Blog #2-- Software

Here is the order in which I would place the different applications:

1. Word Processor
2. Web Browser
3. Spreadsheet
4. Presentation software
5. Video editing tool

I believe that the word processor should be the first application that students use because it is the most basic of all; words are the building blocks of human comunication, and many of the other applications require the use of skills subordinate to reading and writing. It is critical that students learn to express themselves "on paper" (as it were) and the tool that best facilitates that is the word processor.
Word processors can be used for a number of things in addition to merely assembling sentences and paragraphs; today's advanced applications, like Pages from Apple, make it very easy to add images to stories. My son has written stories on Pages and then we go online to try and find images to illustrate the story. It's loads of fun (for him and me) and he learns a host of skills in the process. I believe kids should be introduced to this as young as 7 or 8. It should not be used to substitute for actual handwriting, since there certainly is value in learning how to write by hand, but once those skills are firmly rooted they should move on to Pages, or Word.
Similarly, the web browser is a tool that should be learned by kids early on--in fact I would wager it's probably the app that most kids first learn to use. However, for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who has spent any amount of time on the web, they need to be monitored carefully, and by all means use whatever filters are available, especially for younger children! Having said that, there is so much out there for kids to learn just by surfing the web that it is important to teach them how to use it. As mentioned above, it can be used hand in hand with other tools to build projects and add value to even simple projects.
Spreadsheets are useful tools that should be part of the basic toolbox of any high school student; they should have mastered their use by that time. I think the optimum time to introduce them would be around fifth or sixth grade. Because they have so many and such varied uses, spreadsheets along with the two above should be a part of the fundamental canon of technical knowledge of students.
Presentation software (Keynote, PowerPoint, etc.) is used to enhance the kinds of presentations that students should be required to give at frequent intervals. Most adults list public speaking as a high ranking fear. Early and frequent practice in front of one's peers can help give confidence to students and prepare them by introducing skills like critical thinking, and thinking on one's feet. Keynote can help that in a couple of ways. First, it gives the student a solid outline to use as he gives his talk, and it makes the talk more interesting via the use of images, etc. It is also more interesting to prepare than writing an outline on a piece of paper, increasing the student's learning capability. They should be using this by the time they leave middle school, at the latest.
Finally, some sort of media editing software should be used by students to help unlock the creativity in them. Although much creative possibility exists in the programs above, it is in the media editing that they can truly let their imaginations loose and create what truly speaks to them. For some it might be making videos with iMovie, for others maybe they record and edit their own music with Garageband. Those with an interest in photography will no doubt want to explore Photoshop to see the amazing things that can be done with it. Most likely this would be done by high school students, though I imagine there are a good many in middle schools who would have both the interest and the ability to do so.