Microsoft Office Tools ROCK!

As a student in today's society, it is now necessary to have at least a basic understanding of two Microsoft Office programs: Word and Excel. But these programs also have potential uses for me as a future teacher.

Word is, of course, a word processor most commonly used to create documents such as reports and papers. Within my classroom, it could be used by both my students and myself. My students could of course use word to prepare homework assignments and written reports. However, they could also use it in more creative fashions, such as creating their own books or a classroom newspaper. As the teacher, I could use Word as a tool in creating classwork as well as letters/reminders to be sent home.

Word would enable me to do all of this. However, I also feel that it may not be the easiest nor the most efficient tool to use in all instances. It is not always the easiest tool to manipulate when attempting more creative projects. I have found programs such as Photoshop and Microsoft Publisher easier to use for these types of projects. But if these programs are not available, Microsoft Word works just fine.

Excel creates spreadsheets which help collect, organize, store, and display sets of data. During my student teaching in Hawaii, I found this an amazing tool for creating my gradebooks. I was able to create one workbook with several spreadsheets for each subject I taught. The students' scores were all organized, and I set up formulas in helping me to determine their final grades. For my students, Excel is a great way to integrate technology into the curriculum. For example, they could use data collected in science and/or math to create a spreadsheet. From these spreadsheets, graphs and charts are easy to create and add something special to reports or projects.

The biggest downside to Excel is just figuring out all that it has to offer. The basics are easy enough to understand, but when creating formulas, charts, links to other worksheets, etc., it isn't always easy to just sit down and do. For a beginner, it takes a lot of fiddling and tweaking. But that is a small price to pay for such wonderful results!