Working
on the Documenting a Day assignment allowed me to use several types of software
like a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation tool. Each of these
applications helped me understand more about how they work and what they are
best at all while reflecting on my daily routine. I realized that while they
all have their own strengths, some are better than others, depending on what
you are trying to do. In this essay, I will talk about how each tool works,
what is good and bad about them, which one worked best for writing about my
day, and how they can be used in other real-life situations.
Next,
I used a spreadsheet to determine how much time I spent on each part of my day.
Spreadsheets are super helpful for doing calculations and working with numbers.
I added up minutes and turned them into percentages easily. The charts also
helped me see where my time was going. One thing I did not love is that it can
get confusing if you are not accustomed to using formulas or if you make a
mistake. Still, they help plan a budget, track your grades, or set up a workout
plan. I cannot wait to use this application more in my life moving forward
after seeing how useful it can be after working on this assignment. "Spreadsheets
provide a dynamic way to engage students in data analysis, helping them
understand statistical concepts through visualization and interactivity"
(Petocz & Reid, 2005).
Then,
I created a presentation to show my day in a fun and visual way. Presentations
are great when you want to share your ideas with others using pictures, bullet
points, or graphs. They make information easy to understand and look more
interesting. The downside is you cannot go into as much detail as you would in
a paper, so it works best for summaries. I can use a presentation in the future
for class projects or even when I need to explain something to a group of
people.
Lastly,
I used a database to organize my day's parts into categories. Databases are
fantastic for keeping large amounts of information neat and easy to search. For
example, I could look up what I did at a particular time or sort my activities
by type. The hard part is that databases take a little more effort to learn and
are not particularly good for writing or math. But they would be super helpful
for things like keeping track of clients in a business, organizing
appointments, or storing contact information.
Out
of all the tools, the word processor was the best for this assignment because
it let me describe my day and reflect on it. While the other applications
helped with numbers, organization, and better visual representation, the word
processor gave me space to write in my own words and add personal thoughts,
which was the project's point.
To
sum it up, each software application has something special to offer. Word
processors are perfect for writing, spreadsheets for handling numbers,
presentations for sharing ideas visually, and databases for storing and
organizing a lot of info. Now that I have had some experience using them, I can
see how they each fit into various parts of school, work, and life. Knowing
when to use the right one makes things easier and even more fun.
References:
Goldberg,
A., Russell, M., & Cook, A. (2003). The effect of computers on student
writing: A meta-analysis of studies from 1992 to 2002. The Journal of
Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 2(1). Retrieved from https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/jtla/article/view/1661
Petocz,
P., & Reid, A. (2005). Using spreadsheets to enhance learning in the
affective domain for undergraduate statistics students. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228684260
No comments:
Post a Comment