BASIC PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
Basic productivity tools "are computer software programs which allow a user to create specific items quickly and easily as opposed to creating the same items by hand. We learned about three specific productivity tools:
Word Processing. Word Processing is a software program that creates documents using text and/or graphics. An example would be Microsoft Word.
Spreadsheets. Spreadsheets quickly organize numerical information and allows the creator to input formulas into the spreadsheet for easy calculation. An example would be Microsoft Excel.
Databases. Databases allow the user to save collections of information in one easily accessible place. This allows the user to find information about a specific topic much faster versus searching the internet. An example of a database would be Galileo."
Instructional Technology in Teaching. The Bagwell College of Education Institute of Technology. 24 February
2016. http://pandasrbears2.weebly.com/basic-productivity-tools.html
Productivity tools differ from instructional software in the fact that they allow the user the option to create original products, where as instructional software is designed only to instruct or assist with a specific topic. With basic productivity tools, students are able to apply what they have learned and create study tools that are best suited for their specific learning style. With that being said, they are meeting the acquisition of students learning standards and ISTE-S standards. According to Bloom’s Levels of Critical Thinking, these students are using the level of application because they are using ideas in new ways and creating their own original product. They are using a higher level of thinking and taking on the role of an adult or professional.
Using productivity tools in the classroom has many advantages: they are web-based productivity tools; they are mobile device accessible; and the user is able to publish and share their work with anyone, anywhere around the world. One downside to this is that all classrooms are not equipped with access to this sort of technology. Even still, teaching your children how to navigate through them, and providing opportunities to use them as much as possible, is a beneficial skill they will use throughout their academic and professional careers.
PowerPoint is just one of the great productivity tools that can be utilized. With PowerPoint, students and teachers can create a slideshow, book, or movie with visual and audio affects. Users can navigate through multiple themes, backgrounds, fonts, colors, and animations to create a unique product about the topic of their choice.
Below you will see a sample PowerPoint presentation like one that might be used in an elementary classroom.
american_symbols.pptx | |
File Size: | 6673 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
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