Introduction

Learning and teaching in the classroom becomes more advance in every single day, lots
of new tools and technologies were created to help teachers all around the worlds. New
tools and software are used in the classrooms to make teaching and learning more
interesting and meaningful. In this article, the definition of the software support tools,
graphic tools and research and reference tools, the usage of the software support tools,
graphic tools and research and reference tools in the classroom and the connections of the
software support tools, graphic tools and research and reference tools to the learning
theories will be discussed.

What are software support tools?

In education, three of the most widely used software support tools are word processing,
spreadsheet and database programs. Presentation software is also becoming very popular.
These programs are not just extremely useful, but they have become an essential part of
daily work. Teachers use them for their qualities and benefits they bring to the classroom
and the potential they offer not only to make more productive use of time, but also to
shape and guide, the kinds of activities they are able to undertake.

The use of software support tools

1. Improved Productivity.

Getting organized, producing instructional materials, and accomplishing paperwork tasks,

all go much faster when software tools are used. Using a technology tool to do these tasks
can free up valuable time that can be re-channelled toward working with students or
designing learning activities.

2. Improved Appearance.

Software tools help teachers and students produce polished-looking materials that
resemble the work of professional designers. The quality of classroom products is limited
only by the talents and skills of of the teachers and students using the tools. Students
appreciate receiving attractive-looking materials and find it rewarding and challenging to
produce great-looking products of their own.
3. Improved Accuracy.

Software tools make it easier to keep precise, accurate records of events, and student
accomplishments. More accurate information can support better instructional decisions
about course content and student activities.

4. More Support for Interaction.

Software tools have capabilities that promote interactions among students or allow input
from several people at once. These qualities can encourage many creative, cooperative
group-learning activities.

Example of the tools

1. Word Processing Software

Word processing is, simply put, typing on a computer. Word processing can support
nearly any kind of task or teaching activity that was previously done by hand or with a
typewriter and offers more capability and versatility than either of these methods. Since a
word processing document is prepared onscreen before being printed onto paper, the
writer can correct errors, insert or delete words and sentences and even move lines or
paragraphs around before printing the document.

The writer can easily change the words or appearance because the document is stored in
the computer's memory, and hopefully on a disk, flash drive or hard drive. Once stored or
saved, documents can be changed or reprinted later. The most popular word processing
software on the market today, is Microsoft Word, but several free opensource suites such
as OpenOffice.org and Star Office, are gaining in popularity.
Features

Word processors vary considerably, but all word processors support the following basic
features:

insert text: Allows you to insert text anywhere in the document.

delete text: Allows you to erase characters, words, lines, or pages as easily as you can
cross them out on paper.

cut and paste: Allows you to remove (cut) a section of text from one place in a
document and insert (paste) it somewhere else.

copy: Allows you to duplicate a section of text.

page size and margins: Allows you to define various page sizes and margins, and the
word processor will automatically readjust the text so that it fits.

search and replace: Allows you to direct the word processor to search for a particular
word or phrase. You can also direct the word processor to replace one group of characters
with another everywhere that the first group appears.

word wrap: The word processor automatically moves to the next line when you have
filled one line with text, and it will readjust text if you change the margins.

print: Allows you to send a document to a printer to get hardcopy.

Word processors that support only these features (and maybe a few others) are called text
editors. Most word processors, however, support additional features that enable you to
manipulate and format documents in more sophisticated ways. These more advanced
word processors are sometimes called full-featured word processors. Full-featured word
processors usually support the following features:

file management: Many word processors contain file management capabilities that allow
you to create, delete, move, and search for files.

font specifications: Allows you to change fonts within a document. For example, you
can specify bold, italics, and underlining. Most word processors also let you change the
font size and even the typeface.

footnotes and cross-references: Automates the numbering and placement of footnotes

and enables you to easily cross-reference other sections of the document.

graphics graphics: Allows you to embed illustrations and graphs into a document. Some
word processors let you create the illustrations within the word processor; others let you
insert an illustration produced by a different program.

headers , footers , and page numbering: Allows you to specify customized headers and
footers that the word processor will put at the top and bottom of every page. The word
processor automatically keeps track of page numbers so that the correct number appears
on each page.

layout: Allows you to specify different margins within a single document and to specify
various methods for indenting paragraphs.

macros: A macro is a character or word that represents a series of keystrokes. The

keystrokes can represent text or commands. The ability to define macros allows you to
save yourself a lot of time by replacing common combinations of keystrokes.

merges: Allows you to merge text from one file into another file. This is particularly
useful for generating many files that have the same format but different data. Generating
mailing labels is the classic example of using merges.

spell checker: A utility that allows you to check the spelling of words. It will highlight
any words that it does not recognize.

tables of contents and indexes: Allows you to automatically create a table of contents
and index based on special codes that you insert in the document.

thesaurus: A built-in thesaurus that allows you to search for synonyms without leaving
the word processor.

windows: Allows you to edit two or more documents at the same time. Each document
appears in a separate window. This is particularly valuable when working on a large
project that consists of several different files.
WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get): With WYSIWYG, a document appears on
the display screen exactly as it will look when printed.

Connection of the tools to learning theories

This tool really can help teacher to create materials for his or her teaching creatively by
all the features in the software especially using formatting tools as to enhance the
materials to be more appealing to students. The teacher also would be able to adjust the
information so that it could meet specific learning needs. In learning methodology,
teacher should already know that comprehensible input is very important in promotes
acquisition. Hence, using this tool which has many features would help teacher to
enhance the input to be more comprehensive. Apart from that, the teacher should
integrate interactional modification in his or her teaching materials because it makes the
input comprehensible. Here, we can summarize that interactional modification would
promotes acquisition. thus, it is very important for the teacher to really master this tool as
to create an interactional modification in their teaching materials so that it would promote
acquisition.

What are graphic tools?

The most widely graphic tools that we know were paint of course. We can find it in every
computer in the world. Paint enables you to create new picture-using cut and paste
method, colour pictures, insert pictures from web and many more. Paint is a drawing tool
you can use to create black-and-white or color drawings that you can save as bitmap
(.bmp) files. You can also use Paint to send your drawing in e-mail, set the image as a
desktop background, and save image files using different file formats.

Open Paint.
 Notes

• To open Paint, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then
click Paint.
• For information about using Paint, click the Help menu in Paint.
• For more information, click Related Topics.

Connection of the tools to learning theories

Using graphic tools, teacher will be able to access students’ understanding by asking
them to draw a concept map regarding the topic learned, for example. From the mind
map, the teacher could see how they connect the points and at the same time the teacher
could see their understanding regarding the topic. For this activity, it can be carried out
by assigning the students to be in group. In group, they would have to interact among
their group members so that they can achieve the target goals. As we all know,
interaction is crucial in determining students’ cognitive development. According to
Vygotsky, in a supportive interactive environment, the students are able to advance to a
higher level of knowledge and performance than he or she would be capable of
independently. Apart from that, the students would be able to develop their own
understanding as well as encourage them to be more imaginative to create an interesting
mind map for their group.

What are research and reference tools?

Research and reference tools are the database used in searching information such as
journals, books, articles and other academic related stuff. The following are educational
databases that provide reliable and valid information while saving search time. Use these
educational databases and citation tools to improve your access to information.

Examples of research and reference tools

1. MEL (Michigan eLibrary)

Michigan eLibrary is an educational database available to any Michigan school, library or

citizen of Michigan. All public schools have access to this through their school library.
(eFull text magazines and newspapers, practice testing for GED, ACT, Careers, SAT,
etc.) MEL has 46 databases where you can read full text articles from magazines and
newspapers; find current reference sources; use advanced search functions; cite sources.
The advantage of this site is that the information is valid and reliable, and limited in
comparison to a search performed within a search engine like Google or Yahoo.

This service is funded by the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) via
the institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library of Michigan. It
is accessible to all Michigan residents with a valid drivers license or State ID number.

2. Citation Makers

David Warlick's Citation Machine allows students to select from a variety of media
formats (books, journals, online, encyclopedias, etc.) to create citations in multiple
formats (APA, MLA, Turabian, or Chicago).

Connection of the tools to learning theories

We can actually relate the usage of this tool in learning with input hypothesis theory
proposed by Krashen. For example, while students using this tool to obtain information,
they would find extra information regarding the topic they search. Simultaneously, they
gain more knowledge which might be beyond their expectation. This suits the theory
which ‘if the input contains forms and structures just beyond the learners’ current
level( what Krashen calls i+1), then both comprehension and acquisition will occur’
Lightbown and Spada 1999.

How can we use the Software Support Tools in the classroom?

As mentioned above, the most widely used software support tools in the
classroom are word processing, spreadsheet, database programme and presentation.
Below are few suggested ways of how the teacher can apply the software in the teaching
and learning process.
Let us begin with word processing software. An easiest way of applying this
software in the classroom is by asking the students to type their essays instead of writing
them in their exercise book. This activity can be done in the computer laboratory.
However, the teacher has to set the time for the students to complete their essays in order
to avoid them from playing around.
As for group activity, the teacher can ask the students to create calendars, flyers or
class newsletters. The students have to cooperate with each other and produce the end
product. Instead of having the students to work as a team, this activity also provides an
opportunity for the students to share ideas, and show their creativity and hidden talent.
 Next, for spreadsheet, perhaps teacher can use this application mostly in
Mathematics and Science subjects. As for Mathematics, the teacher can provide students
with some data or numbers and ask them to key in the data or numbers in the spreadsheet.
Then, the teacher may ask the students to calculate the sum of numbers using the
application in the spreadsheet. The teacher may also ask the students to create graph or
chart based on the result that they obtain.
Experiments are always being done in Science subject. So, the teacher can ask the
student to use spreadsheet as to collect and record the data that they got. The data will
become more organized and it is easy for the students to recall the data later.
Presentation software can be used in all subjects taught in the school. The teacher
can use this software to show the students about the content of the subject taught.
Something to ponder on, the slides shown has to be attractive and link to one another so
that they can capture students’ interest and attention. This software is not use just as to
attract the students’ attention, but it will help the teacher to use the time wisely and
deliver the content of the subject smoothly. Yet, this software is not mean for the teachers
only. The teacher can ask the students to use this software to create their own slides and
present them in the class. The teacher has to remind the students to ensure that the slides
are manageable and follow the sequences.
There are more ways of using the software support tools in the classroom. It is
depending on the teacher’s creativeness and initiative to manipulate the tools as to ensure
that the tools are used effectively.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, all of these tools help teachers a lot to fulfil all the learning needs in
teaching. These tools also make teachers’ work easier and easy to organize where they
can always keep it for a long time. As we know, time constrain is very important in
teaching profession and teachers always have to work fast. With the existence of these
tools it helps teachers to do it so. Other than that, using all of these tools, it also helps
teachers to come out with variety of teaching materials which are more interesting and
more quality in order to suit the learning theories.

References

Lightbown, P. & Spada, N. (1999) How Languages Are Learned,

Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wikipedia-Microsoft Word. Retrieved 29 January 2010 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft word