I need your help!
I do a lot of professional development on integration, and I am always surprised by how many teachers, even those who use computers every day, don’t know what I consider “must-know” tech skills. I’m not talking so much about broad areas like word processing or spreadsheets, but more small skills that make life easier no matter what application you’re using.
Here are some “must-know” tech skills on my list:
– Right-clicking
– Tabbed browsing
– Managing multiple windows or workspaces (alt-tab, using the taskbar)
– Efficient file management (making folders, file naming, using file explorer, etc.)
– Browser basics (URL space vs. search space, bookmarks, default home page, Google toolbar, mousing over links)
What else should be on this list (or which should come off the list)?
(Once I get a final top ten list compiled, I’ll publish it, along with a movie showing each.)
* Social bookmarking (ala Delicious)
* Effective search techniques
* On a Windows machine knowing about the quick launch bar next to the start button…especially “show desktop”
* When downloading and saving a file…knowing where you put it. Or better putting it someplace you know where it will be.
* RSS feeds
* Simple HTML tags (especially for those using Moodle)
* Knowing your computer’s media player both for audio and video (Windows Media, iTunes)
* Knowing where the volume controls are on you OS
and…. how to change screen resolution
Searching for files or words in a file.
Creating shortcuts on desktops
checking cables when network connectivity, mouse, keyboard, or video
is lost
understanding url parts especially http vs https in an url
Oh yeah! You guys are awesome! I’m jamming on this now! Can’t wait to start making movies on this stuff! (I also suspect there are already some good ones out there. I’ll look.)
I’m thinking of a workshop intro where I go through all of these in a whirlwind (10 min. tops) and then give people a checklist to check off the ones they don’t know. Then give them a half hour to go watch movies or read tutorials on how to do those. DIFFERENTIATED PD!!
File Management would be my #1 and next would be using the corner handles to resize images. I’m always amazed to see horrible image proportions because the user doesn’t use the corners.
Another issue that I’m uncertain how to describe would be utilizing Save AS to change the file format. (For example to save a Powerpoint slide as a .jpg image or using Right-Click Save As features.)
oh… and learning how to change the file size of an image. How many 5 slide, 100Mb Powerpoints, or a classroom webpage that takes 45seconds to load can you handle.
Jeff, on changing the file size of an image, do you mean resizing with something like Photoshop or GIMP? (There is also a web 2.0 app that does this… http://www.my-i-size.com/ or http://www.phixr.com/)
~File management
~Searching techniques – web evaluation
~Delicious
~Computer maintenance – scan, defrag, backup, etc. – guidance on how often
~Saving in correct format, compression of large files
I think all that are listed are relevant. I agree with Becky on the distorted images…ugh.
I think OS skills are #1 on my list:
* Managing and organizing files
* Searching for files
* Installing/Uninstalling apps
* Accessing settings / Control Panel
* Identifying how much RAM, HD space, etc. they have
* How big files are / what type of file based on extension
I agree with many of the items already listed. We were just talking with some teachers about OS skills. Things like:
-files and folders
-file formats
-connecting and using devices like projectors
-file size/download time
-searching for files
-image editing
-file paths
Many of these skills seem to get in the way of some really good ideas that end in frustration.
It will be hard to choose just 10! How about:
–selecting most appropriate apps for a task
–finding alternative apps in the cloud
–screen capture
–downloading (app, image, other file) and finding it!
–built in accessibility options
–using appropriate seach tools and strategies
–basic website evaluation
–troubleshooting techniques
Yours are excellent, Karen. Here are some others that you might consider.
I think a very important and overlooked computer skill is learning how to access the help system. Most people are surprised to find out how much they can learn by pressing the F1 key.
Keyboarding skills like using the shift key to select text, and the keyboard to cut and paste, Using home, end, pg up, and pg dn with the cntrl key. The difference between the backspace and the delete key and using the insert key.
How to formulate an effective search by recognizing keywords and using basic search syntax including quotes, minus, and plus.
Recognizing secure sites and why is it important whether the site is secure.
Making backups, how to do it quickly and easily. What is the point of making backups?
OMG! I think file management has to be tops. File formats would be next, followed by clicking…single left-click, double-click (left), right-click. It drives me crazy when people double-click a link! Tabbed browsing is important, as is terminology. Downloading a program is different that installing a program! Burning a CD or DVD is important. Knowing how to use a laptop … touch pad … hook up to a data projector … is important. Knowing that restarting a computer is different than logging off, which is part of basic troubleshooting skills, just like checking cables and making sure that equipment is plugged in. Backing up your own info is an important little tidbit! The list could go on and on!
File management would be top on my list. I can’t imagine how many hours are wasted looking for files in an endless list in My Documents. When to right click and when to left click
Using Save As when the file is read only
Using Save As to make Office 2007 files backward compatible for older versions
Recognizing different ports on the computer – SD vs. USB vs. VGA
The knowledge that a reboot can potentially solve an endless number of issues
Searching techniques online
How to backup your files to a flash drive, CD, or DVD (How to burn a CD or DVD – using drag and drop and then actually writing files to the CD) – I can’t count the number of blank CD’s I have been given because the files were never written to the CD.
Evaluating a website for credibility
Tips for projecting the computer image through a data projector (Which piece of equipment to start first, pressing F8 on an Dell laptop, restarting if necessary, checking cable connections, etc.)
Two Words: Information Literacy. We can and should not assume that adult learners have a firm grasp on information literacy, ethics, copyright, leadership, and the do’s a dont’s of web behavior. Great idea Karen!
After reading the comments from others, I don’t have any new ideas to add. I agree with the topics suggested and like the idea of differentiated exploring for adult learners. I look forward to your movies, a few of which will fill some of my learning gaps.
taking a digital photo and uploading it to a photo hosting site for safe archive and editing.
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