Week 5 Question 1

What is productivity software? How can it be adapted to benefit teaching and learning? What are the advantages and features of electronic spreadsheets? How do you see them as a benefit in an educational environment?

According to Lever-Duffy and McDonald, productivity software is “general business-application software that educators can adapt for the administrative and professional tasks they must address” (168). Overall, productivity software can be considered word processors, excel spreadsheets, power points and any other data base manager. Now while many would consider these administrative tools useful in a classroom setting, there are several benefits to this productivity software. The most useful of all software is the word processor. Outlines for note taking, and letters to be sent home to parents are only a few of the possible uses of word processors for teachers. In my personal experience students can use word processors for more than just typing papers. When we cover different states, and countries students have the opportunities to make brochures advertising these places. Word processors have templates made to allow students to easily complete these assignments. Another productivity software which can be used in the classroom is the desktop publisher. Desktop publishers allow students or teachers to manipulate the look of a word processing pages. A few of the features on publishers are graphics and clip arts, tables and columns, auto-format, and word art.

Another very useful resource is power point. A teacher can use power point for anything from lessons, to making review games where all the slides are connected together. I personally use a power point Jeopardy activity with my students when it comes time to review for a test. Not only is it a very beneficial form of review, but the students love it. These are just a couple of ways that power point can be used in the classroom environment. There are several productivity software’s which are very useful to teachers and students in the classroom.

Another major productivity software is the electronic spread sheets. There are several advantages and features which come along with electronic spread sheets. These spread sheets have built in math formulas which easily allows teachers to keep track of records (178). Along with these formulas spread sheets, it gives you the capability to produces graphs, pie charts and other tracking graphics. According to Lever-Duffy and McDonald, spread sheets always produce accurate results (179). Spread sheets also produces “What-if analyst.” The authors use the example of students wanting to know what a future average would be based on their hypothetical grade. The “What-if analyst” on a spread sheet allows a student to find out. Students can also use the spread sheets in the classroom by keeping track of recorded data for a science class. Overall, there are several benefits to using spread sheets in an educational environment. It allows teachers to keep easy records of grades and other charts and graphs. Also, they allow students to keep track of data or other analyst for their classes. Spread sheets and other productivity software have a useful place in all classrooms.