Week 3 comprehensive Assignment

All of this reading on the uses of modern technology, in particular word processing (WP) and desktop publishing (DTP), has really made me think of how I have used both applications in the past as well as ways I might try to incorporate both within the high school Biology classroom. For obvious reasons, WP is immensely useful to any student and teacher. The power to write quickly, and successfully, is inherent in the make-up of programs like MS Word. The streamline nature of the user interface and the adaptability of the application allow the most advanced as well as the least comfortable computer users equal opportunity to create thoughtful and useful documents. One more important feature of the WP program the built in editing and correction functions. Things like spell check, cut/paste, and grammar wizard help the fledgling writer become more fluent while giving them the freedom to move text and minimize the paralysis that can set in when fear of making a mistake tempers the creative juices. Because the anxiety is alleviated, the student who feels they have no voice can find a route to personal expression that does not judge them on their knowledge of the English language, their speed at writing their thoughts, or their capability to utilize technology.

Using DTP is not quite as user friendly as WP, but it can allow the more visual thinker the chance to use a creative outlet. The capability of adding color, pictures, diagrams, charts, graphs, clip art, and text to document to make a more complete document can provide the teacher and the student more freedom of expression. It can also open a window of understanding for the parent, they may be given calendars of events pertinent to their child, they may see the result of a class project, and they may even witness their child’s thought process allowing them a better understanding. All of these results, and many others, make DTP programs like Adobe InDesign and QuarkExpress useful classroom technology. Another thing that can not be forgotten is the widespread use of these programs in the world post-high school. I personally did not have much experience with DTP until I worked for my college’s newspaper, where we used QuarkExpress extensively. I also found that InDesign was pretty comparable in its design and uses.

On the whole, I guess what I am saying is that both have their place in academia, and I have every intention of using both for paper composition, project creation, and personal communiqué once I finally have a class of my own. Attached you will find a picture I created as a spoof on a magazine cover. I found the template online and used Publisher to manipulate the picture and the text.