Post #2

As a student I use Microsoft Word more than any other program on my computer. In fact, I am using it right now to write this blog! I use it to write papers because it is really easy to format my paper according to what I need to do. I can use bullets and numbered lists for outlines, and tables to organize information. Sometimes I even use clip art throughout my assignments to make them more creative. I also enjoy the use of spell check to help me proof read my papers, however I do not rely on it solely because it does not always catch all my mistakes. My teachers use Microsoft Word to type up their syllabuses. They even use them for creating rubrics and explaining assignments. Without Word and other processors, we would be left with a lot of messy handwritten papers!

I think the newspaper idea is a great way to use the processor in a school setting. My mother is a middle school teacher and she has her students create a newspaper for one of their social studies projects. They have to do a time period from history and create a newspaper with events that would be relevant from that time period. They use Word to type up all their information and make it look professionally done. The students can be creative and use different font types and colors, and can use spell check to help them proof read their work. I like this project because not only are the students researching information to create their paper, but they can use their creative side of the brain and make something they are really proud of.

I learned how to set up and use an online blog. I had never done that before and like the idea of having my students create their own where they can submit their work online. That way, we save paper and the kids can read each other’s work and comment on it. This would be a good thing to use if teaching a creative writing class or also an English class.