no specific question please respond to the 4 discussion posts as directed minimum 75 words each
INSTRUCTIONS:
Throughout this course, many discussion opportunities come up where you need to respond to other people’s opinions and comments. ((minimum 75 words each)
IT133: Microsoft Office Applications on Demand
CLASSMATE POST #1
One of the biggest reasons why knowing how to use Excel is important within my career field is how Excel is used in Databases. Databases essentially store data in an organized, easy access, and intuitive way. Much of the data that is stored is often inputted/outputted using applications like Excel. Having the necessary Excel skills is critical to productivity within many IT careers. Knowing how to input, modify, formulate, and store data within Excel ensures work is done in a timely manner and any potential errors are avoided. When dealing with Databases, it is often important to know how to link several Excel spreadsheets into a single Master sheet. Excel is often used heavily in the project management and accounting field. Excel allows for data (in this case monetary value) to easily be organized in a table format. A key skill to know and a useful tool within Excel is the use of formulas. Formulas are essentially mathematical equations that can be used to automatically calculate the value of two or more cells. This is crucial to accounting and project management where formulas can be used to calculate costs and budgets. Formulas can also be used to determine if a cell’s given value is outside an expected range. This can be useful for preventing errors or incorrectly entered data.
One way I can see using Excel in my personal life is when budgeting for a home improvement project. Excel is an excellent tool to manage each item, quantity, and cost. Having a table with formulas to automatically add costs within given cells and generate the total value removes much of the guess work. This makes tracking expenses and changes to total cost whenever an item is changed, added, or removed from the table.
Kevin Ashby
CLASSMATE POST #2
Excel is used in so many different ways it is beneficial to almost all career fields. Excel takes us everywhere from charts and graphs to tables and calculations. Using excel to calculate gives finance people an edge and allows standard reporting formats (and uses less adding machine tape!!!!). In the last two jobs I have had an excel proficiency test was required. In my personal life I use excel to do my budget. I was quite surprised when I logged into my bank account and found their new “product” was an almost exact replica of my budget, showing expenses in categories that could translate into a pie chart. I sometimes joke excel takes away the need to do math. However, you have to know how to get the formulas right. Can’t check to make sure you are returning the right value if you don’t actually know how to work the problem.
Robert Green Jr.
IT190: Information Technology Concepts
CLASSMATE POST #3
Two apps I have downloaded to help in my schooling here at Purdue are Microsoft OneDrive and Bookshelf. Both apps are free.
Bookshelf was the app needed to have access to Technology in Action, the book for this class. I like the fact that it does remember where I left off in my reading. I occasionally have a few minutes waiting at work, and I can get in a page or two. I have noticed that it doesn’t seem to sync between devices like other PDF readers I’ve used in the past. If I read a few pages on my phone and then the next time I read, it’s on my tablet, I have to scroll to find where I left off. Not the most terrible thing as rereading helps retention. If you’re not using Bookshelf, I would recommend it if you need access to the books on your mobile device or tablet.
I am using Microsoft OneDrive backup my class and some work files. With OneDrive you can back-up documents, pictures, and other files to the cloud and access them from any device. In the past I have only saved one copy of a file and considered myself done. I stumbled on the 3-2-1 method for saving files in another class and am doing my best to back-up and save my files in this method. 3 different places, 2 different forms of storage, and at least 1 offsite/in the cloud. Some of my work files I need access outside of work, but they are only on my work computer. I can put them in OneDrive and have access when I need it. If you aren’t using a file back-up in the cloud, OneDrive is easy to setup and use and I would recommend it.
James Davis
CLASSMATE POST #4
Hello Class,
The first app I would choose would be Notability, this application is used for taking notes and keeping them on the cloud, so they can be synced between devices. This application cost about $10 and can be found on both the Google Play store and the App Store. My favorite part of this application is the Multi-Notes ability, this allows you to work on two notes at the same time or take a pdf you have marked up and create your own notes based off the reading material and notes you added to it. I would highly recommend this application if you take notes on many devices and need to be able to read or change things on your mobile device or your tablet.
My second application would be Study Stack Flashcards, this application is designed to allow you to create multiple flashcards and answers and save them to your account to be accessed by mobile devices and laptops. This application also creates games out of the words you have added to the flashcards, with this you can have fun while still learning the information you need for school. This application is free on both mobile and desktop/laptop, giving you the freedom to use it as much as you want. I would recommend this application as it helps me learn a set of defined words I need for test and for quizzes.
Michael Nostrant