You might assume that by the time your child is ready for high school, they will have mastered all things “computer,” regardless of whether they have attended an online school, distance learning programme, or a more conventional school. After all, most preteens and teens already spend a significant portion of their day staring at devices. Students in middle school should begin learning how to use computers now so they can succeed in high school, college, and beyond. Examine the following list of the top computer skills for your child to learn to ensure that he or she is prepared for the academic demands of today’s high schools.
Web Surfing
The computer user should also be familiar with the common software used with a mouse and keyboard. See to it that your kid knows how to use “Bookmarks” or “Favourites” and is familiar with the three most popular browsers (Chrome, Firefox, and Edge). They need to learn to erase their browser’s cache, history, and cookies when it starts performing slowly.
Typing Skill
Typing is the foundation of computer use. Young children often learn to use computers by mastering the basics, including how to type. A pupil in middle school should have the ability to type quickly and accurately using both hands. There are plenty of typing games like Type Fu available online to help your high school student who is falling behind catch up.
Conducting Research via the Web
Research for essays, reports, and presentations in high school often necessitates the use of online databases, print resources, and personal interviews with experts in the field (SMEs). In order to do research for high school online courses, students need to be able to use the internet effectively. This includes being able to evaluate web resources for authority, currency, purpose, and content, as well as conducting an effective search with a search engine (like Google, Bing, or Yahoo) using advanced search commands, identifying legitimate resources, etc.
Microsoft Office
A high school student needs to be proficient in the most widely used software suite in order to make effective use of their computer. Your kid has to be proficient with Microsoft Office, a set of tools that are widely used in schools and businesses. It has the usual suspects, such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Email Etiquette
Email, instant messaging, and social media posts are just some of the ways in which computers facilitate communication. Your youngster will be better able to communicate through these mediums if he or she has a firm grasp of how communications should adapt to different settings.
Systematising and Updating Files
It’s getting difficult to keep up with all of the homework. A computer user’s ability to generate and save work is fundamental, but the prolific user will quickly learn that they need a method for organising their files. Understand the use of external discs, such as flash and thumb drives, etc., and be able to construct and label directories for storing files and other organisational elements.
Competence in Online Privacy, Security, and Safety
Students at virtual schools also need to know how to stay secure while using the internet. You may have instructed your youngster to stay away from unknown websites, delete strange emails, and be cautious when using social media, but cybercriminals are becoming more cunning every day. Students should be aware of the hows and whys of cyber safety measures such as enabling the “Do Not Track Tool” in browsers, creating and never sharing passwords, avoiding opening attachments from unknown senders, requesting approval before signing up for anything, adhering to age restrictions on all social networking sites, etc.
Basic Computer Troubleshooting
Fundamental knowledge of computers and how to troubleshoot issues is essential for any user. If your high schooler encounters computer issues, he or she should know how to perform some basic troubleshooting steps, such as verifying that all cables and plugs are securely connected, and that power strips are turned on; documenting each step taken to resolve the issue; and, finally, rebooting the computer and/or programme.