Suppl_eMINTS

Play a Little this Summer

I just read this interesting piece of insight on David Warlick’s blog about learning to run software.  It’s basically about a veteran teacher who asked her son to teach her how to use some software.  When she pulled out a notepad and pencil to take notes, he told her to put it away.  What the teacher soon found out was that the best way to learn software is to “play” with it and figure out how to run the software, not to simply follow steps.

The best way to learn to use difficult software is to spend time playing with it.  Of course, I’m not talking about only using the software at our training sessions.  You have to open up that software on a regular basis to really know how to run it.

I thought about my own knowledge of software.  Most of what I know was from “messing around” with the software.  Take my ability to use Publisher as an example.  I used to make mix tapes all the time in college and in the years following.  I went so far as to design special cassette packaging using the program.  This allowed me to figure out how to use templates, play around with text styles, take images from the Internet, etc.  This doesn’t mention how I’ve learned most of the software I now train you all to use.  I have mostly been self-taught, and that may be the best way to learn.

So, this summer, while you sit on your porch enjoying a cool glass of iced tea, open up that laptop and play around a little.  I know that Dreamweaver and Fireworks have caused a lot of headaches for many of you.  These would be great programs with which to play.  You could design a website for your family or design a logo for your church choir on Fireworks.  Have a little fun with it and in the meantime, you might learn to use this software more effectively.

**As a side-note…In order to keep your lap cool while using your computer, try filling a hot water bottle with cold water.  It gives an adjustable pad on which your laptop to rest and keeps your legs from heating up.  (courtesy of Life Hacker)