ProductivityTools


 * Productivity Tools ** is a broad category that includes tools for word processing, creating spreadsheets, collaboration, and managing graphics. These tools, not surprisingly, help teachers and students increase productivity in the classroom by providing a variety of technology support platforms designed to streamline and enhance all mechanisms within a learning community. Some programs in this category bundle several productivity tools together into a software suite, such as Microsoft Office, while others specialize in a single task, like Adobe Photoshop.


 * Within this broad category of software, several sub-categories exist. **

· __Online Learning Communities __ provide places of interest where teachers, students, administrators, experts, and parents may gather to share ideas on a countless number of topics. These online meeting places result in productivity increases through the simple notion that more minds are better than one. Lesson plans, curriculum templates, educational theories, professional development, expert advice, and classroom management tips are just some of the topics. A few examples are: Hot Chalk, Education World, and TeachNet.com. Let's not forget Wikis! · __Word Processors __ such as Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and Kids Works Deluxe support written communication processes and the organizational tasks associated with classroom learning. · __Spreadsheet Software __, such as Microsoft Excel and Apple Numbers, are essentially analytical programs that allow users to organize, extrapolate, and graphically present quantitative data. · __Graphics and Presentation Tools __ support the creation of multimedia products that enhance the user's ability to communicate ideas. Microsoft PowerPoint is an example from this sub-category. · __Subject Area Specific Tools __ provide resources and learning portals for teachers and students in a specific subject or content area. · __Reference web sites __ include a variety of reference resources for students. Online virtual libraries provide students access to dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauruses, atlases, almanacs, and other valuable reference materials.


 * Characteristics of the Products **

· __ Tools and Resources __ are provided through the Internet for students to use outside their classroom. Although a tutorial may be designed for students, it is strongly suggested that teachers or parents help guide the students in the use of these tools __ Teachers Have More __ __ Time __ to work with their students and less time wasted on tedious tasks when using these Productivity Tools. This extra time spent with students enhances the teacher student bonding time, and allows for more time to focus on subject matter rather than administrative duties. With these tools there is a more open communication between parents and teachers, and information at home is on par with what is going on in the classroom (everyone is on the same page). Students are able to organize their work online, and easily access supportive tools to aid them in their studies, such as tutorials, dictionaries, and extra curricular activities. With teachers more organized, students more on task, and parents “in the know”, productivity tools support their goal of increasing student learning. · __Easy To Follow Directions __ at every turn and icons with help options if the user gets stuck are a part of every program. Most of the software programs listed are easy enough to use. Some set backs might be simple user errors that require an uncomplicated correction, found by backtracking ones own work. · __ First Time Computer Users __ -it is assumed that everyone using these products already has a general knowledge of how to use a computer, and if the user does not have basic computer skills then there will be problems, but still there is a lot of help offered. Open Office is difficult to maneuver for a first time user. The other main programs ([|Apple], [|Microsoft], and [|Google]) all have icons and visuals that make the learning process straightforward and easy to follow. Training videos for ALL products may be found on YouTube. · __Professional Efficiency __ - Productivity Tools inherently support professional efficiency and development in teachers and learning outcomes for students through organizational strategies and scaffolding approaches. As with any new tool, there is an associated learning curve. The majority of the tools have online tutorials that provide video and text support. Some examples of these tools can be found below.

Learning Essentials for Microsoft Office provides a host of templates, tool bars, and organizing tips to maximize efficiency and learning outcomes while using the basic Microsoft Office products. · Electronic Gradebooks for Microsoft Excel and a variety of Templates that are designed to support the logistics of running a classroom are just some of the examples of how Office products can effectively support teachers and students. · Student Learning Tools are designed to support students by scaffolding the organization processes found in writing, research, and presentations. · Microsoft offers On-Demand Demos that guide users through the introduction of a tool to its successful implementation. OpenOffice.org is a free suite of productivity tools that are developed by users in a variety of industries, for a number of operating platforms, and in a bunch of different languages. There is tech support for these tools, but it is not as rich when compared to Microsoft or Apple. These tools offer the same kind of productivity results as found in other manufacturers, but the user will need to bring a bit of experiene using productivity tools with them. · Writer is OpenOffice.org's word processor that allows teachers and students to create documents that are rich with embedded images, formatting, and supportive components. · Math provides point and click functions for assembling equations and generating graphs. · OpenOffice.org's Suite of tools are consistently formatted with the intention of making their use easy and seamless. Everything looks and works the same!
 * Products **

Apple-Education offers a wide range of productivity tools in their suites of software. These collections of applications provide a number of possibilities for teachers and students. The compatibility between the applications and relative ease in which users draw from the resources found in the applications, make these productivity tools uniquely powerful when creating multimedia presentations. · iLife provides a suite of tools designed to manage and integrate content from a diverse array of media inputs. · iWork contains the usual tools found within other productivity software collections. · Video Tutorials accommodate both first-time and experienced users. · An example of how the Apple productivity tools are currently be used in schools can be found here. Google for Educators aims to increase collaboration, communication, and access to all members of a learning community - for free! The beauty of the Goolgle productivity tools is that all work that is done is stored online, allowing teachers, students, and parents to easily create and communicate from virtually any location or computer platform. · Google Apps Education Edition insures that teachers, students, and staff can communicate and create efficiently because everyone is using the same tools. · Google Docs is one of the applications found within the Google collection, and there are many Examples of how schools are employing this productivity tool.