I've always had this weird love for Excel. Every time I learn something new about it, I'm fascinated and then I remember how many things I have no idea how to use. For example, clicking the function button and seeing all the possible functions you can use. Or even just searching one word to see all the formulas that appear and do so many things I don't have a use for but wish I did just so I could say I used that obscure formula.
Excuse my rambling -- Cold meds are my friend today.
I use Excel frequently just because tables are easy to organize my information and I can quickly upload them to my personal website. Most of what I use them for is simple calculations, but it's easier than doing the math every time I want to figure out a hockey stat!
I've spent the past four hour or so working on my soundboard for Intro to Research and I certainly have a new appreciation for the internet. For those of you who aren't in the class, we have to research the "oldest object" we own and create a storyboard complete with artifacts, primary sources, etc. regarding its authenticity, how we got it, so on and so forth. A few months ago, my Grandma gave me a silverware box filled with a couple sets, mismatched pieces, and some very old partial sets. Other than knowing what significance those older parts had to my family, my Grandma knew nothing about the style, manufacturer, etc. I sat here for close to four hours researching the patterns on the silverware until I found out all the information - one even dates back to 1916!
After I gathered the info, I realized that without the internet and people who created detailed records for their hobby (collecting silverware) for all to use, this project would have been really difficult to complete without any paperwork, etc. I probably would have had to find an antiques collector or appraiser and hope they could determine all of that on their own.
I do appreciate your internet comments. I am in the research class as well. My grandfather gave me a scarf worn by people of my crew position in the Army Air Force back in World War II. Unfortunately, all I had were his anecdotes. With use of the internet I was able to confirm what he said and find some new information from official sources.
ReplyDeleteI'm still new to excel, but I can see how it's an invaluable program. I was also surprised at the amount of information I could find on my article for intro to research. The internet is a very powerful tool!
ReplyDeleteI am in the research class too and I used the internet to help research the cookie jar I used for my project. The company who made the jar still exists and it was great because I could look up the dates it was made, the other pieces in the set, and any other information I needed. I also used the internet to add photos to my video to help showcase the time period that the piece was made in.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how much we can find now in a shorter amount of time. I'm sure this project would have taken a lot longer if we all had to conduct research through the library.