PROFESSIONAL
Technology Solutions
Integrating Real-World Skills into the Computer Education Classroom
Most students know that using technology applications can make it easier to complete tasks. Keying a report in Word can take much less time than writing it out by hand. Using Excel to create a budget can make it much easier to track and update one's spending.
Teaching Students the Value of Integrating Applications
Many students may not realize that using multiple applications together can make it even easier to get tasks done. There are many opportunities to show students how to use integrated applications to complete real-world projects efficiently. For example, being able to perform a mail merge is a valuable real-world skill. In Microsoft Office, students can use Word's Mail Merge function to create letters, envelopes, labels, and directories. Word can draw addresses from an existing Access database or an Excel spreadsheet and automatically populate them in the correct fields of a letter. In a few simple steps, students can produce professional letters that are ready to mail. Learning this skill can help students realize that they can do more, create more, and get better, faster results by taking full advantage of an application suite.
Using Portfolio Projects to Support Real-World Skills
Portfolio projects can be an excellent way to teach students how to integrate applications to solve real-world challenges. The following portfolio project from the Glencoe iCheck series asks students to use Microsoft Excel, Word, Access, and PowerPoint to plan all phases of a community cleanup day. Students use each application in the process of creating a real-world project. Students can see how all of the applications work together as they come to understand how people can work together to improve their own communities.
Click on the image below to download a pdf file of the complete Community Cleanup Portfolio Project from the iCheck series. Click on the link below the image to download the accompanying Excel data file. The downloads will provide everything you need to do this project with your students.
Download Supplies Excel File.
