Summary of Word processors in the classroom
Why use word processors?
Teachers can prepare, create, store and share materials for their classes by using a word processing program, and learners can use a word processing program both in and outside the classroom, to practice writing skills, grammar and other language points, as well as to present their work.
We will be focusing on Microsoft Word.
Word processors for teachers: creating materials
Inserting images and links
When we want insert some pictures in our creating materials or we want to include links to websites which our students can go to for further research practice. we can do inserting the pictures by click the “Insert” menu, then select “picture” and finally “from file...”. And to make your picture interact with the text you can click text wrapping by click on “view” then “toolbars” and finally “picture”, now select your type “tight”.
Creating forms
A form is a word document which has interactive elements in ti, resembling closely the kinds of simple exercises you might find on the internet.
To get started with adding forms to your documents, you will need to display the “Forms”.
Let’s look at the more useful of these elements.
1. Adding a text box to your form:
Type your question, then hit enter and click on the “Text form filed” icon. You will see that it creates a small text box. Click on it, then click the “format” icon. From here you can format what the text box does and the sort of input it expects.
2. Adding s check box to your form:
Type your question, then hit enter and click on the “Check box form field” icon. You will see a check box appear. Type your first answer next to this. Now press the tab key and repeat for as many answers as you need.
3. Adding a drop-down menu to your form:
Type your question, then hit enter and click on the “Drop-down form field” icon. Double click the newly-created drop-down, and use the “drop-down item” box to add each individual choice. Click “Add” button and OK.
Using Track Changes
These tools allow documents to be shared among a group of users, with each user’s changes and edits highlighted in different colors and identified by their initials.
Using Markin
This is another windows program that aids the correction of word processed work from learners.
Word processing activities for learners
Below are a few simple word processing tips worth bearing in mind and sharing with your learners:
- Encourage your student to save their documents in a consistent way, naming them with their own name and a description of what the document contains.
- With the price of external USB pen drives falling rapidly, it is advisable for learners to keep a copy of their work on one for themselves.
- Make sure that you check with whoever looks after your center’s computers
- Be prepared to deal with some computing terminology: hard drive, c drive, printer, word processor, save, print.
Using word processors: consideration
There are some potential downsides to using word processors – not the least of which is working with mixed technological ability classes where typing skills may play a large part in performance anxiety and in the pace at which activities are carried out.
Starting with simple activities, such as the ones we looked at in the first section of this chapter, and getting your learners used to the mechanic of word processing before moving on to the more creative side, will help this process.
