General Thoughts on Ch. 4, 5 and 6

Ch. 4:

Chapter 4 discusses three of the major software programs that we will be encountering as teachers in the classroom: word processing, spread sheets, and presentation software.

While I can see myself using word processing and presentation software, I don't really see a place for spread sheets in my classroom. My subject isn't a science or a math. I don't have a ton familiarity with Excel, and I try to avoid it if I can. History just doesn't require the spread sheet.

But Microsoft Word is definitely something students will need to be familiar with for any social studies class. Almost every essay will be typed up in a word processing program. In fact, I don't think we do enough writing in history classes, especially in the essay format. Sure, occasionally, you'll get your Document Based Question Essay, but the subject is sorely lacking in having students applying content and content related skills towards the crafting of essays.

The book mentions the possible criticism of students handwritten writing being detrimentally impacted in some way. But this just seems similar to the criticisms raised by the people who quaintly cry out that the loss of cursive in the school curriculum is a problem. Writing is writing, and it needs to adapt to the times.

Power Point is something I have mixed feelings about. It's a tool that can be used really well to create interest in a topic. But it can also be the dullest thing you've ever seen. I remember a teacher who would have single slides dedicated to a single vocabulary term. The term would be underlined, a dash would appear and then the definition. Next to the term would be the number in the list of terms. I remember terms ending up in the hundreds range. It was awful.

Ch. 5:

Chapter 5 deals with too many software tools to cover all of them here. So I'm just going to focus on some of the tools that were the most appealing to me. Some of this will be a repetition of the thoughts I made in this post about free software tools.

Worksheet and puzzle generators are very pertinent for social studies education. I think we overuse these as assignments in and out of the classroom, but they're necessary to a certain degree for the purposes of reinforcement of concepts.

Whiteboard activity software could also be potentially useful. Classrooms are increasingly being equipped with technology such as Smartboards that allow for greater interactivity and creativity. But Smartboards don't often get used directly by students; however, it might be a good idea to create activities in which students get to take advantage of the ability to manipulate images and content up on the screen.

Desktop publishing software is an underused resource. I think the idea of allowing students to create newsletters, brochures, posters etc. as part of their assignments has major untapped potential. It increases the opportunities for collaboration and creativity, and it can allow for unique opportunities for engagement with content. 

Student response systems also seemed interesting for the potential to present instruction through game-like activities and to reinforce and review concepts.

Electronic dictionaries and encyclopedias seem great in theory, but really just seem like a cumbersome and clunky way to access information from websites online designed for this exact purpose and that are more efficient and have more potential. 

Ch. 6:

The most interesting idea presented in Chapter 6, and the one at the heart of the chapter, is digital citizenship. This is a concept referred to in passing in the video from Chapter 6 we were asked to discuss.

Digital citizenship is essentially the idea that certain rules should govern how we operate when we use the Internet. Our digital identities (the ones we use to post about stuff on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat) are something we take for granted. That there is this image and profile of us just based on information about us online.

In theory, the way we act online shouldn't really differ that much from the way we act in day-to-day interactions, but the way the Internet creates a distance between us and the people we interact with allows for opportunities for us to do things we wouldn't normally do otherwise.

I think the idea that there should be a protocol for how we behave when using the Internet is one that has merit. Adolescence is tough enough without the 24 hour potential for harassment, mistreatment, and judgement.