Documenting a Day in my Life

 

Hey there everyone!

I want to take the time to discuss my experience using three different computer programs to document a day in my life. Week three's assignment required the use of three different programs to illustrate what a day in my life is like. Although each application had the same potential of explaining what a day in my life is like, each program portrays the same material differently. For example, the Microsoft Word processor application permits users to format their text using several formatting tools, including bold, italics, underlining, font sizing, and several other features (Vahid & Lysecky, 2017). Therefore, I created a detailed outline of my daily schedule. The word processing application was better suited for an exact timeframe that includes times and task descriptions. Whereas using the spreadsheet and presentation applications only accepted a condensed version of my daily agenda. The information below is the outcome of using the Microsoft word processor for the purpose of demonstrating what a day in my life is like. 

Microsoft Word Processor

As a wife, mother, student, and full-time paraeducator, I am expected to divide my time appropriately between work, school, and home life. So, to keep up with life's busy demands, my family and I like to maintain a well-balanced schedule that fits in naturally within the family dynamic and does not feel too structured. A day in my life consists of following a detailed schedule that consists of daily routines and specific objectives. The following information illustrates what a day in my life looks like employing a practical agenda. 

Monday, June 14, 2021-

Morning

Ø  6:00 AM to 7:00 AM: Morning routine (shower, brush teeth, get dressed)

Ø  7:00 AM to 7:30 AM: Cook breakfast/Kids' free time

Ø  7:30 AM to 8:00 AM: Eat breakfast

Ø  8:00 AM to 8:45 AM: School drop off

Ø  9:00 AM to 3:00 PM: Work/School (Children)

Afternoon

Ø  3:00 PM to 3:45 PM: School pick up

Ø  3:45 PM to 4:15 PM: Afternoon routine (unpack backpacks and lunches/check emails)

Ø  4:15 PM to 5:00 PM: Cook Dinner/Kids' free time

Ø  5:00 PM to 5:45 PM: Dinner/Family Time

Ø  5:45 PM to 6:00 PM: Clean up

Ø  6:00 PM to 6:30 PM: Kids' homework

Ø  6:30 PM to 7:15 PM: Kids' free time/Mom's study time

Evening

Ø  7:15 PM to 8:00 PM: Kids' bedtime routine (bath, brush teeth, book)

Ø  8:30 PM to 9:00 PM: Kids' bedtime

Ø  9:00 PM to 11:00 PM: Study & homework

Ø  11:00 PM to 12:00 PM: Watch television/play games (unwind)

Ø  12:00 AM to 12:30 AM: Bedtime routine & bedtime (bath, brush teeth, book)

Despite my busy schedule, my husband and I find it necessary to keep the schedule open for any possible last-minute accommodations such as additional work hours, doctor/therapy appointments, or meetings. There are also times where we outweigh the cost and benefits of sacrificing a specific part of our schedule (not school or work-related) to encompass fun family-oriented activities such as bike rides or park trips. Nevertheless, considering my family's particular dynamic, a stable slate with little interruption works best to keep us on track with work, school, and home life. 

Spreadsheet

 The spreadsheet application demonstrated what a day in my life is like using tables, data, and graphs. Unlike the word processor and presentation program, Excel uses cells organized in columns to input data. The spreadsheet application also uses formulas for automated data calculations and graph development (Vahid & Lysecky, 2017), which the other programs do not possess. See pictures below for examples created using the spreadsheet program.

Power Point

In my opinion, the presentation program was the most challenging application to use for describing my schedule. Since a PowerPoint presentation process generally consists of public speaking (Vahid & Lysecky, 2017), the information within the slideshow was limited and vague. The most suitable application software for documenting the information about my day was the word processor and the spreadsheet app because the appropriate volume of data can be exhibited. The presentation application is better suited for entities that are required to visualize the material. Take a look at my power point presentation below. 

An additional scenario where the use of a word processing application is valid is when creating discussion posts. Not only does the word processing app offer text formatting and personalization features, but it also provides spell check and grammar suggestions that improve writing altogether. I utilize the word processing app when creating emails, discussion posts, and when developing assignments. I also use the word processing app when jotting down recipes because of all the formatting features. An additional scenario where the spreadsheet program could be used is when creating a budget or when representing data on a graph (Vahid & Lysecky, 2017). A time where the presentation program may be helpful to a person who must publicly speak about a topic and represent information visually to the audience. Additionally, the PowerPoint presentation program may be beneficial when creating a photo album presentation to showcase important moments for weddings, birthdays, or other celebrations.

References:

Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2017). Computing technology for all. Retrieved from https://ashford.instructure.com/courses/85897/modules/items/4339048