Category Archives: Featured

QuickBooks 2015 Author Pat Hartley Wins Top 100 ProAdvisor Awards

Image courtesy of nuttakit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of nuttakit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Labyrinth Learning would like to announce that our QuickBooks Pro author Pat Hartley has won the Top 100 Pro Advisor Awards for the second year in a row!

Pat is an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and an Advanced Certified QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor. She offers hands-on workshops, one-on-one training specific to the user both in-person and remotely, and cleanup services where she will clean up a QuickBooks data file, then provide the training needed to maintain it going forward. “My business is dedicated and passionate about providing the business owners and accounting professionals with the keys to success using QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online,” Pat says.

The Top 100 ProAdvisor Awards are presented each year. To qualify, nominees must hold a current certification in QuickBooks Desktop and/or QuickBooks Online and have an active practice with one or more clients. Open nominations begin in January, and once candidates are nominated, they complete a very detailed application providing information on their businesses and any other applications that they use or are certified in. Candidates must complete and submit this application within ten days of their nominations. The application is then scored by a committee. Once this is complete, all qualified nominees are announced, and a ballot is sent out for clients, associates, and friends to vote for their ProAdvisor.

As a QuickBooks expert, Pat sees the popularity of online banking and accounting rising in the near future, which would follow the trend of other online versions of apps and services taking off. “Small businesses are becoming more mobile,” she says. “They need to assess Customer and Sales data on the spot. I see less and less of business owners wanting to be tied to a computer at the office. Business owners want the info available on their phones or tablets.”

Pat is the author of our QuickBooks Pro 2015 books, and is currently authoring our upcoming title QuickBooks Online, which will be released next spring.

Everyone at Labyrinth Learning congratulates Pat on her achievement!

QuickBooks Desktop (Windows) or QuickBooks Online? What Is the Difference?

By Pat Hartley, MBA

I am asked almost daily, “What is the difference between QuickBooks for the desktop and QuickBooks Online?” Or “Are they different?” Or “Aren’t they the same?”

To give an answer is to be put in a quandary. You may as well ask, “What is the difference between the Windows operating system and the MAC operating system?” They both do the same thing – operate our computers – just differently!

Intuit’s QuickBooks desktop software has been one of the staples of accounting software for small- to mid-sized businesses since the late 1990s. It has grown, and new-and-improved features and images have been updated annually since then. Businesses and accounting professionals have become comfortable with QuickBooks for the desktop. Still, Intuit has recently increased its emphasis on and resources for QuickBooks Online, a different accounting software product. It does the same thing that QuickBooks for desktop does – our accounting – just differently!

QuickBooks Online is not a copy of the QuickBooks desktop software that has simply been enabled for the web. QuickBooks Online is new and different! Below are some features found in QuickBooks Online that you won’t find in QuickBooks for the desktop.

  • Remote access – You have access to the software anywhere on any device that is web-enabled.
  • Automatic Daily Bank Feeds for bank and credit card accounts.
  • Automatic updates – QuickBooks Online is updated frequently, and you’re always on the most current version.
  • FIFO inventory valuation
  • Location tracking, which is a second level of class tracking.
  • Invoice automation – You can automatically create an invoice from unbilled activity.
  • Delayed charges and billing
  • Allows more than one Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payable on a single journal entry
  • Report automation – You can schedule reports to be sent automatically.
  • Activity Log – Allows you to view login dates and times

These are just some of the features that I use, and there are many more. Each month more features and improvements are made. There is truly a big difference in the general workflow.

QuickBooks for the desktop has some robust features that I miss in QuickBooks Online, like the multitude of reporting options and a more extensive inventory-management feature. However, QuickBooks Online has added features every day, noted on a monthly blog for users.

Below is a comparison, provided by Intuit, of a few key features between the two types of software. It’s a good idea to analyze your business and how it functions to make the best choice. You can even take a test drive of QuickBooks Online. Good luck!

qb online

 

 

Pat Hartley is a Top 100 QuickBooks ProAdvisor 2015, an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, an Advanced QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor, and a member of Intuit’s Trainer/Writer Network. Pat teaches courses on QuickBooks at multiple colleges and runs her own business, www.accountingonthego.com. She is author of the Labyrinth Learning textbook, QuickBooks Pro 2015, and is currently authoring Labyrinth’s QuickBooks Online title.

Sleeter Certified QuickBooks Consultant

Member National Advisor Network

The Benefits of Web Use for ESL Students

Image courtesy of renjith krishnan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of renjith krishnan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As internet usage has become so pervasive during the 21st century, it is highly beneficial to incorporate skills in navigating the World Wide Web into ESL courses. In additional to developing technology skills that will be critical to their success of ESL students in school and/or the workplace, the web is an excellent tool for enhancing their language and literacy skills, as well as their professional skills. Following are ways in which incorporating web use into your lessons can aid in developing your students’ language skills and employability skills.

  • There are a number of websites for English language learners that contain lessons and exercises in grammar, vocabulary, reading, and writing. You can provide these to your students for them to use as supplements to their studies outside of class.
  • Clicking hyperlinks help with reading skills by connecting the hyperlinked words, phrases, and images with further information on these elements, reinforcing their meanings.
  • Reading web pages can help with prose literacy and understanding graphs, charts, and tables, especially if you review the vocabulary beforehand and choose websites with images and graphics that make it easier for beginner ESL students to understand.
  • Writing responses to what they’ve read on the web, such as requesting information, sending an e-mail, or filling out a form, requires students to be able to comprehend and interpret the information they’ve read.
  • Computer activities can help facilitate oral communication between students. Studies have shown that learners want to discuss their computer research and what they’ve learned with their peers.
  • Watching videos and listening to audio files online can help with listening comprehension, as these can be easily replayed as many times as needed for students to understand the content.
  • Gathering information for specific topics gives practice in research skills.
  • Group assignments using the web gives students experience with working in teams, delegating responsibilities, and coming to a consensus.
  • All of the aforementioned activities and more help improve skills in problem-solving, analyzation, evaluation, and critical thinking to sort through information found on the web and separate good information from the bad. They also develop and solidify students’ technology skills.

Your students’ experiences with computers may vary, so before they can begin these activities, you may need to teach them the basics of computer and internet usage. Labyrinth Learning is releasing its fourth edition of Welcome to Computers for ESL Students textbook and workbook on Wednesday, August 12. Contact us today to learn more about our full solutions for this title.

 

 

 

 

Digital Literacy in ESL Education

Image courtesy of Ohmega1982 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Ohmega1982 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As technology in the classroom and digital education become more common, the transition to digital teaching and learning means instructors need to develop the necessary skillset to effectively teach digitally. This is particularly true for ESL instructors teaching computer skills to English language learners. “Electracy” is computer literacy. Using electracy in combination with traditional instruction helps provide a format for students to engage in multimodal and hands-on learning and encourages them to become active learners. A combination of tradition teaching and digital technology can create an optimal learning environment for students.
Among the digital literacy skills students should be taught are: computer vocabulary; keyboarding and word processing; communicating using digital tools; and Web browsing and conducting online research. They will also need to develop their communication skills involving electracy, in addition to ESL skills like linguistic competence. With electracy skills, instructors will be able to help their students learn these skills though digital technology, which will involve them in class discussions and collaborations. Training in technology standards and keeping on top of new technological developments will help instructors provide students with a modern learning environment and support their educational needs.
Electracy development can be viewed in a sense as learning a new language. Just as ESL instructors are trained to each ELL students how to speaks a new language, ESL instructors themselves are learning a new language when they learn new technology skills and strengthen their digital literacy.
Our solutions for ESL computer classes include activities and resources that fulfill all of your students’ learning needs. To learn more about our Welcome to Computers for ESL Students, 4th Edition textbook and workbook, coming out in August, contact Labyrinth Learning today.

Improving Student Participation

Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In the classroom, there are often a few students who readily and willingly raise their hands to answer questions and contribute to class discussions, while other students hold back and listen passively. Some of these students are shy and uncomfortable speaking in front of large groups of people. Others may be reflective learners who prefer to think about the material they have just learned before they volunteer to contribute their thoughts to the class. By contrast, more vocal students may be active learners who participate, in part, because they learn by thinking out loud.

Encouraging all of your students to participate in class engages students with the lessons more, gauges how well they really understand the material, and adds a greater variety of viewpoints to discussions. Here are several strategies for encouraging more class participation.

  • Most instructors state clearly in the syllabus that participation is expected and part of the student’s grade. However, it may be helpful to give specific criteria as to what you are evaluating in the student’s participation, such as the application of concepts to their answers, or evidence of critical thinking in the student’s comments and questions. Or, you could give bonus points for participation. For instance, you could give students one point for each time they ask a question about the material, answer a question, or contribute an idea to a discussion.
  • Arrive to class early and chat informally with the students. Getting to know your students in this manner may make them more comfortable with you, and therefore willing to speak up more in your class.
  • Give short, informal writing assignments that students have to complete before the next class, and come prepared to speak about it. This will allow reflective learners time to think about the discussion topic and formulate their thoughts and ideas. Shy students can prepare what they will say ahead of time to reduce anxiety about having to answer questions on the spot.
  • Pause frequently during lectures for questions and discussion. Students are often so busy taking notes that if you go too long before pausing for discussion, by the time you do pause, they may have forgotten what they were going to say. Also, present open-ended questions at the beginning of the lecture to give students a focus during the lecture around which to formulate their ideas. You may even have students write down their answers before answering aloud to give them time to clarify their ideas.
  • Provide encouraging feedback and follow-up questions. Positive encouragement increases students’ comfort level and will motivate them to participate more if they feel their contributions are valued. Follow-up questions will prompt students to clarify and support their answers, and sometimes reconsider the evidence behind their ideas.
  • Give students a preliminary participation grade and written evaluation halfway through the semester. Students can then see exactly how you are evaluating their participation and where they can improve, such as the frequency of participation, the clarity of their ideas, or courtesy toward their classmates’ contributions to discussions.

Labyrinth Learning’s full solutions provide a variety of resources to facilitate class discussions on the concepts taught in our textbooks. To learn more about our solutions for computer science and accounting courses, please contact us today.