Blog #2 - Software

#1 Microsoft Word – First and foremost I think that Microsoft Word is a necessity. I use it to write papers and spell check small documents.(when younger I used it to make birthday cards!) :) thank you Clip Art! I love all the tools it provides the user with and I find it really easy to use. Almost anyone could use this program, and teach themselves how to use it. I have been using Word since junior high, all through high school, and definitely in college. Feel like it should be taugh in 5th grade.

#2 Internet Explorer (Firefox) – Learning how ot use the internet is very important. You can use the internet for a lot of different things nowadays. I think it is important for students to know how to use the internet for research and for their own hobbies (such as on-line shopping or searching for cheap vacation flights). I think knowing how to use the internet appropriately should be taught early on. 3rd or 4th grade. Does that seem too early? Just my opinion, the internet is always going to be useful in our society.

#3 Power Point – I don’t always make Power Points, I think I have made about 2 in my college career, but in high school we used them a lot to present and give speeches. I think I learned how make a simple Power Point in 8th grade. I thin kit would be important to make powerpoints, not necessarily for presentations, just to get a “hang” of the program in 6th or 7th grade.

#4 Microsoft Excel – Spreadsheets. I have rarely used this, but when I first tried using it I got SO confused. So, it is important to at least introduce this program to individuals. I think that Excel is important for people in college and definitely the work place, depending on your job. Now, taking Introduction to Statistics I am using it almost every week. Therfore it is important to understand how to use Excel, probably n 8th grade or freshmen year of high school. (I used it a lot to make rubrics when making lesson plans, very beneficial!)

Honestly, these are about all I use in my college career at this point and I don’t know what else would be beneficial for students to learn prior to college and the working world.

#5 This may not be one of the “toold” described in those PDF files but I found it beneicial to me in grade school. It wass this program used to help students to become better typers. I think it wass called “Mavis”? I am not really sure but it contained really good learning tools and also had games that we were allowed to play at the end of class. I think typing is very important, the less you have to go back and correct in your document the better. This should start rather earlier than later in my opinion, possibly 2nd or 3rd grade. Typing nd where the keys are almost become “natural” to the typist, so the sooner they begin the faster they can get their fingers in the “flow.”

Sorry Just re-posting with the correct title.