Reflection on EDT 610

This course introduced me to technology that is applicable to the 5th year art education degree I am currently working on. There were a number of software programs that I was already very familiar with such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. There were a few things that I learned such as shortcuts and ways to create headings, table of contents, etc. I think that many people in the class were not quite as comfortable with technology so the course was paced very slowly. It was appropriate for those who have difficulty navigating such programs. I did find it nice to get pointers on programs I had not used such as Microsoft Excel. It was good to learn how to create a grade sheet and see how the program saves time by calculating grades. I am glad I was introduced to these features because I can see the practical reason to use these programs as a teacher. Using Excel for grade calculations will definitely help me stay organized and save time, which are two very essential factors that have to be mastered as a teacher.

There were a few less than necessary elements of the class. I felt that a bit too much time was spent explaining aesthetic applications of many of the programs. I could see time being better spent in other areas. However, one might argue that knowing all the options a program has to create an excellent aesthetic presentation is important since half the battle in the classroom is in getting students attention. I was probably less patient about this aspect because of my art background. In other words, I know what is good for the design aspect of many of the assignments we did in class. I was more interested in how the software could help with time management and organization as a teacher.