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March 2006

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Subject:
From:
"Dr. Paul A. French" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Teaching Breakfast List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 6 Mar 2006 10:26:40 -0500
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Jim:

At various times, I have helped train students in computer programming
in three different languages, Excel, MSWord, Powerpoint, Maple,
Mathematica, Interactive Physics, and four different digital video
programs. It seems inefficient at times, but mostly I'm doing it for
specific projects with a handful of hand-picked students. The students
have probably benefitted from seeing that they can pick some of these up
"on-the-fly," but having specific training modules (and trainer[s])
available (Rafael's program?) may be better.

We have been discussing a departmental course for first-year students
that gets everyone up to speed on a small number of software programs,
but even in our small department we can't quite agree on what to do yet.

Paul

Paul A. French
Associate Professor and Chair, Physics and Astronomy Department
SUNY College at Oneonta
Room 120 E, Physical Science Building
Oneonta, NY 13820
 
607-436-3358
607-436-2654 (fax)
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Teaching Breakfast List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf
> Of Mary Ann Dowdell
> Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 1:31 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Software Bottlenecks for Students
> 
> 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"

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