Journal Entry Week 2

Do you think Word, Excel and Power Point can increase productivity in the classroom, if yes
why?

I do think that the above programs can increase productivity in the classroom in fact it will also
improve my organization skills as well. While I use Word constantly to type my lessons,
organize my class assignments and my SBAs, I rarely use Excel and PowerPoint in the classroom.

In the ICT workshop I was introduced to the benefits of Excel and Power Point. Excel is
especially beneficial to organize my students’ marks and to allow me at a glance the ability to
assist my students in various ways. It will be especially important in my lower school classes
because the classes are huge and the tables will improve my ability to assess my students more
effectively.

The Power Point on the other hand is quite attractive and will liven up my History classes if I
introduce more videos and ‘’eye catching’’ programs to the class. This is quite necessary as I
realize that most of my students don’t like to read but also because lots of parents refuse to
even impose reading time and reading skills on their children. This occurs even in Caribbean
Studies Class where parents simply state that they children hate reading subjects.

However, I face many challenges in the classroom when I plan to implement the above
programs in my teaching. The most challenging aspect is that I am not very good at Excel and
Power Point. Its takes a very long time for me to do these activities, hence I opt for the faster
method of paper and pen. I was very disenchanted in the last class because things were moving
very fast and there were no written instructions for me to take my time and follow. The class
was taught on the premise that we had prior knowledge of the programs but I did not possess
the knowledge. I can’t even go to school the next day and obtain help to do my homework
because we have no wifi in the staffroom. The Ministry of Education is training us but we have
no tools to practice so we can perfect our weaknesses so when I get home and attempt to do
my work it is frustrating and I simply give up. I will try my best to finish this course but I don’t
know if I will learn the programs properly that I will remember them in the future.