Question 2: Define database management software and describe how you might use it to help you in teaching responsibilities. How might you construct a learning assignment for your students that used this productivity tool?
Database Management software is a type of productivity software. It is usually found in a package along with other office productivity applications including a word processor, spreadsheet application, and presentation application. Database Management software is used to organize, maintain and retrieve many types of data. This type of software is usually designed for business use, but can easily be put to use in the classroom. In a classroom setting database management software could store student information (names, addresses, phone numbers), or related pieces of information for a particular lesson the teacher is planning. An electronic database can be described like a card catalog of a library. “Records” are thought of as cards in the catalog. These records contain data relevant to that card. The data on the card is stored in various “fields.” Since these records are electronic it becomes very easy to sort them based on some criteria; find records containing certain information; or enter new information and edit existing cards.
Surely the most obvious use for database software in day to day teaching responsibilities involves a student roster. Records may be made for each individual in the class. Fields may include: name, address, phone number, email address, parents names, special considerations, seat assignment, etc. The possibilities are endless and up to the teacher to decide what is necessary. The teacher can then easily print a list of addresses for a mail out, send out a newsletter email, or sort the students alphabetically.
It would certainly be a great project for a classroom to have the students collaborate on a database. A bug collection, for example, could be organized using a database. As students brought in their captures they could set up new records in a shared database for each of their bugs. They could record the common name, scientific name, color, length, width, shape, location found, finder’s name, etc. They can also record the location of the collected specimen in the physical collection so that it may be found easily in the future. They could even take a picture of the specimen and attach that to it’s record. This database could then be used in the classroom, shared with the whole school, or even published to the web for all to use and enjoy.
Blog Reflection Week Ten (Website)
14 years ago
I love your idea to use a database for a class collection. This would teach students about research, classification, organization, and team work. Other examples for this type of project include databases of: U.S. Presidents, states, birds, and trees.
ReplyDeleteI have taken a class on Microsoft Access, but I have not used it very much. Every time I come across an application where I could use Access, I decide to do it in Excel instead because I am just more comfortable with Excel. You can accomplish many database-like functions by using Excel's sort and filter tools. I do think teachers could put Access to good use in a class information database to store student information. Once a teacher creates the database, it can be used over and over again each school year by saving the current year database and then clearing the data for the new year.
Will, I am glad that you made up for this blog. Great job.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea ! I never would have thought to use Access in the way in which you described. Putting the software into use in the classroom would be very productive and provide advantages for teachers and students. There are a number of other projects that the software can be used for in math, social studies and research projects.
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