Title: Personal Knowledge Management Column
Author:
Section/SPIG: Health Administration
Issue Date:
This column is devoted to personal applications and information that you, as an individual knowledge worker, can use to improve your information productivity without necessarily relying on your IT staff. The short articles and hints contained in this section will follow a framework originally developed by Prof. Paul Dorsey at Millikin University <http://www.millikin.edu/> in Decatur, Ill.
Dorsey’s framework consists of seven areas: 1. Accessing information and ideas; 2. Evaluating information and ideas; 3. Organizing information and ideas; 4. Analyzing information and ideas; 5. Conveying information and ideas; 6. Collaborating around information and ideas; and 7. Securing information and ideas, and is an attempt to combine computer literacy with information literacy. It’s an expansion of the: “find, organize, use and disseminate” school of thinking.
Organize Net Snippets
From a company called 4Developers comes a nice product for organizing online snippets of information called Net Snippets, <http://www.netsnippets.com>. This program is integrated into Internet Explorer (Windows PCs only). It can be used to organize Web resources and desktop applications by dropping and dragging them into a user-organized file structure. Saving selected information "snippets" rather than entire Web pages can help you organize the information you pull off the Web into some kind of coherent organizational structure. Using this program, information that you've captured is automatically date- and time-stamped and the bibliography information like source URL is captured and saved with the information. Searching across all fields including keywords, comments and custom fields using the built-in search tool is made easy. Use the tool to build your own "infobases" of relevant information - and keep track of it.
Top tips for Excel: Charts and Graphics
Many managers use Excel to keep track of data. This article from the Microsoft Web site will help you to learn new or faster ways to work with charts, graphics, and other objects. Learn how to create charts, change chart display, expand data markers, labels and text, and change drawings and diagrams. The tips are intended for those using Excel 2000, 2003 and 2003. Find the tips at: <http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/preview.aspx?AssetID=HA010841581033&;CTT=98>
(Please note: If the long URLs do not work when you click them, be sure to copy all lines adjacent to one another into the address line of your browser).
Clip Art to Start the New Year
Finding clip art that you can legitimately use to enhance Word and PowerPoint documents can be time consuming. To get access to more than 100,000 images from subjects ranging from backgrounds to emotions to concepts to travel or weather, visit the "Clip Art and Media" section of Microsoft.com. Images are really varied. If you want to learn more about an image, click on it. In a popup window the image will appear along with the file name, the media type (image or drawing), the dimensions in pixels, the resolution in dpi (dots per inch) and the file size. Some images are animated.
To download several graphics, click in the selection box under each graphic. Your graphics will be temporarily stored in the Selection Basket on the left-hand navigation bar. You may review your basket before downloading. To download, click the link that says, "Download x items." If you only have one image to download, you may also right click on the graphic and then select "Save image as..." Find the appropriate folder or make one and put the graphic inside that folder.
If you want to change the format from one to another format, say a .wmf file to a .gif or .jpg, you will need a graphics program such as Paint Shop Pro or Adobe Photoshop. Open the file and do File -->Save As-->select the file type such as .gif or .jpg, both of which are much smaller than .wmf files.
To insert an image into a PowerPoint presentation, open your presentation and find the slide you want to add the image to. Click on Insert -->Image-->From File-->select the image by clicking on it. Move the image to the location on the slide where you want it. Grab the selection handles to make the image larger or smaller.
Find sounds such as hand washing, dentists drilling, heart monitors and more. Think of all the fun you could have with both sound and graphics. Used judiciously, graphics can add a lot to a presentation - as long as they are unobtrusive and go with the presentation.
The site is located at: <http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx>.
Tracking UPS and FedEx Packages
A new feature of Google <http://www.google.com> -- tracking packages shipped by UPS and FedEx. Just type in the tracking ID. in the appropriate format and it will track it.
Another great site for package tracking is: <http://www.packtrack.com>. Of course you could also go directly to the UPS or FedEx Web sites and track them from there.
Checking Airport Conditions
Many HAS members travel, and travel often. Knowing what is happening at your destination airport, or even the airport you are flying from, can be critical to your travel plans. Another new Google search feature - airport conditions - will help you with this information. <http://www.google.com> Just type in the airport ID. followed by the word airport (e.g., pdx airport) and it will provide the current FAA conditions for you. You get such information as delays by destination, general departure delays and general arrival delays. For those with a passion for collecting common air traffic management terms, be sure to click on the glossary found under the delay information. At the time Chicago OHare International Airport, Chicago, IL (ORD) was currently experiencing delays averaging 52 minutes, with some flights receiving as much as 1 hour and 41 minutes delay. Another nice feature is the gate hold and taxi delays information which at the time of investigation was about 15 minutes or less. Another nice Google feature.
Position Yourself to Write a Superior Technology Proposal
It seems as if technology changes daily. In this adopting technology article from TechSoup, and intended for nonprofit organizations, you will learn how adequate planning and a good case statement will strengthen your proposals. The artlcle is located at: <http://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?ArticleId=500>.