Portfolio Report - ICT and You

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                Amy Greetham

                11X1

                44339

Portfolio Report 1:

ICT and You

Amy Greetham 11X1

Portfolio Report 1: ICT and You

Introduction

        My first report is about the way I make use of ITC. I shall give examples of my uses of ICT covering personal, social, home and school. I will explain how each of my examples is using ICT to meet a particular need. I will evaluate how well my needs are met through the use of ICT.  I will evaluate weather the internet is the best way to do research for school work. I will also see if using e-mail for some school work always helpful. I will evaluate how well the technology I use meets my needs, both for personal and social uses, at home and at school.

Home Personal

I use the internet at home to research for my GCSE coursework because I have to find out a lot of background information in subjects like Information Technology and Business studies. It also helps in completing my homework. I sometimes use the internet at home for leisure time for things such as shopping online for the latest fashion or finding out the latest celebrity gossip on . The internet is a good tool for doing my research at home but it is not always easy to find what I am looking for. Sometimes the information is not even correct. Often it is best to use a book or a reference programme such as Encarta instead of the internet. I normally use  because it almost always gives me the correct information. Also you can use the just search the UK button and it just searches information on UK websites.

I download mp3 files from online programmes like Kazzaa because it is a free service and very easy to use. I download them to play on my mp3 player. I search from a database with lots of songs and make a compilation to suit my personal tastes in music. If a new song is on the radio that I like, I can download it into my mp3 player from Kazzaa and I will then have the song to play as and when I like. It is a lot cheaper than going out and buying the CD or burning the CD on the net. My personal mp3 player has a limited memory size and so I cannot hold as many music tracks as I would like. I sometimes haven’t the time to change the files so I have to listen to music I have become bored with.

I use a radio alarm clock to wake me up in the morning. I prefer to have it on the radio because some of my favourite radio shows are on in the morning and I don’t miss them because they wake me up. Often if there is a good, upbeat song on then it puts me in a good mood for the day. I set my alarm on a night time to set off in the morning ready for school. I normally set my alarm clock for 7:10am. My radio alarm clock does its job well but because I don’t change it very often it is quite easy to forget the process of changing the settings.

My mp3 player helps me to relax and be entertained. I can listen to the music of my own choosing. My mp3 player is small and portable with personal ear phones. I can wear it around the house or take it out with me including when I go on holiday or long journeys. My personal mp3 player has a limited memory size and so I cannot hold as many music tracks as I would like. I sometimes haven’t the time to change the files so I have to listen to music I have become bored with.

Washing up the pots after a meal is a boring job so using a dishwasher saves time and effort and allows me to do something more interesting or fun instead. I put on the dishwasher once per day after our evening meal then I empty it later on in the evening. The dishwasher mainly does a good job but it does need to be looked after or it will need repair and it can become very expensive.

I scan in pictures to my PC to keep the quality in the photos. If I didn’t do this then if the photos were destroyed then they would still be saved in my computer. I use the photos which are on my PC on my personal website. Scanning pictures into my PC is a great way of sending pictures and work to friends but it takes a long time when inputting images into the computer.

I use a debit card because it is a lot easier than giving cash and getting a lot of change. I can go into shops and hand my NatwestSolo card to the assistant and all I have to do is sign and it takes the money straight out of my bank. I do not have to worry about spending more than I have because it is a debit card and it does not allow me to spend more than I have. Each month I get my wages paid into my Natwest account.  This is a lot easier than having to get a cheque from the company because it could have complications with it. My cash card is fine but sometimes the cash machines say out of order and I cannot get to my money when I need it and not all shops accept NatwestSolo cards.

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I use the microwave when I need to make some food quickly. It is also handy for cooking vegetables in water or pasta if all of the hobs on the oven are occupied. I use the microwave at meal times and if I would like a snack. Using the microwave is a good way to heat up food. Sometimes it is not convenient to heat up bread or pastries though because they end up rather soggy and hard!

I use a VCR in my bedroom to watch my favourite movies and to record TV shows when I am out with ...

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