Word Bibliography

Today I attended a Word Functions workshop to find out how to create a bibliography on Word, using the referencing function.  I have known about this function for a while but never bothered to look at it.  I thought it was only really useful to people who struggled to reference correctly.  I know how to reference.  It's not hard to type the references up - I do it as I go along whenever I'm writing an essay.  I know the alphabet so putting the bibliography in the correct order isn't a problem.  So why would I need this little helper when I can do it perfectly well myself?

Now that I work as a student support mentor and a specialist support tutor, I thought it was about time I learned about the bibliography function so I can pass it on to students who aren't so familiar with referencing.  Oh boy, what have I been doing typing up all those references this whole time?! Admittedly the function was not available when I first started my undergraduate degree (I believe it has been around since 2007), but all that time spent on typing up the references for my MA, articles I've written and short courses I've taken in the last few years - wasted!  The bibliography and citation functions are great tools, even for those who are good at referencing.  Students - get on it immediately!

Fish don't really need to know about referencing.  But for everyone else, let Microsoft Word create your bibliography for you...
(photo: my own)

Using headings to simply create a contents page is another invaluable function on Word.  Again, this is not something I used for my degree until I wrote my dissertation...

...thank goodness I discovered it before writing my dissertation :-o

Microsoft and me. Because - Spreadsheets!

Why do I still use Microsoft applications even though I use a Mac?  Macintosh applications can rival and even beat Microsoft on most things: Pages/Word; Keynote/PowerPoint; iPhoto/Photo Gallery; Safari/Explorer; QuickTime/Media Player.  So why then do I continue to use Excel instead of Numbers?

The simple answer is that I learned how to use spreadsheets on Excel, so I stick with what I know.

But that doesn't explain why I switched to most other Macintosh applications, but not Excel.  I suppose it is because all the other Microsoft applications are so straightforwardly simple in what they do - at least as far as my use for them goes - that switching to another, very similar version was effortless.  I'm sure Numbers is as easy to use as Excel, but with all the things I can do on Excel, and all the effort it took to learn how to do those things, using all those formulas, I'm just not willing to risk having to relearn all that just so I can use a Macintosh application.

My name is Hannah and I am addicted to spreadsheets

Using technology in everyday life

I went to London this weekend.  It was a spontaneous decision made two days earlier. Once the idea was planted, I went straight online to book transport, accommodation and theatre tickets: A weekend sorted in minutes thanks to the Internet and a laptop.

Making such a spur of the moment decision meant that there was little time to pack.  As I was leaving the house on Saturday morning wondering if I had packed everything, I thought to myself: "As long as I have my phone (fully charged) and my credit card I'll be fine." 

Armed with a credit card I can buy anything I forgot to pack. But why did my phone matter above all else?  Travel documents, hotel and theatre reservations, map of the underground - all these things were on my phone.  If I got lost, the voice on my map app would tell me where to go.  If I needed to look for somewhere to eat or the nearest attraction, my trip advisor app could show me. When does this museum close? How much does that gallery charge? Where is the nearest tube station? How far is The Courtauld from The Tate? All these answers can be found within seconds thanks to 3G (still waiting on 4G but I'm coping).  My phone can tell me how much is on my Oyster card, and can even top it up.  If I want a Starbucks without paying cash - I have a Starbucks app.  If I found myself without reading material on the journey I could read the news, play a game or connect to my Kindle, all on my phone - and when my eyes are tired, I can just plug my headphones into my phone and listen to Planet Rock instead.

Of course, my phone is not just something I use for travelling. As a learning tool, I have access to books, journals, podcasts, language learning apps, university documents, as well as my uni email and Moodle.  It's also my watch, my camera, my calculator, my planner, my alarm clock, my pedometer, my MP3 player, my GPS... Oh yes, and I can make calls on it too.

Who needs a camera when you have a phone?
(photo: my own)

First post

I opened my heart to its fullest extent
and this was how my first post went...

(photo: www.etsy.com)

Introduction

This is my first blog post for my PGCE PCET course.  Welcome.  This blog will chart the progress made in the ICT module which focuses on using technology to enhance learning. But enough about that; let's talk about me.

Hannah

My academic background is in history, philosophy and creative writing.  I'd love to teach arts and humanities subjects to older teenagers and adults, but I'm also interseted in SEN, teaching study skills, literacy, and basic skills. I already hold a certfificate in Preparing to Teach, and I'm hoping that this PCET course will help me to get where I want to go. Wish me luck...