You may expect your student to have mastered all things “computer” by the time they reach high school, regardless of whether they attend online school, distance learning, or a traditional brick-and-mortar institution. In fact, the majority of adolescents and preteens spend several hours per day in front of digital screens. While eighth-graders scored above the international average for computer and information literacy, they struggled with essential 21st-century computer skills, according to a global study of students’ computer and information literacy abilities.
The research demonstrates that the concept of a “digital native” is more myth than reality. The majority of today’s eighth-graders lacked the ability to perform basic tasks on their own despite growing up in a world where computers and smartphones are commonplace. Clearly, we have work to do to ensure that our students are able to use digital devices to navigate all aspects of life successfully.
Middle school students will require computer skills in high school, college, and beyond. To ensure that your soon-to-be-high school-aged child has the computer skills necessary to meet their academic needs today, please review the list of the top computer skills for your child to acquire.
Utilizing Microsoft Office
A high school student must be able to use the most popular computer programmes for the work that will be performed on their computer. Your child should be familiar with Microsoft Office, a suite of computer programmes utilised in academic and professional environments. It contains:
- Use Word to create, format, save, and edit documents
- Modify margins and line spacing
- Establish headers and footers
- Employ track change
- Include tables and images in documents
- Examine word counts
Your high school student should be able to organise information in charts and graphs, write formulas, sort and filter data, and use cell references in this spreadsheet programme.
PowerPoint
Students who master this slide programme will be able to create effective presentations for school reports and future careers. A student in high school should be able to create simple presentations with text, images, and objects.
Typing Skills
Utilising a keyboard is essential for computer use. Typing is one of the earliest computer skills that young children acquire. A middle school student should be proficient with two-handed typing. If your high schooler is falling behind, there are thousands of online typing games, such as Type Fu, that can help them improve their typing skills.
File Administration and Organisation
Schoolwork is piling up. Understanding how to create and save work on a computer is essential, but the frequent computer user will quickly realise they need a system for storing their work.
High school students must be able to:
- Create folders and label them
- Recognize that each folder may contain individual files or additional folders containing subfolders
- Comprehend file suffixes, such as how.docx files open in Microsoft Word and.xls files open in Microsoft Excel
4. Know how to use external storage devices, such as flash and thumb drives
5. Be conversant with online and cloud file storage, as well as file transfer and sharing via Dropbox, Microsoft’s OneDrive, and Google Drive.
Examine your child’s computer maintenance checklist to determine if he or she is familiar with its guidelines for computer organisation.
Computer Troubleshooting Fundamentals
Regular computer users must understand the fundamentals of how computers function and what to do if something goes wrong.
When computer issues arise, your teen should be able to:
- Record each step taken to resolve the issue.
- Ensure that all cables are properly connected, plugs are inserted, and power strips are turned on.
- Record as much information as possible about computer error messages, and look them up online (using another device) for more details.
- Restart; if all else fails, attempt to restart the programme and/or computer.
Email Etiquette
Computers offer many different communication channels, such as email, chat, and social media posts. To use these channels correctly, your child needs to understand how messages should change depending on the context. For example, it’s fine to use emoticons and loose punctuation in texts to a friend, but email to a teacher or prospective employer should use standard English and be more formal. This University of Virginia tutorial advises that effective emails need a descriptive and brief subject line and should quickly get to the point. Proper email etiquette includes:
- An introduction
- A paragraph or two with appropriate capitalization, word usage, and punctuation
- Avoidance of “text talk” and shorthand
- Clear, respectful requests
- Sign offs, such as, “Regards,” “Take care,” “Thank you,” or something similar to signal the end of the email
Remind your high schooler that the rules of virtual school etiquette apply to their time on the computer and how they communicate with others through it. If you are searching for more tips to prepare your child for the best possible future, then do ODM Global School, the top CBSE school in Bhubaneswar.