Teaching With Software Tools

As I was reading Chapter 5 in Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, I realized I use more Software Tools in my classroom than I had thought. The text describes six different types of Software support tools: materials generators, data collection and analysis tools, graphics tools, planning and organizing tools, research and reference tools, and content-area tools. Of these six, I use materials generators, data collection, graphics software tools , and planning/organizing tools the most.

I use materials generator software such as:

• Puzzlemaker (http://puzzlemaker.school.discrovery.com/) to create word searches or cross word puzzles for my first graders to enjoy.
• Worksheet Generator (http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/worksheetgenerator/) to create take home practice tests in reading, language, and math.

I use data collection software (STI) for grade entry. STI also generates student averages for report cards.

I use graphics software tools like Art Explosion, to help reinforce language and vocabulary skills for students learning English.

I use planning and organization tools such as Kidspiration (http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/conceptmap/50uses.html) to create picture schedules for my special needs students.

Software Tools help teachers organize data, create quick assessments, and create meaningful lessons that they would have had to spend hours on if it weren't for the computer.

Word Processing

Word processing on the computer has advanced dramatically in the last 15 years. I remember typing up projects for elementary school as early as second grade using a typewriter or Print Shop on our computer. I remember then changing from using Print Shop to Microsoft Works, then Microsoft Word for typing papers in high school. I am grateful for my parents because they always refused to type my papers for me when I was in school. I do remember getting upset with them because my friends' parents would type their papers for them. However, I had the advantage when I took my typing class because I was already used to the keyboard format. I had to get used to publishing my thoughts on the computer without writing them on paper first. Now, I can type just as fast as I think. Word processing saves me lots of time on publishing work.
I use Microsoft Word almost everyday. I use it for graduate school assignments, lesson planning for my job, creating assessments for my students, and creating agendas for the biweekly BBSST meetings. When we bought our first Apple computer, I was worried that it would not be compatible with Microsoft Office. However, the Mac does offer Microsoft Office on its computer.

Discussion Contributions

Lesson Plan Critique

• Jill- your lesson plan critique is very easy to read. I like the format you used. The italicized words made it easy for me to see your thoughts verses the actual lesson plan. I also agree that the WebQuest is the best way to make sure your students are on task when they search the Internet. I know that my school has blocks on webpages with inappropriate materials. A teacher made WebQuest will assure the student appropriate Internet material! I think the lesson is great- my only concern is having access to a computer lab. I know most schools have one. I noticed that you said this lesson could be adaptable to First through Third grades, but what is the target grade level for the lesson?
  Great job!
• Candace, as I was reading your critique, I was reminded of a software program I use with my students. It is called Art Explosion. The software comes with 7 CDs, each with THOUSANDS of photographs. The photographs are categorized on each CD into categories such as Zoo Animals, Food, Basketball, etc. I think the kids could also use this software instead of the Internet to find pictures or clipart of the three types of bears and copy and paste these pictures into MicroSoft Word. It could also be a form of assessment, to see if the students could pick out the correct bears (brown, black, and polar) from a group of zoo animal photographs. I prefer Art Explosion over browsing the Internet for pictures because you NEVER know what you will get if you type "bear" into the image search engine.
  I also found two APA reference errors. I am not sure if Dr. Wong wants us to use APA format, but this is what I found in your critique:
  “there is so much to learn about the Internet in education that many educators find it difficult to know where to begin”(226). I think the (226) is the page number? If so, it should be correctly written as (p. 226) since you are using a direct quote.
  
  “The (Internet) activity should accomplish some objective or purpose in required school curriculum” (252). Same- (252) should be (p. 252).

Comments on other groups' lists - categories of digital technologies

• At first glance, group 2's venn diagram definitely shows me that students do not get to use technology as much as teachers or administrators do. Isn't this true though, that we as teachers are afraid that the children may break things and don't want them to touch 'our' equipment!!! I teach first grade and I had 2 LeapFrogs in my classroom this year, as I always have in the past 3 years. I thought that I had taught and reviewed with my students on how to properly turn them on and turn them off and how to treat the LeapFrog correctly. However, during the 3rd week of letting my students use them independently, both of them broke! One of my students volunteered to bring us his LeapFrog that he had at home, but I was too afraid to let anyone use it since the other 2 had not been taken care of. Needless to say, my broken LeapFrogs are no longer used by my students, and they are stored away in my closet. I want my students to be able to use technology in the classroom, but how do I get over my fear of them breaking expensive equipment?!?!?
  
• I had a hard time reading all of the graphs unless I printed them. Group 3's graph was a bit overwhelming at first, but it really shows that the Hoover School system uses technology as an Instructional Tool! This is great!!! Also, none of the schools listed on the Group 3 Sort had as much Software as Paula's work at ADP-Dealers Services. When I think of technology, I normally do not consider software as a category. Maybe our next survey should be what software do your schools use.
  
• Group 5's Sort was very easy to read, but I do not think it was as thorough as Group 3. One reason is that Group 3 listed technology that could be used with special needs children. If I did not know what technology to use with special needs children, I could not pick it out on Group 5's list. I teach special needs children, so I think that's why I look for it on the group sorts. I think that Group 3 did a great job on showing how each technology is used by listing the subgroups. For someone not up to date on technology knowledge, this would be a great tool to use.
  
• Group 4's sort was very easy to read. I think that this would be a great handout to parents at an Open House, to let them know what type of technology is available in the school. The Distance Learning Section is very important, because it is an alternative communication method between the home and the school.

Technology Affordance

• I think this may help for your affordance list:
  Email is a confidential form of communication
  Email is free (as opposed to paying $0.41 for a stamp).
  Email is quick (as opposed to waiting 2-3 days for a letter to arrive to its destination).
  Blog is a public form of written communication on the internet.
  Blog is an online journal, kept in reverse chronological order from most recent entry to oldest.
  Blog excels at easily adding new posts or new entries with minimal editing skills.
  
• Stephanie, you are very creative and good at making things visually pleasing! Great graphics on your table. I see that you have ‘book reports’ as learning activities on both Microsoft Word and Paper/Pencil. Which of these tools is a better use for making book reports? I think the whole idea of having ‘affordances’ is to show that one is a better tool for an activity than the other. Maybe this activity can be narrowed down to grade specific activities. I think K-2 would have a harder time typing a book report than 3-12; K-2 does book reports with paper/pencil and 3-12 does book reports with Microsoft Word. Does this make sense?
  
• I read your Blog and I thought of an affordance for using a Poster. You can hang posters on the wall, and posters are very lightweight. :)
  
• Nice pictures! One thing: swap your affordances- your chart shows affordances for email under blog and vice versa.

Instructional Software

There are two types of instructional computer software: tutorial and drill/practice. Tutorial software can stand alone as a type of instruction on the computer. However, I agree with the textbook that computers should never take the place of classroom teachers when it comes to instruction. Drill and Practice on the other hand is software that provides students with practice exercises for subjects such as math and reading. Drill and Practice software also gives immediate feedback to the student based on correctness of answering a question.
I do not remember using tutorial software while I was a student back in the 1990s. However, I do remember using the computer for drill and practice. For example, I grew up using Word Munchers and Batters Up to practice my reading and math skills. I recently studied to get my Ametuer Ham Radio license by studying with an online drill and practice software. This software provided me with the exact questions I would see on the test in a multiple choice format. I was able to memorize the material and get immediate corrective feedback using this software.
After reading about Instructional software, I realized that I do not use tutorials for instruction in my classroom. I do teach first grade and I do not think that tutorials would be effective since my students are just learning how to read. I teach an inclusion class, and I believe that my students do benefit most from drill and practice software on the computer. The software I currently use is Word Munchers, JumpStart First Grade, Reader Rabbit, and Spelling Connections. My students also regulary take STAR tests, but I am confused on how to label this software. Is it a tutorial or drill and pratice? I think STAR could be tutorial software because it has computer-management capabilities where teachers can gather reports and instructional reading goals for each student. However, I think STAR could be drill and practice software because of its timed nature and how students have a set time to answer the questions. The goal of using STAR is to let the teachers know their students' reading ranges, but it does not teach the students how to read.
How would you classify this software?

Technology Support

Although school systems often brag that they offer laptops and the newest technology for the students in their schools, teacher education in using these technologies rarely exists. I know of many teachers who have computers, laptops, and digital projectors in their rooms but do not use them. One reason for this misuse of technology is because teachers are not trained in how to use the equipment with their students. Another reason is some teachers do not understand the benefits of using technology versus the traditional teaching methods. Technology changes and improves every year, but without proper training on how to use the technology, teachers will be reluctant to use it even if they are given new technology in their classrooms.
For example, the technology instructor where I teach offered me a new digital projector with a DVD/VCR combo for my classroom. I gladly accepted his offer and had this new equipment in my room within a day. However, the projector did not come with a laptop. Thankfully, I had an extra laptop laying around at home that I could use with my new projector. However, the tech guy did not set up my new projector for me or show me how to connect my laptop to the projector. This technology class has shown me how important it is to incorporate technology into teaching, so I was naturally inquisitive to figure it out myself. I failed! After several conversations with the tech guy, I was able to learn how to set up my digital projector so that I could use it with my students.
My question to you: If you have a digital projector, how do you use it in your classroom?