WPS Office: View and edit Word documents, presentations, and spreadsheets

WPS Office is the classic Microsoft Office suite in app form. With WPS Office, users have many of the features included in Microsoft Office, and they are able to quickly create, save, and share .doc, .ppt, and .xls files. Plus, users can sync WPS Office with their cloud account(s), so they can import documents from Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box, among others. WPS Office also includes a Share feature, in which one user can open a PPT and view it with up to six other users. To engage this feature, all users must be connected to the same Internet network, and then the user who started the “share” session must provide the access code assigned to him or her by WPS Office to the other users. Once all users have the access code, they must “Join Shareplay” by inputting the access code, and then the session is ready.

Instructional Ideas

1. For any written assignment—from a brief journal entry to a lengthy research paper—teachers can have students compose their assignment using this app and then email it to their teacher for grading once they are finished.
2. Teachers can use this app for a writing workshop. To do so, teachers must first assign students a writing assignment. Next, students will complete a first draft of the writing assignment. At this point, students will enable the “track changes” feature and then swap iPads with a classmate. (The “track changes” feature is available under the “wrench” toolbar menu.) Now, the classmate will be able to proofread the paper and make corrections when needed. Plus, text boxes can be inserted to add specific comments about the content of the paper. (Text boxes are available under the “+” menu.) Once the classmate finished reviewing the paper, he or she is to return the iPad to the student who composed the writing, and that student can use the track changes and text box comments to generate another draft.
3. Teachers can use this app to lead small group instruction. If teachers are dividing their class into small groups of six or less, teachers can use the “Share” feature to assist them in delivering instruction to students. To do so, teachers will need to create a PPT using this app or import a PPT and then load it into this app. Next, teachers will need to ensure that their students’ iPads are all connected to the same Internet network. As the groups rotate, students will need to login to this app and load the “Share Playing” feature. Teachers will need to share the access code with the small group, and then the group should be ready for the lesson.
4. Math and science teachers can have students create a spreadsheet for recording quantitative data. Students will be able to represent that data as a figure (e.g., graph and/or chart). Teachers can then have students create a .doc file and import their figure. Finally, students can compose a paragraph that explains their data, as represented by the figure. Students can submit their work by emailing it to their teacher or posting it to a class website.

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