Microsoft Project Tools

Microsoft Project Tools allows students to learn how to write papers and reports, prepare for presentations as well as how to make charts and graphs. This range of applications is firmly rooted in the directed model, where students are allowed limited choices, but given many directions. Furthermore, there are many tutorials in this specific set of tools that cannot be anything but objectivist. The options given in this area are:
• Papers & Reports: this consists of Start a Project and More Writing Tools.
Start a Project: in this subset of directions, students are given templates (that is, an example of how to do something- trying to get students to develop automaticity) for anything from writing essays to recording science projects. They are also given large number of tutorials (which are clearly direction-oriented) for the aforementioned areas as well as for creative writing and creative projects. Finally, they are given writing tools in all of the preceding categories to help further develop their writing capabilities. These range from the thesaurus to a citation guide to literary excerpts.
More Writing Tools: this section deals with writing tutorials and tools (which are found in the preceding subset), and Organizing and Brainstorming tools. The organizing and brainstorming tools have essay-plan templates for each of the four types of rhetorical modes of writing, as well as one for a literary analysis. This section is evidently objectivist.

• Presentations: this is divided into Presentation Templates, Presentation Tutorials and Writing Tools. These tools are all of the Directed Model type.
Presentation Templates: these templates cater for a wide range of subject areas, varying from book reports to controversial topics to scientific discoveries to timelines. Again, this section undoubtedly falls within the directed model.
Presentation Tutorials: this section, as its name implies, is equipped with tutorials to teach students how to prepare and execute excellent performances. They cater for both PowerPoint and Oral Presentations. The tutorials are personalized using the second person “you”, and contain reassuring phrases such as “Relax. You will do just fine.” and “You’ll do a great job on your next presentation.” It follows the path that tutorials should take, in that, they provide simple steps to do a task and provide the reinforcement that if students follow the instructions given then everything would be easy. This section is also unmistakably objectivist, due to its content.
Writing Tools: these are also found within the first section as More Writing Tools.

• Charts& Graphs: this comprises Chart& Graph Templates, Chart& Graph Tutorials and Tools& Resources. All of these tools are Objectivist.
Chart& Graph Templates: this section has templates for each of the different graph types, as well as a graph paper section for if one needs graph paper. There are six different types of graph catered for in this section. They are bar chart, line chart, pie chart, scatter plot, organization chart and Venn diagram.
Chart& Graph Tutorials: this section contains tutorials for making charts on Microsoft Word and Excel. These tutorials concise and teach the different types of charts and graphs, as well as how to create and insert them into Microsoft Word or Excel.
Tools& Resources: this section has a unit conversion tool and statistical data on the countries of the world. The unit conversion tool is useful for converting units of measurement, and the World Statistical Map has an option for one to see a country’s statistical data as it would look on a graph.
This may be the last blog for a while. I thank you for following and/or reading my Weblog entries. I leave you with a scene from Tobago.

Microsoft Homework Tools

Microsoft Homework Tools offers a wide range of applications to provide for learning according to the directed model, yet still it allows students to discover on their own. These tools are named Math tools, Foreign Language tools and Search tools. It is well known that the directed approach supports tutorials, automacity and self-paced learning. It is also known that the constructivist approach allows autonomy in learning. In knowing these things, it is seen that this package follows both models.
1. Math Tools: these tools consist of Microsoft Math and Math Concepts Explained.
Microsoft Math: this tool allows students to follow logical steps that enable them to solve problems, evaluate expressions and plot equations & graphs. There are other tools that help with formulae and equations from different subject areas, triangle problems and unit conversions. There is even a tool allowing a student to enter homework problems, showing steps to do it successfully. Here is a link to YouTube which shows it in use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyYacuhyPXw
Math Concepts Explained: this tool contains brief, easy-to-understand tutorials that cover the basic to complex concepts found in Mathematics. These tutorials cover everything from Decimal to Statistical concepts, as well as everything in between.

2. Foreign Language Tools: these tools consist of four languages (Spanish, French, German, Italian), Web Links and World Languages Interactivity.
Language tools: these tools allow students to see and hear the translations of words from English to any of the four previously listed languages, as well as how to conjugate the verbs. It also allows the user to visit websites that help the user to learn these languages. For English, French and German, there are also templates that give help to students of these languages.
Web Links: this tool allows the students to find resources that pertain to the four aforementioned languages, as well as resources for Latin and Japanese. Here is one of the listed links for Latin (http://encartaupdate.msn.com/teleport/teleport.aspx?Lang=A&Year=2009&tname=weblinks&ty=chk&ud=701722253&ca=1024&vs=2009), and one for Japanese language resources (http://encartaupdate.msn.com/teleport/teleport.aspx?Lang=A&Year=2009&tname=weblinks&ty=chk&ud=701722252&ca=1024&vs=2009).
World Languages Interactivity: this tool allows students to compare languages within defined regions. A map is presented to the user, where they may choose any region and compare greetings, farewells, proverbs and the like.

3. Search Tools: this tool allows student to quick-search any of the following topics found anywhere in Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2009:
Ø Articles, Time lines and Archives
Ø Photos and Interactive media
Ø Maps
Ø Quotations and Authors
Ø Definitions
Ø Synonyms and Antonyms

The next blog would cover Project Tools in detail.

Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2009 is full of tools that cater to the needs of those who may or may not attend school. Those who are of adult age, teenage, or even those of the K-12 age-range may use it.
It components include:
· Homework- this consists of Math Tools, Foreign Language Tools as well as Search Tools. Each of these tools is further subdivided into other categories that are designed to help students complete their assignments, as well as ensuring that they understand the concepts behind them.
· Projects- this consists of a variety of tools that help students to write reports, create charts and graphs as well as other presentations that become necessary during the course of the semester. They contain templates, tutorials and other resources to prepare those praiseworthy assignments.
· Discover & Learn- firstly, Explore Encarta by Subject includes a variety of topics that allow for researching a wide range of subjects such as History and Science & Nature. Secondly, it sports a college and career application that helps the student choose a college, career and provides a way to continue one’s education online. Its last component provides a fun element to learning, and it covers a large array of topics as well.
· Encarta Kids- while the above elements are solely focused on the “old people”, this component is wholly devoted to the children. Its purpose is to make learning as enjoyable as possible for they who would later shape the world.
For additional information, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/education/products/buy.aspx or www.microsoft.com/learningspace/
The next couple blogs would cover each of these components in detail.