BORING immediately comes to mind when I hear the word database. Luckily for me (sarcasm), I live in a database during much of my workday. Well, not literally, but most everything I do at work does revolve around two enormous databases. I don’t typically think of these as databases, but rather as systems. I utilize our student information system and our work order system on a very regular basis. While these examples may not be your typical “contacts database,” the fact remains that they are a structured collection of records, and therefore are classified as databases.
The largest database I work with is our student information system. Our district teachers and staff use this database primarily to track attendance and grades. Other information contained within this database includes: demographics, contacts, schedules, grades, transcripts, immunizations, etc. Parents and students are also able to access this database from the Internet to access much of the same information. Although this data is not entered or viewed as in Microsoft Access, the structuring of information conforms to that of a database.
The database that I use most often is our work order system. This database has changed the way I work. When a staff member has a technology issue, they call or email our helpdesk, who in turn adds a record to our FileMaker Pro database. I frequently check this database for work order updates, as do other members of my technology staff. This database has significantly increased efficiency and turn-around time in technology issues, requests, and repairs. Without this database, the technology department would be hard-pressed to keep technology repairs organized and completed in a timely fashion.
Databases are an amazing tool for organization. Whether we realize it or not, we access databases on a daily bases. Whether you’re using an electronic checkbook, address book, student information system, or electronic library resource, you’re using or accessing a database. I can say with certainty that they save me an immeasurable amount of time. Although databases may seem boring at first glance, perhaps they’re not so boring after all.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Module 4 Blog - Word Processing
As I write this, I wonder what a world would be like without word processing. Can you imagine no Internet or email? Both of these technologies are dependent upon word processing. If you’re young, you more than likely take word processing for granted. Even after living through the use of typewriters, although primarily during my elementary years, I still take it for granted.
I use word processing everyday to type memos, letters, email messages, and more. I don’t know what I’d do without it. I spend much of my day writing correspondence for work. When I was in elementary school, we were taught to pre-write, create a rough-draft, revise, and then create a final-draft, which was to be typed. Although this procedure is still viable, I usually start a document by keying it into a word processing application. I simply don’t have the time to handwrite a document and then input the information into a word processor. Without these applications, we’d have to pre-write all of our documents and then type them without mistakes. This would be a difficult task for me, as I almost always make additions, subtractions, and deletions while word processing.
Most of the students in my district utilize word processing everyday too. After the Internet, Microsoft Word is the most used application on our computers. The students use Word to process school reports, journals, letters, memos, etc. The students can use Word on any district computer, after which they can save their document(s) to the fileserver. Students also have AppleWorks and TextEdit available for their word processing needs.
I believe most of the district staff use word processing to facilitate many of their needs. Like our students, the most used teacher application is also Word. Our teachers use word processing to develop worksheets, answer keys, parent letters, etc.
I’ll continue using word processing for my daily activities, but I would like to incorporate some of the features that were read and discussed in chapter 6 of the textbook. The tutorials posted on Blackboard were extremely informative and great material for review. I was pleased to pick up a tip or two. I will take these tips and incorporate them into my future documents.
I use word processing everyday to type memos, letters, email messages, and more. I don’t know what I’d do without it. I spend much of my day writing correspondence for work. When I was in elementary school, we were taught to pre-write, create a rough-draft, revise, and then create a final-draft, which was to be typed. Although this procedure is still viable, I usually start a document by keying it into a word processing application. I simply don’t have the time to handwrite a document and then input the information into a word processor. Without these applications, we’d have to pre-write all of our documents and then type them without mistakes. This would be a difficult task for me, as I almost always make additions, subtractions, and deletions while word processing.
Most of the students in my district utilize word processing everyday too. After the Internet, Microsoft Word is the most used application on our computers. The students use Word to process school reports, journals, letters, memos, etc. The students can use Word on any district computer, after which they can save their document(s) to the fileserver. Students also have AppleWorks and TextEdit available for their word processing needs.
I believe most of the district staff use word processing to facilitate many of their needs. Like our students, the most used teacher application is also Word. Our teachers use word processing to develop worksheets, answer keys, parent letters, etc.
I’ll continue using word processing for my daily activities, but I would like to incorporate some of the features that were read and discussed in chapter 6 of the textbook. The tutorials posted on Blackboard were extremely informative and great material for review. I was pleased to pick up a tip or two. I will take these tips and incorporate them into my future documents.
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