I think most people who are age 40 or younger grew up with computers either in their home or in the classroom. And now in 2024, young children are growing up with smart phones and tablets all around them. Familiarity with technology is becoming more and more second nature when growing up in the United States. Computer and mobile devices are allowing people stay connected and work more efficiently all around the world. Examples of applications that do that are Word, Excel and Power Point. These are programs often used daily in the office workspace or for school.
A word processor is a common computer application for creating formatted text (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019)). I use Microsoft Word to document my work and take notes. Some of the formatting changes I made to the text are changing the color, size, or style such as bold or italics. I believe that Microsoft Word is my favorite word processor application, because it’s ease of use and compatibility with multiple operating systems and devices. I also find the menu items to be intuitive and the icons very recognizable to what their function is.
Of all the computer applications for work and school that I usel, I would say Microsoft Excel is my favorite. I instantly became obsessed when I learned how to write functions to create automatic calculations or formatting. My family even teases me about how often I say “I could make a spreadsheet for that!”. For example, I use Excel to help me manage my finances after I found a great template with formulas and categories already built in. Excel is a great tool for numerical data, and it’s often used for reporting for that exact reason. In a 2017 survey, 96% of advisory board members and employer managers all strongly agreed or agreed that “Being able to create spreadsheet, charts, and graphs and analyze data with Excel are very important skills that students need when they graduate” (Formby, S. K., Medlin, B.D., Ellington, (2017)).
Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful presentation application. Within the application, you have the ability to create individual slides, and add photos and text to combine both visual and text into one presentation. In a school project I completed, I created slides and added actions using the animation setting. The animation setting allows you to select specific items and have them move independently or grouped. I like using PowerPoint, but I have to admit that sometimes I get a little overwhelmed by the different options. And you also don’t want to use PowerPoint if you have very text-heavy information, because the audience may lose interest trying to read each slide.
All in all, I think each application has it’s own positives and negatives. It depends on the kind of information you are working with. Microsoft Word is the best for text-heavy information. If you are working with data and numbers, Microsoft Excel is the right application to help you keep things organized and even automate calculations if needed. And lastly, for presentations, PowerPoint will help you display the information and photos in an engaging way. Each application has its unique abilities, and each can be used successfully in different ways.
A word processor is a common computer application for creating formatted text (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019)). I use Microsoft Word to document my work and take notes. Some of the formatting changes I made to the text are changing the color, size, or style such as bold or italics. I believe that Microsoft Word is my favorite word processor application, because it’s ease of use and compatibility with multiple operating systems and devices. I also find the menu items to be intuitive and the icons very recognizable to what their function is.
Of all the computer applications for work and school that I usel, I would say Microsoft Excel is my favorite. I instantly became obsessed when I learned how to write functions to create automatic calculations or formatting. My family even teases me about how often I say “I could make a spreadsheet for that!”. For example, I use Excel to help me manage my finances after I found a great template with formulas and categories already built in. Excel is a great tool for numerical data, and it’s often used for reporting for that exact reason. In a 2017 survey, 96% of advisory board members and employer managers all strongly agreed or agreed that “Being able to create spreadsheet, charts, and graphs and analyze data with Excel are very important skills that students need when they graduate” (Formby, S. K., Medlin, B.D., Ellington, (2017)).
Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful presentation application. Within the application, you have the ability to create individual slides, and add photos and text to combine both visual and text into one presentation. In a school project I completed, I created slides and added actions using the animation setting. The animation setting allows you to select specific items and have them move independently or grouped. I like using PowerPoint, but I have to admit that sometimes I get a little overwhelmed by the different options. And you also don’t want to use PowerPoint if you have very text-heavy information, because the audience may lose interest trying to read each slide.
All in all, I think each application has it’s own positives and negatives. It depends on the kind of information you are working with. Microsoft Word is the best for text-heavy information. If you are working with data and numbers, Microsoft Excel is the right application to help you keep things organized and even automate calculations if needed. And lastly, for presentations, PowerPoint will help you display the information and photos in an engaging way. Each application has its unique abilities, and each can be used successfully in different ways.
References
Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing technology for all. zyBooks.
Formby, S. K., Medlin, B.D., Ellington, (2017). Microsoft Excel: Is it An Important Job Skill for College Graduates?. Information Systems Education Journal (ISEDJ), EISSN-1545-679X. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1140801.pdf
Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing technology for all. zyBooks.
Formby, S. K., Medlin, B.D., Ellington, (2017). Microsoft Excel: Is it An Important Job Skill for College Graduates?. Information Systems Education Journal (ISEDJ), EISSN-1545-679X. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1140801.pdf
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