For those of you considering IT as a career (congrats, in my opinion, you have made a great decision), here is a good article.

5 Things You Must Know to Land an IT Job

If you are not on LinkedIn, sign up!. There are a number of IT related groups there. You can find some study groups, do some online networking, etc.

Happy Tech exploration!

I read a great article today: "How Your Social Media Profile Could Make Or Break Your Next Job Opportunity" at http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2012/04/23/your-social-media-profile-could-make-or-break-your-next-job-opportunity/?goback=%2Egmp_76575%2Egna_76575%2Egmp_76575%2Egde_76575_member_110527965

This article reinforces what I have been crusading on in our schools: be a wonderful, polite person when using social media. And, be careful.
This article is a "must read" for many age levels.
Have a great day!
Julie

Pivot Tables

Pivot Tables are awesome.
Here are some YouTube Videos that help explain concepts for creating pivot tables in Access 2007.

And why should you care?
Pivot Table display meaningful information from a table of information about Widgets and Customers....
You have a table of data that contains a list of products, suppliers, customers, orders, order dates, inventory levels, etc. With a Pivot Table we could very easily and quickly find out:

• How many customers ordered a particular product
• What day of the week had the best sales
• What city bought the most widgits...
• How many widgets are on hand and the cost of this inventory

and so much more

Pivot tables can be created easily in Access and Excel. Excel 2010 even offers slicers, which are visual controls that allow you to quickly and easily filter your data in an interactive way. They float above the grid, like charts and shapes.

PowerPoint Tips

Great resource for learning the ART of PowerPoint (from Microsoft)

Computer Jobs

IT (Information Technology, Information Services, Computers...) is a really neat career. Within this career umbrella are a number of career options.

Just a few IT career paths are:
Computer Hardware Engineer - (Bureau of Labor Statistics) - Computer hardware engineers research, design, develop, test, and oversee the installation of computer hardware. Computer hardware engineers are much like electronics engineers, but work only with computers. The rapid advances in computers are a result of their work. To keep up, these workers must stay up to date on what they know.
Computer Software Engineer - (Bureau of Labor Statistics) - The impact of computers on our lives means there is a need to develop new software. Computer software engineers apply computer science, engineering, and math to design, develop, and test software.
Computer Support Specialist - (Bureau of Labor Statistics) - Computer support specialists help people use computers. When something goes wrong, support specialists figure out why. Then, they try to fix it.
Database Administrator - Computer databases that store information on customers, inventory, and projects are found in nearly every industry. Data must be stored, organized, and managed. Database administrators work with database software to find ways to do this. They identify user needs, set up computer databases, and test systems.
Designer - (Bureau of Labor Statistics) - Are you creative? Designers have a desire to create; they mix knowledge with artistic ability. Designers focus in a specific area of design, such as cars or websites.
Webmaster - (Bureau of Labor Statistics) - Webmasters make websites; they turn words and art into Internet sites that people can use. They give computers instructions about how words and art should look on the computer screen.
Game Designer - Design and.or program video games.
Systems / Business Analyst - (Bureau of Labor Statistics) - These workers figure out how to use computers to get things done. They tell businesses and other organizations which computers and software to buy, and they decide how to get those tools to work together.
Teacher/ College Professor - We get to teach all the people who do all the jobs listed above the skills they need to get started in these careers, people who need computer skills in their other jobs, and who just want to learn about technology.


Some IT Job Descriptions

Lots of information on computers for kids

Another listing of computer careers

Just 2 of the employers who need IT Professionals

http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/

http://www2.cscc.edu/

Powerpoint

If you ever have to give a presentation using PowerPoint, read on.


Seth Grodin has some excellent points on PowerPoint presentations in his blog post: Really Bad Powerpoint


Some of the highlights of this article include:

Components To A Great Presentation

1. First, make yourself cue cards. Don’t put them on the screen.
2. Second, make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them. Create slides that demonstrate, with emotional proof, that what you’re saying is true not just accurate.
3. Third, create a written document to leave-behind, and hand it out when you are DONE.
   
   

Read his article to see what else Seth has to say.



To see a great (and very witty) example of how NOT to use PowerPoint, check out the short video: "Life After Death PowerPoint". The following 2 links get you to the same amusing video.
David Airey's blog
Teacher Tube


For a list of things you should and should NOT do in PowerPoint, check out the following site. PowerPoint DO's and DON'T's

Social Networking Safely

I just read a really informative blog post titled Navigating the Minefield of Memes

The basic premise is all too familiar. Many people consider Facebook and other social networking fun. It can be.

But beware: One example of how people give away info innocently that can compromise bank accounts and other secure accounts is by answering fun quizzes about themself. In these quizzes, you are often revealing answers to website security questions.

The simple word of caution: think before you post. Then, enjoy reading what your friends are up to. :-)