Word Processing and Desktop Publishing Software are great tools for both teachers and students in the classroom. These are not only some of the easiest, but some of the most useful ways to incorporate technology into daily learning. These programs make document creation must faster and more efficient.
The time and energy students save by using DTP rather than rewriting entire papers when revisions are needed provides more time for them to be creative, develop an enjoyment of writing and create higher quality work. These types of programs enable students to do a variety of activities that reinforce their learning including creating their own books/brochures on topics covered in class, creating their own classroom newsletter/newspaper, making posters, or designing their own flashcards to study.
From a teacher’s perspective, the increased speed and ease of writing allowed by these programs results in an ability to include writing projects in other subject areas to give students further practice with his vital skill. DTP allows for easy creation of lesson plans, parent newsletters, classroom signs, tests/worksheets, and certificates to hand out for special achievements.
Although I don’t have my own classroom yet, one specific way I hope to use desktop publishing in my classroom is through the creation of a weekly newsletter. This will help keep both parents and students abreast of current unit topics, upcoming school events, important dates, and other information. I can also use this as a forum to recognize individual accomplishments of students in the classroom, as well as attempt to get parents more involved their children’s learning.
For this blog, I created a mock newsletter similar to what I hope to send home with students in my future class. When I first started, I had too many colors and too little white space, which distracted from the overall message I was trying to communicate. I was using a variety of fonts which made the entire document look too busy. When I revised it, I included only red and blue (Hinsdale’s school colors). I added some WordArt to make it more visually appealing, as well as a fun picture of the students. Using one easily readable font made the newsletter look much more polished, and some small lines divided up the page to add to the visual appeal. The overall product appeared more professionally done after my simple revisions!
Here is my final product:
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