EXCELlent?

I don't remember having used excel to draw graphs before, I certainly knew that you could but never needed to. I used to use it at my previous job for creating very, very simple tables to record information but that was it. Having to create graphs for science was quite challenging and I found that the "help" didn't really help either, it was far too complicated and didn't really answer my query (or do I think that just because I found it complicated?!). I managed to complete the task in the end and created a pie chart, bar graph, a couple of scattergrams (I enjoyed doing those!) and an attempt at a histogram. The histogram proved difficult as there wasn't a function on excel which enabled me to put in the data and create one, so I had to resort to adapting a bar chart. I still don't know if it is right. So after all that I now feel confident tackling simple graphs and data on excel, although I can't remember how to make it do sums, I'll have to look up how to input a formula and have a go.

wiki, wiki, woo!

Today was the day I edited a wiki for the first time. I have visited Wikipedia in the past but never really had the desire or need to post anything on a wiki before, but after doing it today I can say that I found it easy (even creating a hyperlink which I thought would be difficult). The wiki we're using for the PGCE resources looks useful, I'll try and find some things to post on there...

Children using ICT

From reading various articles over the past couple of weeks it has become apparent that children learn more about computers at home than they do at school (though I think this was pretty evident without needing to read the articles!). I'm sure schools will catch up, but by that time the children will probably have moved on to more complex forms of ICT, maybe they should teach the teachers!

First blog

I have a blog?!

So apparently this is my blog which, by February, will be full of amazing insights into my thoughts on the ICT aspect of the PGCE. I shall start by saying that last week was the first time I ever used Publisher and to be honest it wasn't particularly difficult or that exciting. If I get a few spare minutes (!) I might have a play around and see what designs I come up with...perhaps.