Friday, March 23, 2012

  • What software applications do you use regularly in your teaching practice?
  • What other software skills would you like to improve to increase your professional efficacy?
  • Propose an action plan to improve these skills.

2 comments:

  1. The software applications I use regularly in my teaching practice include Microsoft word and Powerpoints. These are the most effective tools that I have that reaches my srudents. We do a Powerpoint at least once every other week and we have begun using Microsoft word on a daily basis recently for our journals.
    Other software skills I would like to use would be Excel and possibly Podcasts. I like the idea of using Podcasts because the majority of my students are auditory learners. Attendance is also an issue with some of my students so if they missed a day of school they could listen to the Podcast at their leisure. I also like the concept of Excel because it would allow me to make charts and graphs that I could show my students how much growth we are making. Maybe even use it as a goal as well. Tell them this is where we want to be and this is where we are. It would be a great visual.
    I would have to teach myself how to develop a Podcast and reteach myself Excel. This could take some time as I'm currently swamped with school and coursework. I would say over the summer I would have some free time. I would begin researching their uses and how to operate each skill. After that, I would start learning each skill and develop knowledge with how to operate Excel and Podcasts. I feel I could incorporate Excel by the beginning of next school year. I think this would be the easiest one to use because I could immediately begin using it. Podcasts would take longer as I would like for all of my students to have access. I feel I could make a Podcast and show the students where to find the Podcast and how to download it sometime in the next school year. It's not something I would make mandatory, but it would be a neat skill to have.

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  2. EXCEL is underutilized by many educators. I think it's because when you open it up all you have a gridlines. Once you learn how use the software, you'll begin to realize that it is a great tool to use in your classroom. I use it for field trips, making charts, and collecting group data from lab activities. During labs my students will input their data on the smartboard, while they're doing this they get immediate feedback by seeing the class average. I'd encourage you to spend some time with EXCEL. The more you work with it, the more ideas you'll come with to use in your classroom.

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