Spring 2026 SOWK 531 Week 13 - General Computer Tips and Tricks

title: Spring 2026 SOWK 531 Week 13 - General Computer Tips and Tricks

date: 2026-04-16 18:17:39

location: Heritage University

tags:

  • Heritage University
  • MSW Program
  • SOWK 531

presentation_video: > Video Embed

description: >

Week 13 is asynchronous. Students read Chapter 14 of Kirst-Ashman and Hull (2018), which addresses how agencies develop and manage resources, including grant writing, fundraising strategies, working with the media, and the role of technology in agency practice. There is also a lecture video this week focused on practical technology tips for social workers. The five forums give students opportunities to engage with key textbook concepts, apply media guidelines to a case study, reflect on their own experience with grants and fundraising, and connect resource development to their Community Impact Project. During my lecture video the following is the agenda:

  • Tasks for week 13
  • Five general tips and tricks to increase your computer skills

The learning objectives for the week include:

  • Demonstrate skills at sharing information.
  • Apply media relations skills to community advocacy.
  • Reflect on personal or professional experience with fundraising or grant writing in agency settings.
  • Identify some potential actions that can be done to help with digital work.
  • Identify five things things you can do to improve computer skills

Plan for Week 13

Agenda

  • Tasks for week 13
  • Five general tips and tricks to increase your computer skills

Learning Objective

Identify five things things you can do to improve computer skills

Tasks for Week 13

Content

  • Read Kirst-Ashman and Hull (2018) Chapter 14 Developing and Managing Agency Resources
  • Watch my lecture video (will be shared by Thursday EOD)

W-13 A-01: Asynchronous Participation and Engagement

Sorry that I am getting these out to you late this week. I’m thinking five instead of the regular six replies. I plan to do a lecture video regarding some tips for working with computers, but I probably won’t have a chance to record it until Thursday.

The expectation is that each of your replies will be substantive and provide meaningful perspectives, contributing to the forum’s conversation and scholarship. There are five forums this week, and you are expected to make at least five replies across any of the forums. These forums include the following:

  • The Questions Drawn From Textbook Chapter 14 forum provides a space to engage with key concepts from the reading.
  • Students apply guidelines for working with the media to a neighborhood advocacy scenario in the Communicating with the Media Case Study forum.
  • In Experience with Fundraisers or Grants, students reflect on their own involvement with grant writing or fundraising in a professional or volunteer context.
  • Students connect this week’s content on media relations and resource development to their Community Impact Project in the Community Impact Project Press Sharing forum.
  • Dreaming About Grants for Heritage or Your Practicum Setting invites students to imagine what funding could make a meaningful difference at their practicum site or in the Heritage social work program.

5 Additional Tips

I’m going to try to not overwhelm you…

Here are five more intense options I would suggestion, but am not going to demonstrate or promote …

  1. Learn to do magic tricks and code (various websites, using keyboard maestro for quizzes, etc.)
  2. Develop automation systems (Shortcuts, Hazel, Scripts, Keyboard Maestro)
  3. Don’t be afraid to learn and incorporate new tools (Juce app newest edition. Caution about security)
  4. Dream about what you can do, and look for a way way to do it (example of word document and TOC… lots of itteration)
  5. Take on a mentality of a learner (Podcasts, YouTube, etc.)

1. Create and use templates to reduce setup time and be consistent

Show Assignment grading form

Other examples

  • APA Paper
  • Meeting notes
  • Tax From
  • etc.

2. Seeing things differently can be helpful sometimes, be willing to go through steps/different apps

Show example of mindnode

Other examples

  • Writing in plain text then to a document
  • Drawing it out/handwriting then re-writing
  • Spreadsheet to documents

3. Learn keyboard shortcuts for your most-used apps, and learn how to keep your hands on your keyboard

Talk about shortcuts

  • Copy, cut, paste
  • Find
  • Command Pallet

Show Alfred and talk about search, launching tasks, etc.

4. Master basic spreadsheet and office skills

Show class prep document

Talk about client list, advising list, email lists

Talk about using the right thing on office (page break, table of contents, inserting figures, etc.)

5. Become your own editor and reviewer

Look over things. Read it outloud to yourself. Obsess some over the details of your final presentation of documents and information.