My Favorite Software

As a math teacher, I should be on the cutting edge of tools built by digits.

(Reminds me of a really nerdy computer science joke: There are ten kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.)

But, believe it or not, near the top of my list s good old Microsoft Word. If I can include the MathType add-on, that would seal the deal.

You see, I use MS Word to create math test items. Regular, standard-aligned, standardized assessment is a top priority, and so far I haven't found anything to match the power and flexibility of the word processor. I have searched in vain for an adequate database tool, but none has the ability to insert the graphics and equations the way that I'd like. I've used ExamView for more language-based items, but in math, I need to insert graphics and equations as stems and distractors.

So I've designed an elegant little template for my math items to match that of the California Standards Test items.

I keep looking. In the meantime, Word works adequately.

What is one of your favorite tools?

Is PowerPoint for Dummies?

I am a United States Soldier.

Among other things, that means that I have seen a LOT of PowerPoint presentations.

The main difference I have seen between a blackboard and a PP slideshow is that the presenter can deliver a lecture using the latter without even knowing what he is talking about.

Two anecdotes illustrate the way some slideshows squander opportunities that digital presentations afford.

The first one was when I was at the Defense Information School, a place that ought to have been a hub for leading communications technologies. One day in class the digital projector burned out, so our instructor read the slides aloud to us, from a print out! We were responsible for knowing everything he just read! If that's all that was needed to get the information across, why not just give us a copy, or refer us to read a long, boring document?

About six months later, when I was mobilizing, we had a class on some important legal matter. The slideshow was ready without anyone to deliver it, because by Army regulation the content had to be read by a JAG officer. We were fortunate enough to have one in the audience, so he stood up and, without ever having seen the presentation, delivered it with such expertise that we all became instantly qualified to serve overseas.

Inspired by these true events, I wrote an article on how to make the most of digital presentations.

Read it here, and then let me know, do I practice what I preach?