Microsoft Publisher

I have never used MS Publisher until class this week. I've heard it, but never saw it/used it before. I was actually under the impression that MS Publisher was a bit ghetto. I'm not sure why.

MS Publisher is a great tool to use for culminating projects. Students can make their own newsletter or magazine using the software, which acts as a great template for such assignments or tasks. I personally think this software is great to make newsletters for parents. Over the course of the year, students can work towards a biannual or seasonal (four times a year) newsletter, to keep parents updated about the happenings of the class. I think this is particularly good for younger students, because they especially seek to make their parents proud of their work. In doing this, it helps parents to be more up-to-date and involved in their child's education.

Older students can create their own magazines that can be "published" as a project. This would be great for a culminating project, or a project that is done over the course of the semester. In a class such as foreign language, students can write small articles or blurbs using new tenses or vocabulary that they have learned. Before "publishing" their magazines, students would hand in rough drafts to their teacher, so that they can revise their work towards a final draft.