The Power in Point

The key to a successful PowerPoint is simply remembering the cliche, yet truthful phrase "less is more." Here are five important points to help you with this.

1. Limit text and bullets-Don't be too "wordy".
2. Never read your PowerPoint
3. You are the presentation-Your PowerPoint is a compliment to you not a repeat of your
words
4. Chose display wisely-Make sure colors, fonts and designs are carefully chosen and not
distracting
5. Connect with the audience-make sure your PowerPoint is both interesting and relevant
to your audience

Good luck with your presentations and remember to smile!;)

Excel Rocks My World

When I first entered the class, I knew barely anything about excel. However, I feel much more confident in my excel abilities. Since I am considering a double major in business and communications, I know that knowledge of excel will definitely help me if I chose this path. In business, excel will help me make spreadsheets for all areas of the business and help me stay organized. In my personal life, I create charts and spreadsheets for budgets. It's a quick and efficient way to manipulate large amounts of data, which can be used in any of your math and science classes. Excel is a very useful tool in all areas of life, academic and personal alike.

Computer Creativity

The AT&T Center for Learning and Technology offers a wonderful collection of resources for students including scanners, Windows and Mackintoshes, laser printers, audio and video programs, and other multimedia and editing software. In the Digital Audio Lab, students and faculty can record and edit audio for presentations and projects. In the Media Presentation Lab, containing computers and video projection hardware, students can watch and manipulate videos and presentations. This center will prove helpful for both in class assignments and outside projects. Here we can create effective presentations, advertising commercials, etc. We can also use it to explore and learn by editing our band's songs or by creating home movies. It's open for the both students' needs and wants. The AT&T Center for Learning and Technology is a place of learning, innovation, creation, and freedom. Rock on!

Goodnight Moon and the Smoker's Dilemma

I chose the last picture of Goodnight Moon illustrator Clement Hurd. The picture is on the dust jacket of the book where the illustrator's biography is located. However unlike the original version where Hurd is holding a cigarette, he instead has his hand open as if "trying to get someone to repay him 2o bucks." The picture was most likely manipulated so that his smoking habits would not influence the children who read his books. Worried parents were probably the promoters of the change and the printing company did not wish bad publicity or plunging sales. Obviously the picture does not reveal itself in its truest form, but I don't believe this particular case is harmful. The cigarette could be taken or left and would not make a difference to the purpose of the work, the children's story. I believe that perhaps the company made the right decision to alter the photo in order to save children's opinions of smoking.