Week 7 – Calendar Function

elissahallidayLeave a comment

On Excel, you can create your own calendar from scratch or you can use a pre-built calendar template that Excel provides. There are templates ranging from 12-month calendars, monthly calendars, weekly calendars, and calendars that have notes. They are already formatted for you and you can add in your events right away.

It is easy to use one of these templates, you just need to choose the template you want and then add your schedule into it. You have the option of customizing your calendar by changing the size of the font, the style of the font, and the colors of the calendar. To learn how to use this function, I chose to do a monthly calendar for the month of November. After you select the calendar you want it will go directly onto your worksheet. Below is what it looks like when you first select the calendar. Screen Shot 2018-11-05 at 7.35.17 PM.png

The title will usually say January, so to change this you click on the title and change the formula (shown in the above image in the formula bar) to the correct year, month, and date you want and then press enter and it will update for you. However, the numbers will not be in the correct days of the week (1 will always start on Sunday even if that is not correct) so you will need to re-number the dates. You can change the colors of your calendar by going to themes under the home tab and choose the color scheme you like best. Next, to add events into the calendar, you simply double-click on a date box and type in the event. This is a much easier way to create a calendar in Excel and it saves you a lot of time. These templates still look professional and they keep your events organized well.

I created a calendar for the month of November and added in my important assignments that are due in that month. I found it very straightforward and it produced a well-organized calendar for me that I will definitely be referring to for this busy month! I love that there is an option of getting a template because it saves you a lot of time not having to input all the features of a calendar and for those who like to customize their calendar, you still have the option to do so by changing the theme, color, fonts, and font size. I would definitely recommend using this feature provided by Excel for anyone who likes to create clean looking monthly and yearly calendars in a fast and easy way. Below is a picture of the calendar I created.

Screen Shot 2018-11-05 at 7.29.06 PM.png

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next weeks post on the pros and cons function!

References:

https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/easiest-way-make-calendar-excel

 

 

 

Week 7 – Vegan Diet

elissahallidayLeave a comment

vegan-90766102m.jpgVegan is a type of diet in which you abstain from using any animal products mainly for diet but also in daily life (clothing, and furniture choices). If you chose to go Vegan you are eliminating dairy, meat, eggs, and any other animal products. Your diet would consist of plant-based foods such as vegetables, grains, nuts, fruits, etc. Some people decide to go Vegan for animal welfare, others for environmental concerns, others for personal health, and others for a mix of all three reasons. It has been increasingly on the rise and more and more people are going Vegan. The number of people who are Vegan has increased by 160% over the last 10 years. The world has been adapting to this increase and change and many more Vegan restaurants have opened up making it more accessible.

So what are the benefits of going Vegan?

  • Higher in Vitamin C and fiber
  • Lower BMI (body mass index) – usually results in weight loss
  • Less saturated fat
  • Increased energy – many people who have gone Vegan have reported having an increase in their energy level
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Lower Cholesterol

What are the Disadvantages?

  • Nutrient deficiencies – miss out on certain micronutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids
  • Can be easily done wrong – since it is usually lower in calorie intake many people turn to unhealthy foods to fill that void like bread, cereal, etc.
  • Rely heavily on soy and too much soy can cause an imbalance in our hormones
  • Difficult to get enough protein
  • Can lead to undereating

The benefits and disadvantages are pretty dependent on what you eat when you are vegan. It can be a healthy choice if you do it correctly and do your research. It is important to eat plant-based foods and not to give in and eat processed foods, foods high in sugar, or overload on carbs. It is also important you do your research and make sure you are finding supplements for the essential nutrients you are missing out on. However, most nutritionists still believe the best diet does include animal products (just a limited amount) as there are many health benefits and important nutrients in these products. Since it is a new diet we need more research on Veganism to really know the effects it has on our bodies and the best way to do it.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next weeks post on the Keto diet 🙂

References:

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/89/5/1627S/4596952

https://www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/vegan-diet-healthy/

http://time.com/4346551/vegan-diet-vegetarian/

 

Twine and Google Classroom

elissahallidayLeave a comment

Today in class we talked about two tech tools, google classroom and twine.

Twine is a tool that allows its users to tell interactive non-linear stories. It was created in 2009 by Chris Klimas but it is now maintained by several people. Twine is free to use for any way you wish to use it, including for commercial use, and it publishes directly to HTML, which allows you to post your work almost everywhere. It is used by most of its users to develop hypertext narratives and games. It does not require any programming languages that most game development tools do. This makes it very desired for those who do not know any programming languages. It is a tool that can be used by anyone who is wanting to create interactive fiction. In class, we created our own one by an example given to us by our teacher. I have never been good with technology so it was interesting for me to see how Twine works. After some practice, I began to get the hang of it and learned about some basic coding for design elements. Within Twine, you do not have to code, but if you want to add certain design features, such as bold writing, underlining, background colors etc. you can code them into your writing. After you have finished creating your interactive story, you can play it and see it for your self which is a cool feature. You can also share what you have created with whoever you would like.

Screen Shot 2018-11-06 at 10.53.12 AM
This is what it looks like when you are creating your interactive story

The other tech tool we looked at was Google Classroom. Google Classroom is a web tool that was created by Google in 2014 specifically for schools but can be used by anyone who has a Google account. It a free to use and allows teachers and their students to connect with each other both inside and outside of school. Within Google Classroom you can create classes, distribute assignments, post materials, and announcements, communicate and stay organized. It is a great tool to use that saves you time, is easy to set up, and is affordable.  Students can be added to a classroom by a private code or automatically through a school domain. Students can submit their assignments and post questions they have or add to discussions within the classroom.

I used Google Classroom a lot throughout my time in high school and I found it a really great tool. It makes it easy to see assignments that your teachers give you and various materials that are useful for the course. I like how you can ask a question or start a discussion on Google Classroom, this allows you to collaborate with your peers. In class today we created our own classroom to see how easy it is to create one. For someone not very tech-savvy it was very easy to set up and to add materials within your classroom. Google Classrooms is a great tool to stay connected with your students and is a paperless way to give assignments and materials. I am definitely going to use Google Classroom when I begin teaching.

Overall, both Twine and Google Classroom are great tech tools (for very different reasons).

 

Week 6 – Juice Cleanses

elissahallidayLeave a comment

Pressed-Juices-Greens-and-Earth-Range-740x385.jpg

A juice cleanse is a diet in which you only consume juices made from vegetables and fruits in an attempt at weight loss and to detoxify your body. This diet is restrictive in food groups and calorie intake. Juice cleanses usually range from 3-10 days. There is people who think they are great for you but others who are sceptical of their benefits.

So what are some of the benefits of going on a juice cleanse?

  • Gives your digestive system a rest – helps reset your gut
  • Boosts your energy – the nutrients in their natural state that juice cleanses provides creates a lasting clean energy
  • Weight loss

However, most of these benefits are for a short 3-day juice cleanse that is followed by a plant-based diet afterward. There is also not a lot of scientific proof to support these benefits – there is little evidence that it does any good for your body.

So what are the negative effects of going on a juice cleanse?

  • The weight loss makes you lose water retention – usually is a temporary weight loss and is rarely long-lasting
  • Can lead to dehydration and an imbalance of electrolytes
  • Insufficient number of calories can lead to symptoms of low blood sugar – fainting, and weakness
  • Does not offer long-term solutions for weight-loss or wellness
  • Reduces kidney function
  • Does not rid your body of toxins
  • Your body misses out on certain nutrients and vitamins such as carbohydrates, fiber, and protein
  • Low-calorie intake – makes you feel hungry, weak, and irritable
  • Since you’re not eating a well-rounded diet you may experience headaches, lightheadedness, dizziness, fatigue

Most nutritionists would suggest a balanced, healthful diet instead of a juice cleanse. There is more evidence to suggest that a juice cleanse can have a negative impact on one’s body than do any good for you. Juices containing fruits and vegetables are good for you, but you may want to balance these juices with other healthy nutrients including proteins, carbs, and fats in order for your body to function properly.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next week post about going Vegan!

References:

https://www.thejuicetruck.ca/blogs/news/the-science-behind-the-benefits-of-doing-a-juice-cleanse

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323136.php

https://www.food.ee/blog/the-good-and-bad-news-about-juice-cleanses/

 

 

 

Week 6 – Charts

elissahallidayLeave a comment

This week I decided to learn how to use the chart function on excel. Charts allow you to better visualize your data and the relationships between the data.

To add in a chart to your Excel worksheet, you highlight the data on your worksheet that you want to be included, then you click on the charts tab and select the chart of your choice. You have many options of chart types, such as column, line, pie, bar, area, and scatter and within each of these categories there are even more options like 2D or 3D.

Screen Shot 2018-10-30 at 7.16.40 PM.png

To practice using the charting function, I chose to do a 3D pie chart. Each chart contains multiple different elements – title, axis, labels, a legend, and gridlines. You have the choice of showing these elements or hiding them. You can also choose their location and the formatting of each one. Once you have decided on the chart you want you select it and your data will enter into your chart automatically. From here you can customize your chart and the various different elements by double-clicking on the chart. In my example, I chose to change the background of the chart to make it more fun and chose to show my legend in the top right corner (example shown below). You can adjust the size and the placement of your title and your legend. To fix other layout stuff click on chart layout from here you can choose if you want a title, a legend, labels, etc. For example, if you click the chart title it gives you the option of no title, title at top or title at the bottom if you choose to have a title you click the one you want and it appears on your graph. It will say chart title but you change that by clicking on the text box and then typing in your title. Screen Shot 2018-10-30 at 7.39.55 PM.png

As you can see there are many elements of the graphing function, but once you have played around with it a little it is easy to use and really helps you to clearly visualize your data. This is one function in particular that now I know how to use it, I will use it a lot.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned to learn about the calendar function next week!

References:

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-build-excel-graph

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/create-a-chart-from-start-to-finish-0baf399e-dd61-4e18-8a73-b3fd5d5680c2#OfficeVersion=macOS

Creative Commons

elissahallidayLeave a comment

In today’s class, we learned about the non-profit organization called Creative Commons. This website gives users a large range of creative works that they can build upon legally and share. Creative Commons was founded in 2001 and is used by many different search engines such as Flickr and youtube.

To use Creative Commons you go to the CC Search part of it and type in what you are looking for. For example, if you wanted to search for sunflowers you would write that in the search bar and then choose the search engine you want to use. For my example I choose Flickr. You also have the choice of clicking off if you want it to use it for commercial purposes and/ or if you want to modify, adapt or build upon it (see picture below). Since I was not looking for an image I could use for commercial purposes, or a photo I could modify, adapt, or build upon, I did not click off either of these boxes.

Screen Shot 2018-10-30 at 10.34.45 AM.png

Once you have decided what you are searching for and chose the categories you want, you can search for the image you are looking for. From here you get a large variety of photos from different authors. When you select a photo you can see who the publisher is, the views, when it was taken and the rights. The photo I chose has some rights reserved and with these rights, I can share and adapt the image, but cannot use it for commercial purposes. When you want to save the photo you can choose the size you want (square, small, medium, large, or original size). After I looked at how to properly save the image, I saved it by username@searchengine.copyrightcode. For my image, I saved it as Kristine@Flickr. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Kristine@Flickr.CC BY-NC 2.0.jpg

Flickr by Kristine licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Here is a link to the Creative Commons search – https://search.creativecommons.org/

Week 5 – Gluten

elissahallidayLeave a comment

 

Screen-Shot-2016-07-21-at-4.43.34-PM-630x315.pngGluten is another substance that is controversial about whether it is good or bad for you. So what is gluten exactly? Gluten is a natural protein found in some grains such as wheat and barley. It holds food together and creates a stretchy like quality to food. There is a lot of negative attention towards gluten right now and many people have doubts about gluten intake for a healthy diet. I did some research to see if this is just a current fad or if there is truth to the negative talk about gluten.

To start, gluten does have a very negative effect on some people who suffer from celiac disease. Celiac disease is a condition in which when eaten will trigger an immune response which is not normal and causes a range of symptoms. Some people do not have celiac disease but have a gluten sensitivity and their bodies react negatively to gluten intake. So for those who suffer from either of these then yes gluten is not good for your diet!

What about people who are not celiac or do not have a sensitivity? Below is a list of the disadvantages of gluten.

  • May result in inflammation which can cause fatigue and bloating
  • Can lead to headaches
  • If over eaten can lead to weight gain

As you can see there are not too many negative effects of eating gluten on your body, unless you are celiac or have a sensitivity than it is important to cut out gluten.

Benefits of eating gluten:

  • Lowers rates of heart disease and strokes
  • Less risk of developing type 2 diabetes
  • A lack of gluten is associated with gastrointestinal diseases
  • A lack of gluten could lead to certain nutrient deficiencies, such as fiber, iron, and calcium (all important nutrients for your body)
  • Gives your body many important nutrients

Having gluten in your diet has many benefits and cutting it out may actually lead to more disadvantages than eating it will. Many people cut out gluten to lose weight, however, there is no evidence to show that a gluten-free diet is effective for weight loss or any other general health benefits. Currently, almost a third of Americans are avoiding their gluten intake and are buying gluten-free products, but this may actually be worse for one’s health. If eaten in moderation and in a smart way gluten is beneficial for one’s overall health. I think this shows how important it is to do your research before cutting something out of your diet.

Stay tuned for next weeks post about juice cleanses 🙂

References:

Gluten: A Benefit or Harm to the Body?

Diet Review: Gluten-Free for Weight Loss

 

 

Week 5 – Inserting Tables

elissahallidayLeave a comment

Another function in excel that I began to explore this week was the table function. Tables allow you to quickly and easily analyze your data by sorting and filtering your data within the table. You can insert a table into any of your Excel worksheets. Inserting these tables allows for many features that will help you organize your data.

To insert a table into your worksheet, click any single cell inside the dataset then go to the tables tab and from here click on new. There are many different style options that you can choose from. Once you have chosen the one you want you now have a well-organized table. Now that you have created a table you can sort through your data by the category of your choice. After choosing the category you wish to sort your data by you can choose to sort it by ascending or descending. For example, in my table, if I chose to sort my data by names I could choose either A-Z or Z-A. If I were to do it by age I could choose to sort it by highest to lowest, or lowest to highest. In the picture below I sorted my data by age from lowest to highest

Screen Shot 2018-10-23 at 8.12.06 PM
Data Sorted by Age (Youngest – Oldest)

Another function you can do is filtering. You can filter your data within a table. For example, if you wanted to see a specific part of your data then you can specify what you want to see. To do this you click on the arrow next to the category you want to filter by and then click the item you are using to filter your data. By doing this it will show you all the data that has that item in it, but it does not erase your other data, it is still there just hidden. For example, in my worksheet, I filtered my data by the category age and I choose to do 20. This showed me a list of my friends who were 20 (picture is shown below).

Screen Shot 2018-10-23 at 8.12.33 PM
Data Filtered by Age of 20

Lastly, you can also calculate things from your table, such as an average, or a sum, etc. If you had a sales category and wanted to calculate the total amount then you would add in another row and call it total, and at the bottom of the sales category you would write in =SUM and click all the cells you want to include. I practiced this function on my table and calculated the total of everyone’s ages combined (see picture below).

Screen Shot 2018-10-23 at 8.16.38 PM
Sum of Ages Calculated

Overall, I learned a lot of useful tips this week about inserting tables into an Excel worksheet. Once you have created a table there are many functions you can use which allow you to easily analyze, sort and filter your data, which will be of use to me. In these past weeks, I already feel much more confident in my ability to create and effectively use an Excel worksheet

Stay tuned to learn more basic functions of Excel 🙂

References:

https://www.excel-easy.com/data-analysis/tables.html

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/video-create-a-table-bf0ce08b-d012-42ec-8ecf-a2259c9faf3f

 

Inquiry Mindset

elissahallidayLeave a comment

In my technology class, I had the opportunity to visit Rebecca Bathurst-Hunts classroom and listen to her speak about her opinion on an inquiry mindset in the elementary classroom. Rebecca teaches a french-immersion kindergarten class and believes that inquiry is an important style of learning in the classroom.

Rebecca had many unique and interesting ideas on learning. She believes that you should begin learning with questions in order to get students minds active and to allow for more student voice. This can be done by starting the lesson with a picture or a gif (which I found was a really cool idea) and asking the students 3 questions: what they see, what they know, and what they wonder. I personally believe this is a great way to get students engaged in the lesson and I will definitely use this as I prepare to go into the classroom.

She also talked a lot of inquiry-based learning and the different types. There is Structured inquiry in which the teacher leads the class in an inquiry question that they all engage in together. Rebecca suggests starting off with this inquiry style as it allows students to develop the basic skills needed for inquiry work. Next, there is Controlled inquiry where students answer questions based off of topics that are given by the teacher. In this style, the teacher also identifies the resources. Then there is Guided inquiry where the teacher will choose the topic or question and then the students will find the product or solution. Lastly, there is Free inquiry where the students choose their own topics and the inquiry is totally in their control. Rebecca mentioned how she does not always get to this stage in the inquiry process during one school year. I have heard of inquiry learning, but have never learned about the different types of it. I found this really useful as I love the idea of inquiry-based learning in elementary classrooms, but always thought it would be tough to give the young students so much freedom. I am excited that there is a way I can use inquiry learning in my classroom.

Rebecca had a very welcoming classroom due to all her different setups in the class, such as a cave/tented area meant for quiet time, desk areas for collaborative work, desk areas for pair work or quiet work, a main carpeted area where the whole class can go, and more! One thing that really stuck out to me in her classroom was a wall she had made into a “Wonder Wall”. This wonder wall had pictures of all the students in the class with thought bubbles beside them where she had written something that the student wonders about. I really liked this idea and thought it was a great way to share the student’s ideas with their peers.

All in all, I learned a lot from seeing Rebecca’s classroom and listening to her perspective on an inquiry mindset in the classroom. I gained a lot of information that will be useful to me in my years to come. I am thankful for this opportunity as I learned a lot about engaging students.