The First Week

The first program we studied this week was Microsoft's Personal Information Manager, Outlook. We practiced using the program not only as an email provider, but as an organizational tool for schedules, tasks, and appointments. We learned simple ways to connect with others connected to Microsoft Exchange, such as mass emails sent as blind carbon copies (BCC) and appointment requests through the use of shared calendars. With these freedoms and new opportunities for communication, we were also taught the importance of responsible information sharing and professional conduct.

A program such as Outlook has obvious uses and benefits in the teaching environment (given that I teach at a school that uses Outlook). I had not used it for more than sending and receiving emails before this class--now I find it useful for setting up my schedule and keeping track of events. I will continue to do this as a teacher, especially because Outlook allows one to share calendars with other users so scheduling appointments is much easier and more efficient. Outlook also will allow me to send requests for appointments and invitations to events to multiple users at a time, ensuring that all involved are on the same page and receive the same updates.

We also dabbled in Microsoft Excel this week. This was an especially groundbreaking lesson for me because I had only used Excel to create charts and bar graphs prior to taking COMP 204. The class went over the difference between formulas and functions, and I now know the proper names for the components of the program itself. We have had the opportunity to practice computations and designing spreadsheets by way of a gradebook that we will keep for ourselves in the class.

Excel has mostly very obvious applications in the classroom as well. A spreadsheet can be manipulated in various different ways to be used as a record book for grades, whether the teacher wants to categorize students by age or add weight to certain assignments. The gradebook could also include a section for making note of students' attendance. As an advisor for a club, one could track the financial records of the club or organization. A spreadsheet could even be used to manage personal finances at home.