Technology
“The Technology competency area focuses on the use of digital tools, resources, and technologies for the advancement of student learning, development, and success as well as the improved performance of student affairs professionals. Included within this area are knowledge, skills, and dispositions that lead to the generation of digital literacy and digital citizenship within communities of students, student affairs professionals, faculty members, and colleges and universities” (ACPA & NASPA, 2016, p. 33).
Technology plays an integral part in everyone’s life. Whether we know it or not, we communicate with certain technologies on a daily basis. Technology is everywhere through phones, computers, smartboards, printers, projectors, or television. In higher education, we use technology in a number of functional fields. It is critical to stay current with new technology to accommodate modern generations of students. We need to be flexible in the knowledge of various software programs used by the functional areas of higher education.
Technology plays an integral part in everyone’s life. Whether we know it or not, we communicate with certain technologies on a daily basis. Technology is everywhere through phones, computers, smartboards, printers, projectors, or television. In higher education, we use technology in a number of functional fields. It is critical to stay current with new technology to accommodate modern generations of students. We need to be flexible in the knowledge of various software programs used by the functional areas of higher education.
Social Media
Higher education professionals should present themselves from a professional perspective through social networks. As a former K-12 teacher, I have had the experience of purging my social media to ensure my profile content is authentic and professional. I also believe that social media is a means of personal expression and should therefore be retained in private contexts and shared only with friends and family.
Through my graduate assistantship at the Center for Career and Professional Development, I taught students to create professional profiles online, such as LinkedIn, to help them network. I have also helped students decide what they should include on their LinkedIn page and what employers in their field are seeking.
Higher education professionals should present themselves from a professional perspective through social networks. As a former K-12 teacher, I have had the experience of purging my social media to ensure my profile content is authentic and professional. I also believe that social media is a means of personal expression and should therefore be retained in private contexts and shared only with friends and family.
Through my graduate assistantship at the Center for Career and Professional Development, I taught students to create professional profiles online, such as LinkedIn, to help them network. I have also helped students decide what they should include on their LinkedIn page and what employers in their field are seeking.
Marketing
I had the gracious opportunity to work as an intern at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. I researched the faculty’s different academic backgrounds, the courses they were teaching during the semester, and related art center programs to complement the professors’ courses. I worked with the Executive Director and the Director of Marketing to create awareness for the programs offered by the Bardo Arts Center during the semester. I also used Outlook and Mailchimp to build dynamic emails to market the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center programs. |
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Software Usage
I had the opportunity to use various software programs across my graduate assistantship and internships throughout my graduate studies. I used Navigate to schedule allotted appointment availability for my graduate assistantship at the Center for Career and Professional Development. I also used this program to make student notes for my appointments. In addition, I used two professional development programs called Focus 2 and Big Interview to help students explore and prepare for an interview.
I conducted formal research on job attainment in relation to major after graduation and used several programs that included Qualtrics Survey, Excel, Outlook, and Tableau for data collection, interpretation, and visualization. I presented this research proposal at a research symposium and offered my findings via a poster.
Lastly, I have used Canva for a program assessment semester-long project that detailed the procedures, methods, and results of that assessment. My group evaluated the Safe Zone training program offered by the Department of Intercultural Affairs (ICA) at the University of Western Carolina. We presented our research to a panel of individuals using Canva as a supplementary visual component of our report.
List of all my software and technology skills (in alphabetical order):
Big Interview
Blackboard
Canva
Canvas
Focus 2
Gmail
Google Drive
Mailchimp
Microsoft Office Suite
Microsoft Teams
Moodle
Navigate
Outlook
Qualtrics Survey
Smartboard
Zoom
ACPA: College Student Educators International & NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (2015). Professional competency areas for student affairs educators. Washington, D.C.: Authors
I had the opportunity to use various software programs across my graduate assistantship and internships throughout my graduate studies. I used Navigate to schedule allotted appointment availability for my graduate assistantship at the Center for Career and Professional Development. I also used this program to make student notes for my appointments. In addition, I used two professional development programs called Focus 2 and Big Interview to help students explore and prepare for an interview.
I conducted formal research on job attainment in relation to major after graduation and used several programs that included Qualtrics Survey, Excel, Outlook, and Tableau for data collection, interpretation, and visualization. I presented this research proposal at a research symposium and offered my findings via a poster.
Lastly, I have used Canva for a program assessment semester-long project that detailed the procedures, methods, and results of that assessment. My group evaluated the Safe Zone training program offered by the Department of Intercultural Affairs (ICA) at the University of Western Carolina. We presented our research to a panel of individuals using Canva as a supplementary visual component of our report.
List of all my software and technology skills (in alphabetical order):
Big Interview
Blackboard
Canva
Canvas
Focus 2
Gmail
Google Drive
Mailchimp
Microsoft Office Suite
Microsoft Teams
Moodle
Navigate
Outlook
Qualtrics Survey
Smartboard
Zoom
ACPA: College Student Educators International & NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (2015). Professional competency areas for student affairs educators. Washington, D.C.: Authors