Overview
Roblyer and Doering (2013) stated that “the most widely used software support tools in education are word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs” (112). Teachers choose them not only because they have qualities that aid in classroom instruction and help make classroom time more productive, but also because they give students experience with 21st century tools that they will see again in their workplaces(Roblyer & Doering, 112). As a teacher, I will implement the use of Microsoft suite to aid in a creative way of teaching as well as using it to help prepare my students for college and their careers.
Word Processing Software
According to Roblyer and Doering, word processing is the most commonly used program in education due to its value as an aid in teaching and ease of use (112). From a first time user to the most experienced, word processing allows the user to create their own projects through templates or with their own material (Roblyer & Doering, 116). However, after numerous studies, researchers concluded that the increased use of word processing in the classroom may negatively affect the student’s ability to write legibly and proofreading (Roblyer & Doering, 120). In my opinion, word processing offers many benefits to both students and teachers. As a teacher, I would implement the use of word processing through scientific research projects, group activities and providing the students with weekly or monthly assignment sheets. Students will have the opportunity to improve their typing skills and learn the capabilities that will assist them in future projects.
Spreadsheet Software
Excel is widely is used by educators for keeping grade books because it saves time, neatly organizes the information and calculates percentages so there’s less room for error. Utilizing this program in the classroom will allow the students to create their own graphs and timelines from information they’ve gathered through labs, research, and surveys (Roblyer & Doering, 125). According to Roblyer and Doering, the main issue using spreadsheet software is that it is not as easy to use as any other software program because teachers have to spend extra time teaching the basic fundamentals of the software before the students can begin using it (125). I agree that excel is not very user friendly unless ample time has been spent familiarizing yourself with the software. However, I plan on using this software for making lesson plans, progress charts and grade books to keep track of progress throughout the semester.
Presentation Software
Presentation software has become widely used as well, but misused at the same time. Many teachers rely solely on the PowerPoint to teach the lesson instead of using it as a visual aid to assist with the lecture. Roblyer and Doering (2013) stated “when used correctly, the presentation will enhance the impact of spoken information and allows collaboration on presentations” (128). A major underlying issue when PowerPoint is used in the classroom is lack of effort in teaching style (Robyler & Doering, 130). Creative use of this software will capture the students’ attention regardless of the lack of interest. I feel that PowerPoint presentations not only serve as an alternative to traditional teaching methods but also allow the student to have a hard copy of information they need to focus on for their tests (i.e. hard copy used for study guides).
Classroom Use
I would choose presentation software to go along with my lectures. My goal is to make the lectures fun and interesting for the students. Often times teachers get caught up in rushing through the material that the students retain very little information that was given. With the rate that technology is increasing, I feel that the generations we will be teaching will learn more through interactive teaching than traditional teaching. They can relate the material to images or animations/videos to the material being taught than just merely memorizing what the instructor was saying. I’ve included an article link that gives a few suggestions on the “Do’s & Don’ts” when creating a power point presentation.
http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2013/03/10-dos-and-donts-to-delivering-lectures.html
Robyler, M.D. and Doering, Aaron H. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (6th ed.).
Pearson Education, Inc
Neilson, Lisa (2013, March 20).10 Do's and Don'ts to using PowerPoint to deliver lectures that don't suck.
Retrieved from http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2013/03/10-dos-and-donts-to-delivering-lectures.html
Chelsea, I think you are spot on about students being able to retain information better when they are able to relate a concept with an image, diagram, or video. Robyler & Doering (2012) highlighted how, "presentation software makes people focus on the slides rather than the message," when used as a substitute for lectures (p. 130). In addition to properly using presentation software, how else would you make learning enjoyable for your students?
ReplyDeleteThe first sentence of your Presentation Software section accurately sums up the whole issue with the use of presentations in the classroom. I agree that PowerPoints often lead to boredom and ineffective teaching when merely used as technology for technology sake (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 131). With your Do’s and Don’ts, which is the most important, in your opinion? Were there any Don’ts that you have done before that negatively impacted your presentation?
ReplyDeleteChelsea, you mentioned how spreadsheet software is not easy to use and I agree. Spreadsheet software has many confusing formulas and different icons for difficult ideas. If a student has not yet had the advanced computer class where most of the information is taught on spreadsheets, they are at a loss of how to do anything related to spreadsheet. Roblyer and Doering (2012) stated, “A spreadsheet helps users manage numbers in the same way that word processing helps them manage words” (p.122). Students are usually already frightened when it comes to numbers and now they have other information they also have to learn with it. How would you make learning spreadsheets easier for the students? Do you have any ideas on simple projects they could do to utilize spreadsheets?
ReplyDelete