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!
I personally love using a running Google Doc with a to do list on it! I'd erase things off my list as I go and then add as I need to. My middle school students last year LOVED this and even had a to-do list for themselves bookmarked! It's simple AND user friendly. Plus, they could never lose it :)
ReplyDeleteThat's great! This is something kids can use literally for the rest of their lives!
DeleteI know that google classroom actually has a "to-do" list feature that I used to use for kids in my classroom. A lot of them didn't realize it kept track of assignments they still needed to complete! My personal favorite reminder is the Sticky Notes app! I have those colorful little post-its all over my desktop with reminders!
ReplyDeleteGoogle Classroom is a great way for kids to keep track of their work! Is the sticky notes app you use Google Keep or something else?
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