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Computer applications teachers are always looking for new and exciting ways to teach Microsoft Word to their middle and high school students.
Rather than spending hours upon hours creating your own lesson plans, you want something that you can simply integrate into your existing computer applications curriculum.
At AES, we work with thousands of middle and high school teachers who teach Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in their classes.
And while we provide a Microsoft Office curriculum, our solution may not be the right fit for everyone. Because of this, we've put together a list of other resources you can use to put together your Microsoft Word lesson plans.
In this post, you'll discover three popular places to find Microsoft Word lesson plans:
- GCF Global
- Teachers Pay Teachers
- Study.com
We'll discuss what each resource is, the pros and cons, and what scenario it works best for. After reading this article, you should have a better idea if one would work well in your classroom.
Related Resource: Microsoft Office Lesson Plans Your Students Will Love
1. Microsoft Word Tutorials from GCF Global
What is GCF Global?
GCF Global is a database of teaching resources created by Goodwill Industries. Their Microsoft Office curriculum includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access lessons for Office 2016, 2019, and 365 editions.
Specifically for Word, you'll find 35 lessons that range from the basics of opening a document to advanced features like mail merge.
These lessons include video walkthroughs and accompanying text for different aspects of the applications. After working through all of the lessons, students can then take a quiz.
Pros of GCF Global
- The material is free to access for teachers and students.
- GCF hosts their material online, allowing students to complete the work wherever they have internet access.
Cons of GCF
- The video-based modality leaves little room for interactions between you and your students.
- The material only covers the subject matter at a high-level.
- The content is open to anyone, which means it's not specifically designed for middle or high school students.
- There is no ability to track student progress or grade work outside of the built-in quiz.
Where GCF Global Might Work Best For You
GCF Global is a good way to get started with teaching Microsoft Office if you want to explore resources without investing money. And the ease of access to videos means that students can practice at home to reinforce classroom teaching.
While it won't serve as a full Microsoft Office curriculum, GCF can easily supplement an existing curriculum for teaching Microsoft Office.
2. Teachers Pay Teachers
What is Teachers Pay Teachers?
Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) is an online marketplace where educators can share, sell, and buy resources like lesson plans, activities, and posters.
The resources are uploaded to the TpT marketplace by “Teacher-Authors” from around the world and cover a variety of subject areas and grade levels.
For Microsoft Word, you can find hundreds of lesson plans and activity ideas from vendors such as TechCheck Lessons, That Tech Chick, and Computer Teacher Solutions.
Pros of Teachers Pay Teachers
- You can choose from a huge library of Microsoft Word lesson plans and activities, with new items added on a regular basis.
- Many of the TpT materials are pretty affordable, especially if you're only picking a couple to add to your existing Microsoft Office curriculum.
Cons of Teachers Pay Teachers
- As an open education resource, there isn't much quality control to confirm the effectiveness or accuracy of the materials.
- Authors aren't required to update or maintain their materials. That means you may find some extremely outdated or irrelevant resources.
- Grade levels are chosen by the author, who ultimately wants as many people as possible to buy their resource. As a result, a single Microsoft Word resource could be listed as "appropriate" for elementary school, middle school, high school, and higher education.
Where TpT Might Work Best For You
Using the Microsoft Word lessons and activities from Teachers Pay Teachers depends on your needs.
If you're looking for supplemental resources to fill gaps in your existing curriculum, TpT is a great option.
3. Study.com
What is Study.com?
Study.com is a subscription-based educational website designed to give teachers resources to teach students in a variety of different fields, including career and technical education.
Study.com offers a lesson plan for Microsoft Word aligned to Common Core State Standards that allows students to learn through a tutorial video and interacting with the application.
Pros of Study.com
- The plan is straightforward and comes with a tutorial video to get students started.
- The lesson is aligned to Common Core standards, making it easy for teachers to see where it fits into their curriculum.
- The lesson plan comes with other Microsoft Office resources available on Study.com.
Cons of Study.com
- Beyond the introductory video, teachers will need to guide students in completing the lesson.
- There is only one hour's worth of material here, so you might need additional materials on Microsoft Word.
- You’ll need a subscription to Study.com to access this lesson plan and other resources.
Where Study.com Might Work Best For You
Study.com provides a good introductory lesson plan for students new to Microsoft Office.
If you already subscribe to Study.com or are interested in some of the many other CTE resources the site has available, it might be a good choice for you. Consider incorporating this lesson into your classroom as a supplementary resource.
Which Microsoft Office Lesson Plans are Right for Your Classroom?
Overall, GCF, TpT, and Study.com offer excellent supplemental materials to help you better keep students engaged when learning Microsoft Word.
However, if you teach Microsoft Word you likely also teach Excel, PowerPoint, and other technology topics.
If that's true for you, consider looking into a more robust computer curriculum option, like Business&ITCenter21.
Business&ITCenter21 is a digital curriculum used by thousands of computer teachers like you to teach Microsoft Office, Google Apps, digital literacy skills, coding fundamentals, and more.
With this ready-made curriculum, teachers regularly save 5+ hours per week with planning and grading.
Wondering if Business&ITCenter21 could help you save time while better engaging students in Microsoft Office lessons? Watch your demo video to find out:
