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Mapping Controversies in Rhetoric Using Dipity

Google's Cloud Connect Links Microsoft Office and GoogleDocs Together Many of us at ProfHacker use GoogleDocs to collaborate with others on shared documents in our web browsers or to create and edit documents from our mobile devices. After using GoogleDocs, however, working in Microsoft Office feels awkward and not very social, especially when you need to collaborate with others in real time. That’s where a new piece of software from Google comes into play. Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office allows you to get all of the benefits of Google Docs from within Microsoft Office. This plugin (currently Windows-only) allows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 users to edit GoogleDocs documents in the cloud from within Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. Here’s Google’s introductory video on Cloud Connect: You can find out more information about the Google Cloud Connect plugin on the Google website. How about you? [Initial image via Google's Cloud Connect website] Return to Top

Write or Die by Dr Wicked 750 Words No, really, this may be the worst cover letter ever A couple years ago at Ragan.com, I deconstructed what I speculated was the worst cover letter ever. The overeager undergrad misspelled the company's name, mischaracterized its industry and uttered successive groaners like this one, about her internship: When I am given a task, I get it done better than expected. The men at the radio station referred to me as 'Chicago' and 'sassy'—and never failed to give me stories that required contacting the hard-to-get sources. I always got them to talk, and I always got them to 'spill it.' Sassy, they said, is for the ability that I have when it comes to asking the 'tough questions.' I know: "pretty horrible," right? But even though I concealed the young fool's name, I was vilified by many kind-hearted Ragan readers for attempting to teach a letter-writing lesson, as one reader put it, "at the expense of someone's hope." Well I've learned my lesson. I'll just run the damn thing: Good morning, Jessica! Okay, I can't help myself. In this cover letter, Ms.

A Non-Designer's Guide to Making Attractive Presentation Slides The key there is to make data meaningful and simplified. Presentations are just that, presentations. If they want a report, hand out print-outs and in the presentation make notes on where to find elaborations in the print out. Furthermore, provide a link to a PDF of the report on the company network so that anyone who lost the paper handout can get back to it without bothering you. Seriously, you have to assert that Reports and Presentations serve two different functions and if they don't like it, they can do the "presentation" themselves next time. Be nice about it :-) but also be assertive >:D You're gonna be best served making a PPT template in your free time and just making reports when you are assigned them. But, if your report is just 2-5 pages, go ahead and put the data on the slides. The key is to use visual cues instead of writing things out. Also, don't forget Title Slides, They make is very easy to see what follows and convey very clearly that the last section has ended.

Transparency in Commenting: An Unintended Experiment with Google Docs I've been requiring students to turn projects in via Google Docs for a couple of years now, for at least three reasons:It's online, so students don't have to worry about forgetting their homework at home and I don't have to worry about carrying around a stack of papers when I grade.Docs are private by default, but easy to share with specific collaborators. So students can post online without having to worry that their papers will be seen by unintended readers.It has a lot of collaborative functions, so students can easily collaborate and peer-review. GDocs isn't the only tool that will do these things - I could have students use a closed wiki, Zoho Write, or various other tools. Finally, Google also keeps improving GDocs' functionality, so I find new capabilities in the suite each semester. But I have traditionally used GDocs as a read-only platform when I grade: I typically read the project, then type up comments in a separate window. Students loved it. I was quite surprised, actually.

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