Read the article 10 Tech Skills Every Student Should Have
at http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3776
Also, make sure to read the comments from other readers at the end of the article.
In the comment section of this blog, please address the following:
In your opinion, what 2 tech skills listed are the most important?
In your opinion, what 2 tech skills listed should schools improve their strategies to help students?
What 2 tech skills are not included in this list that you think should be there?
I encourage you to read your fellow scholars comments.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe 2 tech skills from this article that I personally would consider to be most important would be:
ReplyDelete#3. Self learning of tech and where to go for help - knowing how to search a help menu on software or hardware, where to go to find user forums for help, and where to find the manual for technology is a huge skill that many do not know about.
#7. Security and Safety - antivirus, spam, phishing, too much personal information sharing, stalkers, and more are all issues they need to know about.
I also really like the bonus skill that David Andrade lists at the bottom of the article (#11):
"Copyright and Citing Sources - students need to understand copyright laws and rules, how to cite a resource, and how to integrate someone else's work into theirs properly."
This is such a hard concept to get across to kids. The "Taking the Mystery out of Copyright" link below it leads to a nice site from the US Library of Congress that uses fun animations to take the mystery out of copyright laws for our kids.
Generally, I think that schools focus on security and safety (for good reasons), but I think that self learning skills are largely skipped because often it's just easier to just answer students' questions rather than teaching them how to find the answer themselves. (a skill valued in Dr. Topp's class that I rather enjoy).
David Andrade has actually done a pretty good job here of coming up with a comprehensive list, but I guess that the two techs skills that, for me, might be missing here are:
"Using Tech Tools to Accommodate Your Disability",
"Evaluating Content Found on the Internet"
This collective list provides a good basis of skills that students should have when working academically with the internet. Two technology skills that stand out as most important to me in David Andrade’s list are:
ReplyDelete#3: Self learning of tech and where to go for help - knowing how to search a help menu on software or hardware, where to go to find user forums for help, and where to find the manual for technology is a huge skill that many do not know about. Students should be self-sufficient in using technology and have resources available to help them.
#7: Security and Safety - antivirus, spam, phishing, too much personal information sharing, stalkers, and more are all issues they need to know about. Students should be aware of how to use technology in a smart and safe way.
Schools play and integral role in helping students improve their tech skills. From Andrade’s list, two ways schools can do this are:
#2: Office Suite Skills - students need to now how to create, edit, and modify documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. Often times, students are required to use these skills for classes as well as outside of the classroom anyways, so mastering these basics is effective for all students.
#7: Security and Safety - antivirus, spam, phishing, too much personal information sharing, stalkers, and more are all issues they need to know about. Schools should take responsibility for providing students with the knowledge and resources to use technology, especially the internet, safely.
Although Andrade’s list is very complete, I do think it is also important to address “Evaluating Sites” so that students use reliable sources and information and “Internet Appropriateness” so that students understand that although internet and technology is useful, it may not always be the best medium for finding and using information.
The 2 tech skills I think are most important from the article.
ReplyDelete- #1 Internet Search- It is important that children are capable of searching the internet with efficiency and know which one of the searches is a strong source
- #8 Hardware Basics and Troubleshooting- If the student isn't able to plug the computer in and know how to do basic functions like troubleshooting and plugging into the internet, the computer may be a hindrance to their learning
The 2 skills schools should improve on.
- #5 Social Media- In schools it seems like people shy away from social media because of all the negative things that can happen. If social media is used correctly, it can be a very positive thing and allow students and teachers to stay in contact at all times.
- #7 Security and Safety- Students need to know how to protect themselves on the internet so they do not get themselves in a bad situation. Also, if security and safety are taught in school that things like social media will be used by more teachers without the fear of something inappropriate happening.
The 2 things that are not on the list that are important.
- The student needs to know how to evaluate the information that they find on the internet and think critically about what they read.
- The student needs to know that the internet is their for them to use and use in a manner that can help them learn. In the society we live in to day, many people are afraid to browse the internet because they may find something inappropriate. They need to get over those fears to get the most information from the internet.
In your opinion, what 2 tech skills listed are the most important?
ReplyDelete#3 immediately was the most important for me. As a part of the learning process, I believe it's important to fail, and by knowing the skills needed for helping yourself, you are more adept to learning from those failures.
#5 with social media was also very important, but I wanted to add to that with the comment from HollyClark - where we need to be knowledgable about our digital footprint/brand. Students don't always realize that the internet is our "cave wall" and things will be around for a while, and can be found by almost anyone.
In your opinion, what 2 tech skills listed should schools improve their strategies to help students?
I know in my school we sometimes struggle with citations of sources. I have taught English at each level and I always teach citations: but students need more work.
I also think schools should improve their netiquette awareness (this relates to #5 as well). This would tremendously help students in the classroom, and more importantly as a "21st Century Skill" being used in the real world.
What 2 tech skills are not included in this list that you think should be there?
I suppose the branding, as mentioned, could have it's own number on the list - it is vital students know this.
The other skill I would add is adding the importance of collaboration and how to do some efficiently and professionally. These specific skill sets of working together digitally will be vital for the rest of their school careers as well as in the workforce.
The top two skills in my opinion are:
ReplyDelete#7 Web Safety- it is extremely important for students to know not to give any personal information on the internet, as well as how to keep their computers safe while searching.
#1 Internet Search- As discussed in this course, students need to be able to search appropriately on the internet and be able to decide what websites provide the best information for their searching purpose. It is important for students to be able to find pertinent and correct information to use in their school work as well as daily lives.
Schools could improve:
#3 Self Learning of Technology and Where to go to help- I believe students often times rely too much on their teacher to help them when one small aspect of their computer goes wrong. It would be beneficial for all if students were taught a unit on 'What to do if.... when on the internet'.
#8 Hardware Basics and Trouble Shooting- This would be beneficial for schools to help students get a general overview (in high school) of what to do when the internet will not connect, the web page is not loading, or when certain parts of a computer are not working. Having a basic understanding of these aspects of technology would be helpful for students.
2 important things not included in the list:
-Cyber Bullying and proper internet etiquette: I know this topic may have been discussed in general with middle school aged children, but a real lesson on proper commenting on sites such as Facebook and other online forums may go a long way in the future for students socially.
-Website Evaluation: This topic is important for students to understand what sites are reputable and which sites are put up by anyone who thinks they're experts (or not!) I believe a lesson or two on website validity would help students a great deal.
Technology plays such an important role in our students' live now and it will also in their future. In my opinion, the two most important factors are #7 Security and Safety and #3 Self Learning/Where to go for help.
ReplyDelete#7 Safety: As young learners, our students need to be prepared to have their guard up for sources that are out for evil gain. All of the other factors pale in comparison if a student is taken advantage of in any way while using technology.
#3 Self Search/Help: There is absolutely no turning back on all of the technological advances and the manner in which our students' lives are intertwined with them. To lead a more successful life, it is essential that all students feel comfortable with many types of technology and find someone/something that can help them with questions.
Schools can greatly assist students if they improve upon #6 Netiquette and #1 Internet Searches.
#6 Netiquette: Students must know the difference between social and business uses of technology. The proper uses are inherent to some students, but not all.
#1 Internet Searches: As a teacher, I always assumed that students automatically knew how to find information as much as they use the net. It's just not the case. Many of them need to be taught since so much of their future may rely on information gathering.
The two factors that I believe need to be discussed in the technology world would be the financial issues/social issues.
Financially, I can't always go out and buy the newest/latest gadget just because. Students should be made aware of the cumulative cost of technology in their personal lives and decide if it is all truly necessary. Socially, students need to know that life does go on even if they "unplug" for a while.
10 Tech Skills Every Student Should Know
ReplyDeleteMost important 2:
#8 - I wish I knew more about hardware basics and troubleshooting so I could navigate those issues more thoroughly. Unfortunately, I am typically at the mercy of others to solve the issues for me.
#10 - As technology continues to grow and develop, being able to find apps and software that is of good quality and is meaningful to your needs will be essential for successful business personal practical.
Tech that should be improved in schools:
#3 – Students need to learn how to be self-sustainable after high school. In order to help students accomplish this goal, they need to be taught skills to help them learn where they need to go for help and how to be able to fix problems on their own.
#2 – Office Suite Skills such as iWorks, OpenOffice, and Google Docs are eventually going to be the new face of MS Office. These options are free and do almost the same (if not more) things as MS Office. Our school is removing MS Office from their computers and is switching over to Google Docs as a free alternative. I think more businesses will continue in that trend as well.
Two that could be added:
I think students need to learn how to evaluate the efficacy of a website as a skill to identify the Joe Schmoes from the professionals in their field. I also think teachers should teach their students how to create their own websites and the “tech language” involved in accomplishing this goal.
In my opinion…
ReplyDeleteThe two most important tech skills listed are:
1) Self learning of tech & where to go for help
As previously stated by my peers, knowing how to gain knowledge and build skills independently is an asset for students, as well as for adults post-secondary education.
2) Netiquette
It is critical that students are able to communicate professionally and appropriately through multiple avenues.
The two tech skills that schools should improve their strategies to help students are:
1) Office suite skills
I would like to highlight the “suite” portion of this skill, as I believe it is important that students are not only fluent in word processing documents but an array of other office programs as well. For example, students should be able to use Excel and PowerPoint in a meaningful way.
2) Copyright & Citing Sources
I wish that schools had better prepared me to find “safe” resources on the internet to utilize as resources. This includes text files, pictures, and videos. In addition, I think a greater emphasis on how to cite sources is important. Great work does not mean that it has to be original work. Knowing how to legally utilize material that already exists and how to incorporate such material with your own ideas would be beneficial.
Two tech skills that are not included that should be are:
1) Time Management with Tech Tools
In order for technology to ultimately benefit an individual, he/she must know how to use it to maximize his/her performance with it. This includes incorporating methods of organization through the use of digital tools.
2) Information Evaluation Skills!!!!!
This has been stated by my peers and well explained in their blog posts ;)
What 2 tech skills are most important?
ReplyDelete#3 Self learning for tech and where to go for help. I see that I agree with many of you when I put this as my number 1 most important tech tool. I think that it is very important that we as educators teach our students to be able to become individual learners. They need to utilize the tools that we have opened the door to.
#7 Security and safety. This I think is a no brainer. We must teach our students to be safe on the internet. It is so easy to be dooped into doing something that is not a good idea even though it seems legit. Our students need to know the proper precautions to take when being on the internet.
What 2 tech skills should schools improve their strategies to help students?
#5 Social Media. Social networking is becoming something that every one of our students is involved in. I think that our schools need to teach our students how to properly use these sites. It is very easy to say something on a social networking site and have it interpreted the completely wrong way by everyone who reads it.
#1 Internet Search. Students these days know how to search the internet. They have been taught this throughout their schooling, but I don't think that they have been properly taught how to verify the information that they find is valid.
What tech skills are not mentioned?
The tech skill that I saw not mentioned was how to verify that a website has valuable information on it that can be used as accurate information. Being able to evaluate a website is a very important skill to have because the internet is full of really good stuff but there is also some really bad stuff. We have to remember that anyone can put anything on the internet. We just need to be able to find what is good information and what is bad.
In my opinion, the two most important are the following:
ReplyDelete-#3 so students can learn strategies and techniques to help themselves and not always rely on the instructor.
-#7 because in my opinion, safety is not emphasized enough, especially with children.
The strategies schools can improve the most include:
-#7 so that children learn early and in multiple settings how to use technology and Internet appropriately and safely.
-#10 to collect as many resources as possible so students have a variety of options.
Strategies not included (or not really emphasized) that I think are important:
-Realizing and understanding that while technology and/or Internet can be very useful and helpful, it may not always be the best answer or strategy. I think too many students rely on the Internet and technology and are not familiar with other great resources.
-Mentioned vaguely in #10, but I think students should be taught how to effectively and carefully evaluate sites so they find appropriate and safe resources.
Good article! In my opinion, the two most important tech skills mentioned were a working knowledge of Office Suite and good ‘ole fashioned typing. I know that I am coming at the article from a business perspective rather than from an educational one but if I didn’t know the basics on how to use Word, Excel, Publisher and Power Point, I would be severely crippled in my occupation. And, at the foundation of all data entry is the ability to type rapidly and accurately. If students can type notes from a lecture into their notebook computers or iPads, they will be able to manipulate the digital information so much more quickly in order to produce their final product. If they are proficient in typing/keyboarding skills, they will be well equipped for any type of electronic communication, including e-mail, text and web design.
ReplyDeleteOne of the technology skills that I believe educators should spend more time on are training students how to search the Internet more accurately and efficiently. So much information is out there that I know I can personally waste hours searching the web for the specific pieces I need. I am paid for my time but time wasted in the classroom is time lost learning. If students are taught methods to quickly discern what information is useful and accurate on the Internet, they will be able to devote more time to the quality of the finished product. The second skill that probably needs more attention in the classroom is Netiquette. We have lost our “table manners” in this age of technology. Just as we train children in other skills, they need to learn how to use their devices in “polite” and professional ways. Mable, Mable, smart and able, keep your iPad/iPod away from the table!
Two technology skills that I would like to see added to this list are teaching students the basics of everyday life skill via the Internet. I believe it is important to teach them time management and organizational skills via the use of software like Franklin Covey’s Day Planner and money management skills through the use of Quicken and Turbo Tax. Students should become familiar with online banking apps and learn book keeping by coming familiar with software like Quick Books. These are all technology skills that each of us use on a monthly, if not a daily basis, in our adult lives and our students would be well served to learn these life skills before they venture out of the nest.
The two most valuable tech skills that students need are:
ReplyDelete#2 Office Suite Skills- I observe so many students during my walk throughs who are continually raising their hands to seek tech assistance in word processing etc. Students need to understand how to maneuver through Word, iWork's etc. We are net setting students up for success if they can not independently create a word document or tech presentation.
#3 Self Learning of tech and where to go for help-This ties in with #2 above. Learning time is wasted in a classroom if students cannot quickly solve their minor tech issues. I had a student once tell me when they do laptop work in his classroom his hands start to sweat because he feels so behind the other students. We are well aware of our struggling readers but are we aware of our struggling tech students?
What 2 tech skills should schools improve their strategies to help students?
#5 Social Media: Speaking from an administrator's perspective, social media consumes our day, everyday. Students do not understand the power of posting their feelings instantly. Cyberbullying is extremely difficult to stop and it is very challenging to keep ahead of students who are doing it.
#1 Internet Search: Students need more practice on how to do a proper search. Students need to learn how to weed out sites with inaccurate information.
Two Tech skills that were not mentioned:
I agree with others in the blog that students need to learn how to properly evaluate a website.
Another tech skill that would be useful for students would be top ten tips on how to save a student time doing searches on the internet. For example how to narrow a search topic etc.
1.) Netiquette
ReplyDeleteI find that many students are not aware of what is considered appropriate because they feel they are “anonymous” on the internet.
2.) Security and Safety
Students don’t understand that not everyone on the internet is “a friend.” It is important for students to be aware of which practices are unsafe. Students should also be taught in the classroom how to be safe on the internet.
1.) Internet Search
Students know how to find information –they do not always know how to find academic information. The difference is evident in assignments where they student use Wikipedia.
2.) Copyright and Citing Source
Most students are not aware what information is fair use. They are also unaware of how specifically to cite a source they find on the internet.
1.) Information Evaluation
This follows the same logic as my above comments. Students can find a source, but it may not be a very good source. Students have to be taught this skill in the classroom.
2.) Internet Publishing
Students should be taught how to put their ideas on the internet in a way that is useful and accurate. If this is taught, then the students can help improve the internet.
The 2 most important tech skills are #3 and #2. Students need to gain the skills to figure out where to look and who to ask for help when they run into issues. This is a skill that will help them in more than just technology. Being resourceful will provide solutions for their problems and allow them to be more self-sufficient and independent in their learning.
ReplyDeleteIt is also important they improve their office skills. Since pretty much all careers involve using the office tools, it is essential they learn how to use them, and in many cases how to excel using them. The ability to make a spreadsheet, powerpoint, or word document better than a competitor can be a significant advantage.
The 2 skills schools need to help students get better at are #5 and #7. Social media is not going anywhere, and students eat it up. They need to really learn what is and is not appropriate to post on their facebook and twitters. Cyber bullying and lack of filter are two issues students will encounter on the internet's social hangouts, and they need tools to combat the issues they will face.
Also, students need to understand what dangers lurk behind that program turning their cursor into a pony or baseball. Malware and spyware are eagerly awaiting to prey on those who do not know the dangers of trusting every site.
The 2 skills schools should be teaching students are web site evaluation (is it a scholarly site or a blog by someone?) and source evaluation (getting opinions on a new legislature being good or bad from fox news, a research survey by TI saying that their newest model is a fundamental part of math learning, and in general just being aware of what bias is and what bias the author may have).