iWorks Pages vs. Word

1. This post is my discussion of iWorks Pages vs. Microsoft Word programs.  There are many similarities and differences in these two programs.  To begin with, I noticed that iWorks seems to be easier to access all functions than Word is.  Word has almost 50 icons on its pages, whereas Apple iWorks Pages has about 12 icons.  iWorks is less complex but still has the capability to make very impressive documents, presentations, etc.  Another difference between these two is definitely the price.  Microsoft Word has to be purchased in the Microsoft Office Program.  Therefore, because of all that is included with that software it is much more expensive, costing about $200.  iWorks costs much less, approximately $60.  To share your work from these 2 programs, iWorks has I-Cloud built in and so it is easier to instantly share your work with others.  Microsoft Word has to be shared by e-mailing a hyperlink to the person or persons you are sharing with.
     The similarities in these two programs are few. They can both be used to create very acceptable documents.  They can both be used for making reports, resumes, projects, etc.  They both have the capability of adding images, text and tables.  Microsoft Word and iWorks Pages both have many templates to choose from in making different creations.
     I feel that the Ipad influences the similarities and differences in these two programs by providing touch screen capabilities which seems to work well with iWorks and its features but may not be so easy with Word, which in my opinion is more complex.  Also the I-pad can be accessed by the users I-phone and Mac computer as well and can make sharing and editing more accessible and user friendly.

Google Drawings

  In my experience trying Google Drawings, I found it to be quite easy to use. I found the selection of choices varied and very useful in making all types of creations.
  In an elementary classroom, as I reviewed a sample lesson plan, students could use this app to learn and practice shapes and turn them and understand how they are changed or unchanged when flipping them and turning them. Students could create drawings using the shapes that are being discussed.  Students can use the paint button to change colors of the shapes or lines on their pictures.  Students would be able to form words and label their pictures and there is a spelling check to help them spell correctly.  Writing letters and forming graphs and charts to help organize their work would be challenging but useful to students and teachers.  Teachers could create a specific template for students to use or help them make their own.  The possibilities are endless and I could definitely see this being used in the classroom often.
  In reading the Graham Chapter 8 on Google Drawings App, there are many other uses for this application. The Common Core State Standards Anchor Standard 1 for Writing wants students to "read closely" to understand the text and make analytical conclusions from it. This needs to be taught throughout the reading standards as well as Reading in the Content Areas. The Google drawings helps students and teachers meet this criteria but in a fun and interesting way.
  Teachers can also create graphic organizers to help students organize their thoughts and facts they have gathered. Everything the students have created on their drawings app will be saved to their google drive account.  All of the commands they will need to use are in the graphical toolbar at the top of the screen. Many of them are in the insert menu as well, making them easy to find. Flow charts are also another feature that can be created. These would be very helpful to teachers to make information more organized and appealing to the students.
  Google Drawings is a great way students can learn, using art to express themselves and learn a new skill of graphic design that will be useful for many years to come.

Google Presentations

     No, I have never used Power Point type software before, its been many, many years since I was in college.  However, while working through this Google Presentations application, I was surprised by several capabilities it has and the ease of use.
      One surprising note about this application is that it is device neutral, meaning it can be used on any computer, Mac, Windows, without downloading anything or without purchasing anything. This makes it teacher and student friendly in the classroom.  According to the Common Core State Standards, teachers have to prepare students to have an extensive knowledge of presenting information.  It supports collaborative work in which students can work together and also share easily their presentations with others.  By adding video and images and making their presentations come to life, it teaches them how to capture an audience and improves their communication capabilities.  It also teaches them to organize their information and learn how to decipher pertinent information.
     As far as the ease of this program, anyone can learn to use it. The many options such as adding images, videos and text are easy to use and are available in drop down boxes.  The color of words and changing font sizes and adding shapes, symbols and charts are easily attached to each slide produced.  Each presentation is saved in Google Drive Cloud-based storage. I have included a link to a practice Google Presentation I created to see how easy it is to use. https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive?ltmpl=drive

Tablets in Education

     In looking at all the options for Tablet selections for Education, I have learned that the options seem to be subjective.  The options have to be weighed and compared to the budget, need and population of use.

      I-pads seem to be the most popular.  Cell phones are an option for educational use as well, but the majority of schools still ban them.  The most likely competitors of the I-Pad are the Nook and the Kindle.  There are a few other less expensive tablets, such as the Android.  For my purposes, I will discuss the Nook, Kindle and I-Pad.

      The Nook is a medium-sized option, with a screen of 6-7", which makes it still easy to read.  It is also a size that is easy to hold with one hand.  In the link to The Adventures of Library Girl Blog,http://www.librarygirl.net/2010/11/our-e-reader-adventure-part-i.html, she states Nook is very supportive to those who purchase these.  She stated that they provided 3 training sessions for the staff.  They offer coming out to the school for hands on support if needed.  The Nook can also be replaced easily if anything goes wrong with it. It is very useful with e-reader, but keep in mind e-books have to be purchased for the Nooks, which will cost more.  Also, accounts with Barnes and Noble have to be made on all of the Nooks and a Credit Card has to be kept on file, which could be a concern of schools.  

     The next tablet of discussion is the Kindle, which is also a medium-sized tablet.  It too is easy to carry.  Kindle has taken many years to finally enter the school textbooks contract for purchase. As was discussed in the Tampa Bay Times, /businClearwater H.S.http://www2.tbo.comess/tech/2010/sep/16/kindles-replacing-textbooks-today-at-clearwater-hi-ar-30616/, is one of the first schools to receive a Kindle for all of it's students.  They were each given one with their school books for their classes already downloaded on them.  Students were not only excited to get them, but were excited to get started with their classwork.  They liked the feature that it included a built in dictionary.  The school like the cost-effectiveness of the Kindle compared to the purchase of all new textbooks. This article was very exciting to me and helped me to realize how important technology can be in schools. 

     The last tablet I will discuss is the I-Pad. It is a larger tablet, not as easy to hold, but less easy to misplace.  It has many uses in the classroom, such as writing papers, doing internet research, taking notes, used for presentations, video producing and also has many apps for learning available to download.  In education, I-Pads are relatively low-cost, compared to computers, they have the ability to be used in place of textbooks, which can show much wear and tear after a year of use. Also, textbooks change editions often and with an I-Pad, you can just download the new book. They are able to receive low cost apps to assist teachers with instruction. The touch screen is easy to use for students.  They have many features, such as cameras, microphones and also has the ability to edit software.  This eliminates the purchase of separate technology apparatus that has to be purchased by the school.  In the article, "Schools see rising scores with i-Pads,-sehttp://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/05/09/schoolse-rising-scores-with-ipads/ educators are seeing that students are more engaged in their studies with the use of these touch-screen devices.Test scores are improving.  This is exciting in the world of Technology.  

     

Word vs Google Docs

When comparing Google Docs with Word, I am much more inclined to use Word, simply because its always been available through my purchased computers, and I have grown to like its features and ease of use. While Microsoft Word has many more options for editing that I will ever use, I like the ease of font size and color, annotations, page breaks, columns, drag and drop images, and page margins that are useful on every paper.


Pros of Word:
Ease and accessibility of these listed features, more options on the action bar, and professional editing features.


Cons of Word:
Word lacks the robust collaborative editing that Google Docs offer, updates are not automatic; you must update them personally.


Pros of Google Docs:
Biggest advantages of collaborative editing, suggestions for soft edits without permanently changing the document until owner approves, much more straight forward than Word which makes images, formatting, and drop box support more readily available.


Cons of Google Docs:
Mobile version misses a lot of features like adding an image. It can only be used for simple documents, must use Word for more advanced essays.

Tablet Options

In recommending a tablet option for our school, my work partner and I agree, as does our principal, on the best choice for a tablet, but also agree there are a few options with advantages and disadvantages of each that we need to consider.

I agree that the I-pod/MP3 players, that have a screen of about 4-5" are much too small for our school. They easily fit in a pocket and therefore could be stolen with ease.  Also, these are very hard to see in a learning environment due to the smaller text and cannot fit entire paragraphs onto the screen. They could be hard for younger children to keep track of due to size and they may be misplaced often.  

The medium sized devices, with screen 6-7" are still easily portable and easy to hold, even with one hand. An example is the Kindle.  They are easier to read, being able to fit more text on a page.

A large size device with screens 8-11" are not as portable and are harder to hold, especially for younger children.  They cannot be held in one hand. They are therefore easier to drop and may therefore have more maintenance issues.  The text with these devices are much easier to view.  They would be much harder to store because of their size. 

The options for medium sized devices we will consider are the different i-pads.  The i-pad 2 and the i-pad 4 each have different amounts of storage in GB, 16,32 and 64.  Apple i-pads are easy to use and are easier to use applications that can be downloaded to perform certain functions.  I-pads have the best accessibility to eBooks.  They are well-known for the movie/tv/video selection and are downloaded easily.  The cost of i-pads start $399 and increase depending on the options you choose. One con is the batteries are not replaceable and new tablets would have to be purchased.  

The Android, google offers the Kindle,Barnes and Noble Nook Book and android tablets.  Google has a strong CPU and reasonable rates for Cellular service.  Barnes and Noble offers most selection of books to download.  They however, have the lowest amount of storage at 32 GB. 

Windows, Microsoft, offers Surface Windows RT and Surface Windows 8 Pro.  Their experience creating a tablet is fairly new.  They are more known for their software.  These devices come with Microsoft Office already included. 

In discussing the Pros and Cons of each of these devices, we have to consider what the devices will mainly be used for and for what age group.  Apple is the best option if we want our students to be able to use for downloading usage.  Windows would be best for students to use to blog and create documents.  Android and Google are best for reading exercises. My partner and I both agree that the Apple is our choice for purchase.  It has multitudes of uses and are very compatible and easy to use.  

Some of you were interested in a cellular device. These devices have to have connection to a cellular phone tower in order to operate online functions. It must be something built in to the device we choose because it is not something that may be added later.  It would require a contract with a monthly charge to a cellular company which would increase the cost.  

Beginnings

I live in Morristown, Tn.  I have 3 children who are also in college. I am looking forward to the MAP program, but it is something I will need to work very hard every day and every moment to keep up with everyone.  I have learned a lot already!