Microsoft vs. Google Docs

2. Your school district is thinking about switching to google docs for their word processing and spreadsheet needs. Pick a side and justify your choice to the principal: Stay with Microsoft Word and Excel or switch to google docs.

Technology advances significantly every day.  The incoming trend of Google docs has the capability of altering the way in which communications and documents are processed.  It allows one to share documents and work with files from any computer.  Although the ease of sharing and creating documents with Google Docs is that to be desired, the education realm will, or should, continually choose Microsoft Word and Excel as its main resource for documentation.  

Servers, especially in a school setting, are often unreliable.  In my school, the internet and/or email is often down at least once or twice a week.  If Google docs were the only source used, one would be unable to obtain and create documents if servers were not working.  The Microsoft suite offers more 'bells and whistles' and is easier to use than Google docs.  Transition periods are the most difficult. If a switch were to be made, the majority of the complaints would be that people were just simply not used to the Google programs.  Once this period of time was overcome, people would learn to appreciate Google docs.  Until that time, Microsoft is here to stay.  

As long as one has a computer, one can create documents: with or without wi-fi. The buttons and format of the Microsoft programs are displayed in a way conducive to the user.  Time is saved when people understand how to make a program.  They know what needs to be done and are able to conduct it quickly.  Often times when using a different program, I know what I would like to happen, but need to spend 20 minutes in order to figure out how to make it happen.  By sticking to one well known program, employers will be able to save time for their employees. 

How to Excel at Excel....

Excel is a wonderful and often overlooked tool in the classroom.  This program not only helps to organize information, but can be used to better facilitate the classroom.  Several examples of Excel applications are stated below.


1) Excel can be used to create matching sections on quizzes and test.  Especially as a foreign language teacher, the ability to organize vocabulary words in a meaningful and easy manner would be greatly appreciated.  By using Excel, there is no need to worry about lining up the tab function or bothering with indentations.  


2) In addition to using the cells for vocabulary matching, the same cells could be expanded and enlarged in order to create flashcards for the students.  Whether they are to review the concept or as pieces in a game, by having organized electronic information, they could simply be reprinted for the following year (should the students lose or mangle pieces).


3) Excel can be used to organize the pieces of a large assignment that the students need to complete.  By inserting the information as it comes, grading the final project will be much easier as there will be a natural progression. For example, my students are working on two month long project discussing the intricacies of a Francophone country.  The information needed could be inserted into a spreadsheet in order to chart the progress so the students could see the amount of work still needed to be completed.  It helps the teacher stay organized as well.


4) The graphing tool in Excel will be useful for the parents to see how well their student performed in the various evaluation areas. A pie chart for each student divided into sections of homework, classroom participation, projects, and tests/quizzes could easily show inquiring parents how their children perform in the multiple facets of the classroom.  The charts could also be used as part of the testing to see if children have learning or behavioral disabilities.  


5) A spreadsheet tool such as Excel would be very helpful in course scheduling.  As a school, trying to coordinate where everyone is at any given point in time is a difficult task.  Using the spreadsheet would enable the administrators and educators to recognize the location of each teacher and student.  It is easy to move around rows and columns to ensure that people are in the right place and not scheduled for two different places at the same time. 


There are multiple ways that Excel can be used in the classroom and with the administration.  These are only a couple of options.

Words to the Rescue!

Every teacher's dread: You think you have your lessons ready and are prepared for the day when some sort of administration guru changes the amount of time each class will be for some all school event. Needing to have the students for MORE time than originally thought, I was at a momentarily loss.  Class starts in 5 minutes and I know I would be annoyed playing Bingo for the entire class to review for the test next week. What to do? You could freak out...or you could go to http://www.wordle.net/ and quickly type in their vocabulary words.  Then it is easy: two teams, members from each team have a fly swatter and have to hit the word being called out.  Thank you Wordle for making vocabulary entertaining, and not just another bingo game.

Let's be social!

Social bookmarking is time saver and an excellent tool. Typing in URLs can be tricky, especially if you are trying to read someone's handwriting.  Being able to save and access sites of importance at any time and from any computer is the perfect skill for teachers.  Social bookmarking is the equivalent to scrap pieces of paper and excessive emails containing website information.  Now, when someone tells you about a site, you simply need to find it on their bookmarked page.  We all know that Google is a God-send, but the idea of social bookmarking outdoes the process of typing vague words into a toolbar, and then spending 10 minutes filtering all of the sites until the desired result magically appears.
Perhaps if students have access to sites the teacher deems worthy and helpful, it will be easier to study and to find the necessary material.

 I discovered social bookmarking at a conference that I attended over the summer.  I was so amazed with it that I immediately started my own and bookmarked several sites for my students.  (http://www.delicious.com/mllegulling)

However, with the start of the school year and all that it entails, I never finalized the site or updated my tags.  It is no longer a useful tool if the students do not know about it or have access to it!  However, reading the articles and listening to the videos/podcasts made me remember the ease of this program.  My students will no longer need to squint their eyes and try to perfectly copy the website address, but it will be available for them at all times through my bookmarking site.  Whether or not they use it..... that is an entirely different story.

Excel Activities

The books 50 Quick and Easy Computer Activities for Kids and 50 Quick and Easy Math Activities for Kids contains several step-by-step activities that will help students to apply both computer and math skills to their lives.  The grade level is posted on the beginning of each page, as is the content covered.  Although there are some instances when the grades suggested were lower than what they should be, the author was consistent and did a decent job of compiling the information.  The labeling system at the top of each page was misleading in that it listed every age group and content areas and merely put a bullet point next to the ones that applied.  As a teacher, if only the necessary information were presented, and they were categorized based off of their information, it would be easier to find the activities and decide whether or not they were applicable to the classroom.
The author saves time by providing the directions for both Excel and Apple programs.  However, I can see this leading into a series of curious questions about the program not being used, what it does, and when will they use it.  Perhaps the author should separate the information even more by having one section of the book dedicated to Excel and the other to Apple.
Dividing the tasks into sections was a good way to understand what was being asked and what the outcome of the assignment should be.  The "Student Challenges" sections on each activity are a good addition, as they will continue to challenge the students that finish early, while not making color or font changes necessary for the entire class.  The "Teacher's Role" section was almost too specific, implying that the teacher need only to do the steps provided.  The pictures of the screens were helpful for the visual learners so they knew they were following the proper steps for the assignment.
Overall, the activities and their directions were clear and would be very useful for an Elementary Teacher.

Techno. is now in! :-)

Being of the Digital Age, technology consumers strive for ease.  The article Tools for Teks, by Wesley Fryer, is exactly what the educators are looking for.  Not only was the article succinct in its descriptions, it also included links to various sites for easy access.  This allows the reader not only to understand the materials, but to use them as well.  Bravo.  The tools listed such as social bookmarking, or my new favorite "Rubi-star", are tools that can only enhance the Education realm.

My students are currently researching Francophone countries: a project geared toward opening their eyes to other cultures.  During their Library time, half of the class needed to use books as resources for their information.  The students did not even know where to look in the Library for the resource materials, let alone how to use the index of an encyclopedia.  However, once the internet was accessible, the information needed was acquired in half the amount of time.

Even though technology is necessary for survival in their world, should we still be teaching the former skills needed for research?  Will it actually matter to them if in 10 years they do not know how to access reference materials?  What if we equate it to something that is not as precious to the Digital Immigrants as are books.  For example, I could not tell you how to load a microfiche, or even how to figure out that cataloguing system!  I was taught at one point, used the information needed, and have since forgotten it.  What is the point now? I can type it into Google, and my desired facts magically appear.  Are reference books today's example of microfiche?  Will their necessity and importance soon be forgotten by our students? Will it be the same as 8-tracks, records, or VHS tapes?

Probably.  All I know is that even though they could not begin to explain what an Almanac was, they were able to fix my computer when the program malfunctioned.  Thank you for teaching me today.

Google- Docs

Realizing that you have free time to work on a project and then realizing that you do not have your computer with you can be frustrating.  Thank goodness for Google-docs! The idea that you can work on your projects or assignments on any computer is liberating. Sharing your documents makes the editing process easier than attaching documents, editing, re-saving, and then sending another email.  Being able to copy and paste the lessons into one continuous document easy to use and easy to read.

However, if one is proficient in Microsoft office, switching to Google-docs simply takes some getting used to.  For example, having to insert page breaks in order to know how many pages you are typing can be quite frustrating. In the Microsoft program, the different page lengths are already programmed in.  Even though there is the capability of italicizing and bolding words, the short-hand commands that can be utilized in Microsoft are not compatible with Google-docs.  Often times in the versions of Powerpoint or Excel, it takes awhile to discover how to create the desired effect. 

As long as one is not bothered with the different looks of the documents, the idea of online sharing and creating is very useful.  People will be able to access documents even if they do not have their flash drive with them.  Others will be able to comment and view information in a faster manner. One simply needs to be aware that the intricacies of the other programs are just not available on Google-docs.

Digital "Nati-grant"

“Digital Nati-grant”

When discussing technology, its applications and its implications, people are commonly divided into two categories: a Digital Native or a Digital Immigrant.  However, is it possible to be both? To have one foot in the generation that grew up with technology, and one foot in the generation that longs for the pre-tech days?  A Digital "Nati-grant" if you will. The majority of my world exemplifies that of Carrie Windam, author of The Student's Perspective.  Her experience growing up was similar to mine in matters of technology.  I remember my first time using the internet and needing the teacher explain to me how to use a search engine.  I registered for classes in my pajamas, IMed to communicate with my friends, and multi-tasking is the only way I know how to get things done.  

Being a part of the Digital Native community helps me to better work with high schoolers on a daily basis: I understand their vocabulary because I use it too.  I understand their yearning for information and their ability to teach the older generation.  I want immediate responses and I expect for communication to be strong.  The survey results explained by Robert Kvavik in Convenience, Communications, and Control: How Students Use Technology represent the way I feel about technology in the classroom: it should be used moderately.  If a professor overuses technology, but without confidence, their message is lost.  Technology is not a part of our world, and it must be integrated into the education of our children. It simultaneously needs to be asserted that the children are taught to think; and to think for themselves.  

Technology has altered the way we communicate, and this is a good thing.  I can stay in contact with my family and friends overseas, print out directions, or cook a new recipe, all due to technology.  It has improved life without trying. 

However, sometimes technology overrides life’s lessons.  Just type an unknown word into the computer and the definition appears for you.  The idea of flipping through a dictionary and discerning the various symbols and methodology used is forgotten.  Thus comes in my Digital Immigrant ideals.  I would rather hold a book in my hand and highlight information than read it on a computer.  My students do not know how to tell time on an analogue clock because they never needed to: Everything is digital. I had to give my debit card information to Blockbuster in order to rent a movie.  No, I don’t want you to deduct this from my account... I just want to rent a movie and I want to pay cash for it.  

It is easier to use debit cards for everything, but it also makes it easier to spend money.  I do not have a credit card for that reason.  If I physically have cash, I know exactly how much I have to spend and can plan accordingly.  I do not understand why the students in my study hall stare into space while listening to music, without doing any work. I love getting mail through the postal services, and sometimes listening to the rain instead of my ipod is a good thing.

It is this combination of loving and hating technology that puts me into the Digital “Nati-grant” category.  When technology works and is used well, it is a blessing and a much needed tool.  But it is when the power or the internet go out, that is when  I get things done.  I actually clean my house, read a book, or prepare for my next day.  The next time the power goes out, read a book by candlelight. You will see what I mean. 

The Interpretation of Technology over Generation Gaps

We live in an age that is determined not only by our surroundings but by the tools in which we are provided.  Once we learn the importance of the tools, we begin to rely upon them.  Both Marc Prensky and Diana Oblinger, authors of Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants and Educating the Net Generation respectively, discuss the concept that the NetGeneration has never lived without easy and constant access to the internet.  They are accustomed to the intricacies of technologies being readily available to provide instant results to their questions and to keep their social network intact.  Because of this, they struggle if information is given to them in a format that does not fit into their technology mindset.  They need to be taught how to be students in a traditional classroom, and struggle with the idea that how they learn facts in the classroom differs than how they learn the daily tasks of culture.

The idea of comparing one's environment and culture to the necessary learning style is a method that simply makes sense.  It is difficult to teach if you are not "speaking" the same language as the students.  Being a foreign language teacher, I come to understand and utilize this concept on a basic level. If my entire lesson is presented in French, without defining vocabulary or grammar, the students will struggle to understand the material.  They will "shut down" their listening skills because I am not speaking in a language they understand clearly.

The same ideas can be applied to teaching in a style that is "foreign" to their generation.  Unless we can apply the information to real life situations by using their desired methods (ie hands-on, group structured, and kinesthetically pleasing) the students will find it difficult, or even worse, unnecessary, to learn the information.

The dissonance between the methods needed by the Digital Natives and the methods used by the Digital Immigrants is outlined well in both articles.  Ben McNeely, author of Chapter 4 in Educating the Net-Generation discusses the satisfaction felt when the Net Generation teaches others, including the Digital Immigrants: They love to share their knowledge.  Perhaps it is the sharing of this knowledge that is teaching them more about the given material.  Teaching is the best way to reinforce one’s own understanding of material.  It is important to understand how individual students function in order to determine how they will encode the information.

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