

• Gain the skills and confidence you need to program in BASIC and design your own custom applications for home, school, or work
• Learn to create computer applications for work or for your own personal enjoyment
• Take your first steps toward a career as a computer programmer

Richard Blum has been an IT industry professional for over 20 years, working mainly as a network and systems administrator. During this time, he has worked with Microsoft, Novell, Unix, and Linux servers, and has created websites using a variety of different programming languages. Blum is the author of several programming and systems administration books, including Professional Assembly Language, C# Network Programming, PostgreSQL 8 for Windows, Sendmail for Linux, Postfix, and Network Performance Open Source Toolkit.

This course will teach you how to save time by reading faster and with better comprehension.

Are you struggling to keep up with a flood of email, articles, reports, and books? Save yourself hours of time and increase your productivity by learning to read faster and with better comprehension. This course is a complete speed-reading experience. Topics are presented in a logical progression with plenty of time to help you master the skills and techniques you will need for lasting proficiency as a speed-reader.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course will teach you how to save time by reading faster and with better comprehension.

Introduction

On this first day of class, you'll read a story to evaluate your present reading rate. You'll learn how many words per minute you read now, and then you'll compare that number to what percent of the reading material you're really comprehending. You'll also get an opportunity to check out some speed reading accomplishments. Then, you'll complete an eye-span exercise to start you on the path toward becoming a speed reader!

Reading Against Time

In this lesson, you'll practice some basic reading eye movements and learn how they're important to the speed reading process. Then, you'll take a reading rate and comprehension test. Your results will give you a baseline that you can use to chart your speed reading progress in this course, lesson-by-lesson. From there, you can set goals to increase your reading rate while maintaining a good reading comprehension.

Speed Reading Activities

By now, you might feel that the activities you're using to master your speed reading skills are becoming routine and repetitive. For that reason, this lesson will talk about how and why you should continue doing the Regulated Reading, Timed Reading, and Assignment exercises to gain increased reading rates with good reading comprehension. Finally, you'll read some stories that are formatted to help you improve your speed.

Setting Goals

In this lesson, you'll examine the retinal image phenomena and how it relates to a speed reader's eye movements. Speed reading is a skill that's best achieved by doing repetitive practice, so you'll continue working on those exercises that are helping you to improve your speed.

Overcoming Poor Reading Habits

You'll probably find it helpful to work on lesson activities in the same comfortable and familiar surroundings. This lesson will talk about eight bad reading habits that contribute to slow reading, then you'll explore how to overcome them. Finally, you'll review some terminology that's unique to speed reading.

Sixteen Good Speed Reading Practices

In this lesson, you'll look at 16 good speed reading practices you can apply to the course exercises and any other reading you do outside of class. You're at the midpoint in the course, so this is also a good time to compare your reading rate and comprehension scores with those of the former students you read about earlier. From there, you'll set goals for you to meet in the remaining lessons.

Skimming Techniques

You'll probably be reading pretty quickly by the time you reach this lesson, but how can you make sure your comprehension scores are keeping up? In this lesson, you'll look at the skills you'll need to work on to improve your comprehension. You'll find out what keys and identified parts are unique to all stories, and knowing those will help you to improve your comprehension. You'll be glad to learn that you already know a few speed reading skills and techniques as you continue to apply them to the course activities.

Measuring Reading Rates

In this lesson, you'll practice speed reading skills and techniques in real-world reading materials outside of class. You'll learn a method you can use to measure your speed reading rates when you're reading such materials. At this point, you'll be eager to read outside materials, not just for their content, but to further develop your speed reading skills and techniques.

Speed Reading Styles

You're now ready to analyze your personal speed reading style. You'll once again compare your speed reading rate and comprehension scores with those of former students to see how you stack up against others. You'll also compare your current scores with the scores you recorded at the beginning of the course to see how far you've come!

Vocabulary and Comprehension Skills

In this lesson, you'll look at eight word recognition vocabulary skills that you can work into your personal speed reading style. You'll learn how context clues and literal and inferential meanings in stories influence comprehension. All are part of the English language and fit right in with speed reading.

Assessing Your Progress

In this lesson, you'll see if you can figure out which of your behavior patterns are most useful in your own speed reading style. First and foremost, you need flexibility to focus on improving your reading speed, then you need an experimental attitude to get rid of poor reading habits. You'll study how the time you put in and the effort you expend affect your speed reading progress.

Wrapping Up

In the last lesson, you'll look at your personal speed reading accomplishments, as well as your speed reading future. From here on out, you're in the real world of reading, but you'll go into it with a lifelong speed reading skill. You'll learn how to adjust your personal speed reading style to any materials you read, because now you are a speed reader!

What you will learn

• Learn and practice some basic eye movements important to the speed-reading process
• Learn about Regulated Reading, Timed Reading, and Assignment exercises to gain increased reading rates with good comprehension
• Examine the retinal image phenomena and how it relates to a speed-reader's eye movements
• Discover bad reading habits that contribute to slow reading and learn to overcome them
• Learn 16 good speed reading practices you can apply to any reading you do
• Learn skills to improve comprehension
• Learn methods to measure your speed reading rates
• Discover vocabulary skills that you can work into your personal speed-reading style

How you will benefit

• Discover what bad habits you have developed that may contribute to slow reading
• Keep up with the flood of emails, articles, reports, and books that you want and need to read
• Save yourself hours of time and increase your productivity by learning to read faster and with better comprehension

Merrill L. Ream, Ph.D. (Course Author)

Curt Simmons, B.A., M.Ed, is a best-selling author, trainer, and multi-media expert. He holds degrees in English and communication studies and has more than 10 years of experience teaching English and writing in the classroom. Additionally, Simmons has authored numerous books on a wide variety of technology topics and has been a technical editor for numerous other titles.

This course will teach you how to save time by reading faster and with better comprehension.

Are you struggling to keep up with a flood of email, articles, reports, and books? Save yourself hours of time and increase your productivity by learning to read faster and with better comprehension. This course is a complete speed-reading experience. Topics are presented in a logical progression with plenty of time to help you master the skills and techniques you will need for lasting proficiency as a speed-reader.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course will teach you how to save time by reading faster and with better comprehension.

Introduction

On this first day of class, you'll read a story to evaluate your present reading rate. You'll learn how many words per minute you read now, and then you'll compare that number to what percent of the reading material you're really comprehending. You'll also get an opportunity to check out some speed reading accomplishments. Then, you'll complete an eye-span exercise to start you on the path toward becoming a speed reader!

Reading Against Time

In this lesson, you'll practice some basic reading eye movements and learn how they're important to the speed reading process. Then, you'll take a reading rate and comprehension test. Your results will give you a baseline that you can use to chart your speed reading progress in this course, lesson-by-lesson. From there, you can set goals to increase your reading rate while maintaining a good reading comprehension.

Speed Reading Activities

By now, you might feel that the activities you're using to master your speed reading skills are becoming routine and repetitive. For that reason, this lesson will talk about how and why you should continue doing the Regulated Reading, Timed Reading, and Assignment exercises to gain increased reading rates with good reading comprehension. Finally, you'll read some stories that are formatted to help you improve your speed.

Setting Goals

In this lesson, you'll examine the retinal image phenomena and how it relates to a speed reader's eye movements. Speed reading is a skill that's best achieved by doing repetitive practice, so you'll continue working on those exercises that are helping you to improve your speed.

Overcoming Poor Reading Habits

You'll probably find it helpful to work on lesson activities in the same comfortable and familiar surroundings. This lesson will talk about eight bad reading habits that contribute to slow reading, then you'll explore how to overcome them. Finally, you'll review some terminology that's unique to speed reading.

Sixteen Good Speed Reading Practices

In this lesson, you'll look at 16 good speed reading practices you can apply to the course exercises and any other reading you do outside of class. You're at the midpoint in the course, so this is also a good time to compare your reading rate and comprehension scores with those of the former students you read about earlier. From there, you'll set goals for you to meet in the remaining lessons.

Skimming Techniques

You'll probably be reading pretty quickly by the time you reach this lesson, but how can you make sure your comprehension scores are keeping up? In this lesson, you'll look at the skills you'll need to work on to improve your comprehension. You'll find out what keys and identified parts are unique to all stories, and knowing those will help you to improve your comprehension. You'll be glad to learn that you already know a few speed reading skills and techniques as you continue to apply them to the course activities.

Measuring Reading Rates

In this lesson, you'll practice speed reading skills and techniques in real-world reading materials outside of class. You'll learn a method you can use to measure your speed reading rates when you're reading such materials. At this point, you'll be eager to read outside materials, not just for their content, but to further develop your speed reading skills and techniques.

Speed Reading Styles

You're now ready to analyze your personal speed reading style. You'll once again compare your speed reading rate and comprehension scores with those of former students to see how you stack up against others. You'll also compare your current scores with the scores you recorded at the beginning of the course to see how far you've come!

Vocabulary and Comprehension Skills

In this lesson, you'll look at eight word recognition vocabulary skills that you can work into your personal speed reading style. You'll learn how context clues and literal and inferential meanings in stories influence comprehension. All are part of the English language and fit right in with speed reading.

Assessing Your Progress

In this lesson, you'll see if you can figure out which of your behavior patterns are most useful in your own speed reading style. First and foremost, you need flexibility to focus on improving your reading speed, then you need an experimental attitude to get rid of poor reading habits. You'll study how the time you put in and the effort you expend affect your speed reading progress.

Wrapping Up

In the last lesson, you'll look at your personal speed reading accomplishments, as well as your speed reading future. From here on out, you're in the real world of reading, but you'll go into it with a lifelong speed reading skill. You'll learn how to adjust your personal speed reading style to any materials you read, because now you are a speed reader!

What you will learn

• Learn and practice some basic eye movements important to the speed-reading process
• Learn about Regulated Reading, Timed Reading, and Assignment exercises to gain increased reading rates with good comprehension
• Examine the retinal image phenomena and how it relates to a speed-reader's eye movements
• Discover bad reading habits that contribute to slow reading and learn to overcome them
• Learn 16 good speed reading practices you can apply to any reading you do
• Learn skills to improve comprehension
• Learn methods to measure your speed reading rates
• Discover vocabulary skills that you can work into your personal speed-reading style

How you will benefit

• Discover what bad habits you have developed that may contribute to slow reading
• Keep up with the flood of emails, articles, reports, and books that you want and need to read
• Save yourself hours of time and increase your productivity by learning to read faster and with better comprehension

Merrill L. Ream, Ph.D. (Course Author)

Curt Simmons, B.A., M.Ed, is a best-selling author, trainer, and multi-media expert. He holds degrees in English and communication studies and has more than 10 years of experience teaching English and writing in the classroom. Additionally, Simmons has authored numerous books on a wide variety of technology topics and has been a technical editor for numerous other titles.

Learn the fundamentals of music theory. Be able to read, write, and play simple music.

If you enjoy music and would like to know more about what makes it work, this is the course for you. You'll gain a complete understanding of rhythm, melody, and harmony, and you'll be able to recognize pitches on the musical staff and on the keyboard. Each lesson will build on previous lessons, while also introducing new musical concepts.

You'll explore the keyboard in full detail, with an emphasis on the structure of major scale and the signatures of major keys. You will examine the many significant contributions early music theorists made to the understanding of music and be able to build intervals, major scales, and chords. By the time you complete this comprehensive and full-featured course, you'll be able to read, write, and even play simple pieces of music!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
• You must have speakers or headphones.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Gain complete understanding of rhythm, melody, and harmony and recognize pitches on the musical staff and keyboard. By the end of this course, you'll be able to read, write, and even play simple pieces of music!

Overview of Musical Elements

In this first lesson, you'll go through an overview of the major elements of music—melody, harmony, and rhythm. It's important that you understand these general terms because you'll explore each of them in detail in the coming lessons.

Rhythm, Beat, Meter, and Time Signatures

This is your introduction to the concept of rhythm. You'll explore its various components: beat, meter, and time signatures. You'll also learn how to read and apply time signatures to music.

Other Meters, Syncopation, and Tempo

You'll continue exploring meter in this lesson and then look at aspects of rhythm such as syncopation and tempo. You'll learn how and why syncopation is used.

Melody, Staff, Clef Signs, Pitches

In this lesson, you'll delve into the musical concept of melody. You'll learn to read the treble and bass clefs. You'll find out how to read notes found in musical compositions and how to notate pitches to create music.

Pitches Outside of the Staff

For many compositions, pitches are used that do not fall within the pitch range of the musical staff. With this lesson, you'll discover how to notate these pitches through the use of ledger lines.

Finding Pitches on the Keyboard

If you've wanted to learn how to play piano, you'll love this lesson. The focus is on learning the names of the keys on the keyboard. You'll match the pitches from the staff to the keyboard, so you'll be learning to read and play at the same time. By the end, you'll be able to read and play simple songs.

Construction of Major Scales

In this lesson, you'll learn how to build major scales. The scale is the building block for composing a piece of music. You'll find out how to construct a scale on any pitch.

Scale Degrees Names and Early Music Theorists

This lesson introduces you to the names of each member of the scale. Knowing these names will enable you to discuss the functions and roles of each pitch in any key. These concepts have roots in ancient Greece, so you'll learn a little about those who have influenced how people create music.

Major Key Signatures

Having covered major scales, you'll now examine the names of the major keys. You'll learn how to recognize the name of a key by the key signature and how to recognize a scale from the name of the key.

Concept of Harmony

This lesson will discuss the last musical element, harmony. It will focus on creating more than one pitch at a time—the layering of musical pitches. You'll begin by looking at two simultaneous pitches, known as intervals.

Compound Intervals, Interval Inversions, and Triads

In this lesson, you'll continue to explore intervals. One thing you'll learn is how to invert them, which is helpful when you work with chords. You'll also discover how to build three note chords, which are called triads.

Triads and the Tonic Dominant Chordal Relationship

In this final lesson, you'll examine some of the simple relationships between triads. You'll learn how to identify which chord should be used for harmony in simple two chord progressions.

What you will learn

• Learn the fundamentals of music and gain an understanding of how it works
• Develop and understand how meter is used to organize rhythm in music and how to read rhythmic notation
• Examine the contributions of musical theorists from the past and understand music more fully
• Discover the development and construction of musical scales
• Learn to recognize, recite, and even create your own music

How you will benefit

• Gain an invaluable understanding of the origin, function, and creation of music
• Become musically literate in just 6 weeks
• Feel empowered by your ability to read, write, and play music

Marianne Murawski earned her Ph.D. in Music Theory from the University of Maryland, her M.M (master of music) in Music Theory, and her B.A. in Music. Her dissertation, Theory through World Music, focused on developing an introductory music theory course that used world music examples. She has been teaching courses in music fundamentals, music appreciation, history of rock music, and world music at several colleges and universities. She is an active member of the College Music Society, giving presentations at Conferences including an International Conference in Vienna, Austria.

Learn the fundamentals of music theory. Be able to read, write, and play simple music.

If you enjoy music and would like to know more about what makes it work, this is the course for you. You'll gain a complete understanding of rhythm, melody, and harmony, and you'll be able to recognize pitches on the musical staff and on the keyboard. Each lesson will build on previous lessons, while also introducing new musical concepts.

You'll explore the keyboard in full detail, with an emphasis on the structure of major scale and the signatures of major keys. You will examine the many significant contributions early music theorists made to the understanding of music and be able to build intervals, major scales, and chords. By the time you complete this comprehensive and full-featured course, you'll be able to read, write, and even play simple pieces of music!

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
• You must have speakers or headphones.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Gain complete understanding of rhythm, melody, and harmony and recognize pitches on the musical staff and keyboard. By the end of this course, you'll be able to read, write, and even play simple pieces of music!

Overview of Musical Elements

In this first lesson, you'll go through an overview of the major elements of music—melody, harmony, and rhythm. It's important that you understand these general terms because you'll explore each of them in detail in the coming lessons.

Rhythm, Beat, Meter, and Time Signatures

This is your introduction to the concept of rhythm. You'll explore its various components: beat, meter, and time signatures. You'll also learn how to read and apply time signatures to music.

Other Meters, Syncopation, and Tempo

You'll continue exploring meter in this lesson and then look at aspects of rhythm such as syncopation and tempo. You'll learn how and why syncopation is used.

Melody, Staff, Clef Signs, Pitches

In this lesson, you'll delve into the musical concept of melody. You'll learn to read the treble and bass clefs. You'll find out how to read notes found in musical compositions and how to notate pitches to create music.

Pitches Outside of the Staff

For many compositions, pitches are used that do not fall within the pitch range of the musical staff. With this lesson, you'll discover how to notate these pitches through the use of ledger lines.

Finding Pitches on the Keyboard

If you've wanted to learn how to play piano, you'll love this lesson. The focus is on learning the names of the keys on the keyboard. You'll match the pitches from the staff to the keyboard, so you'll be learning to read and play at the same time. By the end, you'll be able to read and play simple songs.

Construction of Major Scales

In this lesson, you'll learn how to build major scales. The scale is the building block for composing a piece of music. You'll find out how to construct a scale on any pitch.

Scale Degrees Names and Early Music Theorists

This lesson introduces you to the names of each member of the scale. Knowing these names will enable you to discuss the functions and roles of each pitch in any key. These concepts have roots in ancient Greece, so you'll learn a little about those who have influenced how people create music.

Major Key Signatures

Having covered major scales, you'll now examine the names of the major keys. You'll learn how to recognize the name of a key by the key signature and how to recognize a scale from the name of the key.

Concept of Harmony

This lesson will discuss the last musical element, harmony. It will focus on creating more than one pitch at a time—the layering of musical pitches. You'll begin by looking at two simultaneous pitches, known as intervals.

Compound Intervals, Interval Inversions, and Triads

In this lesson, you'll continue to explore intervals. One thing you'll learn is how to invert them, which is helpful when you work with chords. You'll also discover how to build three note chords, which are called triads.

Triads and the Tonic Dominant Chordal Relationship

In this final lesson, you'll examine some of the simple relationships between triads. You'll learn how to identify which chord should be used for harmony in simple two chord progressions.

What you will learn

• Learn the fundamentals of music and gain an understanding of how it works
• Develop and understand how meter is used to organize rhythm in music and how to read rhythmic notation
• Examine the contributions of musical theorists from the past and understand music more fully
• Discover the development and construction of musical scales
• Learn to recognize, recite, and even create your own music

How you will benefit

• Gain an invaluable understanding of the origin, function, and creation of music
• Become musically literate in just 6 weeks
• Feel empowered by your ability to read, write, and play music

Marianne Murawski earned her Ph.D. in Music Theory from the University of Maryland, her M.M (master of music) in Music Theory, and her B.A. in Music. Her dissertation, Theory through World Music, focused on developing an introductory music theory course that used world music examples. She has been teaching courses in music fundamentals, music appreciation, history of rock music, and world music at several colleges and universities. She is an active member of the College Music Society, giving presentations at Conferences including an International Conference in Vienna, Austria.

Learn how to get control of your money once and for all.

Ever get frustrated that you never seem to get ahead? Are you and your family constantly arguing about money? Do you ever wonder where your money went last month? Do you have trouble saving money? Want to work on paying down your debt, but don't know where to find the money? This course will teach you the very basics of how to get control of your finances rather than letting them control you. It is the help you need before learning about investing, debt elimination, retirement or college planning. There aren't many places that you can go to learn these principles, so take advantage of this opportunity to learn online.

Start to make conscious decisions about spending and saving. Find out where your money goes. Make your own informed choices about where you want it to go. Learn how to fund your dreams and how to save money for everything from emergencies to vacations. If you have ever felt lost about where to start working on your finances, this course is for you. You can't afford not to take this course and change your habits. This course is an investment in your future and you will save the cost of the course many times over by applying what you learn.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Learn how to make conscious decisions about spending and saving so you can take full control of your financial future. This course will teach you the principles of investing, debt elimination, and retirement planning.

Why Know Where All Your Money Goes?

Why know where all your money goes? This lesson will inspire you to take this course and find out the answer! This lesson will talk about why someone would want to set up a Spending Plan. It will discuss the difference between the Planning Mindset and the "I Want It Now" Mindset, as well as the ways that either mindset affects your everyday life. You'll look at lifestyles and how people usually choose them subconsciously. Then, you'll find out how to examine yours, and whether you want to make any changes. The lesson will also discuss The Black Hole of Monthly Payments: what it is, how it works, and why you'll want to learn how to avoid it. This lesson is the foundation of all of the ones that follow, because it will get you excited to learn why to get control of your own money.

Looking Back Then Planning Ahead

In this lesson, you'll begin the work of tracking your money by learning how to create a Net Worth Statement. You'll look at how your personality affects your attitude towards money, and how to manage money in marriage and relationships. Then, you'll learn about why you should set some goals for yourself and work on writing your own financial Wish List.

Checkbook and Record Keeping

This lesson begins with a discussion about the importance of your checkbook. It will discuss various banking topics like ATM transactions and debit cards and how to choose the right bank account. Then, you'll delve into how to create a Mail Station and a Bill Paying Station as a place to organize yourself for paying your bills. The lesson will also cover how to keep all of your paperwork—from what to save to how to create a filing system.

How to Balance Your Checkbook and Credit Cards

This lesson is the backbone of good money management. You'll learn how to balance your checkbook and how this task affects all of your money issues. You'll also take a look at keeping track of your credit card statements.

Debt Is a Four-Letter Word

In this lesson, you'll examine that enemy to financial freedom: debt. You'll look at how to know if you're in debt trouble and compile your own personal debt list. The lesson will also discuss tax debt and explain the best ways to pay debt off in general. Finally, you'll work on prioritizing your debt so that you know what to pay off first.

Looking Back: Assembling Data and Historical Costs

In this lesson, you'll look at your spending habits and where you've been spending your money. You'll create a list of expense categories, and then create a Historical Costs Worksheet to examine where your money has been going. The lesson will also discuss how to keep a cash log to track where your cash gets spent. Very few people know the answer to this! But you will after completing this lesson and its assignments.

Planning Ahead: Drafting Your First Spending Plan

In this lesson, you'll learn to change the way you manage your money, which begins with drafting your first Spending Plan. The lesson will discuss how a Spending Plan works, and you'll look at how to create one using your Historical Costs Worksheet as a base. Then, you'll compare your figures with standard guideline percentages to see where your Spending Plan might be off.

Paying Bills With a Bill Paying Plan

Now it's time to set up some detail about how to work your Spending Plan. You'll start by learning how to create a Bill Paying Plan. This will show you what bills to pay when. The lesson will also discuss getting an allowance and how this will help you manage your spending.

Keeping Your Spending Plan on Track, Part One

In this lesson, you'll go to the heart of how to really use your Spending Plan with the Envelope System. You'll examine what it is, how it works, and why it's superior to other methods of budgeting. All of the other lessons build up to this one.

Keeping Your Spending Plan on Track, Part Two

In this lesson, you'll look at the guts of the Envelope System and examine it in detail. This is the nitty-gritty, how-to lesson that pulls together everything you've done so far.

Avoiding Temptations to Get Off Track

This lesson will discuss common temptations to overspending, including your personal spending weaknesses, keeping up with the Joneses, housing and transportation issues, and teaching kids about money. If you're not careful, these things can pull you off track.

Saving, Investing, and Conclusion

In this last lesson, you'll look at why and how to save, and how to best use your savings account. You'll explore stocks, bonds, mutual funds, retirement accounts, and saving for college. You'll also review your Wish List now that you've learned how to better handle your money. At the end of this lesson and this course, you'll be able to confidently answer the question "Where Does All My Money Go?" and experience the freedom that comes from not worrying about money any more!

What you will learn

• Learn the reasons you should plan ahead for your lifestyle
• Identify where you are and where you want to go
• Learn how to set up a record keeping system
• Understand how to balance a checkbook
• Discover how to deal with debt
• Draft a spending and bill paying plan
• Learn the envelope system
• Discover how to deal with temptations that get you off track
• Explore saving and investing

How you will benefit

• Take control of your finances by learning to pay down debt, live within your means, and even start saving
• Gain better relationships with your family and friends once you're not as stressed about money
• Learn how to fund your dreams and how to save money for everything from emergencies to vacations

Matt Crabtree, CFP ®, earned his Bachelor of Science in Business, Information Systems Management, in 1999, a mini MBA certificate from The School of Management at Yale University in 2004, a certificate in Financial Planning from Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business in 2012 and has received the financial industry's most rigorous and prestigious professional designation of Certified Financial Planner ™. After many years in project management, office management, and business sales, Matt began training individuals and organizations in areas of business finance, leadership development, successful negotiations, sales management, and customer service excellence. Matt has trained individuals and various units within the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as corporate organizations including IBM (technology), Accuray (healthcare-technology), and Gen-Probe (molecular diagnostics). Matt's natural aptitude for explaining his material in an easy-to-understand and enjoyable manner allows each student to gain insights into areas that are often considered challenging.

Learn how to get control of your money once and for all.

Ever get frustrated that you never seem to get ahead? Are you and your family constantly arguing about money? Do you ever wonder where your money went last month? Do you have trouble saving money? Want to work on paying down your debt, but don't know where to find the money? This course will teach you the very basics of how to get control of your finances rather than letting them control you. It is the help you need before learning about investing, debt elimination, retirement or college planning. There aren't many places that you can go to learn these principles, so take advantage of this opportunity to learn online.

Start to make conscious decisions about spending and saving. Find out where your money goes. Make your own informed choices about where you want it to go. Learn how to fund your dreams and how to save money for everything from emergencies to vacations. If you have ever felt lost about where to start working on your finances, this course is for you. You can't afford not to take this course and change your habits. This course is an investment in your future and you will save the cost of the course many times over by applying what you learn.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Learn how to make conscious decisions about spending and saving so you can take full control of your financial future. This course will teach you the principles of investing, debt elimination, and retirement planning.

Why Know Where All Your Money Goes?

Why know where all your money goes? This lesson will inspire you to take this course and find out the answer! This lesson will talk about why someone would want to set up a Spending Plan. It will discuss the difference between the Planning Mindset and the "I Want It Now" Mindset, as well as the ways that either mindset affects your everyday life. You'll look at lifestyles and how people usually choose them subconsciously. Then, you'll find out how to examine yours, and whether you want to make any changes. The lesson will also discuss The Black Hole of Monthly Payments: what it is, how it works, and why you'll want to learn how to avoid it. This lesson is the foundation of all of the ones that follow, because it will get you excited to learn why to get control of your own money.

Looking Back Then Planning Ahead

In this lesson, you'll begin the work of tracking your money by learning how to create a Net Worth Statement. You'll look at how your personality affects your attitude towards money, and how to manage money in marriage and relationships. Then, you'll learn about why you should set some goals for yourself and work on writing your own financial Wish List.

Checkbook and Record Keeping

This lesson begins with a discussion about the importance of your checkbook. It will discuss various banking topics like ATM transactions and debit cards and how to choose the right bank account. Then, you'll delve into how to create a Mail Station and a Bill Paying Station as a place to organize yourself for paying your bills. The lesson will also cover how to keep all of your paperwork—from what to save to how to create a filing system.

How to Balance Your Checkbook and Credit Cards

This lesson is the backbone of good money management. You'll learn how to balance your checkbook and how this task affects all of your money issues. You'll also take a look at keeping track of your credit card statements.

Debt Is a Four-Letter Word

In this lesson, you'll examine that enemy to financial freedom: debt. You'll look at how to know if you're in debt trouble and compile your own personal debt list. The lesson will also discuss tax debt and explain the best ways to pay debt off in general. Finally, you'll work on prioritizing your debt so that you know what to pay off first.

Looking Back: Assembling Data and Historical Costs

In this lesson, you'll look at your spending habits and where you've been spending your money. You'll create a list of expense categories, and then create a Historical Costs Worksheet to examine where your money has been going. The lesson will also discuss how to keep a cash log to track where your cash gets spent. Very few people know the answer to this! But you will after completing this lesson and its assignments.

Planning Ahead: Drafting Your First Spending Plan

In this lesson, you'll learn to change the way you manage your money, which begins with drafting your first Spending Plan. The lesson will discuss how a Spending Plan works, and you'll look at how to create one using your Historical Costs Worksheet as a base. Then, you'll compare your figures with standard guideline percentages to see where your Spending Plan might be off.

Paying Bills With a Bill Paying Plan

Now it's time to set up some detail about how to work your Spending Plan. You'll start by learning how to create a Bill Paying Plan. This will show you what bills to pay when. The lesson will also discuss getting an allowance and how this will help you manage your spending.

Keeping Your Spending Plan on Track, Part One

In this lesson, you'll go to the heart of how to really use your Spending Plan with the Envelope System. You'll examine what it is, how it works, and why it's superior to other methods of budgeting. All of the other lessons build up to this one.

Keeping Your Spending Plan on Track, Part Two

In this lesson, you'll look at the guts of the Envelope System and examine it in detail. This is the nitty-gritty, how-to lesson that pulls together everything you've done so far.

Avoiding Temptations to Get Off Track

This lesson will discuss common temptations to overspending, including your personal spending weaknesses, keeping up with the Joneses, housing and transportation issues, and teaching kids about money. If you're not careful, these things can pull you off track.

Saving, Investing, and Conclusion

In this last lesson, you'll look at why and how to save, and how to best use your savings account. You'll explore stocks, bonds, mutual funds, retirement accounts, and saving for college. You'll also review your Wish List now that you've learned how to better handle your money. At the end of this lesson and this course, you'll be able to confidently answer the question "Where Does All My Money Go?" and experience the freedom that comes from not worrying about money any more!

What you will learn

• Learn the reasons you should plan ahead for your lifestyle
• Identify where you are and where you want to go
• Learn how to set up a record keeping system
• Understand how to balance a checkbook
• Discover how to deal with debt
• Draft a spending and bill paying plan
• Learn the envelope system
• Discover how to deal with temptations that get you off track
• Explore saving and investing

How you will benefit

• Take control of your finances by learning to pay down debt, live within your means, and even start saving
• Gain better relationships with your family and friends once you're not as stressed about money
• Learn how to fund your dreams and how to save money for everything from emergencies to vacations

Matt Crabtree, CFP ®, earned his Bachelor of Science in Business, Information Systems Management, in 1999, a mini MBA certificate from The School of Management at Yale University in 2004, a certificate in Financial Planning from Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business in 2012 and has received the financial industry's most rigorous and prestigious professional designation of Certified Financial Planner ™. After many years in project management, office management, and business sales, Matt began training individuals and organizations in areas of business finance, leadership development, successful negotiations, sales management, and customer service excellence. Matt has trained individuals and various units within the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as corporate organizations including IBM (technology), Accuray (healthcare-technology), and Gen-Probe (molecular diagnostics). Matt's natural aptitude for explaining his material in an easy-to-understand and enjoyable manner allows each student to gain insights into areas that are often considered challenging.

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin writing grant proposals, including real-world scenarios, and the opportunity to improve their work by reviewing previous grant proposals completed by peers.

A to Z Grant Writing will take you through the planning process for documenting the need for funding in a Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. Beginning with writing about what will be implemented (your vision for change and impact) when the project is funded, the worksheet begins to come to life. Exploring why funding is needed is the beginning of articulating the statement of need. You will learn how to document your projection of how, when funded, your project will initiate change. Once you’ve created the project’s goals, the worksheet asks for inputs or resources (mirroring a logic model’s format). Your thought processes and imagination will be tested in the implementation activities & timeline section. You’ll also have a chance to develop outputs and outcomes for the planned project. Finally, you’ll learn how to develop a project budget. Where does all of this lead? Every lesson is one step closer to having 100% of the information you’ll need to write a highly competitive grant proposal. Additional features include six teachable moments videos and six choose your own adventure branching scenarios to fuel your creative thinking processes.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word or equivalent word processor (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin the planning process for projects in need of grant funding. An approach to grantseeking begins with thinking about why the funding is needed and involving the grant applicant’s stakeholders in the planning process.

Grant Writer Roles

This first lesson will explore the roles of a grant writer. You will learn about the grant writing profession, what a grant writer does, and, most importantly, the work ethics of a grant writer. As an employee or consultant, realizing just how much a grant writer is expected to do will help you understand the grant profession and the multiple job titles of people who are assigned to write grant requests. By the end of the lesson, you will have had an extensive overview of the field of grant writing and the expected ethics of a grant writer.

Grant Funding Research

What are the best websites for researching grant funding opportunities? So many are rip-off websites, how will you determine what is real and what is fake? In this lesson, you learn how to use different kinds of trusted online grant-research databases to locate funding opportunities for your organization and its projects. By the end of the lesson, you will have developed expert skills in entering on-target keyword search terms for finetuning your grant funding research.

Grant Writing Planning Process

If you know that your nonprofit or NGO needs additional funding, why do you need to understand the grant planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn how to expedite and navigate the grant planning process by using a Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. Why can't you just get started by writing your grant proposal? This lesson will also provide rational justification on why the planning process for projects in need of grant funding is a critical step that cannot be bypassed. This pre-writing planning process also enables the grant writer to gather valuable ideas from the project's stakeholders. By the end of the lesson, you'll be eager to explore more information about conducting a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Introduction to Peer Review and Constructive Feedback

What is peer review and why is it needed? Why do grant writers need a peer to review their work before hitting the submit button? How important is peer review? In this lesson, you'll learn the importance of providing and receiving feedback from peers. You'll also learn about the fundamentals of the peer- review process in the grant-writing industry. By the end of this lesson, you'll be better able to understand the benefits of peer review by experiencing it firsthand during this course's peer-to-peer review process.

Executive Summary

How can you summarize any topic before you write the finite details about it? How does the executive summary fit into the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn the purpose of an executive summary in the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how to outline the information needed for the executive summary. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to extract information for an executive summary during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning process.

Statement of Need for Funding

Why do you have to prove that you need funding? Can't a potential funder just look at your financial statements and tell that your organization is operating on a shoestring? In this lesson, you'll learn that potential funders require extensive information about your target population, the people or animals or other types of projects in need of funding. You'll also see that funders require validated information to justify a grant request. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly drill down the research and statistics needed to present your statement-of-need narrative for potential funding sources.

Benefit to the Target Population

How will grant funding change the dire circumstances for your target population? How will you explain the return on a funder's investment in quantitative terms to show how grant funding will impact your grant project's outcomes? In this lesson, you'll learn how grant-funded projects can initiate change. You will also learn how to delineate the benefits for your target population when the change unfolds within their circumstances. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to articulate return-on-investment outputs for funders.

Project Goals and Measurable Objectives

When you try to write your goals, are you often confused as to how our daily to-do's (aka goals to complete) differ from the goals for a grant project? In this lesson, you will learn about the types of goals for a grant project. You will also learn the correct way to write non-measurable and measurable project goals to include in your final grant application. Using the Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet, you'll learn how to create project goals for funding requests. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create measurable project objectives for each goal.

Evidence-Based Solutions to Address the Need

Did you know that your solutions to solve the target population's needs must be evidence based? Did you know that potential funders rely on accurate, well-researched best-practice models to form the framework for all of the activities that you plan to carry out when your grant project is funded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to research evidence-based solutions and why potential funders require them. You'll also learn how to use the Internet to identify best-practice models in your project's subject area. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create activities and timelines for your grant-funded project's implementation plan.

Resources

How do you think a potential funder views your grant request when you have nothing to leverage against the grant project's budget request? In this lesson, you will learn how to identify the internal resources available for grant projects. You'll also learn how to identify the external resources for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, with the help of your stakeholders, you'll be able to create a comprehensive list of internal and external resources during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Funding Outcomes and Evaluation

Why does every funder's guidelines for submitting a grant request include a section on your funding outcomes and how you will evaluate the grant-funded project? How can you predict outcomes before the funding is awarded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to fully describe the outcomes for your grant project during the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how your project's stakeholders can help you outline the changes that will happen for the target population as a direct effect of the project's funding. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create an evaluation plan that describes your grant-funded project's projected success.

Developing a Project Budget

Do you get nervous when you have to guess how much funding is needed to support the implementation of a grant project? Is juggling numbers your least favorite task? In this lesson, you'll learn how to outline your project's budget expenses by using every narrative section that you've already written in your Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. You'll also learn how to justify each line-item expense for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly identify the difference between soft and hard cash leveraging funds and to develop a comprehensive grant project budget summary and a detailed narrative document.

What you will learn

• The writing profession, outlook, and the work ethic of a grant writer
• How the grant planning process works
• Ways to apply peer reviewed strategies when evaluating written assignments
• The relationship between a theory of change and a grant proposal

How you will benefit

• Complete a grant application from start to finish
• Organize stakeholders for best use of time and information
• Develop skills to research grant funding projects
• Obtain the elements needed for a grant proposal

Dr. Beverly A. Browning is a grant writing consultant and visionary who uses thought leadership to work with nonprofit organizations struggling with the woes of revenue stream imbalances. She has been researching grant funding, grantmaking trends, and board-related barriers to nonprofit capacity building for over 40 years. Together she and her team have helped her clients win over $750 million in grant awards.

Dr. Browning is the founder and director of the Grant Writing Training Foundation and Bev Browning, LLC. She is the author of 44 grant writing publications, including six editions of Grant Writing for Dummies and the 6th edition of Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (to be published in 2021).

Dr. Browning holds graduate and post-graduate degrees in organizational development, public administration, and business administration. She is also a Certified Strategic Planning Facilitator (CSPF), has a McNellis Compression Planning Institute Facilitation Training distinction, and is an Approved Trainer for the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), the Certified Fund Raising Executive International (CFRE, and the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI).

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin writing grant proposals, including real-world scenarios, and the opportunity to improve their work by reviewing previous grant proposals completed by peers.

A to Z Grant Writing will take you through the planning process for documenting the need for funding in a Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. Beginning with writing about what will be implemented (your vision for change and impact) when the project is funded, the worksheet begins to come to life. Exploring why funding is needed is the beginning of articulating the statement of need. You will learn how to document your projection of how, when funded, your project will initiate change. Once you’ve created the project’s goals, the worksheet asks for inputs or resources (mirroring a logic model’s format). Your thought processes and imagination will be tested in the implementation activities & timeline section. You’ll also have a chance to develop outputs and outcomes for the planned project. Finally, you’ll learn how to develop a project budget. Where does all of this lead? Every lesson is one step closer to having 100% of the information you’ll need to write a highly competitive grant proposal. Additional features include six teachable moments videos and six choose your own adventure branching scenarios to fuel your creative thinking processes.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word or equivalent word processor (not included in enrollment).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin the planning process for projects in need of grant funding. An approach to grantseeking begins with thinking about why the funding is needed and involving the grant applicant’s stakeholders in the planning process.

Grant Writer Roles

This first lesson will explore the roles of a grant writer. You will learn about the grant writing profession, what a grant writer does, and, most importantly, the work ethics of a grant writer. As an employee or consultant, realizing just how much a grant writer is expected to do will help you understand the grant profession and the multiple job titles of people who are assigned to write grant requests. By the end of the lesson, you will have had an extensive overview of the field of grant writing and the expected ethics of a grant writer.

Grant Funding Research

What are the best websites for researching grant funding opportunities? So many are rip-off websites, how will you determine what is real and what is fake? In this lesson, you learn how to use different kinds of trusted online grant-research databases to locate funding opportunities for your organization and its projects. By the end of the lesson, you will have developed expert skills in entering on-target keyword search terms for finetuning your grant funding research.

Grant Writing Planning Process

If you know that your nonprofit or NGO needs additional funding, why do you need to understand the grant planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn how to expedite and navigate the grant planning process by using a Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. Why can't you just get started by writing your grant proposal? This lesson will also provide rational justification on why the planning process for projects in need of grant funding is a critical step that cannot be bypassed. This pre-writing planning process also enables the grant writer to gather valuable ideas from the project's stakeholders. By the end of the lesson, you'll be eager to explore more information about conducting a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Introduction to Peer Review and Constructive Feedback

What is peer review and why is it needed? Why do grant writers need a peer to review their work before hitting the submit button? How important is peer review? In this lesson, you'll learn the importance of providing and receiving feedback from peers. You'll also learn about the fundamentals of the peer- review process in the grant-writing industry. By the end of this lesson, you'll be better able to understand the benefits of peer review by experiencing it firsthand during this course's peer-to-peer review process.

Executive Summary

How can you summarize any topic before you write the finite details about it? How does the executive summary fit into the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process? In this lesson, you'll learn the purpose of an executive summary in the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how to outline the information needed for the executive summary. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to extract information for an executive summary during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning process.

Statement of Need for Funding

Why do you have to prove that you need funding? Can't a potential funder just look at your financial statements and tell that your organization is operating on a shoestring? In this lesson, you'll learn that potential funders require extensive information about your target population, the people or animals or other types of projects in need of funding. You'll also see that funders require validated information to justify a grant request. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly drill down the research and statistics needed to present your statement-of-need narrative for potential funding sources.

Benefit to the Target Population

How will grant funding change the dire circumstances for your target population? How will you explain the return on a funder's investment in quantitative terms to show how grant funding will impact your grant project's outcomes? In this lesson, you'll learn how grant-funded projects can initiate change. You will also learn how to delineate the benefits for your target population when the change unfolds within their circumstances. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to articulate return-on-investment outputs for funders.

Project Goals and Measurable Objectives

When you try to write your goals, are you often confused as to how our daily to-do's (aka goals to complete) differ from the goals for a grant project? In this lesson, you will learn about the types of goals for a grant project. You will also learn the correct way to write non-measurable and measurable project goals to include in your final grant application. Using the Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet, you'll learn how to create project goals for funding requests. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create measurable project objectives for each goal.

Evidence-Based Solutions to Address the Need

Did you know that your solutions to solve the target population's needs must be evidence based? Did you know that potential funders rely on accurate, well-researched best-practice models to form the framework for all of the activities that you plan to carry out when your grant project is funded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to research evidence-based solutions and why potential funders require them. You'll also learn how to use the Internet to identify best-practice models in your project's subject area. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create activities and timelines for your grant-funded project's implementation plan.

Resources

How do you think a potential funder views your grant request when you have nothing to leverage against the grant project's budget request? In this lesson, you will learn how to identify the internal resources available for grant projects. You'll also learn how to identify the external resources for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, with the help of your stakeholders, you'll be able to create a comprehensive list of internal and external resources during a Theory of Change Grant Project planning meeting.

Funding Outcomes and Evaluation

Why does every funder's guidelines for submitting a grant request include a section on your funding outcomes and how you will evaluate the grant-funded project? How can you predict outcomes before the funding is awarded? In this lesson, you'll learn how to fully describe the outcomes for your grant project during the Theory of Change Grant Project planning process. You'll also learn how your project's stakeholders can help you outline the changes that will happen for the target population as a direct effect of the project's funding. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create an evaluation plan that describes your grant-funded project's projected success.

Developing a Project Budget

Do you get nervous when you have to guess how much funding is needed to support the implementation of a grant project? Is juggling numbers your least favorite task? In this lesson, you'll learn how to outline your project's budget expenses by using every narrative section that you've already written in your Theory of Change Grant Project Planning Worksheet. You'll also learn how to justify each line-item expense for your grant project. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to quickly identify the difference between soft and hard cash leveraging funds and to develop a comprehensive grant project budget summary and a detailed narrative document.

What you will learn

• The writing profession, outlook, and the work ethic of a grant writer
• How the grant planning process works
• Ways to apply peer reviewed strategies when evaluating written assignments
• The relationship between a theory of change and a grant proposal

How you will benefit

• Complete a grant application from start to finish
• Organize stakeholders for best use of time and information
• Develop skills to research grant funding projects
• Obtain the elements needed for a grant proposal

Dr. Beverly A. Browning is a grant writing consultant and visionary who uses thought leadership to work with nonprofit organizations struggling with the woes of revenue stream imbalances. She has been researching grant funding, grantmaking trends, and board-related barriers to nonprofit capacity building for over 40 years. Together she and her team have helped her clients win over $750 million in grant awards.

Dr. Browning is the founder and director of the Grant Writing Training Foundation and Bev Browning, LLC. She is the author of 44 grant writing publications, including six editions of Grant Writing for Dummies and the 6th edition of Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (to be published in 2021).

Dr. Browning holds graduate and post-graduate degrees in organizational development, public administration, and business administration. She is also a Certified Strategic Planning Facilitator (CSPF), has a McNellis Compression Planning Institute Facilitation Training distinction, and is an Approved Trainer for the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), the Certified Fund Raising Executive International (CFRE, and the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI).