EDTEC 440
Sample Syllabus
Sample Lesson
Introduction
Objectives
Directions for Working Through
Document Publishing
Using Document Publishing as a Productivity Tool in the Classroom
Your Task(s): Document Publishing Assignments
Spreadsheets
Using Spreadsheets in the Classroom
Your Task(s): Spreadsheet Assignments
Unit Project: Productivity Tools

Using Document Publishing as a Productivity Tool in the Classroom

Technology can help us do things better, faster, cheaper, or in different ways than we have in the past. Also, technology can be used to solve a problem that currently exists in the classroom or help enhance or complement the learning experience. Specifically, document publishing is useful as a way to communicate or organize what we know. For example, we may create a newsletter to distribute class information to parents and allow students a means to publish their work. A topic outline can be created to help students organize their thoughts, or they could create a diagram to provide a way to visually represent what they know. Students can use online document publishing programs to work on collaborative writing assignments that can be easily edited by others, while recording a history of the revisions.

Examples of Document Publishing

 

Student

Teacher

Administrative

Uses a checklist for completing weekly assignments

Creates checklist for parents of items needed for first day of school

Instructional

Student team creates a newsletter*

Creates study guide for students to help them prepare for an exam

Assessment

Creates newsletter that contains writing samples for a journalism class

Creates unit test for students to complete

*A class newsletter could be an interesting project that involves a group of students. Imagine a newsletter created by a writer, editor, photographers, and reporter, produced in conjunction with a scientist, such as an astronaut. The students could interview astronauts using e-mail and collaborate to produce a class newsletter that teaches about space. Older students, especially, will appreciate the finished product and find the effort worthwhile.

Chapter 2 (Word Processing chapter)

Your Newby text provides a good overview of how to create simple documents that incorporate graphics and multiple columns (see the chapter on word processing). Additional resources are provided in the Supplemental Materials section.

A number of resources are available online that provide templates for making useful documents used frequently in classrooms (e.g., newsletters, checklists, rubrics, handouts). Below are some examples of sites that provide links to templates and/or “printables” of documents:

Templates for various documents used in classroom:

Printables: