post #2

I have learned many new skills so far in this class.  I was never taught how to use all the functions Microsoft Word has to offer.  I just taught myself as I created a document.  The new skills that I have acquired that I think will be useful in my educational career are mail merge, columns, tables, lists, and equations.  Mail merge was so fascinating.  I never knew that Microsoft Word had the capability of saving addresses and making personalized letters more efficient to send out to multiple people.  It is great for news letters, asking for classroom donations, and to send announcements to parents.  I always get confused when making columns, but today I finally figured out how to do it.  Columns, tables, and lists are a great ways to organize information and in a clear and readable manner.  The equations function on MS Word is very helpful.  It has the standard formula and the teacher just has to replace the numbers they want into the formula and they can create worksheets and tests.  

I use Microsoft word almost every day.  I use it to write papers, do homework assignments, copy and paste information, make signs, create banners for poster boards, and much more.  I have seen my teachers use MS Word to post assignments to Blackboard, type up hand-outs for the classroom, type up notes, and teach students MS Word skills.  

When I am a teacher I am going to use Microsoft Word to make newsletters, permission slips, worksheets, and decorations for my classroom.  I am going to use the Mail Merge to personalize letters to parents.  MS Word is a great tool for teachers and students.  It is very user-friendly and has so many options.