Tutorial Blog 2

During weeks 5-7, I have learned alot of information as it relates to information technology. One of the sections i found the most interesting was the project we did on excel. I took Computer problem solving my sophomore year in college and learned a lot of the basics about excel software. Although much of the information was similar, this course went into greater depth about the breathe and depth of excel. I was completely unaware of the variety as well as amount of information Microsoft excel could process.

As stated before I did an internship this past summer, and we depended on Excel to help process and organize a lot of our data. When I think back, I remember a partner making reference to pivot tables. At that point in time, i though a pivot table was just a chart with a lot of formulas. I had no Idea, that in a pivot table you could organize and format data, to produce output in a variety of forms.

Some of the more complex this I learned were
- IF Functions: Where you type in the "logical test", then the value if true (words must be in "quotations"), and then the value if false

- Pivot Tables: Select the data that you would like to organize, including the headings. once the information is selected, you have the options to import the table into the current sheet or into a new worksheet.You then have the option to organize the information in  a variety of ways. By select different heading you can calculate "sums", "avg", etc.

Overall my interest with excel has definitely grown through this course.

I not only enjoyed learning about excel, but all different types of of software programs, and the legal parameters surround software.

Overall, I enjoyed completing the web 2.0 presentation project. I have created numerous presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, but I had a great time dded a unique element to overall assignment. I was unaware of the variety of web presentation tools that were available. I learned how to import audio, pictures, and music into a single presentation file. I also learned how to incorporate some creative effects into the presentation- transitions.

This class is going great, and I can not wait for whats next!

Web 2.0 Presentation- Not For Profit

                            

                                   http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/10/18/charity.donations/index.html

                             Web 2.0 Presentation Link: http://jaycut.com/users/lilwait

                                                                      Self-Critique

Overall, I liked the project a lot! I have created numerous presentations in Microsoft, but incorporating Web 2.0 into the presentation added a unique element to overall assignment. I was unaware of the variety of web presentation tools that were available. I learned how to import audio, pictures, and music into a single presentation file. I also learned how to incorporate some creative effects into the presentation- transitions. All of this information is very interesting to me, as I always relate it to whats going on in my life. For instance, the difference presentations, I see at school, at work, or even in student organizations.


While doing some research I noticed that there is a lot of information on the web about a variety of topics. When making a presentation it is important to be clear and concise. After searching and finding information, I had to make sure to select the information that was the most important, as well as, make sure it is presented unambiguously.

Whend oing reserach on not-for profits and how they like to communicate information to their stakeholders. I found that the moajority use video presentations, because they create a greater dramatice effect.I experimented with different presentation forms, and as a result I decided to make my presentation into a movie. After sitting through many lecture style presentations, I feel that showing a "movie presentation", that somewhat evokes a lot of emotional response, in essence, explains itself. However, by watching others presentations, I do see how a web 2.0 presentation can be formatted to incorporate more interactive items. 

Overall, this project was great and very enjoyable. The assignment allowed students to express their creativity not only in the content that was presented, but also the way in which it was presented.

Excel Project

Excel Print Screen

For the past week I have been working on the ISM Excel Project. I took Computer Problem Solving as a freshman and was able to use a lot of the knowledge and skills I learned in this class. The purpose of the project was to arrange and interpret a set of data by using an Excel Spreadsheet.


I was familiar with most of the formulas, however, there were two formulas in particular that I need to further research. The first was a compound formula. In my previous Information Systems course, we used simple formulas that only required one mathematical operations (Addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division). The "Percentage Increase of Heart Rate" was a prime example of where i had to include two mathematical operations (subtraction and division).


Secondly, the "IF" function, gave me a little trouble. For some reason, I was able to get a numerical output responses, but whenever I typed in letters for output, I received and error. After re-watching the letter, I recalled that alphabetical output requires "quotations" around the words.


Lastly, The part of the project that was the most interesting and most useful was the pivot tables. As stated before, I completed an internship two summers ago, and pivot tables were used very heavily. I worked in the Recruiting department, and pivot tables were used to determine the number of offers extended, students who accepted offers, GMAT scores, GPAs, etc. I am definitely going to conduct some further research on pivot tables, before I return to my internship next summer.


Overall I am very please with the Excel project. I know from first hand experience how much corporations rely on Microsoft excel- everything from creating mailing lists, to creating and interpreting statistical output.