Productivity suites have always been used in education at all levels — preschool, elementary school, high school, and higher education. These productivity suites make learning and teaching more convenient. According to Mao (2020), especially nowadays, technology plays an integral role in the lives of students and teachers. Students use laptops and tablets to take down notes and do research, and also to access course materials online. Technology in the classroom also aids teachers in providing the students a more engaged learning experience. Cox (2024) mentions the different benefits of technology in the classroom, such as enhancing classroom engagement, preparing students for the digital world, and helping students connect with the wider world.
Personally, I believe that education is essential is many aspects of work life, that is why it is beneficial for the younger students now to learn more about the usage of computers, because they will use this knowledge to apply for jobs in the future and use this technological knowledge when they are already in the workforce. The students of today will be less intimidated when working in companies and organizations because of their confidence and exposure in utilizing technology.
As a university student in the early 2000s, I remember when the internet was still relatively new (compared to this era!), and there were some educational websites already. But among all the productivity suites, what was then common and still is used regularly nowadays in the Microsoft Office suite. For education, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are always utilized by students. Perhaps it may be because of its being user-friendy, wherein, walking into the library, you see a lot of students typing their papers on Microsoft Word. And also educators who give their lectures on Microsoft PowerPoint.
Despite the longevity of the Microsoft Office suite, thought, there are many new productivity suites that the education sector uses nowadays. The lecture of Oleg Kagan of the LA County Library explains that there are more modern productivity suites used in education, such as Canva, Prezi, and Tome for lecture presentations. For students, aside from just typing notes in Microsoft Word, the newer programs and software are being utilized too, such as Microsoft OneNote, Evernote, and Notion. These are not just for note-taking, but also for storing images and videos. Truly, we are in the 21st century technology in education!
Even more advanced than the usual productivity suites used in education are cloud software and how it widens student access to learning, according to the article by Hennick (2023). With some schools choosing to use Chromebooks, which mainly use web-based software, cloud software is becoming more essential. Using cloud software, students are able to save files online without the use of a physical drive. They can also create presentations using Canva without the need to download the program in their computers.
With the wealth of information through the internet, and the multitude of choices available for students and teachers, we should also be wary of the limitations of technology in education. These productivity suites are tools, and nothing can replace the human knowledge. We should be able to assess our needs in using these tools. At the same time, especially for me, as an educator, I should consider the security and privacy of these productivity suites, and ensure that sensitive data is protected and data privacy policies are adhered to. With that, the educational sector will be able to effectively utilize these new technologies for the advancement of education in a positive manner.
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