Open-source Software

Open-source Software: Apache OpenOffice

For those that don't have the money to buy, or the means to come by, Microsoft Office and all of its tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) there is a great open-source alternative that I have used for many years: Apache OpenOffice.

OpenOffice is just like Microsoft Office in most if not all aspects, as well as being available for multiple operating systems (Linux, OS X, and Windows.) AND IT'S FREE!!

The files save as an ODF (Open Document Format) which can be read by Microsoft Office programs, so moving files/documents from one Office suite to the other is almost seamless. Also, the file formats of Microsoft Office, such as .docx can be read on OpenOffice.

As an educator, free, open-source software is a great alternative/tool, especially with the low education budgets and cut-backs in today's economic situation.

Download OpenOffice here

Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
I chose this podcast because I enjoy *trying* to have an extensive vocabulary. As I will talk about later in this post, being able to express yourself, knowledge, and ideas with language is very key in education. You are not going to be able to explain one thing, one way to every student you will ever have, so an extensive vocabulary will help fill that gap between your teaching and the student's understanding.

This can be a great tool for teacher and student alike.

For teachers: I've had many teachers/professors in the past who would start the class off with a question in the form of a riddle or maybe regarding something from previous material, or even a key term from a chapter recently read. This was somewhat of a "warp-up" for our brains as I discovered later in life and there are still many of the "warm-ups" I remember as of today.

The way the Word of the Day could be used by teachers in this aspect is helping student's broaden their vocabulary. Teaching students new words and their meanings as well as their applications in everyday grammar and speech help them communicate easier by giving them different vocabulary to explain their reasoning and knowledge, as well as inquiry.

This tool, although simple, can be very effective in the classroom if used in unison with other class materials.