Week 12

Google Docs Office Suites

I really liked this application. I found it to be very much like Word as far as word processing goes. However, I did not see a grammar check in the tools. Many of my students are used to the red and green squiggles that indicate that there is a problem. I have found, though, that sometimes the grammar check with Word is not necessarily correct. I really liked that they could share the document with others. As a teacher, I always get the excuse, “I saved it last night, but today when I tried to bring it up it was gone.” With the “share” function students can share documents with others (like their teacher) so finding it or recovering documents may be easier. I am often surprised at how many students do not have Word on their computers. They often have some sort of word processer that my computer is not set up to run. With Google Documents, as long as you have Internet access, you can access the processor. I know that many students do not have the Internet at home, but most can have access through other venues. They could go to the library, stay after school, or go to a friend’s house. This tool would also be valuable for those of us that co-teach. There is a function that allows multiple users to edit the document. Tests and quizzes could be shared and altered easily, and from anywhere. I would recommend this application to both colleagues and students. However, I would not recommend it as the sole word processor for our district.

Picnik Image Editing

I really liked Picnik. I thought that it was very similar to Iphoto. I am not really into photography; I honestly only use Iphoto to store photos. I am sure that this is not the best use for this tool. I did share this application with my students, many of whom had not used this or other imaging editors. Many of the students found it fun to alter photos and add different effects. Most of the students wanted the website so they could play with this application at home. I would not recommend this application for our staff because we already have Iphoto on the MacBooks that the district bought for us. I would recommend this application for students that do not already have an image editing tool.

Week 12 Reading Response

This week’s reading, Chapter 30: Using Rich Media Wisely, gave some excellent advice about using media to assist in teaching. I teach special education, and I often need to find media to relay the information to students. I use the media as an alternative delivery method because many of my students have extreme reading disabilities. Many of the subjects that I teach are required courses and they have a required curriculum. I have tried to simply read the text to the students and I have found students lose interest. I have found that I have had much more success when I have find short video clips or PowerPoint presentations to deliver the information. I never make the PowerPoint too elaborate (add music or animations). The PowerPoints that I have developed generally contain a few words with pictures. I use the Microsoft reader to have the text read to the students.

Another aid I use to teach students with disabilities are short movie clips. Prior to reading this chapter, I simply would search for movie clips that related to topics being covered in class. I never gave thought to how the clips were put together. I will definitely be more cognizant of the types of clips I choose. I will look for clips that do not have distracting music or other factors that may actually detract from students’ ability to learn.