Oh so Easy Excel

I love Microsoft Excel. It is interesting, organized and very simplistic to use. The problem with Excel is that it is expensive. When I found out that I can do the same stuff on Google Spreadsheets I was thrilled. All of the same features are there that I would normally use from Excel but more importantly I can access it from anywhere as I can my Google Docs. This is a great tool for me to use personally and in the classroom. It would be nice for my students to not only share their ideas but their data from labs as well.

Search Engine Hell

Let me be the first to say that I am terrible at searching the internet. What takes me hours can take others only minutes. Yes, I know the standard tricks to the trade such as using quotations and the word "AND" however, this is not always the answer. While researching the search engines I learned rather quickly that the "advanced search" is a very useful tool.

I am an avid Googler. I Google everything. Most of the time I do not even type the URL into the address bar because for me it is easier to go to Google, type the name of what I am searching for, and then click the link. I always assumed that the same websites that show up on Google will show up and all of the other search engines. This is not the case. While playing around I found that there are a lot of difference among search engines and that the top 20 site that show up while searching are also different. I have learned that I need to used at least a couple of search engines while researching in the future.

Call me Mrs. Stick Man o->-<

If there is one thing in this world that I cannot do besides pee while standing, it is drawing. I am not good at it which makes the task impossible. I am actually so bad at it that even my graphic is a stick man. It is really sad when my two year old makes better creations than I do.

The graphics programs that I researched this weekend now supply me with a handicap for my lack of artistic creations. With these programs I can create creatures that look terrible but professional all at the same time. Even my students who fear pencils would not object to this form of technology.

The presentation programs are a great way for my students to share information with classmates in a way that does not involve passing notes. Not only can they present information they can also share it which is a benefit during group work. These programs allow my students to be creative in the classroom instead of on the bathroom stalls. :)

The text on the other hand is not to my liking. I think that it is uneventful and repetitive. Some of the information is useful, however I prefer to learn by doing as we have been the last few weeks.