These days word processing has become as much a part of our lives as telephones and TV. I think that we overlook the importance of this tool in our classrooms. I think this is one of the most vital tools we have in our toolbox.
For many of our students word processing is the light at the end of the tunnel. So many students struggle with subtle learning disabilities that are not diagnosed. Spelling patterns elude them their entire life, handwriting is a physical effort that never becomes natural and effortless. I think that we need to rethink our attitudes towards word processing. By incorporating keyboarding skills into language arts we provide levels of success for students that are struggling in more traditional methods.
I'd like to see more opportunity for lower the grades 2nd and 3rd to create documents with word processing. Once auto correct and spell checker are blocked these original artifacts also become reinforcements for spelling and grammar. ADHD students struggling to create rough drafts, corrected copy, and final copy would see instance production with word processing.
I know that changes in my attitude towards using technology in the classroom has helped me become a better teacher. Hopefully, better software will continue to meet market demand and our students will benefit as well. I know that I couldn't survive without word processing!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hello there.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Shane Corbell. I'm an English Education major at Boise State, and I'm looking forward to teaching English Literature and Creative Writing in the near future. Technology is an invaluable tool for teachers, with English instructors being no exception. Word processing applications are vital for effective writing. They allow authors to proofread and edit their work much more freely and easily than they would using the old-fashioned pen and paper method. In addition, English teachers are able to utilize technology to bring new writing techniques into the classroom, check for plagiarism, and gain access hundreds of millions of written works with the click of a mouse.
Microsoft Excel is a tool that I have learned to use with much more flexibility than I did in the past. I always thought of Excel as a number crunching tool, but through the Educational Technology class at BSU I have come to realize how invaluable the application is. Even for an English teacher, Excel is vital for keeping an accurate gradebook. I encourage all Education students to independently research Excel to learn about the many ways it can be helpful to their future careers.
This blog "thing" is very new to me; I have never blogged as a blogger in the blogosphere before. I will say one thing: blogs sure have created a fun situation for Linguistics professors. Even after a short glance, I can readily see how blogs can be utilized in the classroom. They allow each member to post their thoughts and comments on the contents of the blog, post relevant media to the blog's subject, and basically get everyone involved in the discussion.