Competency in Computer Usage

A student who is competent in this area should be able to understand and use the basic and intermediate functions available through computers and computer networks. They should feel comfortable using computers in their day-to-day lives for networking, maintaining contacts and their personal learning networks, and knowing what is going on in the world. They should also be flexible enough to be able to use technology in their professional lives to complete projects using available technology. Certain skills, such as preparing word documents, using spreadsheets layouts and graphics, and using electronic communication tools are the basics skills that a person needs to be competent in this area. Most importantly:

• Students need to feel comfortable with the basic computer use, especially for productivity purposes.
• Students need to be able to use technology as a tool in their personal and professional lives.

My first proof of competency in this area was completion of a class called Computers for Beginners. In this class we looked at all the basic functions of computer programs, such as Microsoft Powerpoint, Word, Excel, and others. We also learned how to use the internet and how to type using the "home-row" method. I was able to apply these skills in nearly every class I took.

My second proof of competency in this area is the project I completed for this class, Humanities 499: Capstone Course. I had to familiarize myself with iMovie and produce a movie to be shown to the public. This involved integrating original audio and images within the context of an original media-based story. After this crash course with iMovie, I feel confident in producing other movies if I so desire. (link to come soon)