Agreed. I saw this a lot in our college students. AND, they (the district) just cut computer literacy from the core curriculum. So, now, it falls squarely in Primary and Secondary education for this.
On Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 3:21 PM, JimHays <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 >>> >>> >>> | Subscription info at http://www.tech-geeks.org | >>> >>> >> >> >> >> > > | Subscription info at http://www.tech-geeks.org | > -- "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -Dr. Howard Thurman ****************************** Aaron Keith Hackney [email protected] Cell 210.325.2196 ****************************** | Subscription info at http://www.tech-geeks.org |
