Time to take stock of what you know about technology. You're a student. And you're going to be a teacher, so you definitely need these skills AND you need to be able to teach them. Reflect on what you already know and use some of the resources provided to learn what you need to know!
The
list and resources are from David Andrade
, a Physics teacher and educational technology specialist in Connecticut. He is the author of the Educational Technology Guy blog, where he reviews free educational technology resources for teachers, discusses ways to use technology to improve teaching and learning, and discusses other issues in education. Educational Technology Guy is another of the blogs I have on my must read list! This article orginally appeared in the Technology & Learning blog.
1. Internet Search - students need to know how to do a proper internet search, using search terms and modifiers. This skill is needed for school, work and life in general.
2. Office Suite Skills - students need to now how to create, edit, and modify documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. Businesses still use MS Office for the most part, but iWorks, OpenOffice / LibreOffice, and
Google Docs are all getting more popular. They all work similarly so the learning curve when switching isn't that big.
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.
4. Typing - yes, typing. I can get much more work done since I know how to type, then people who don't. It's a skill that is necessary for any kind of writing.
5. Social Media - how to properly use social media for school and work, how to protect yourself on it, the issues of cyberbullying, connecting with others in your profession (PLN).
6. Netiquette - Internet/Email/Social Media etiquette - proper way to use the internet, write professional emails, use social media in relation to your job (not complaining about the boss).
7. Security and Safety - antivirus, spam, phishing, too much personal information sharing, stalkers, and more are all issues they need to know about.
8. Hardware basics and troubleshooting - knowing what different parts of technology are called, how to make minor fixes, and how to do basic troubleshooting for WiFi, networks, OS won't load, etc.
9. Backup data - with all of the data that students create for school and work, it is important to back it up and have access to it at any time.
10. Finding apps and software - how to find, evaluate, and use apps for school and business. Also, how to find quality, free alternatives to paid software, apps and services.
What do you think are the top tech skills students need to know?
Bonus:
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 their's properly.
