Word Processing
Devon Ragbir
Everyone has to agree that Word Processors such as, Microsoft Word and Word have become a valuable tool in the classroom. Students can utilize its functions to prepare essays, complete projects, write and correct rough drafts, and share work for peer editing. This can all be done without printing a single document, which means saving paper. The essays are more “eye-pleasing” and allows for “limitless ability to edit,” according to Bitter and Legacy. The possibilities are endless and the correction is quick and there is no confusion about what goes where, and how a document flows.
Pamela Sharma
I strongly disagree, the pnly benefit is having a student’s essay very neat and legible. I am completely against the use of computes in classes K-12.
1- Students pay NO attention to grammatical and spelling errors because they rely on the “red squiggly” line to highlight errors.
2- Students correct the highlighted errors without realizing the mistake made. The computer “spoon feeds” them the right answer. They cannot learn this way.
3- The basic reading and writing skills are given a back seat and everyone including teachers at time become dependant on computers.
4- The very first discipline of practicing penmanship is lost. A necessary foundation block of learning looses its place because of these word processor applications.
Peter Nieznalski
Ms. Sharma, I disagree, I think spell check, thesaurus and grammar check are helpful features that allow students to IMPROVE grammar. If they can see how to correct the problem then it becomes redundant and students learn more. Student’s first drafts are much more eye-pleasing, and also students can create improved first drafts. On-screen composition requires different organizational and mental skills, which will be useful in future employment. Content areas such as history, social studies, English, foreign languages, science and arts benefit from word processing. Teachers also benefit because they can prepare lesson plans, examinations, handouts etc. Word-processing can aid educators to meet professional and administrative requirements, such as writing manuscripts, research reports, grant proposals, and public relations materials.
You could see more other comments at:
http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/news/2006/01/05/will-computers-make-handwriting-obsolete/
Ron Cooper
Hey Pete, pam made her point, if we rely to heavily on the computer the students will learn less. In moderation and proper guidance MAYBE they will learn but, its definitely affected there writing skills and handwriting in general. It’s beyond “chicken scratch.”
Spreadsheets
Peter Nieznalski
Spreadsheets can be used by educators to maintain student’s records such as attendance, to maintain student records as well as grade reports. Grades can be used to compute average, mean median etc. You can also setup spreadsheets to view only one individual student’s record. I use Microsoft Excel to maintain my student’s grades. If you need tips or tricks for Microsoft Excel here is a great website: http://exceltips.vitalnews.com/
To download Microsoft Excel you can use this website: http://www.microsoft.com/office/newday/default.mspx?nav=v1xcmenu&?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=834068A3-6B2F-45F0-BC71-D3F8F4A97056
Pamela Sharma
I think Microsoft Excel is great processing software but as an instructor I don’t use it I use a different way to manage student’s records’ assignments etc. Here check it out: http://www.mygradebook.com/learn-more.cfm
Here is an example of mygradebook:
1. Grade Management
Cut down on the amount of time you spend on administrative tasks. Set up your online gradebook to reflect your class schedule and the way you grade and weight assignments. Then you can easily maintain your gradebook by entering scores when available. You won’t have to manually calculate grades because they will be automatically calculated for you!You can customize grade tracking and reporting for each of your classes:
o Choose between Elementary or Secondary formats.
o Define your own grading scales using your own codes, percentages, and descriptions.
o Define your own non-numeric scoring codes.
o Define your own grading periods.
o Define how much the grade from each grading period contributes the overall grade computations.
o Group assignments by category (i.e., homework, tests, quizzes).
o Create categories within categories as many levels deep as you want.
Example of some categories an elementary teacher might use:
o Weight categories based on their percentage toward the overall grade.
o Choose to drop the lowest score(s) in each category or offer extra credit categories.
Override grades computed by MyGradeBook.
Devon Ragbir
Well the spreadsheet application is difficult at first to setup but once that’s out of the way I feel its very simple to manipulate the “cells.” You can develop an individualized spreadsheet to suite you class needs. I found that keeping track of my student’s progress and grades on a spreadsheet made it easier to spot students who needed extra help on specific areas and the students who did superbly also stood out. I liked the spreadsheet format Google used and I recommend using it because it is rather simple and easy to use.
Ron Cooper
Devon, did you try the tutorial sessions that microsoft offers? Visit this website http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924074 this should make Excell a lot simpler and user friendly once you understand the concepts.
DataBases
Pamela Sharma
The introduction of “Databases” in the education field will prove itself a invaluable. In today’s classroom where accountability is a must the need for journals and progress on each and every student is mandatory. These paperless files will help ensure that students attain the state standards and goals set in the IEP. And in a class where you have 30 students each one will have his/her own assessment. This will become a file that follows the student through there career at each school where his/her current teacher could access the records and add their comments and grades.
Devon Ragbir
That’s very true, at Aviation there has long been a problem of students FAA records being wrongly filed in the cabinets, or lost however, after introducing the computer database system this is unlikely to happen. Another benefit with the Database set up at the school is that it is web based so teachers could enter grades and comments from home using there ID and password to access the site.
Here is a picture of the closet that housed records before the introduction of Databases, its worse than a needle in a hay stack!!!
Ron Cooper
Wow, that looks just like our school until last year when they started introducing in computer database system. Its so much easier to keep track of students and view their record to check for any special needs or learning disabilities.
Concept Mapping
Devon Ragbir
Can anyone help me understand this whole concept mapping deal? The whole Inspiration and Kidspiration goes right over my head. What is involved, and where can I see it in real life?
Peter Nieznalski
Both these are concept mapping-tools. They are visual ways to think, write, and comprehend. Think of it at icons for specific ideas
Pamela Sharma
Inspiration and Kidspiration provides intergraded diagramming and outlining environments that work together to help students comprehend concepts and information. Inspiration is visual thinking and learning in action this program is used to customize instruction, achieve standards, assess student progress, and motivate learning.
If you visit, http://www.inspiration.com/home.cfm you can find out more about these programs:
Beginning and structure of the Internet
Peter Nieznalski
Did you know that the internet began as a government experiment? It was supposed to provide connections among military and research institutions and strong enough to withstand a nuclear attack. Today the internet has outgrown its original purpose and became the most far-reaching information network that bonds computers virtually everywhere.
More technical information on the Internet. http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/telecomm_handbook/chapter9.htm Atlas of Cyberspace http://www.cybergeography.org/atlas/more_topology.html
Ron Cooper
Isn’t that amazing, from that simple idea we have this amazing thing endless resource and its operation is rather simple and easily managed.
Pamela Sharma
The simplest way to describe the internet would be a network of networks. Form experience companies, offices and many schools have linked their computers to form a local-area network called LAN. This was done to increase communication and thus increasing efficiency. These LANs connected to other LANs connected to yet other LANs make up the simplest form of the internet. Internet is more than just the physical wire connection between computers. It is also the recourse and information available through these connections that make it so indispensable today. You could live in New York visit a retail store in
England, making purchases without ever leaving your home.
Internet “For the People by the People”
Devon Ragbir
This is an amazing fact that some might not know. There is absolutely no central internet entity. There is no computer on this network of network that all of the wired connections meet, instead each host computer on this network shares equally the authority responsibility for successful connection. Because of this the Internet is very strong, able to bypass any wires or machines that are not functioning by rerouting through other connections. Due to this the internet lacks a central storage for all the information and knowledge. This is why there is no human authority in charge of maintaining the internet but a cooperative environment with participants governing themselves.
Pamela Sharma
Yeah this is true but there is somewhat of an established guideling for the internet. Its called the “The Internet Society” also known as ISOC. This is a nonprofit organization of volunteers which assume the responsibility for guiding the technical and practical growth of the Internet.
Peter Nieznalski
There is one area where rules exist. The works presented on the internet is self governed but because computers are made by different manufactures and operate at different speeds, there is a need for consistent communication between them. This is why there are standards and protocols in which computers must follow in order to connect. Every bit of information sent through the internet must be broken down into manageable pieces called packets. These packets must conform to the transmission control protocol/ Internet Protocol or TCP/IP. By following this standard any computer connected can send and reassemble packets of information.
The World Wide Web
Peter Nieznalski
Hypertext or Hyperlink?-
In my understanding they are both the same. By definition, hypertext is any the word or words that when clicked on, present some information beyond the word itself and link one webpage with another.
All About Hyper Text and Hypermedia http://www.kevcom.com/words/guide/guide.02.html
Pamela Sharma
Yes Peter, it’s the same just different terminology, both hypertext and hyperlinks will navigate you to a specific page. This avoids the searching through page by page for specific items.
Devon Ragbir
Well I am not the most computer literate person and I have a few questions. Hopefully someone could clarify these for me;
1 – The Purpose of Web Browsers?
2- What exactly is HTTP and why do we need it?
3- How about search engines? Is Google a source or a search engine?
4- What is a Wiki? How does it relate to wikipedia?
Ron Cooper
Web Browsers –
Well Devon, the purpose of a web browser is to keep the Internet accessibility consistent, all information on it can be viewed by any computer that has web browsing software. The Web Browser performs two tasks. It seeks out and retrieves a document requested by clicking on a hyperlink or by entering a web address called a uniform resource locator or URL. A web Browser also allows you to see the document you have requested. Documents on the web must be written in hyper text markup language or HTML, which is a coded language that gives documents a specific layout.
Pamela Sharma
HTTP-
To answer the second question, A URL or uniform recourse locator must start with http://, which shows that the document requested follows the hyper transfer protocol and rules that are set up for transfer.
Search Engines-
A Search Engine is a web application that indexes websites and allows you to search for a websites by inputting keywords. There is a number of strategies that each Search Engine provides in order to narrow your search to find efficiently what you are looking for.
The two most popular search engines that everyone might know or heard of are Google and Yahoo! www.google.com www.yahoo.com
Peter Nieznalski
Wiki-
A wiki is a type of website that allows users to easily add, remove or otherwise edit and change some available content, sometimes without the need for registration. This type of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborating. It is a new and interesting way that people can collaborate and while staying motivated, an ideal project based learning solution.
Wikipedia is a great source of information but since people add and edit this information you may want to double check to ensure the information is accurate.
Devon Ragbir
Thanks for that insight Peter and Pamela, it was really helpful!
Pamela Sharma
Private e-mail huh?
E-mail operates very much like regular paper mail. You can compose or respond to any electronic message that has a destination address but with a much greater speed. The biggest difference is not the speed as many would think. Paper mail is protected by the federal government, any outside tampering other than by the recipient results in heavy fine and imprisonment. This is not true with the electronic e-mail. E-mail messages can be viewed by the authority that owns the service in which e-mail messages originate form or are being received to. Think about this next time you send what you believe is a private e-mail message.
Check out Internet “For the People by the People” earlier in this bog to get further understanding of this.
Peter Nieznalski This is not the only security issue.
Yumm, a Cookie-
There are two ways that people can get your information from you besides spying on your e-mail. When you fill out an online registration form you are voluntarily giving your personal information away. After you submit an online registration form, usually after a short period of time you start to receive piles of junk mail. It is important to inspect an online information to see if you information will be sold to marketing companies; if so, abort abort! The other way your personal information is collected is through websites and yummy cookies. There are sites out there are can detect what browsers you are using and tell you the model of your computer. Also these sites can eat you cookies! What is a cookie? Other legit websites can be customized to suit your liking so that every time you visit such a website it looks just the way you want it to look. When you personalize a website, the host of that site will leave a cookie on your computer with information about the personalization you made, that that is a potential threat!
Pamela Sharma
Thanks Peter, I will keep this in mind.
Ron Cooper
That’s not everything Pamela!
Freeware or Spyware?-
You also need to be aware of Spyware. It is a computer program that is stored on your computer without your knowledge of its existence. It collects information from your files and computer activity. Then it sends this information to the person that placed this program on your computer. This is why you have to carefully examine of what you install on your computer and not just press next, next next! This tip alone will cut spyware in half. You can also visit the links I provided below to purchase anti spyware software that seeks out and removes it from your system.
Top 10 anti spyware listings;
http://netsecurity.about.com/od/popupsandspyware/tp/aatp082804.htm
Pamela Sharma
Thanks Devon, I appreciate the advice. Currently I am running Spy Bot. A totally free anti spyware software and I have been spyware free for months. Here is a like for Spy Bot download.
Networking on the Network
Peter Nieznalski
Wow, the world has changed. I remember when everyone emphasized the importance of networking as staying in touch. Today young people the internet to do just that and more. With the help of the internet everyone can discuss topical issues with others no matter how far way they are from each other. Things like personal communicators and chats bring us together closer than we ever were before. It’s truly amazing!
Ron Cooper
Peter, Don’t forget Weblogs, now that’s truly amazing!
Weblogs or blogs?-
You can call them either or. Weblogs offer a personal way to express opinions, communicate ideas, and share interesting links. They are simple to use and very easy publish on the Internet. Blogs also serve as great tool for collaborating together and can be used by teachers as an interesting way to facilitate learning.
Devon Ragbir
Pamela, there is a new cool kid in town.
New trendy Video-Logs!-
Video logging is a new and interesting way to share digital content. For example, many websites now offer a quick video review of the day’s top stories. Other websites collect and organize clips in categories for all to see. Post your silly moments for free!
CNN- http://www.cnn.com/
Teacher Tube- http://www.teachertube.com/
Peter Nieznalski
Could this be another way to stay connected?
Spam or not?-
Do you know the difference between a listserv’s and newsgroup’s? Listserv’s are spam kind of messages sent to your e-mail address that felicitate you with generic information. It is like a giant conversation among many people with a common interest. Newsgroups are very much like listservs. They are also used as a way to discuss issues but related to a topic of your choice with people who share similar interests.
Devon Ragbir
Peter, just like newsgroups, web rings are also organized by topic with similar interests.
Web Ring. No Commitment Necessary!-
Web rings are very simple to understand. Web rings work in assumption that if one person is interested in the topic of one website might be interested in another website on the same topic. To make our life’s simpler; the hosting authority may group websites together and provide links to websites on related topic, thus forming a ring.
All about Web Rings http://st-bartholomews.org/webring/
Peter Nieznalski
What’s that! I asked for a map of Essex Street!
I bet this has happened to everyone. Even with the best intention your search or link ended up with a censored site! The internet operates in the most part on unregulated grounds. The material that is questionable or inappropriate can be stumbled upon. This is why many establishments use AUP an acceptable use policy where end users are made aware of what’s approved to view and what’s not. Also such establishments install filtering software that gives control over what sites can be accessed; to some degree!
Pamela Sharma
Digital Libraries
Digital Libraries are organized collection of recourses, just like the one down your block. Digital libraries carry far more than only electronic versions of text documents or books. They are used for storing vast amounts or categorized resource available to view and search from your browser at home.
Examples of Libraries
Nuclear Information- http://alsos.wlu.edu
Physics and Astronomy- http://compadre.org
CephSchool- www.cephschool.utmb.edu
Alexandria Digital Library- http://webclient.alexandria.ucsb.edu
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