Chapter 5

Teaching with Software Tools: Beyond the Basic Programs

I found Chapter 5 to be about the same as Chapter 4 but with different tools that a teacher can use to help benefit their classroom. Some benefits in using software tools include improved efficiency and productivity, better accuracy and timeliness of information, and more support for interaction and sharing. This chapter also gives some information about new software that teachers are now using. For example, the use of PDA’s, more web connectivity features, and more collections of tools available in software suites are all new and help benefit teacher’s classrooms. Some software that I thought was interesting was the materials generator; these are tools that help teachers and students produce instructional materials. This includes desktop publishing software, test generators and rubric generators, and worksheet and puzzle generators. Data collection and analysis tools are tools that help teachers collect and organize information that indicates student progress, for example, electronic gradebooks. Graphic tools are tools that allow the manipulation of images to illustrate documents and web pages. I think using graphic tools would be fun and interesting to have students play around with and draw some pictures about an event or thing that means the most to them. Content-area tools are tools in which support teaching and learning activities in various content areas. This includes CAD systems, music tools such as music editors and sequences, reading tools, and graphing calculators and calculators-based labs.
I think using these different tools in a classroom would be great for teachers to change the classroom setting up a bit. This will allow students to not get comfortable and be on their toes at all times. These tools will also allow the students to expand their thinking of the different content areas in which they are in. Using different software tools in a classroom is needed when it comes to different activities in which the teacher assigns to students. I know that in my classroom I will allow my students to use the different software’s that are out there to expand their thinking and knowledge. This chapter was very informative and interesting.