Unit 28, Task 1, M1 and D1

M1

Web 2.0 - Web 2.0 is the second generation of the World Wide Web which allows people to collaborate and share information. Web 2.0 refers to a more dynamic web that is based on serving web applicators to users. Web 2.0 also has other improved functions for example, open communication with emphasis on web based communities. I have used Web 2.0 when using social media sites. Uploading pictures to Facebook or Twitter and editing a Wikipedia page are examples of using Web 2.0.

Blogs - Blogs are web pages that are set up by authors. It is almost like an online journal where writers can share their ideas and opinions. They can either be set to public or private which determines who is able to read the blog. They are usually filled with thoughts and ideas of the author. I use the website Blogger to upload my school work to. My classmates and teachers can access my work however I have complete control over who views my work as it can be kept private.

Online Application - This is a program made using a browser supported language that relies on the browser to use the application. Examples of online applications are calendars and calculators. I have used Google Calendar to keep track of my school work.

Cloud Computing - Instead of storing data on your computer's hard drive you are able to store and access it online using iCloud and Google Drive. This easily allows you to access documents that you have created online. This makes it much easier to access documents as you can sign into your account on any computer and have immediate access to the data. I use Google Drive to create all my documents with school work on. This makes it easier as the work can be easily accessed at home and on other computers.

D1

TCP/IP - The first layer of the transmission control protocol handles data that gets sent to other computers. When you buy a computer that has the internet already installed the TCP/IP will already be installed. The role of the TCP is to compact all the data. The main packets will be sent to the second layer of the protocol which is used to obtain the web page address that the data is being sent to. The protocol is adds the address to the packet. Before the packet is moved, this section is always read and handled with first. If the internet connection is bad or slow the packets are assembled slower. For example, the text or images may appear before anything else. Also, if there is a large image it can sometimes take a while for it to load. 

HTTP - This stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol which is used to distribute hypertext across the internet. HTTP makes the web pages actually work. This is what lets you access different parts of a website. For example, if you are on a clothes website it allows you to click on the different pages.

HTTPS - This stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure and basically does the same as HTTP but is much more secure and is used for online banking and other services that require more security. I have experience with HTTPS when using online banking. It is vital that personal details are kept secure.

SMTP - This stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and is used for electronic mail transmission. This enables users to send electronic mail between two devices e.g Gmail. I use SMTP when I exchange emails with my teachers to get feedback on my work. 

Unit 28, Task 1, P1

Hardware - Hardware is physical machinery that connects to the computer, for example, wires, desktops and tablets.
Router - The router is connected to the landline and pockets of data are transferred along it. The router uses information to determine where the pockets of data will go. This means that the web page will appear on the screen of the device that you are using. 
Software - Software is the programmes that are used in the computer. They can be installed and downloaded to the device that you wish to use. 

Unit 1, Task 5, D1

Verbal Communication

I used verbal communication throughout my work when I asked my teachers for feedback on different tasks. This has been very helpful to me as it made it clear what I had to add and what I'd done well. Also, by talking through it made me understand the task in more depth. A disadvantage of verbal communication in my work was that when I was given things to improve on I didn't always remember what had been said. In my opinion, writing down the corrections that need to be made is a better way of communicating.

Teacher Broadcasting Demonstration

Having a demonstration broadcast to the class helped a lot in my work. I was able to see clearly what to do. Also, the teacher could talk through what we had to do at the same time as showing us which made it easier. A disadvantage of this is that sometimes if something is small on the board it is difficult to see. Also, if people are talking throughout the demonstration it can be difficult to follow.

Using Blogger

Uploading my work to Blogger is an easy way to get my work marked. It makes it much easier than printing work off and handing it in to get marked. Also, it is easier to see feedback and what I need to add. It makes it easier to peer mark our work too. A disadvantage of this is that if something goes wrong with the computers or internet, I am unable to access my work and continue with it. Also, at the beginning it can be quite difficult to understand how to use Blogger.

Using Gmail

Using Gmail is an easy way to communicate with my teachers. If I need to send them anything, for example the screenshot of my google calendar, I am able to easily send them it. Also, when my work has been marked they can send me an email to let me know. A disadvantage of this is that if I have feedback and forget to check my emails I could end up not seeing the feedback. 

Publishing Images

I have used a lot of printscreens throughout my work. This has helped to show how I carried out some tasks which made it clear to my teachers that I have done all the work myself and how I done it. A disadvantage of this is that when I copy and paste the image it can be quite small and make some of the details unclear. Also, if I enlarge the image it can become distorted.

Using PowerPoint

I used PowerPoint for a lot of the tasks. This made it easy to produce presentations. It easy to upload PowerPoints to Blogger by saving them as a JPEG. Also, it is easy to organise information clearly. I do not think that there are any disadvantages of PowerPoint as it is a very efficient way of doing my work.

Using Google Calendar

I used Google Calendar to plan out what skills I was going to learn. This made it easy for me to see what I had to learn and on what day. It was easy to printscreen and send to my teacher to show them and it was clear for them to see. A disadvantage of Google Calendar is that you need to go online and open it therefore if you had no internet access you would not be able to view the calendar.

Unit 1, Task 6, M3

There are different types of learning styles e.g. visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. Depending on what type of person someone is will depend on which learning style they find the most useful.

The visual learning style means that you learn by associating different information to different images. People who learn by visual learning use images, colours, diagrams and maps to organise information. I have used visual learning this year in IT to teach myself how to create a customised dictionary, add a table of contents and create an index in word. Visual learning can be very beneficial as you can see what you are supposed to be doing which makes it much clearer.

Auditory learning is when you listen to something being explained. This can be listening to a teacher, friend or something online. This can be useful as rather than reading it someone can go into more detail when explaining it to you. Also, by hearing something may make it stick in your mind better therefore making it easier to understand.

Kinesthetic learning is a way of learning by physically doing something. For example, when I learned how to do different skills on the computer, I first watched videos or read about them then I physically carried out the task myself to ensure that I knew what to do. By doing this, you can see what you need to improve on and what you are still unsure of. It is great practise as the more you do the task, the better you will get.

In conclusion, I usually prefer using visual learning as I can see what I need to do. However, I like to pair this with kinaesthetic learning because it helps me to understand what I actually need to do and what I still need to work on. I do not usually like to use auditory learning because I cannot see what I need to do. I prefer to have a visual image or video to show me specifically what needs to be done. Also, when I listen to something being explained I sometimes forget key information because it is not visually in front of me.

Unit 1, Task 4, M2

Rachel commented on my Dummies Guide and suggested that it would be best to use the Dummies theme throughout. I have now made the changes to my PowerPoint.

Unit 1, Task 4, P6

Unit 1, Task 3, D2

Unit 1, Task 3, P5

Unit 1, Task 3, P7 and P8

BTEC National Skills audit : ICT

Trainee

School

The Kingswood School

Subject Audit:

This Subject Audit is designed to help you review your own ICT knowledge and to identify those areas where you anticipate that you may need support.  Throughout Unit 1 you will need to regularly review the development of your subject knowledge as a vital element in your training experience.

How to assess your knowledge:

In the spaces provided on the following pages please classify your status by ticking against the three point scale:

A	I	T
Advanced: can complete task without thinking	Intermediate: can complete task but has to think about it or ask teacher for a reminder.  This needs to be added to the training plan as a low priority Training need.	Training required: This needs to be added to the training plan as high priority training need.

	Initial audit
	A	I	T
Word Processing
Level 1
I can open a new document	A
I can open an existing document	A
I can save a new document	A
I can save a document using the ‘save as’ facility and I understand why it is important to do so	A
I can format a document	A
I can change fonts	A
I can spell check	A
I can insert text	A
I can insert images	A
I can wrap around text	A
I can use templates appropriately	A
I can use headers and footers appropriately	A
I can use the Thesaurus	A
I can format the background	A
Level 2
I can change the print/page setup	A
I can paginate a document			T
I can import external data from other packages			T
I can use mail merge			T
I can insert footnotes and end notes	A
I can search and replace	A
I can create/format tables	A
I can use Styles	A
I can use Word count	A
Level 3
I can create a customised dictionary			T
I can create an automatic table of contents			T
I can create an index			T
Spreadsheets
Level 1
I can open a new worksheet	A
I can open an existing worksheet	A
I can add new worksheets to exiting ones	A
I can rename worksheets	A
I can move or copy sheets	A
I can add columns	A
I can add rows	A
I can delete columns	A
I can delete rows	A
I can enter data	A
I can copy a formula or a data series along a row or a column	A
I can sort data in ascending and descending order using primary and secondary sort functions			T
I can format data to show different data types	A
I can format data to show different data types, including date	A
I can format data to show different data types, including percentage	A
I can format data to show different data types, including currency	A
I can format cells to show bold	A
I can format cells to show italics	A
I can format cells to show underline	A
I can format cells to show font style	A
I can format cells to show font size	A
I can format cells to show cell border and shading			T
I can format cells to show text alignment and positioning within a cell			T
I can import data			T
I can create formulas			T
I can use functions			T
I can select non-adjacent columns			T
I can use Goal Seek			T
I can create charts/graphs and modify them			T
I can use filters and sort data into order			T
I can amend data on the spreadsheet in order to get different results			T
I can  change font size, type and colour in a cell and over a range of cells			T
I can move cell contents by using the click and drag approach			T
I can create and edit a graph using the chart wizard			T
I can rename worksheets			T
I know how to print formulae			T
I can preview and print spreadsheets using the appropriate orientation			T
Level 2
I can cut and paste data and graphs from spreadsheets into other applications	A
Level 3
I can use absolute cell referencing			T
I can use relative cell referencing			T
I can group worksheets to allow consistent editing of cells in a work book			T
I can use the Paste Special and the Paste Link commands			T
I can use conditional formatting			T
I can merge cell contents			T
PowerPoint
Level 1
I can open a new document	A
I can open an existing document	A
I can save a new document	A
I can save a document using the ‘save as’ facility and I understand why it is important to do so	A
I can format a document	A
I can change fonts	A
I can spell check	A
I can insert text	A
I can insert images, change font and layout	A
I can create and run a slide show	A
I can add animation and transitions	A
I can insert hyperlinks	A
I can add timings and animations to a slide show	A
I can add slides	A
I can amend slides	A
I can delete slides	A
I can create my own backgrounds on a slide	A
I can use backgrounds that are already created	A
I can insert graphics	A
I can use ClipArt	A
I know how to use animations appropriately	A
I know how to edit images by cropping	A
I know how to edit images by resizing	A
I can view a presentation on a mouse click	A
I can set up a show to run automatically on timings	A
I can insert transitions and animations	A
Level 2
I can create a slide master			T
I can import sound – KS 4 & 5			T
I can import video – KS 4 & 5			T
I know how to present printouts as handouts	A
I know how to present printouts as notes pages	A
Email
Level 1
I can send emails	A
I can receive emails	A
I can reply to emails	A
I can forward emails to single recipients	A
I can forward emails to multiple recipients	A
I can attach a file to an email message	A
I can attach multiple files to an email message	A
I can appropriately set the importance of a message			T
Level 2
I can use Cc			T
I can use Bcc			T
I can use an address book appropriately and can store an address			T
I can use an address book appropriately and can retrieve an address			T
I can use an address book appropriately and can use addresses			T
I can create and use an email signature	A
Internet
Level 1
I can navigate to known websites, and do basic searches	A
I can save images from a website as required and use them appropriately	A
I can save text from a website as required and use them appropriately	A
I can connect to the internet using a URL	A
I can navigate around a website	A
I can access and download appropriate information from the internet	A
I can bookmark websites and add to favourites	A
I understand the restrictions of copyright	A
I can use a URL to connect to a website from an intranet	A
I can use a URL to connect to a website from favourites	A
I can use a URL to connect to a website from bookmarks	A
I can use a URL to connect to a website typing accurately	A
Level 2
I can use Boolean Operators to undertake more accurate searches			T
I can save video from a website as required and use them appropriately			T
I can save animations from a website as required and use them appropriately			T
Desktop Publishing (Publisher or Adobe Indesign)
Level 1
I can open a new document	A
I can open an existing document	A
I can save a new document	A
I can save a document using the ‘save as’ facility and I understand why it is important to do so	A
I can format a document	A
I can change fonts	A
I can spell check	A
I can insert text	A
I can insert images, change font and layout	A
I can design documents from scratch	A
I can decide which publication to use at the appropriate time; for example, newsletters, worksheets, brochures, etc.	A
I can use text boxes	A
I can use Word Art	A
I can insert tables	A
I can insert picture frames	A
I can insert Clip Art	A
I can use Shapes and Auto Shapes	A
I can add text	A
I can amend text	A
I can delete text	A
I can use colour	A
I can format backgrounds	A
I can format colours	A
I can format images	A
I can copy text and images	A
I can paste text and images	A
I can move text and images	A
Level 2
I can use templates			T
I can use text effects	A
I can insert tables	A
I can edit tables	A
I can reposition tables			T
I can resize tables			T
Multimedia (cameras, scanners etc.)
Level 1
I can use a digital camera	A
I can use a digital camcorder	A
I can transfer images from a camera to a computer and edit these images	A
I can use software to import images into appropriate applications	A
I can use software to import images into appropriate applications, including Moviemaker	A
I can use software to import images into appropriate applications, including Publisher	A
I can crop and change file size and format as appropriate to purpose, e.g. save as jpeg	A
Level 2
I can use software to import images into appropriate applications, including Photo Editor	A
I can recognise the difference between different image files, such as vector based	A
I can recognise the difference between different image files, such as bitmapped	A
I can use a scanner to import images into appropriate applications	A
I can use a scanner to capture images			T