Jim, I think it is a problem for us personally as well as for our
students.  
Mary Ann

-----Original Message-----
From: Teaching Breakfast List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Jim Greenberg
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 12:54 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Software Bottlenecks for Students

Tbers,

From my vantage point, more and more faculty at the College are trying
to
figure out ways to include training in programs like Photoshop,
InDesign,
Dreamweaver, Final Cut, Pro Tools, and even Flash for their students.
Knowing the Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.) isn't
enough any longer and that students in growing numbers now also need to
know
how to manipulate images, edit video or audio, layout posters, or build
animations. Faculty are struggling with the problem of knowing their
students need to know how to use these programs and the lack of
opportunity
at the College that learn them.

I'd be interested in your ideas about this issue.  Do you believe your
students need to know these programs?  Do you have the expertise in your
departments to teach it to them (or even the time in your courses)?
What
types of things can the College do to address this need?

I appreciate the argument that we are not about "training" students to
use
certain software packages, yet the issue continues to raise its head.
I'd
be more than happy to try and champion a solution to this issue for our
students - but I want to be sure it is a real problem and if it is, get
a
sense for what faculty would like done.

Thanks in advance for any ideas or thoughts you have about this.  You
can
post them back to the TB list or email them directly to me.

Mr. James B. Greenberg
Director Teaching, Learning and Technology Center
Milne Library
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, New York 13820

email: [log in to unmask]
phone: 607-436-2701
fax:   607-436-3081
IM:  oneontatltc

"Ignorance is curable, stupidity lasts forever"