Our “Top Ten” Word and Excel courses have a new content release program: DRIP.
With DRIP programming, the lessons are released one day at a time. Students receive an email each day with a summary of the day’s goals and benefits. The emails also include an invitation to return to our course and enjoy the next topic. The purpose of DRIP programming is to “engage students” with more interactivity.
This BETA software and a new concept for me. What are your thoughts about this format? Please use this blog if you wish to start a discussion.
You can also contact me HERE if you have any questions.
Today’s question is from an Academic Advisor at one of our college partners:
“What Skills in Excel are important for Access?”
Good Question. Microsoft Office is a suite of software. To rely solely on one app, say Microsoft t Excel, misses the point. The Office apps work together. Access is a powerful tool for getting good data. Excel is how you analyze and visualize that information.
These are the TOP TEN TOOLS in Microsoft Excel that are used in Access:
A Table is a Table is a TableA Table is one of the fundamental benefits of having a computer. Information can be organized as Rows and Columns. Each of the Microsoft Office programs uses Tables to create structure. Each program also adds their own power tools. For Word, it is working with text. Excel uses Tables to show off the functions in the total Row. Of course! Excel is an excellent way to analyze data and work with Formulas. Tables in Access define the database.
The Computer Mama noticed: Word can Total numbers in a Column, but Excel does it better!
Here are four YouTube Videos that show
the best options for each program. Enjoy!
Play with Tables in PowerPoint
Get serious and add a spreadsheet
Create and modify Tables.
Format the Table Borders, Shading and Effects.
Merge and Split Cells and modify the Cell Size.
Modify Rows and Columns in a Tables.
Add an Excel spreadsheet into a presentation
But Wait! There’s more!These courses are online in our school. Our certification courses include eBooks, videos, sample files, practice and skill tests. Everything you need to become an expert.
Study Suggests Women Code Better Than Men This article supports what I have learned in the classroom. I have seen women programmers far exceed what men programmers can do…. because women match socks. Programming is all about On Event Clicks: does the button do what the user expects? The event matches the expectation. Women are very good at matching which kid gets which socks. Guys, not so much.
Computer codes written by women get higher approval ratings than the code written by men – but only if the gender of the coder is being hidden
I am the one who knows how to teach Microsoft Access! I have developed and deployed robust, commercial databases. I have also learned what it takes to teach database programming.
ANOTHER Excellent Review! “What you did well in your last course…
For your last course, our review team noted that your teaching was
prepared and polished.” UDEMY
All materials for this program are available online.
Step-by-step video demonstrations
Companion eBook with 342 pages of detailed instructions
Sample presentations and images
Practice and Quizzes
Our Complete Guide to Microsoft Outlook teaches how to:
Design and format professional E-mail using Themes and images
Track and respond to messages
Manage the Inbox with Rules and Quick Steps
Create appointments, meetings and tasks
Plan and collaborate online
The Microsoft Outlook 2013 Certification Training Program is part of the Microsoft Business Certification program: Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS). MOS certification is the globally recognized standard for validating expertise with the Microsoft Office 2013 suite. Students who wish to prepare for MicrosoftCertification Exam 77-422:Microsoft Office Outlook 2013 will find beginning through advanced lessons that demonstrate these required MOS topics.
This course teaches the objectives for the following certification tests:
Core Certification: Pass any 1 test: Outlook® 2013: Exam 77-423
The words that I say, E-mail, or text are messengers. The question is: Am I sending out angels or devils? In a digital world where nothing is ever deleted, it is something to consider.
My big brother was one of the first people to watch our Microsoft Office videos. He then offered several hours of “helpful,” unsolicited comments about the narration.
<Really? I don’t recall asking for advice.>
Getting it Right: We struggled with the voice and narration. We wanted to record the narration the way it is taught in a live classroom. Something about the presentation and pacing is very effective.
We Succeeded. From one of our students: “This course was excellent. It was extremely efficacious in that it was designed to be hands-on, task based, with an incremental and coherent progression that clarified each skill that was to be developed in a manner that created a deep tacit understanding of the material. This was crucial because learning by rote, a teaching methodology I have encountered with other material, evaporates in the mind very quickly over a short period of time.
“In addition, Ms. Nofs’ personal teaching style, evidenced in the course and in her online persona “The Computer Mamma,” proved singularly useful in helping to highlight essential points and sustain interest in the material at hand.
“Her variations of intonation and stress combined with her use of pace, repetition, discourse markers, asides, rhetorical questions, etc., kept the material fresh and facilitated retention of the intended key points. It also made one feel as if a dialogue were being created between teacher/specialist and student. Her teaching style was very effective pedagogically.
“I highly recommend her courses – in person and online.”
Digital Design Theory:I am really lucky. My job lets me color outside the lines and be creative. We had a blast with “Go, Blue” the video for Beginning Microsoft Word. Every screen has something animated.
Little Video Shows:I’ve wanted to do this since 1995 when I first figured out how eLearning would work. I saw that the story should be fun and educational. However, the story, or teaching, was only the top layer of many layers that linked to online content: reference links as well as up-sell links.
For our product, Microsoft Office, the story focuses on successful women and men who get the job done well. Our lessons show real world examples of practical solutions. I could draw it all out on storyboards, but how could anyone produce it in 1995?
The Computer Mama on PBS: I picked up the phone and called WFUM PBS in Flint. I announced (nope, didn’t ask) that I was going to do a program on computers. I had no television experience, no portfolio, not even a good suit. I was amazed when the Station Manager, Mr. Leon Collins, invited me to create a pilot program.
What fun!The hardware, the teleprompter and the editing software fascinated me. I remember Leon trying to explain the details of the co-production agreement but I just wanted to play with the talking Barney puppet and watch it interact with the program on PBS.
What did I learn?You should turn off the mic when you take a break. Everyone in the sound room heard me mouthing off to Mancini.
Great Software Works: Fast forward to 2015 and look at the tools that are available to teach and tell the story. The best shows can be produced on a desktop. The videos can have hyperlinks to more content online. The software is robust, affordable, and easy to use. The results are professional.
To my University of Michigan colleagues: Go Blue! Good luck, Coach Jim Harbaugh.
As Garrison Keillor sang: ”I’m, I’m from MICHIGAN and you’re from someplace else.”
The phone has excellent reception in the bathroom-4 bars.
Study Suggests Women Code Better Than Men 
