Teacher's Best Friend, the Computer:

Ten Timely Tips to Improving Student Learning
and Saving Time

1. Store Text for Reuse / Copy and Paste

   Create files for text that you reuse. I keep a long list of text that I can reuse for the students from semester to semester. Why type out the same directions over and over? Create it once and use many times. You can always add additional text to make it seem less like a "stock" answer to the students. Also if you use Microsoft Word a lot with your students make use of AutoText which allows you to insert text that you use repeatedly in Word. You can also get a program called SuperKeys (freeware) that allows one to insert text into any program. Superkeys is available at http://www.vellosoft.com/SuperKeys/sk1.html. (Some antivirus programs say that this is a trojan or virus -- it is not. It is safe to use.)




2. Short Cut Keys

   Learn the various short cut keys that area available. For a good list of common keyboard shortcuts in Windows go to http://it.eicc.edu/showfaq.cfm?fileid=os100006. This page at the bottom also has links to keyboard shortcuts for Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.




3. Excel Is Your Friend -- or a Good Grading Program

   Sample Excel grading sheets are available at http://it.eicc.edu/showfaq.cfm?fileid=ex040000. My recommendation is if you do not already have a grading program, learn to use Excel. The time you spend learning how to use it for grading is not all the much more than learning a grading program -- and you can use Excel for so much more. Further, with Excel, you can grade the way you want, not the way the grading program dictates.




4. FAQs

   Create a folder callled "FAQs" in your "Favorites" or wherever you store your bookmarks to web sites and start clicking places that have large numbers of FAQs. Here's a few to start you out:
   • The IT Department at Eastern Iowa C.C.D.: http://it.eicc.edu/page.cfm?page=faqlist.cfm
   • The University of Iowa's IT Dept.: http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/support/
   • University of Idaho: http://support.uidaho.edu/FAQ/index.htm




5. Use Test Banks and Other Publisher Materials

   Publishers have these available in written and electronic forms. Yes, some of the stuff they send out is junk but some of it is good and some came be modified to make it great. Create your own test banks of questions but keep those separate from the publisher's materials and questions.




6. Learn to Import and Export Materials

   This is important for Excel, Word, or any other program where you have material that you want to move into it. Too many people spend too long typing in material manually when they need to learn how to import and export. Yes, the initial attempts may fail and take longer but once you get the method figured out, it will save you an incredible amount of time.




7. File Management

   Become a professional file manager for your classes. This means creating an orderly system of files so you know where the files are. Do it how it works best for you but do not just dump the files all into one folder. That is a receipe for disaster.

8. Make Students Do the Heavy Lifting

   Require them to send in the files in the appropriate format to the appropriate email. Require them to hand in typed papers with specific margins so you have room to write the comments. Have them become the teachers and the graders for your class. One of the best ways to for them to learn is by becoming the evaluators and teachers. This is especially easy to do with the electronic transfer of files.




9. Tracking Changes in Microsoft Word

   Learn how to use this for those of you having your students write papers, essays, or other written materials. This makes adding comments so much easier. You can open rich text format files in Word and use this feature. It does mean the students need to have Word or a word processing program that will handle the tracked changes. If you do not want to be tied to Word, use a wiki as mentioned below.




10. Wikis, Blogs, RSS and other Web 2.0 Tools

    There is a web page that explains these tools and how you might use them http://faculty.eicc.edu/golson/web.htm. I think wikis in particular have a lot of usefulness. There are lots of free wikis that you can use that provide a wide variety of tools for you to use. Personally I have had good luck with wikispaces at http://www.wikispaces.com/. Remember to be careful with student data and student comments on these sites.