There are many different applications and they all have their positive and negative sides. I think word processor is the number one though as it is so usefull and necessary in education today. This should be taught very soon to students as they will need the knowledge for sure by 4th grade when they start doing lengthy reports. I would say by 2nd grade they should be introduced to it and by 3rd grade have a good understanding of how to use it.

Second I would say search engines like Google via the internet would be very important in the learning process as they research and learn more. Databases also fall under this category. I think this is a knowledge that should be learned around 3rd grade as they will need it for sure in 5th grade when they are doing research reports.

Thirdly I would say powerpoint is important and used often today in the daily learning of students. I think it is an organized way to relay information to students. It is different from the normal lecture and often catches the students attention easier. I would say this could be used in 4th grade on up as they have to be able to read and comprehend the facts on their own. IT will not be benificial to younger ones as they learn the best when it comes from the teachers mouth.

Fourth I would say is the use of Multimedia as there are some really cool videos and pictures out there that will add greatly to the subject being taught. One down side of this is that often it is over the level of understanding of your students and then it is not useful. Also, it is not a reliable source as often you will not find multimedia help on some topics. I would use this already in 1st and 2nd grade if it is relavent and beneficial to the topic and within the students understanding.

Fifth, I would chose spreadsheet as it is very helpful and a necessary skill on some careers, but not as common. Spreadsheets can get very confusing and complex especially when you work with equations and things like that. I would not start teaching this until around 9th grade when they will have more knowledge of where and when it is used. They will also understand the different functions within it better and will be able to better comprehend the function and use of it.

karalynknibbe