The document provides many ideas for using common applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Paint as "mindtools" to engage students in thinking. It outlines lessons and activities that can be done using these applications, such as creative writing, concept mapping, making menus, working with dinosaurs, using Excel for timelines and graphs, and creating art in Paint. Links are included for additional resources and tutorials related to implementing the suggested lessons and activities.

1. RAPID FIRE IDEAS! Authentic Lessons to Make Kids Think Using What You Have Right Now! Dr. Mary Ann Bell Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX

2. RATIONALE Mindtool concept: Jonassen, Computers as Mindtools for Schools Technology is not an end in itself use to make kids think! Use available applications

3. WORD PROCESSING IDEAS Great for reluctant teachers Teachers feel most confident

4. Creative Writing Cinquain writing Journaling Newsletters/Newspapers Brochures

5. XX Quiz or Cloze Lesson In Word- type some text where an answer is to be supplied, type X’s. Person interacting with document should: double click on X’s type to replace. No need to erase anything…

6. CONCEPT MAPPING… Inspiration, a great application…BUT… Not in all schools If at school, not available for home use Substitute the diagram tool in- Word Excel PowerPoint Use the Drawing Toolbar .

7. MAKE UP MENUS Dinosaurs (Described in Lesson Planet) Spanish Book Characters Famous People

8. FUN WITH DINOSAURS Examples of creative sites: Dino Park USA Dinosaurs

9. DON’T FORGET EXCEL! Use to: organize information computations charts/graphs Underused application many teachers need support

10. Excel Tutorials Graphing with Excel Excellent tutorials by Bernie Poole

11. EXCEL IDEAS Mary Ann Bell’s Tips MS Office Tips Excel Tips MS Office/Paint Tips

12. Grading Book Characters Students give book/story characters report card grades… Use qualities like: Kindness Loyalty Trustworthiness Intelligence… Students write justifications for the grades. Chart on Excel What is MY grade? What is My Grade?

13. USE EXCEL FOR TIMELINES

14. MORE EXCEL TIPS PAGES Tammy’s Tips Spreadsheets in Math Class ABC List of Things to Graph Excel-Lent Ideas PBS Mathline Carol Hurst’s Ideas!

15. PREMADE MATH ACTIVITES …AND SO COOL! National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

16.  POWERPOINT POWER…  POWERPOINT POISON!!!

17. POWERPOINTLESSNESS… How NOT to use PowerPoint http://www.norvig.com/Gettysburg/ An excellent article on the topic: http://www.fno.org/sept00/powerpoints.html

18. POWERPOINT Create Games such as Jeopardy. At the same time, there are plenty of templates that honor copyright: http://www.netxv.net/esc/technology/InstructionalTechnology/templates/powerpoint.htm Have them make up short PowerPoints to play “Guess the Number.” If you need, there are Internet sites with number guessing games for ideas, such as http:// www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html Presenting reports, group projects, etc. Cumulative projects…start a PowerPoint on a given concept at the first of a school year. Each time you build on that concept, go back and add another slide.

19. POWERPOINT LESSON LINKS Great PowerPoint Tips—Bit Better A Good idea : Uncover a Picture with ppt

20. SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES ARE FUN Here is how do do this: http://www.bitbetter.com/powertips.htm#SubliminalMessages THIS PRESENTATION IS GREAT!!!

21. GREAT GENERAL LESSON IDEA SITES!!!

22. HERE IS A GREAT SITE!! CRAYONS FOR TEACHERS Great ideas are offered for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Used as Mindtools

23. Technospud! Great ideas and online activities, such as this year’s O.R.E.O. project to teach language arts, math, history, science and technology skills. Most projects involve food… http:// www.technospudprojects.com http://www.technospudprojects.com/Projects/or2005/instructions.htm

24. Teachers.net A popular site with great lesson ideas . Instructions and ideas for flip books

25. More General Sites Teacherfiles Math Forum ABC Teach Lessonplans.com Computer activities and webquests :

26. Everybody has it… Kids already know it… It is fun! USE PAINT!!

27. Create a Monster! Create a Monster Reinforce language arts skills by: describe the monsters, write monster stories, etc.

28. Again with Paint… Excellent ideas at Toymaker : Create original ones in Paint or other drawing program. Enforce writing skills with messages, etc.

29. ARTSONIA Great site for art work and self expression: Linking student projects to writing and art. Striking example: Drawing Together, Students Against Terrorism:

30. NO MORE CANNED CLIPART! Use only original student art… Excellent examples of self portraits http://www.manhattanschool.org/index.php http:// www.newton.mec.edu/LincolnEliot/index.htm An example of school original clipart collection: http://www.shsu.edu/%7Elis_mah/documents/clipartportal.html

31. MORE PAINT IDEAS… Using Paint Design a Logo :

32. Digital Camera Ideas Digital Cameras and Pictures Travels of Nancy Pearl Washington D.C.

33. Wonderful Alphabet Books Model the Madison Square Art Project , New York City: The Alphabet

34. Grammar Kids act out verbs Take pictures with a digital camera Let others guess words.

35. Geometry ideas Photography and shapes Websites http://42explore.com/geomet.htm http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/architecture/activity2.shtm http://www.enchantedlearning.com/math/geometry/shapes/ http://www.rrcc.edu/teachered/sharon/geometry.html

36. DIGITAL PHOTOS AND TEACHING Great ideas on math, writing, and science Digital Photography and Geometry Ideas

37. Rapid Fire Idea Links Mindtool Rationale http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A5277.cfm Creative Writing Cinquain : http://www.abcteach.com/Writing/cinquain.htm Concept Mapping: http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm Make up Menus: http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/4.html

38. Rapid Fire Links, con’t Excel Ideas andTutorials LabWrite, North Carolina State University http://www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/res/gt/gt-menu.html Bernie Poole tutorials: http://www.pitt.edu/~poole/ Excel Timeline activity http://www.microsoft.com/education/CreateTimeline.msp

39. Rapid Fire Links, con’t Tammy’s Tips http://www.essdack.org/tips/page1.htm Spreadsheets in Math Class http://www.math.byu.edu/~lfrancis/readings302/Spreadsheets.html ABC List of Things to Graph http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/kadkins/graphing_abc.htm Excel-Lent Ideas http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/kadkins/zillions.htm PBS Mathline http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/technology/activity1.shtm

40. Rapid Fire Links, con’t Carol Hurst’s Ideas! http:// www.carolhurst.com/subjects/math/datagather.html Powerpoint Ideas Gettysburg Address http:// www.norvig.com /Gettysburg/ Jamie McKenzie Article http://www.fno.org/sept00/powerpoints.html Jeopardy http://www.netxv.net/esc/technology/InstructionalTechnology/templates/powerpoint.htm

41. Rapid Fire Links, con’t Number Guessing Game Ideas http://www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html Bit Better Ppt tips http://www.bitbetter.com/powertips.htm#different%20backgrounds Uncover Picture and other ideas http://wwwlow.bham.wednet.edu/schoolkit.htm

42. Rapid Fire Links, con’t Great General Lesson Sites ABC Teach http:// www.abcteach.com / Crayons 4 Teachers http://www.crayons4teachers.org/default.asp Technospud http://www.technospudprojects.com Math Forum http:// mathforum.org /library

43. Rapid Fire Links, con’t LessonPlans.com http://www.lessonplanspage.com/index.html Fun Brain http://www.funbrain.com/ Kathy Schrock OF COURSE!!! http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/

44. Rapid Fire Links, con’t Ideas Using Paint Artsonia http:// www.artsonia.com Monster Exchange http://www.monsterexchange.org Schools with Original Clip Art http://www.manhattanschool.org/index.php http:// www.newton.mec.edu/LincolnEliot/index.htm

45. Rapid Fire Links, con’t Royalty Free Student Clip Art http://www.shsu.edu/%7Elis_mah/documents/clipartportal.html Dr. Bell’s Paint Tips http://www.shsu.edu/%7Elis_mah/documents/tceawebpages/documents/paintideas.html http://www.shsu.edu/%7Elis_mah/documents/TCEA04/painttips.html PBS Design a Logo http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/designandmath/activity2.shtm

46. Digital Cameras and Pictures http://www.lesd.k12.az.us/RSF/media/digital.htm http:// www.mansfieldisd.org/wbrown/digitalcameras / Travels of Nancy Pearl http://www.shsu.edu/%7Elis_mah/documents/nancytravels.html http://www.shsu.edu/%7Elis_mah/documents/nancynydcx_files/frame.htm Rapid Fire Links, con’t

47. Rapid Fire Links, con’t Madison Square Art Project, New York City: http://www.smilinggoat.com/Madison1.html The Alphabet Gallery: http:// www.pbase.com/abbarich/the_alphabet

48. Rapid Fire Links, con’t Kodak—Kids Act Out Verbs http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/education/lessonPlans/lessonPlan048.shtml Photography and Shapes http://42explore.com/geomet.htm http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/architecture/activity2.shtm http:// www.enchantedlearning.com /math/geometry/shapes/ http:// www.rrcc.edu/teachered/sharon/geometry.html

49. Rapid Fire Links, con’t Drs. Cavanaugh Digital Camera in Education http:// drscavanaugh.org/digitalcamera / Digital Photography and Geometry Ideas from PBS: http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/architecture/activity2.shtm

50. Contact Dr. Bell Assistant Professor Library Science Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX [email_address] http://www.shsu.edu/~lis_mah/