Tired of Powerpoint? Why not try these alternatives!

Alternatives to power point from aledln

Here are the links that were used in the powerpoint;
http://prezi.com/wrmmkwaylpui/the-advantages-of-prezi/
http://prezi.com/3aiflevclr3y/answering-problem-questions-in-law/
http://uk.pinterest.com/alednorthcorr/alternative-to-powerpoint/
http://www.spicynodes.org/a/e783dab391278a6bf5e87eac968d1bd3

The Tools of the Twenty-Something

Having spent the majority of my life in education, Microsoft Applications have been very prominant. From courseworks to presentations and from spreadsheets to databases I've been using Microsoft Applications in almost every aspect of my work. So here's what I have used:

Word: The lifeblood of every student. I and every other student has used this application to create masterpieces of writing all for 25% of the grade. I am pretty fluent in all the tools that come with Microsoft Word; changing the font, changing font size and changing the font colour are all "skills" I have acquired as well as referenceing, tables, footnotes, borders, spacing etc...

Powerpoint: Another application that has followed me through school but not so much University. I have used all aspects of this application at one point or another and feel confident that I could pick it up again if needed.

Excel: One of the Applications I feel I am competent at, but could use a little work. All the basics are there; creating tables and copying numbers or formulas. The one thing I would have to work on is the formulas. I'm not very fluent in the formulas but I feel once I have written them down and used them I can confidently do it again.

Misc: Applications like Access, Outlook, Publisher etc have all been used sparingly. Using all of these was part of my GCSE and feel again, with a bit of practice, I could easily use them again.

Blogs... Blogs Everywhere

Sophie and I have, being budding law professionals, decided to review a law blog each. Sophie will no doubt expertly review her blog: http://ukcriminallawblog.com/, and I will try to keep pace.

The blog I have chosen to review is the Guardian's Law blog. Unfortunately this is not a blog that can be found on this website but I should be able to add it to my list, and here's a link anyway: http://www.theguardian.com/law/guardian-law-blog

The Guardian's law blog offers up to date (a feature of the criminal law blog as Sophie explains) and thought provoking blog posts regarding the developments in the legal world. These blogs do not tend to focus on a specific section of the law but rather the law as a whole. This offers a vast variety of law blogs to chose from and, in my opinion, means that, if you are interested in law, there will always be a post that catches your eye. One such post that interests me is the "Frankie Boyle, free speech and legal jokes" blog by Siobhain Butterworth. In this post Siobhain presents her opinions about whether or not legal action should be taken over offensive jokes, focusing on the antics of comedian Frankie Boyle. 

Another positive of the blog as whole is that there is not one blogger posting every story. The Guardian's law blog provides a range of different writers each with their own style and area of interest. This provides a diverse list of blogs and a diverse group of writing styles which in my opinion shows a willingness to cater to the needs of the many. This is a view echoed by Sophie regarding the criminal law blog. The blog is also well presented. Every story is displayed noticeably and comes with a title, a picture and a brief description which makes choosing the post which interests myself much easier. There are also links to other blogs held on the Guardian's website which can lead to an exploration of topics you might not have thought you were interested in. 

As far as negatives go the glaring problem with the blog is that the updates are very infrequent. When posts are made they are up to date and relevant, but the lack of frequent posts leaves you wanting more. The blog has a feeling that it has been slightly abandoned. Between September 2012 and December 2013 there were a total of 25 posts (around 2 a month). Since then however there have been zero... nothing... nada...

In conclusion the Guardian's law blog provides a valuable teaching tool not only for up to date legal issues but also for interesting discussion. This is what I would write if it was 2012. At the minute the blog does provide an interesting selection of opinions but with a lack of recent posts its use is very limited. If it were to start again with frequent posts however I may revise my verdict.

Regarding the criminal law blog Sophie has reviewed I'd say that blog is much better. I prefer the layout and professional display of the Guardian blog but in the world of law there is no substitute for bang up to date news. I also like how the blogs are very detailed, Sophie states "However, the advantages of this blog is that it explains things in much greater detail and corrects a lot of issues that are sometimes poorly reported in the media."

To see Sophie's review here's a handy dandy line - clickity click.

Aled used Bubbl.. It was Super Reflective!

Todays Meat... No... That's not right..

Time to talk about tech

So in this "edition" (is that what these are called?) I'll be discussing the technology around me.

At this very moment it may surprise you to note that I'm on a Laptop: Not too old and not too new it just about gets the job done with minimal fuss.. although the fan does like to try and take off whenever I decide to play games.

Next to me I am quite lucky to have a TV: I've always had a TV in my bedroom but never as good a one as this, usually it would be a cube shaped monstrosity that only played VHS and would require a magician to get the aerial working. That said I do still have to prop my new aerial up on about 6 textbooks to get any sort of clear picture.

Attached to the TV is an Xbox: It's a fun way to pass the time but mostly its purpose is to generally annoy me which forces me to turn it off after one too many FIFA losses.

Next I guess would be my Phone: A staple in almost anybody's pocket these days mine allows me to do pretty much anything in the palm of my hand. It is certainly a far cry from the pixelated Nokia's (or the rotary dial phones for those of the "older generation" [Rutherford 2014]) of the past on which I spent many an hour making a line eat dots to grow into a bigger line.

Sitting to my right I have my guitar and amplifier. Although the amp doesn't get much use these days, lest i wake up the whole neighbourhood, I'll never be sitting for long before I decide to have a go at a new song.

Finally I have a genuine, bonafide relic of an ancient era; an analogue radio. Ok maybe its not as old as I make it seem, but considering I can find out the capital city of Mozambique (Maputo) in around three clicks on a device no larger than a postcard whilst playing someone from the other side of the world (possibly from Maputo) at a game held on a millimetre thick piece of plastic, the novelty of trying to turn a dial the tiniest of turns clockwise to get a slightly less crackled version of "Brown Eyed Girl" is one lost on the youth of today.

So that's about it. Beyond the basic light bulb and electrical sockets (although try explaining one of those to someone from the 1500's) there is nothing left in my room to note. Thanks for spending the time to read my drivel.

My "First Time"

 Well this is my first attempt at a blog ever, so bare with me. It seems that the problem for every first time blogger is "How do I start?" and I am honestly no exception. Is this blog supposed to be about my life? My studdies? Or am i supposed to post funny pictures to get everyone smiling? In the end I think I'll do all three.

So I'm 22 years old and am currently a student at both Swansea and Swansea Metropolitan University. Being a student at two Universities at once is slightly daunting at the minute. I spend the majority of my day on campus and any time spent at home is usually done with my dissertation open on my laptop (although to be honest I'm not always working on it). I guess its the standard now to list my "hobbies and interests" so here they are: football, swimming, music, playing guitar, blah, blah, football, blah. I could go all day listing the things I like but I'd be surprised if people weren't falling asleep by the 5th line. I'm just an average twenty something that likes fun stuff.

Oh and this is me:

The obvious pinnacle of class and sophistication..