Question 1:
After learning about Open Office, I will be able to use it in the classroom by creating documents on any computer and accessing them on a computer at school. Presently, I am not able to create documents at home, save them on a thumb drive, and use them at school. The primary centers where I teach are behind the times in the technology movement which creates problems for us. They use what they need for their classes. As a physical education teacher, they feel my gym is all I need.
Question 2:
My biggest roadblock will be having access to a computer at school. At the kindergarten center, itinerant teachers have access to only three computers and all three are located in the library. It is difficult for me to feel comfortable using them because I do not want to interrupt her classes even though she offers those to me at any time. I am only at that school in the morning and I have bus duty assignments two days each week which limits my access time. My other school is K-3 with a computer lab on the 2nd floor. If I use the computer there, I also sit in during class times when other students are working.
Question 3:
I can bring down the roadblocks by requesting a computer until I get one. Our district has net books but PE teachers did not receive one. I could also request “leftover” computers from anywhere in the district that could be placed on my desks in both offices. This would enable me to have access to Open Office in both schools. If necessary, I could take my PC to school but that seems to be defeating the purpose.
Question 4:
I will need to learn how to access Open Office and how to open it on other computers. I have been getting behind in the technology due to many reasons including costs, time to work and practice and learn, as well as not using any of it in my classroom on a daily basis. Once I return to using these new programs, I will become more familiar with them and they will be easier to access and use.
