If you don't have formal computer classes in 7th and 8th grade how are
you sure that student get taught the correct way to do things? When if
my child is assigned to a class that is taught by some older teacher who
never takes her students to the lab?
The perception that "The kids all know how to do this stuff anyway." is
wrong. They DON'T. Some may, but not all. So we assume that the kids
somehow "just know" how to do this stuff so we eliminate computer
classes in 7th and 8th grade. In my opinion, 7th and 8th grade is the
RIGHT TIME to teach this stuff. Any younger than that and they have
difficulty understanding some of the concepts. Any older than that and
it may be too late. 7th and 8th graders can understand formulas in
Excel. (5th graders can't.) 7th and 8th graders are still excited
about Power Point. (High schoolers aren't.)
Assuming that the kids somehow "just know this" or that the classroom
teachers will "learn em" - how many classroom teachers understand multi
layered spreadsheets? - is an assumption that will not serve our students.
We don't assume that they somehow know how to speak proper English
because they watch television all day - don't even get me started on
that one. If we value "digital skills" as a requirement for our
students to be prepared for their future then we should provide
comprehensive and complete instruction and not some "hit or miss"
inclusion in the rest of the curriculum.
I'm not in a very good mood today and I needed to vent about something.
And then this topic came up........
Aaron Hackney wrote:
I wonder what this does to the digital divide? Or are the other
classes so computer saturated that it's not a worry?
On Fri, Sep 3, 2010 at 9:56 AM, Tammy Little <[email protected]> wrote:
The decision was made to eliminate formal computer instruction for our 7th
and 8th grade students. We have been questioned about this decision and now
I need to survey some schools and see what everyone else is doing! yay!
So:
Do your 7th and 8th grade students receive formal computer instruction?
If no, did you ever and if you did why did you eliminate it?
If yes, what curriculum do you have?
Thanks!!! You all are always such a fantastic resource!
Blessings to you,
Tammy
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