Lauren Spielvogel

Reflection Paper Assignment

EDT 180 Section A
April 26th, 2019

Reflection

Over the course of this semester, we have completed numerous exercises using various

computer applications, including many from Microsoft Office (such as Word, PowerPoint,

Excel, and Publisher). By doing these exercises, I have learned a lot about using each of these

applications effectively to solve complex problems involving a large amount of data as well as

how to more effectively present information (the latter perhaps being more applicable to my

major of English Literature). My goals throughout this class have been to gain better knowledge

about the technological devices that I use every day, and to learn how to use applications such as

Excel and Publisher, which I did not have as much experience using. After completing this

course, I feel that I have succeeded in achieving these goals.

When starting this class, I had a basic knowledge of most computer skills, and also I

knew how to use Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. However, new programs I learned

were Excel, Publisher, and Adobe Photoshop. I also learned a lot through the readings that we

had for this class, as they gave insight into specific issues such as Internet etiquette (or

“Netiquette”) and multitasking. For instance, I learned that multitasking actually wastes more

time than it saves and does not help at all with productivity. It is easy to think in such a fast-

paced world that multitasking would be a valuable skill, and I find myself trying to multitask a

lot, especially when I have a lot I need to get done in a short amount of time. Since reading that

article, I have made a conscious effort to do one task at a time, and I have found that it makes me

more productive than when I tried to multitask. Perhaps the most valuable skill taught in this

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Lauren Spielvogel
Reflection Paper Assignment
EDT 180 Section A
April 26th, 2019

class was coding, and while that skill might not be immediately applicable to the kinds of work

available with my major, I was surprised to learn that there will be a shortage of people who

know how to code compared to the amount of new jobs that will require that coding skill. I liked

that we used the program “Hour of Code” to learn how to code, as this website made it easy and

fun to learn this skill, rather than intimidating (which was the feeling I first had when learned

that we would be learning how to code). The program taught the skill through “blocking”, which

was like putting puzzle pieces together, and used well known pop-culture characters such as the

Angry Bird, and Scrat from Ice Age, and had a whole tutorial using the Star Wars universe. One

of the modules that I had trouble with was Photoshop. However, I have more ability with it than I

did at the start of the semester, which is an improvement. The most improvements to my

computer skills I felt were made during the Excel and Publisher modules. I had had some

experience with Excel before this semester, but the skills I learned through this class were

extraordinarily helpful in making that application more useful to me. I really enjoyed using

Publisher, as it has a variety of uses, and can make several types of documents that Microsoft

Word cannot (or it would be very difficult to make them on Microsoft Word). Overall, the skills

I learned in class during this semester have greatly improved my computer literacy and these

skills will be helpful in any work environment and by learning these skills, I have learned how to

greatly increase my productivity.

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