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Here is what I feel are the most important software applications for students to be taught in school…
1. Word Processors – I feel that this is both the most basic and most important software on a computer. Students will definitely need to know such programs for the rest of their school career (e.g. writing papers) and throughout their professional careers, whether it be writing a letter or typing up a report. Because schools and businesses use this program so much, it is important for students to learn this program above all others.
2. Presentation Software (like PowerPoint) – Another type of software that will be used extensively in school and help in one’s career is something like PowerPoint. There are a number of projects that students will be asked to create a PowerPoint for, and they need to be prepared to do so. PowerPoint presentations also help in future careers. Presentations become much more professional once people know hoe to properly use a program such as PowerPoint. It is ranked below word processor only because there are ways to get around using PowerPoint in a presentation, whereas people are likely not going to accept hand written reports and such.
3. Excel – This one is specific to Microsoft Excel. Spreadsheets, while they may not seem important in high school, have numerous applications in the real world. Microsoft has created a highly powerful spreadsheet program in Excel, and that is why I feel Excel should specifically be taught. There are many functions of Excel that can help people do taxes, manage personal finances, or organize information, but many people don’t realize the full potential of these aspects of Excel. This program should probably be taught later in high school since it has more applications outside of school than in school.
4. Educational Games – This is an application that is beneficial early in a student’s education, but loses that usefulness later on in life, so that is why it is rated at number four. When students are learning to explore a vast array of subjects in first through fourth grade, educational games make a great way for them to explore these subjects and have fun. This is not to be confused with drill and practice software, though. Educational games create a more interactive and exploratory learning environment, whereas drill and practice is redundant and rote memorization. Educational games lose their appeal as learners mature, so their usefulness is limited later in life. But at young ages they can be greatly beneficial.
5. Foreign Language Instruction Programs – This type of program is very different from the others and is on the list mostly because of personal bias (but hey, this is my blog). Foreign Language Programs could be taught as early as elementary school and prove useful throughout life. Learning languages is something that is lacking in America (in comparison to other countries), and learning a foreign language helps create a better understanding of language in general. Computers assist in the acquisition of language in a highly multimedia fashion, from using pictures of vocabulary to playing audio of native speakers. Learning new languages is beneficial, and the use of computers and software makes this process easier and more fun. For those reasons I feel language software should be introduced to students at an early age and continued throughout schooling.
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Mark Beckwith ED 205 
I would agree with you on the need for foreign language instruction, although using a program in conjunction with a teacher and/or class would be much more beneficial than the program alone.
Your high priority for productivity tools is nice, especially by acknowledging that it’s more important to know how a Word Processor works, rath er than simply stating Microsoft Word. Far too many educators feel students need to be trained in “the exact software” they will have to use in the real world, and don’t realize that if you just focus on the basics of one Word Processor, rather than try to teach them everything about a specific word processor, you’ll create much more prepared learners.
Comment by Ben June 1, 2007 @ 6:22 pm