Although the most basic kinds of tools that can be used in the classroom are Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, there are other software tools that can be used to support teachers, students, and staff at school. In lesson 5, we discussed six most basic tools that are used in the classroom:

• Materials Generators
• Data Collection and Analysis Tools
• Graphics Tools
• Planning and Organizing Tools
• Research and Reference Tools
• Content-Area Tools

These tools vary greatly in what they do, opening up many doors for teachers and students in the classroom. Although they are great tools to use in the classroom, teachers should use them for quality and benefits, rather than using them just because they are there.

ISTE Standards

I believe this lesson and these tools follow Standard 4: Collaborator. The tools we learn about in this lesson can be used by both students and teachers alike, albeit for different things. Teachers can work together with students to learn about the different tools and how they work. Students may know more about these things than teachers, so it's a good idea to use the knowledge that students can offer up about technology.

InTASC Standards

For this lesson, I think that Standard 10: Leadership and Collaboration relates here. As teachers, we need to find the tools that will best help our students in the classroom. We must collaborate with sschool officials, the community, other teachers, and even the students to find out what will make their learning experience great.

CAEP Standards

Standard 1: Content and Pedagogical Knowledge is relative to lesson 1, because teachers need to know what tools will be best to use in the classroom, as well as how to use them and integrate them into a lesson. This is an important step, because just throwing in tools without the knowledge of how to use them can be detrimental to a student's learning.