Google Docs

This week in class we learned about Google Docs. Google Docs is just one more neat feature that Google provides for its users. Simply put, Google Docs provides a sort of forum for collaborators on a project. It eliminates the need for countless emails and updates sent to everyone. There is just one copy that is continually being updated that everyone in the group has access. Google Docs also provides resources and tools to the individual. You are able to upload documents and presentations of your own that you will be able to access and utilize from any computer that has Internet access. It is a great way to back up your work as well as cutting down on the amount of computer equipment that you have to travel with when attending conferences and presentations. Overall, Google Docs provides helpful options for those working individually or as part of a group.

In my future as a teacher I imagine that I will be able to use Google Docs for many things. It would be helpful to utilize Google Docs as a place to store extra files as well as back up very important ones. I could save my lesson plans on Google Docs once I have taught them. This way I could clear up some room on my computer while still maintaining easy access to all of the work that I have done so that I will be able to use them again in the future. Teaching is often a collaborative process. Because of this, Google Docs could prove to be very useful as I work with others who are striving for the same things as I am. It would provide a great forum for any projects that I would be working on collaboratively. Google Docs is a very useful tool for anyone, but could prove to be especially useful to educators.

Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007

This past week in Technologies of Instruction we learned about Microsoft Office PowerPoint and the multiple features that make it user-friendly. We learned about the strenths and weaknesses of the program. A major strength of PowerPoint is that it provides a great teaching tool when used properly. The biggest weakness of the program would be that it is easily abused. It is easy to put more emphasis on the appearance of the presentation than on the actual content. This is very distracting and ineffective. We discussed suggestions of how to effectively put together a successful presentation using Powerpoint, covering the areas of design, delivery, and instructional strategies. Design is important because you want your presentation to look nice but you do not want to overdo it and take away from the content. We learned multiple tips on how to best present the needed information, including things such as limiting the amount of text on the page and choosing one design style for the entire presentation. Delivery focused on tips like arriving early to test equipment and what to do when you want to shift attention from the PowerPoint to you, and vice versa. Instructional Strategies emphasized making the presentation interactive so that your audience is not merely staring at a screen for your entire presentation.

I had never really thought that I would use PowerPoint very often as an Elementary and Early Childhood Education major. I still can't see myself using the program very often, if at all, in my actual classroom to teach my students. However, the program is a good tool to know how to use if I ever need to give any sort of presentation. I may also be able to use PowerPoint for some activities or interactive games with my students.

Share Point Designer

Share Point Designer is a program offered by Microsoft Windows. It is a complete and comprehensive program that allows one to create a web page and publish it on the web. The program makes the process very simple and straightforward. It is very user friendly. All the applications of the program are easily accessible and it will walk you through the steps of adding objects to your page as well as the process for actually publishing the site.

As a teacher I will be able to use this in a number of helpful ways. First of all, in looking for a job, I will be able to publish a site that contains an e-portfolio. This would be a way for employers to look my resume information while also getting a feel for my personality at the same time. As a teacher I will also be able to create a web site that will allow me to keep parents informed about classroom activities and schedules. It will be a way for them to access information about the class and even see samples of projects and activities that we did and are planning on doing. Parents will be able to stay involved and informed through this tool.

The Internet

We spent a lot of time in class this week discussing the Internet and what it was exactly. I learned that the World Wide Web is not in fact another name for the Internet. It is instead just one service provided by the Internet. We also learned the importance and convenience of being part of a network. Not only is being a part of a network convenient for easy contact, but it is an easy resourceful way of sharing information.

In my future as an educator I will almost definitely be part of a network in the school district where I work. It will be important for me to understand the benefits of being part of a network. It will also be helpful for me because I will know that I have many resources available to me. I will also be able to be a beneficial part of that network.

Microsoft Excel

Having taken a class on Microsoft Excel in high school I felt as if I had a pretty good feel for how it worked. Excel on Vista though provides many additional features that I had not before utilized. So far I have only gotten as far as using the basic features of the program in a gradebook simulation. Even at this simple level I have been able to use multiple formulas and formatting tools. Excel makes it incredibly easy to keep an accurate and organized spreadsheet for any purpose.

As a future teacher I feel that Excel could be very helpful in keeping track of assignments that I give to my students. The program will also be very helpful in recording and organizing grades. I will be able to see what assignments were possibly too difficult for the students and how I should adapt them for later use. Excel is a program that could be used often and effectively by teachers.

Microsoft Outlook

Before this class Microsoft Outlook had always been just another email server to me. Through this class, however, I have learned that Outlook contains many more features that can be utilized in multiple ways. In class we spent a good bit of time focusing on the calendar feature of Outlook. You are able to put your calendar into the program and it will send you reminders when you have an appointment coming up. You are also able to list tasks that need to be completed. You will also receive reminders to complete those. Not only are these features on your computer to remind you, there is also the option of making your calendar public to others so they know when they can and cannot reach you. Each appointment has the option of being made private or public so only the scheduling that you want others to see will be seen.

I feel as if this feature of Outlook will prove to be very helpful to me in my future profession. As a teacher it will be very important for me to keep myself organized and the calendar on Outlook would be able to help me do so. I could also keep all of my assignments and lessons organized using the task list. I would be able to organize what I needed to do when and I would also be reminded automatically. It would also be helpful to have other teachers, administrators, and even parents know when I would be available to meetings and conferences. Learning more about Outlook also taught me that many programs on computers have extra features that are very helpful if utilized. As a teacher it will be important for me to get as much as I can from computer programs and technology to use in my classroom.

Introduction

I am a sophomore at Grove City College majoring in Elementary/Early Childhood Education. As an education major at Grove City I am required to take Technologies of Instruction. This class will teach me, as a future educator, how to utilize technologies of all sorts in my profession. The purpose of this blog is to share what I learn and to talk about how I foresee myself using this knowledge in the future. Enjoy!