I remember schlepping downtown to the Boston Public Library to finish a group project in college. The hardest part was getting everyone there at the same time. Between our class schedules, sports practices, jobs and, let’s face it, general student apathy covered in Cheeto dust, we couldn’t always meet face-to-face. My kids won’t have that problem.
As a brand ambassador for Microsoft Office, I get the inside look at the apps that make life easier for modern students. Thanks to apps like these, our kids can get group project work done and be covered in Cheeto dust. You can’t beat that.
Here’s what your kids (and you) can use for their group projects with Microsoft Office Web Apps:
Group Report: The consolidating and formatting part of a group project usually falls to one person, who pulls an all-nighter to make the presentation look good. No more. With Group Report, everyone can input their information right into the presentation and edit as you go along.
Group Presentation: Same thing, only you end up with a pretty PowerPoint presentation. This, like all the Office Web Apps, can be created with PCs and Macs, so there’s no reformatting necessary.
Group Research: Create a folder in Sky Drive where you can share all your files — Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc. — online. You use links instead of emailing files, avoiding ending up with multiple versions of documents that confuse everyone. You can also work directly in OneNote so you don’t have to reformat anything.
Group Project Tracker: This Excel file helps everyone in the group keep track of what needs to be done and what has (and hasn’t) been done, thus avoiding the morning-of-the-presentation “What do you mean you didn’t do it!” (See above: Cheeto dust.)
I’ll be sharing more of what I learn so you can share it with your kids and/or co-workers. For more information, visit Microsoft Office online.
NOTE: As a Microsoft Office Brand Ambassador, I was compensated for this post. So I get paid to share my nerdy knowledge, which I like very much.