Friday, July 27, 2012

The Anatomy of a List Part Two: Creating a View Based on Custom Column

This entry will show you how to create another type of custom column in a SharePoint list and then create a view based on the data you enter. Make sure you've seen Part One of this series.

I just realized how many times I say "um...." gotta work on that. :)

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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Low Tech

In my last post I talked about what technologies I love and couldn't live without...in this post I'd like to look at the opposite end of the spectrum.

I'm been sick for the past week with a nasty head cold (which by the way should be outlawed in summer). I've been taking various forms of over the counter medicines but I just can't seem to shake it. The one thing that has helped: a netti pot. Low tech but genius.

What low tech item do you love?

Monday, July 23, 2012

I Heart Technology

As I've been pondering future post ideas and branching out from beyond SharePoint here and there, I realized I have quite a few technologies that are "near and dear" to me that I could write about.

In no particular order:
  • laptop
  • smartphone
  • iPod Nano
  • Kindle
  • iPad
  • Windows Media Center
  • xbox360
  • my KEURIG! (added the morning after I originally posted in a caffine withdrawn stupor)
While you probably wouldn't blog about them like me :), how many technologies do you consider "near and dear" to you?

Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Anatomy Of a List, Part One: Creating a List and Adding Columns

The SharePoint List is one of the most basic and powerful features of SharePoint. This post kicks of a series designed to take the reader through the step by step process of harnessing this power using as many out of the box features as possible. We'll start by creating the list and then creating a custom column.

For this series I'm going to create a list used to gather housing information to be used on a college campus.

view larger size or watch below.

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Thursday, July 19, 2012

I Heart my iPod

I thought I’d take another break from SharePoint to talk about another piece of technology that is near and dear to my heart…my iPod Nano. Yes, you read that correctly, I am smitten with a non-Microsoft product. My Windows 7 phone is equipped with a Zune and I actually switched over to that for a while, but ended up going back to the Nano.

When I switched back, I upgrade to the iPod Nano 6th generation. It is a pretty big departure from previous generations. The two biggest differences are the size and the replacement of the iconic wheel with a touch interface. I was hesitant to make the switch as I really like the tactile feel the wheel provided – I use the Nano in the car and was able to pause and skip to a new song without having to pick the device to look at it. In the end, the size ended up being the biggest reason for my upgrade.



This summer I joined a running group called Moms on the Run. We are doing interval training as we work our way up to a 5k. My new iPod Nano is so small and lightweight (and comes with a built in clip) I hardly notice it while I run. It also features a built in Nike Sport Kit which tracks my time, pace, distance and calories burned.


Last night I ran my first race in almost ten years. It was a two mile race and I had two goals:
  • Don’t walk
  • Finish under 20 minutes
I’m happy to report I accomplished both! Music flowing through my Nano flowed throughout the run, but at the very end I used the Power Song feature. Your Power Song is a song you set up ahead of time that you can play at the tap of a button to help motivate you. Here’s mine:

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Hide SharePoint List Header

When placing a SharePoint list on a webpage, by default it includes the column headers. Normally, this is great because you can then sort and filter the data in each column. However, in some instances it just doesn't make sense.
On my website we have a lot of FAQs and we put the questions/answers in a SharePoint list. When you place that list on the webpage, you get the column header, but since there are only two columns in the list, it's pretty obvious which is which. Furthermore, the sorting and filtering capability isn't really necessary.

THE BEFORE

The nature of this list makes the column headers look odd and out of place.

Sorting and filtering options just are necessary for a list like this.

 
By adding a Content Editor Web Part to your page and putting the following CSS in the HTML you can hide the column headers on the page.

<style>
TR.ms-viewheadertr > TH.ms-vh2 {
DISPLAY: none
}
</style>

THE AFTER
They are gone!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Digital Immigrants Vs Natives

Marc Prensky sets out the notion that there are Digital Immigrants and Natives…today's students who have grown up with technology are natives and I guess that makes everyone else immigrants. At the “old” age of 31, I’m not quite sure where to put myself…I don’t feel like an immigrant…and yet as I watch “kids these days” text and game I don’t exactly feel like a native. In general, I agree with Prensky's concept, but I don't like all his implication. I would lump digital natives vs. immigrants with generational differences or those personality assessments where they assign you a color or classify you as an otter or a lion. It’s a kind of a suedo-science but generally speaking, the concepts are true.

I think today’s students would prefer to learn in technology enhanced ways because, well, frankly, they are usually more fun or at the very least more interesting. Personally, I would rather listen to a lecture with the aid of a PowerPoint than a person just standing up there gabbing…. Now, here is where Prensky and I part ways. I think that natives would PREFER to learning differently, while Prensky states that there is a physical change that has taken place, “Today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.” I don’t agree with that, and neither does Jamie McKenzie, who poked holes in his theory.

I don’t feel it is the job of today’s educators to entertain their students, but I do feel they must engage them. And technology is probably one of the most effective ways to do that. However, I also feel it is the job of an educator to prepare students for the future and the workplace is going to be full of Digital Immigrants – so students must learn to survive in that environment where natives are likely the minority.