An Education Major's Guide to Computers
in the UW-Whitewater College of Education

Introduction

Personal computers are widely used in schools and universities. Children use them for studying mathematics, reading, social studies, and other subjects in the school's curriculum. They often use computers to play educational games. In addition, students use computers for accessing and analyzing information, writing assignments, and presenting projects. Virtually every classroom in the public schools in our area has at least one computer in it. Most schools in our area also have one or more computer labs. University Students use computers daily to complete their assignments, write reports, gather information through the Internet, and to communicate with faculty, family, and friends. It is safe to say that it is very difficult to get along in today's world of education without knowing about computers and how to operate them. It is absolutely true that one cannot be an effective teacher in today's schools without a thorough understanding of computers and their use.

Do I need my own computer?

Here are some things to consider in answering this question:

• There are public-access computer labs at UW-Whitewater
• It is possible to get one's work done without owning a personal computer. (However it is not always convenient to do so.)
• Campus computer labs have generous, but limited hours.
• When students leave the university, computer facilities on campus are no longer available to them.

While it may be possible to use University computer resources while one is a resident on campus, the day will come when you will want to have a computer of your own. Because of the convenience that owning a personal computer affords, many students will elect to purchase one as soon as possible. Prior to purchasing a system, we recommend that you spend your first semester on campus exploring your computer needs.

What resources are available?

WITRC primarily serves College of Education students, faculty, and S. Wisconsin School Districts. Located in Winther Hall, there are two main rooms, each with approximately 20 computers. WITRC takes pride in the fact that it can offer current software and equipment. Typical office productivity software, as well as multimedia development, graphics, and web publishing software are available. Currently there are over 250 educational titles available for preview by UWW students as well as area teachers.

McGraw and Andersen Labs are general access computing labs for use by all UW-Whitewater students. These labs are maintained by Instructional Technology Services. They offer access to general-purpose and discipline-specific software running under Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Macintosh operating systems. Students can also use electronic mail and access the Internet from any of the lab computers.

The University maintains a computer Help Desk (472-HELP) in McGraw Hall to answer faculty and student computing questions.

The UW-Whitewater ResNet is a collection of 4200 network ports (jacks) throughout the residence hall system. Both persons living in a room can hook a computer to the network without using the telephone line. These connections allow access to the campus network, the Internet, and to some applications.

What will an Education Major use a computer for?

• You will definitely use a computer to compose written assignments. You will rarely take a class at the University that does not require you to communicate your ideas in writing.
• You will use a computer to navigate the World Wide Web as you gather information for use in your studies. You will use a computer to access the catalogs and indexes of UW-W's library and those of other universities, as well as databases around the country.
• You will use a computer to keep in touch with faculty and friends.
• You will use a computer to help visualize and present ideas and concepts that are difficult to understand in text only ways.
• You will use various computer applications, and in so doing, learn more about hardware and software, and become more comfortable when using computers in teaching.

What software do I need?

The minimum software you would typically need includes the capability of doing word-processing, spreadsheets, and graphics. Utility software to help diagnose problems, and a Virus-Scanning utility are wise additions to a new computer. Often you can buy integrated packages that meet most of these needs, such as Microsoft Office. Computers often come bundled with application software.

Discount software is available to students in the University of Wisconsin system from the Wisconsin Integrated Software Catalog (WISC). Software from Adobe/Macromedia, Microsoft, and others are available for purchase with student discounts.

Among the software titles available for use in WITRC, and in other general access campus computer labs are Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Netscape Navigator, Adobe Creative Suite 2, Macromedia Studio MX, Adobe Acrobat 7 Pro, Toast 6 Titanium, Omni Page Pro X, Microsoft Office, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and Inspiration 7.6.

Where should I buy a computer?

Discount stores, department stores, and consumer electronics stores often have excellent prices on computers. However, one of the benefits of being a college student, is that most computer manufacturers offer special pricing of their products to you. Reputable mail-order merchants such as mac/microwarehouse, offer the advantage of a larger selection, and no sales tax, but lack the support often available in purchasing through a local dealer. We recommend you check the University 4U purchase program for competitive pricing options.

Where can I find out more?

The staff of WITRC, Faculty in the College of Education, and members of the McGraw Computer Center staff will often share their knowledge and opinions with you. In addition, several organizations and vendors maintain informative websites.