1. Unit 1 – Improving Productivity

2. 1.1Why did you use a computer? What other systems / resources could you have used? In my PowerPoint I used a computer because it is much easier than writing it down on a piece of paper and presenting it to the class with using PowerPoint it means that you can show a whole class rather than printing off loads of sheets and wasting paper. I could have used Microsoft word and just done one sheet and printed off a lot. I could have presented my work verbally in front of an audience however if my presentation lasted along time people in the audience would get bored. Doing a verbal presentation would also mean that I may forget to mention important information. A computer is a good recourse to make a PowerPoint presentation because it allows to quickly edit work and also to make back up copies.

3. 1.2What skills did you need to learn in order to use PowerPoint? I needed to use my ict skills to make the presentation. I needed to know how to use the tools what are available to make your work easier you also need to know how to navigate yourself around the tool on PowerPoint. The ict tools that I used with in PowerPoint were the slide master tool, this tool allowed me to create a consistent slide show. I also used the custom animation tool to add moving effects to each slide this made the PowerPoint more engaging. I also used the slide show timings to enable the presentation to be played on a loop. I had to use my time management skills to finish any outstanding work I did this by coming back at lunch times. I also used creativity skill to plan the layout of each of my power point slides.

4. 1.2What resources did you need to make the presentation successful? I needed animations, video, picture, sounds and internet access so that I could research information which I would include on my presentation. I obtained animations from the internet so that it makes my presentation engaging. I use a video of the school to show the new student of the layout of the building. I also included picture of students and staff in my presentation these pictures were taken with a digital camera with the peoples permission. I use the school website to find out information about school events and subjects. As well as finding pictures which would make my presentation more interesting.

5. 1.4What factors might have affected how well you completed the presentation? (e.g. time / attendance / knowledge of software) These factors effected me because I had days off and this would effect my work and how much I produced also I needed to know how to use PowerPoint. As I took a number of days off I had to make sure that I caught up on any work that I missed. I have been using PowerPoint since primary school so I new how to use the basic features however I had to learn how to use the more advanced features quite recently, so features like slide transition, custom animation and slide master were all new to me also it took a while for me to learn how to use them. During my lessons I was easily distracted by my friends this meant that I wasted valuable time during my ict lessons. I think I should of focused on my work and tried not to get distracted.

6. 1.6Why did you use PowerPoint to make your presentation? What other software was available? Why did you choose not to use them? There are a number of different of recourses that I could of used to make my presentation for example I could of used Microsoft word or publisher however this could be expensive. There is a programme called match ware mediator this can be used to make presentation or websites however it costs money and would mean having to use it from scratch there is also another programme called Prezi this is a online presentation platform once again this costs money and I would have to learn how to use it. There are also privacy issues associated with Prezi

7. 2.2Which tools within PowerPoint made it appropriate for your presentation? There are a number of tool with in PowerPoint which make it appropriate, the design tools allowed me to choose the themes and the design layout for presentation. The ict tools that I used with in PowerPoint were the slide master tool, this tool allowed me to create a consistent slide show. I also used the custom animation tool to add moving effects to each slide this made the PowerPoint more engaging. I also used the slide show timings to enable the presentation to be played on a loop. I used the slide transition tool to add a visual effect when go from one slide to another, this made my presentation more interesting. I used the spell check tool to make sure my spelling and grammar is correct this ensured that my presentation was error free and professional looking.

8. 1.7Were there any legal constraints or local constraints that changed the way you created your presentation? (e.g. copyright, file sizes) Copyright law protects work created by a person for example if it is a book, if it is a piece of music or even a image. If you take a piece of work without permission you could be the subject of legal actions. With in my work I made sure that I did not infringe any copyright laws. Every time I took a picture or a animation from the internet I put a reference for it on my presentation. When I use photograph of staff and student I made sure that I had permission from them to use on my work. Some files were very big in size for example my video and images, I was enable to store these in my home drive these were stored in the shared area instead. One of the videos I used was 50 MB when I inserted this on to my PowerPoint I was enable to send my PowerPoint via email or upload on the exam board website as a result I had to reduce the file size to 3 MB.

9. 2.4What improvements do you think you could do to your presentation? I could maybe add more videos and animations to make the presentation better and look nice. I think that I could have added more videos and animation to my presentation to make more interesting for the young people in the audience. I also think that my presentation benefit from a more child friendly font such as comet san. If I was to do the presentation again I would use less slide because 12 slide is a lot for people to read. I could of used more sound in my presentation to make the attracted to my presentation.

10. 3.2What improvements do you think you could have done to improve your work rate? I could have done more in class and come after school to help my work rate. With in lesson I wasted a lot of time off task I believe now that I should of worked instead of talking to friends. To improve my work rate I could have done some research at home and used this with in my lessons. I should have organised my work more effectively for example I could have named all my files appropriately and saved them in a suitable folder structure. When using power point to save time I could have used short cuts to make it easier to compel the work for example ctr s would save the work rather than have to going file and save.