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Tools for the Technologically Enhanced Class
Studies of experts -- grand masters, maestros, gourmet chefs, and sports stars -- all suggest that these outstanding performers were once novices, but through weeks, months, and years of practice they acquired the behavioral and information skills that others now admire. Professors, then, can become technological whizzes by using technologies extensively in all aspects of their teaching, research, and service. Most already have basic computer skills: they can use e-mail, word process a document, navigate their operating system such as Windows, and use a Web browser. But they may need to add a few new skills to their repertoire before they become full-fledged High Tech Profs (HTPs). The following links describe the basic tools that High Tech Profs should have in their teaching tool kits. Readings, activities, and examples are located here.
Presentation Programs: Professors can use many types of programs to deliver multimedia presentations to their students, including Corel's Presentation, IBM's Storyboard, Hyperstudio, or even a common Web Browser, but Microsoft's Powerpoint is fast becoming the default in a technology-ready college classroom.
Basic Tools
Mail programs. The HTP (High Tech Prof) must use a modern e-mail program that downloads messages from the mail server to the local computer rather than one of the older programs typically found on many colleges and universities mainframe computers. Such programs help with organizing messages, sending out messages to multiple recipients, and spelling.
Browsers. The HTP must be proficient in the use of a good browser, such as Netscape or Explorer. He or she should use browsers for routine tasks, such as locating information about psychology on the Web, downloading materials from the campus library, searching databases of abstracts and articles, and buying good books on a commercial bookseller's site. They also need to tune up their browsers so that they can use all the cool features available on the web, such as automatic translations and searchers.
Web-authoring programs. Many programs generate files that can be posted on and downloaded from the Web. Some require no more skills than a word-processing program. Indeed, Web pages can be written using a simple text editor or the word-processing program you already use. Others, such as FrontPage and Dreamweaver, are more sophisticated and complicated to use, but they also have more functionality. In other words, one can built more interactive, interesting, involving pages with them. These programs also ease one of the major headaches of Webpage authoring: transferring files from the computer where they were developed and tested to the computer that is connected to the Internet.
Other programs. Many unique or small-scale problems can be solved by using specialized programs that have been developed to meet these needs. Graphics programs, for example, can be used to manipulate pictures; FTP programs (File Transfer Protocol) move files from one networked computer to another. Simple, easy-to-use programs to perform all these functions can be downloaded for free from various sites on the Web.
Word-processing programs. Professors who wish to hone their information-technology skills should learn to type well and quickly with one of the standard word-processing programs, such as Microsoft's Word or Corel's WordPerfect. Most programs can generate and modify the Web's most popular document type (those that are based on a html, hyper-text mark-up language, format). They also accept plug-ins (secondary programs that interface with the primary program) that permit you to create documents formatted as portable document files, or PDFs.