"Byte" Sized -- What Kids Should Know how to Do: The Legal Stuff

 Todays' blog post is the next post in a series of posts sharing the TL;DR information available in the Illinois Computer Literacy Knowledge and Skill Development Continuum adopted May 2022. In this  series, it is hoped that you will have a better understanding of what technology skills our students are expected to have at different grade levels. Of course, each student is different -- some will acquire these skills sooner than their peers; some will acquire them later. These are meant to be a guide for teachers. 

Computer literacy isn't just something that is taught in "computer class" by a "computer teacher." Because the use of computing devices impacts our students at school and at home, for school work, for socializing, and for fun or entertainment, computer literacy is something every educator needs to assist students with. It is my hope that by summarizing these skills for you, it will be easier for you to find ways to help students develop, refine, and retain the computer literacy skills they will need and use for the rest of their lives.

You can find the actual continuum here. What you will see in these posts and the linked spreadsheet are my interpretations and summaries.

The legal stuff isn't usually the fun stuff. Btu if our students are going to use technology and the internet, then there is some basic legal stuff they do need to know. First, they should have a basic understanding of what our district's acceptable use policy (AUP) is. Younger kids just need to know that they agree to follow the teacher's rules about computers and going online; older kids can start to learn a little more specifically what they should and should not do with district devices, accounts, hardware, network, etc. If you showed the Chromebook video to your students at the start of the school year, then you've covered our AUP!

In addition to this, kids should also start to become familiar with principles of copyright and fair use. Whenever we as teachers ask kids to do research or find videos, images, or other media online, we also need to ensure they understand copyright as it pertains to them at their age. This can be a tall order because a lot of teachers don't fully understand copyright themselves. Want to see how well you understand it? Here's a Quizizz activity you can use to check yourself! I would love it if you would share your results in the comments! I have some great lessons prepared for students about copyright that I would LOVE to come present! Let me know in the comments or via email if you'd like me to come in to talk about copyright with your students. After my lesson, you and your students will be the recipients of a shiny new, "Copyright Bright" sticker!

Take a look at what the kids should know at each level by going to this spreadsheet and looking under the "Legal" tab!

"Byte" Sized -- What Kids Should Know How to Do: Organizing

via thegangoffur on GIPHY

 Todays' blog post is the next post in a series of posts sharing the TL;DR information available in the Illinois Computer Literacy Knowledge and Skill Development Continuum adopted May 2022. In this  series, it is hoped that you will have a better understanding of what technology skills our students are expected to have at different grade levels. Of course, each student is different -- some will acquire these skills sooner than their peers; some will acquire them later. These are meant to be a guide for teachers. 

Computer literacy isn't just something that is taught in "computer class" by a "computer teacher." Because the use of computing devices impacts our students at school and at home, for school work, for socializing, and for fun or entertainment, computer literacy is something every educator needs to assist students with. It is my hope that by summarizing these skills for you, it will be easier for you to find ways to help students develop, refine, and retain the computer literacy skills they will need and use for the rest of their lives.

You can find the actual continuum here. What you will see in these posts and the linked spreadsheet are my interpretations and summaries.

Computers and online applications can be fantastic organization tools! Just think about how technology helps keep YOU organized! For instance, my phone is my sole phone/address book. I would be lost without Google Calendar. I keep a packing list for trips and a shopping list for the grocery story in Google Keep. I plan all my holiday shopping and budgeting with Google Sheets. Organizational tools are important for our students, too. The more we can show kids how we use them, the more likely they are going to be to find a tool they like for themselves and then actually use it!

If you check out my summary spreadsheet under the "Organization" tab, you'll see that getting kids to use a calendar or other task manager is something we should start helping kids with in grade 2. Chances are they won't really be self-sufficient with those tools until they get to high school, but they definitely can use the exposure! When it comes to using online graphic organizers, we can start with out youngest learners. There are plenty of iPad apps and easy to use websites that will help students organize their thoughts and ideas. Even Google Slides can be used!

In the comments, share your favorite organizational tool to teach students about! I've got prizes for everyone who comments!

"Byte" Sized -- What Should the Kids Know How to Do? Keyboarding

via GIPHY

 Todays' blog post is the next post in a series of posts sharing the TL;DR information available in the Illinois Computer Literacy Knowledge and Skill Development Continuum adopted May 2022. In this  series, it is hoped that you will have a better understanding of what technology skills our students are expected to have at different grade levels. Of course, each student is different -- some will acquire these skills sooner than their peers; some will acquire them later. These are meant to be a guide for teachers. 

Computer literacy isn't just something that is taught in "computer class" by a "computer teacher." Because the use of computing devices impacts our students at school and at home, for school work, for socializing, and for fun or entertainment, computer literacy is something every educator needs to assist students with. It is my hope that by summarizing these skills for you, it will be easier for you to find ways to help students develop, refine, and retain the computer literacy skills they will need and use for the rest of their lives.

You can find the actual continuum here. What you will see in these posts and the linked spreadsheet are my interpretations and summaries.

Keyboarding is as fundamental a skill as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Yep, I said what I said! No matter how technology changes, knowing your way around a keyboard is going to be something that sticks around, even if it becomes the "primitive" way of inputting data or information. But for the foreseeable future, keyboarding is a primary skill kids must have. It starts with keyboard familiarity (knowing where to find letters, numbers, and other important keys) and moves on to proficiency using the keyboard. The gold standard in keyboarding skills is touch typing. I was one of the odd ducks who never took a typing or keyboarding class in my life, so I never learned to touch type. Instead, I have my own weird way of typing, where I do look at my fingers when I type, and I usually only use my index finger and middle finger on each hand to type. I'm efficient at it because I've been doing it my whole life. However, our students should not be doomed to awkward typing! We have a districtwide subscription to Typing Agent, so every student can work on their keyboarding skills either through structured lessons or through keyboarding games. And yes, I'm talking about kids at TRS and CJHS, too!

At the link above under the Keyboarding tab, you can get a better idea of what kids are expected to know regarding keyboarding. A quick summary:

• By the time students are in grade 4, they should have mastered the ergonomics of keyboarding, locating keys like space bar, return/enter, shift, letters and numbers, and using home row (touch typing)
• Students in grades 7 and 8 should also be able to locate special characters on the keyboard as needed.
• Please share in the comments how YOU are going to try to give your students keyboarding practice! I've got yummy Halloween treats for every person who comments with an idea or suggestion!