The Tutorials pages (where available) provide you with support in using the tools.
After nearly 5 years as a corporate trainer and SEO consultant, I suppose that isn't a surprise.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
eLearning Tools
A chart on the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies lists the most important and popular tools online for elearning. I was happily surprised to find that I had links and memberships on all but a couple.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Multiple documents in One Word Window
In previous versions of Word, it was possible to split the window to see two parts of a Word document. While that was handy, many people intuitively thought the feature would allow them to see two different documents.
They were disappointed. Previous to Office 2007, the only way to do something like that was to open multiple Word windows and arrange them to work from one to the other.
By checking the Option under Tools for View--> Windows in Taskbar, Word 2007 is no longer a disappointment. Details are explained below in part of a ZDNETAsia article.
Unlike its Office 2003 counterparts Excel and PowerPoint, Word 2003 does not let you rearrange document windows within a single program window.
Unless you change the default view option, each Word documents exists in its own window with its own menus and toolbars.
Consequently, when you use Arrange All to compare three documents on the screen at once, it looks like Figure A.
Figure A
To remove the screen clutter, follow these steps:
- Go to Tools | Options.
- Click the View tab, then deselect the Windows In Taskbar check box (Figure B) and click OK.
Figure B
Now all three documents will display without the clutter, as shown in Figure C.
Figure C
Use the REPT function to create quick charts
Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to embed a chart in a spreadsheet to get a graphical comparison?
You can, by using Excel's REPT (REPeaT) funtion.
Here is an example from ZDNET Asia. It's just part of the article, so scroll down a little.
To keep employees informed of their progress, you might keep a worksheet like the one inFigure A, which tracks the completion rates of assigned tasks.
Figure A
Just listing the completion rates, however, makes it hard to compare one task with another. It's easier to monitor results when they are presented graphically. Follow these steps.
- Select D2:C11.
- Enter the following formula (Figure B):
=REPT("|",C2*100)Figure B
- Press Ctrl + Enter.
The comparative results are now shown graphically, as shown in Figure C.
Figure C
(Note that you can use any symbol for "|" in the formula. )
Use Word like a Typewriter for forms
Essentially, the plan works like this:
- Scan the document into a file.
- Place it in the Header of a Word file.
- Set Word's font and line spacing to move smoothly down the document.
And you can just type normally using the Return and Tab keys to fill in the form.
You can just print out the form normally once it's filled in. Here is part of an article from ZDNet Asia that gives more detail.
What do you do when someone hands you an application to fill out or when you need to fill out a printed tax form? If you don't have a typewriter, you probably fill in the form manually, hoping that the recipient can read your handwriting.
Fortunately, you can use Word to "type it in" instead. Follow these steps:
- Scan the form and save it as a picture to your My Pictures folder, or any folder where your picture files are kept. For this example, I scanned a tax form and saved it as a .PNG picture (Figure A).
Figure A
- Open a blank document in Word.
- Go to View | Header and Footer. (In Word 2007, double-click in the Header pane of your document.)
- Go to Insert | Picture and then click From File. (In Word 2007, position the insertion point in the Header pane, click the Insert tab, and then click Picture in the Illustrations group.)
- Navigate to the file containing your form and click the Insert button.
- Crop, resize, and reposition the picture as necessary to fit the page.
- Right-click the picture, go to Format Picture, and click the Behind Text option. (In Word 2007, make sure the form is still selected. Then, under Picture Tools in the Format tab, click Text Wrapping in the Arrange group and choose Behind Text.)
- Double-click anywhere in the document outside of the Header pane. You can then enter the desired text. (Figure B).
Figure B
To type the data as shown, I decreased the font size to 9, changed the paragraph formatting to single line spacing, and applied 0 spacing before and after the paragraph. This made it easier to use the Enter key to move from one line to another, as if I were using a typewriter.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Add a looping introduction to a PowerPoint presentation : TechGuides : Microsoft Office Suite : ZDNet Asia
Add a looping introduction to a PowerPoint presentation : TechGuides : Microsoft Office Suite : ZDNet Asia: "Displaying an introductory or welcome slide while your audience arrives for a presentation is common. You might display general information or a friendly hello.
Mine the pockets of the middle class the pollies are told. They can bloody well keep their minding to their own business!
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Displaying an introductory or welcome slide while your audience arrives for a presentation is common. You might display general information or a friendly hello.
Usually, you display just one slide and the presentation doesn't progress until you begin the presentation manually. This setup is okay, but to generate a bit more interest, you might want to display more than one introductory slide--call it a mini presentation if you like.
That way, you'll have the attention and interest of your audience before you even begin.
Two presentations in one
While the audience enters the room and finds a seat, they may chat with one another, help themselves to refreshments, or sit quietly and wait for the show. Regardless, most will be thinking about other things, and not your presentation.
The one-slide introduction that says welcome and displays pretty flowers is quaint, but it won't grab anyone's attention as they enter the room, and it certainly won't keep anyone's interest while they wait. ...
Mine the pockets of the middle class the pollies are told. They can bloody well keep their minding to their own business!
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10+ lesser-known shortcuts for formatting Word text : TechGuides : Microsoft Office Suite : ZDNet Asia
10+ lesser-known shortcuts for formatting Word text : TechGuides : Microsoft Office Suite : ZDNet Asia:
Mine the pockets of the middle class the pollies are told. They can bloody well keep their minding to their own business!
Short Cut Computers for quick installation and service at your home or office
Barcode Solutions for quick-turnaround barcodes and innovative ideas.
Weight Online is the ultimate weightloss website in Australia. Why not take a look and join the membership program today and get back in charge of your body.
The shortcuts
| Keystroke | Function |
| Ctrl + Shift + D | Double underline the selected text |
| Ctrl + ] | Increase the size of selected text by 1 point |
| Ctrl + [ | Decrease the size of selected text by 1 point |
| Ctrl + Shift + A | Make selected text all caps |
| Ctrl + = | Toggle subscripting for selected text |
| Ctrl + + | Toggle superscripting for selected text |
| Ctrl + Shift + Q | Apply Symbol font to selected text |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Apply Normal style to current paragraph |
| Ctrl + Alt + 1 | Apply Heading 1 style to current paragraph |
| Ctrl + Alt + 2 | Apply Heading 2 style to current paragraph |
| Ctrl + Alt + 3 | Apply Heading 3 style to current paragraph |
| Ctrl + Shift + L | Apply List Bullet style |
| Ctrl + 0 (zero) | Apply or remove space above current paragraph |
Mine the pockets of the middle class the pollies are told. They can bloody well keep their minding to their own business!
Short Cut Computers for quick installation and service at your home or office
Barcode Solutions for quick-turnaround barcodes and innovative ideas.
Weight Online is the ultimate weightloss website in Australia. Why not take a look and join the membership program today and get back in charge of your body.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Virtual Worlds and Famine
In the years before WWII, Hitler repeatedly told the world he intended to have a war in the East for Lebensraum. There were quiet rumblings that didn't always make the headlines: the renouncement of the Treaty of Versailles, the build up of German forces, and the bold new attitude of Germany at the Olympics. (Did anyone notice that is where the torch relay began?)
Far more interesting were the many new technologies that emerged: the Zeppellin, radio broadcasts around the world. The world was exhausted from the Great Depression. Everyone looked to new ideas for hope.
And the "funny little man from Germany" sounded a lot like a few other fascist dicators, Mussolini and Franco. Who would take him seriously? He was just beating his chest to give his countrymen courage.
I've always looked at the news was more like a conversation between writers than separate factoids.
Famines and Civil War
From the back pages of the Herald Sun today:
Turn the Page
Turning a page, virtual worlds are seen as invaluable elearning tools. IBM has set up a website to manage its stake in the virtual world, and to protect its virtual property rights. A high level executive manager has been hired to oversee virtual operations.
In Melbourne, train conductors use tweetscan to announce late arrivals and canceled schedules. Dell uses the same service to keep its ear to the ground about product approval and marketing opportunities.
Even more startling, Calvin Klein has produced the world's first virtual perfume. -- And you thought scented business cards were a bit much? (Yes, there is a company in Sydney that makes scented business cards!)
Teachers in virtual classrooms use twitter and twitterscan to listen to their students' comments, and react to questions.
Technology
In my online resume, I state flatly that I believe technology can save the world. I believe deeply in the power of communication across national boundaries to prevent catastrophes and bring people together.
There must have been a few like me in 1936 or so, too. Radio was the big thing then. Communication with anywhere in the world at the speed of light. In the light of history though, the record doesn't look so good.
The Flat World is facing its first crises.
None of this stuff was unpredictable.
Overpopulation and food shortages have been discussed for decades. I remember long conversations in the 1970s about it. Food shortages and social changes were the subject of movies. The paintings were gut wrenching. Those paintings and movies are now called "vintage", and rarely available anywhere.
Food shortages cause civil wars and wars between nations. Governments are overturned violently by desperate crowds. How many times has this happened in a lifetime?
Global warming has been predicted by scientists since the middle of the last century. Researchers in the early 1970s found lead levels in the Greenland ice packs were toxic. The levels had been deposited in the ice since the turn of the century, when automobiles started using ethyl gasoline to power cars.
Have we turned to virtual worlds to avoid dealing with the realities of the problems facing us all?
That would be a cruel choice.
One researcher put it plainly: "We have the capacity to feed the world. We have the tools to deliver that food to everyone who needs it." No kidding. The central valley in California is fertile enough to feed the north American continent, with billions of tons of food left over to export. There are other fertile areas around the world which only need to be put into production. The nations of the world have more than enough transport available. The US can deliver rice from the Sacramento delta to anywhere in the world.
The facts are there. International leaders like Jaques Diouf are pointing out the need. What's stopping us?
I live and work in the virtual world. The Internet has been a passion for me since before its inception. Groups of programmers gathered to dream about it, and speak quietly about our experience with its military predecessors, for years before anyone heard of the "Internet."
We knew it could be done.
The virtual world has eclipsed television as an entertainment source in Australia.
The virtual world has proven its value as a business resource, an information resource, and in entertainment. The power of the Internet has opened up the world to all who access it.
It's time the Internet showed how it can help those who desperately need help. Those millions who are not looking for entertainment or money, but for the daily needs of living.
I know this is just one post in a massive blogosphere. I hope a few people see it. More than that, I hope many people act on the ideas I've put forth here. I will place a similar post on all my blogs.
It's time to show the real power of a dream.
Far more interesting were the many new technologies that emerged: the Zeppellin, radio broadcasts around the world. The world was exhausted from the Great Depression. Everyone looked to new ideas for hope.
And the "funny little man from Germany" sounded a lot like a few other fascist dicators, Mussolini and Franco. Who would take him seriously? He was just beating his chest to give his countrymen courage.
I've always looked at the news was more like a conversation between writers than separate factoids.
Famines and Civil War
From the back pages of the Herald Sun today:
The price of rice, a staple for every country, has more than doubled in the last year. Some rice producing countries have banned exports to preserve the food supply for their own people.UN food agency chief Jacques Diouf (of Haiti) yesterday warned of civil war in some countries because of global food shortages and called for a revamp of the international food system. ...
"Unfortunately, we always wait until there is a catastrophe in this world before we react," he said.
Turn the Page
Turning a page, virtual worlds are seen as invaluable elearning tools. IBM has set up a website to manage its stake in the virtual world, and to protect its virtual property rights. A high level executive manager has been hired to oversee virtual operations.
Australian telecommunications incumbent Telstra last year launched what was said to be the country’s first major corporate presence in the online virtual world. Dubbed “the Pond”, Telstra’s Second Life islands aim to encourage customer interaction while creating new sales and marketing opportunities.Clever Zebra has developed ready-made corporate complexes that it has made available under the Open Source GPL license. Telstra spent $20,000 to customize a corporate complex on Second Life.
In Melbourne, train conductors use tweetscan to announce late arrivals and canceled schedules. Dell uses the same service to keep its ear to the ground about product approval and marketing opportunities.
Even more startling, Calvin Klein has produced the world's first virtual perfume. -- And you thought scented business cards were a bit much? (Yes, there is a company in Sydney that makes scented business cards!)
Teachers in virtual classrooms use twitter and twitterscan to listen to their students' comments, and react to questions.
Technology
In my online resume, I state flatly that I believe technology can save the world. I believe deeply in the power of communication across national boundaries to prevent catastrophes and bring people together.
There must have been a few like me in 1936 or so, too. Radio was the big thing then. Communication with anywhere in the world at the speed of light. In the light of history though, the record doesn't look so good.
The Flat World is facing its first crises.
None of this stuff was unpredictable.
Overpopulation and food shortages have been discussed for decades. I remember long conversations in the 1970s about it. Food shortages and social changes were the subject of movies. The paintings were gut wrenching. Those paintings and movies are now called "vintage", and rarely available anywhere.
Food shortages cause civil wars and wars between nations. Governments are overturned violently by desperate crowds. How many times has this happened in a lifetime?
Global warming has been predicted by scientists since the middle of the last century. Researchers in the early 1970s found lead levels in the Greenland ice packs were toxic. The levels had been deposited in the ice since the turn of the century, when automobiles started using ethyl gasoline to power cars.
Have we turned to virtual worlds to avoid dealing with the realities of the problems facing us all?
That would be a cruel choice.
One researcher put it plainly: "We have the capacity to feed the world. We have the tools to deliver that food to everyone who needs it." No kidding. The central valley in California is fertile enough to feed the north American continent, with billions of tons of food left over to export. There are other fertile areas around the world which only need to be put into production. The nations of the world have more than enough transport available. The US can deliver rice from the Sacramento delta to anywhere in the world.
The facts are there. International leaders like Jaques Diouf are pointing out the need. What's stopping us?
I live and work in the virtual world. The Internet has been a passion for me since before its inception. Groups of programmers gathered to dream about it, and speak quietly about our experience with its military predecessors, for years before anyone heard of the "Internet."
We knew it could be done.
The virtual world has eclipsed television as an entertainment source in Australia.
The virtual world has proven its value as a business resource, an information resource, and in entertainment. The power of the Internet has opened up the world to all who access it.
It's time the Internet showed how it can help those who desperately need help. Those millions who are not looking for entertainment or money, but for the daily needs of living.
I know this is just one post in a massive blogosphere. I hope a few people see it. More than that, I hope many people act on the ideas I've put forth here. I will place a similar post on all my blogs.
It's time to show the real power of a dream.
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