Computer Skills Check List
MSAD #50
Draft
Recommendations Computer Skills Checklist K-12

Grades K-2
Keyboarding Grade 3
Grades 4-5
Computer Skills Grades 6
Grade 7-8
Grades 9-12
Staff competancy
By the end of Grade 3
By the end of Grade 6
By the end of Grade 8

MSAD50  ~ Tech. Office ~ Computer Skills
The technology team has developed a check list of skills which all students should have achieved by the time they leave grade 8. Georges Valley High School will then build on these skills with several courses required before graduation from high school. Many of the skills will be introduced by the classroom teacher, particularly at the K-3 level. But they may equally be offered by the computer coordinators, the technology coordinator or the library aide. The skills list will offer three opportunities during K-8 education for students to be checked for acquisition of the skills. Student records will be kept electronically and will follow the student from grade to grade.

Grades K-2

At grades k-2, the team recommends that each classroom teacher schedule time each week in the computer labs to work with students with the support of the library aide. Skills which need to be taught are outlined in the check list. Such a schedule will give teachers the opportunity to work with their students on computer skills, to explore software which can support the curriculum, to use e-mail, and generally to improve their own skills. Where the teacher feels s/he needs more support, the technology coordinator will work with her/him to get started.

At the third grade level, keyboarding will be taught throughout the district. Reinforcement will be offered in grade 5. Upon completion of the introductory class students will be able to use touch typing techniques, be familiar with the location of all keys and have reasonable accuracy. Speed in not an issue. The business education teacher at Georges Valley High School will supervise the teaching of keyboarding by the library aides, or whoever is selected to teach this skill at each school. The recommendation of the technology team is that keyboarding be taught by a certified business education teacher. Since this will not be possible in the 1998-99 school year, we would like to have the high school business education teacher train and supervise the library aides and evaluate the program for us at the end of the year.

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Recommendations for Keyboarding Grade 3:
  • Mrs. Walker to meet with the library aides on Monday, August 31st for introduction and training.
  • Mrs. Walker to have coverage for her high school classes to enable her to visit each school three times during keyboarding classes to observe and make suggestions for improvement. This would be a total of 12 visits across the district. We also recommend two additional meetings for discussion during the library aides regular monthly meeting.
  • At grade three keyboarding will be offered four days a week, 30 minutes at a time for nine weeks. The current three week offering is totally inadequate for introducing all letter and numbers.
  • During 1998-99 Keyboarding Capers will be used in grade 3 and Typing Tutor in grade 5.
  • Microsoft Works will be used as word processor of choice and basic skills will be reinforced as part of the keyboarding class. (See checklist below).
  • Library aides will check off the skills which students demonstrate as part of the keyboarding class.
  • The technology team recommends hiring a 1/2 time professional business education teacher for school year 99-00, to teach both basic and reinforcement classes in keyboarding.
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Grades 4-5

At grades 4-5, the team recommends that classroom teachers schedule time in the computer labs and libraries as needed for particular projects, such as research or e-mail projects, or on a weekly basis if they prefer that. Skills which need to be taught are outlined in the check list. Such a schedule will give teachers the opportunity to work with their students on computer skills, to explore software which can support the curriculum, to use e-mail and the Internet for research, and generally to improve their own skills. Where the teacher feels s/he needs more support, the technology coordinator will work with her/him to get started.

At the sixth grade level, a computer skills course will be taught district-wide by the technology education teachers each of whom see these students for 1/2 year.

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Recommendations for computer skills grade 6:
  • Technology education teachers at St. George School and Thomaston Grammar School will teach a computer skills course as part of technology education for 1/2 year.
  • Skills will include reinforcement in word processing and introduction of spreadsheet and database skills using Microsoft Works 4.5. (See checklist below.)
  • Students will be able to take apart and reassemble the peripherals of a computer system. (Monitor, keyboard, mouse)
  • Technology education teachers will check off the skills which students demonstrate as part of the computer skills class.
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Grades 7-8

At grades 7-8, the team recommends that classroom teachers schedule time in the computer labs and libraries as needed for particular projects, such as research or e-mail projects, or on a weekly basis if they prefer that. Skills which need to be taught are outlined in the check list. Such a schedule will give teachers the opportunity to work with their students on computer skills, to explore software which can support the curriculum, to use e-mail and the Internet for research, and generally to improve their own skills. Where the teacher feels s/he needs more support, the technology coordinator will work with her/him to get started. All 8th grade students will do a project with the technology coordinator each year. S/he will do the final check of skills for each student at this time using the MSAD #50 Assessment for Computer Skills and pass the files on to the high school. Students who are not able to achieve a minimum of 80% competency will receive remedial help from the technology coordinator.

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Grades 9-12

Graduation requirements for the class of 2000+ include 1 credit in computer science. The following classes can be used to satisfy this requirement. Descriptions are in the GVHS handbook.

621 Word Processing Basics fulfills 1/2 required credit

625 Advanced Word Processing fulfills 1/2 required credit

633 Computer Skills for College Bound Students fulfills 1/2 required credit

634 Computer Skills for Careers and Employment fulfills 1/2 required credit

780 Computer Assisting Drafting/Design Engineering fulfills 1/2 required credit

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Staff Competency

By the end of the 1998-99 school year all staff will demonstrate competency with the basic computer skills defined by the MSAD #50 Staff Self-Assessment for Computer Skills , March, 1998. Programs for staff development will include one workshop day in November, and one "staff meeting" period each month devoted to computer skills for those who need them. Material will be planned specifically to address the skills shown as needed by the self assessment.

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Computer Skills Checklist Grades K-12

By the end of grade 3 all students will:

  • Develop touch keyboarding skills

    • 1. Use correct posture
    2. Use correct hand and arm position
    3. Operate alphabetic keys using correct finger reaches
    4. Operate numeric/symbol keys using correct finger reaches
  • Explain/Perform Computer Operations

    • 1. Operate cursor movement keys (i.e., arrow backspace, page up/down)
    2. Operate Alt, Shift, Ctrl, and function keys
    3. Handle diskettes, CD-ROMS properly
    4. Manipulate pointing device
    5. Use software (i.e., boot, run, close applications)
    6. Identify basic hardware components (i.e., monitor, keyboard, etc.
    7. Describe proper care and use of computers
  • Explore Computer Technology

    • 1. Identify careers that utilize computers
    2. Describe personal use of computers
    3. Access the Internet for information (develop web pages)
  • Explore Computer Ethics

    • 1. Identify ethical issues related to computers
    2. Explore ethical issues
    3. Describe the use of copyright as it applies to personal use
     
  • Explore Telecommunications Activities

    • 1. Define terms
    2. Send and receive electronic messages
    3. Use Internet resources
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By the end of Grade 6 all students will:
  • Explore computer concepts

    • 1. Define terms related to hardware and software (i.e., hard drive, keyboard, RAM, diskettes, menu)
    2. Describe the electronic information cycle (input, processing, output, storage/retrieval)
    3.Describe used of computer technology in the workplace
    4. Analyze technology’s impact on careers
  • Take apart and reassemble the peripherals of a computer system.

    • 1. Define parts of system (i.e., monitor, computer, mouse)
    2. Remove cables connecting various components
    3. Reassemble components and boot system
  • Examine computer ethics

    • 1. Identify ethical and unethical computer practices
    2. Explain the importance of ethical standards in computer use
    3. Describe the use of copyright as it applies to their own work
  • Perform basic word processing activities

    • 1. Define terms
    2. Describe common uses
    3. Create documents
    4. Format documents
    5. Evaluate document format/layout
    6. Use spell check
    7. Select fonts
    8. Use enhancement features (i.e., bold, italic, underline)
    9. Cut, copy and paste text
    10. Perform find and replace activities
    11. Perform save and retrieve procedures
    12. Print documents.
  • Perform spreadsheet activities

    • 1. Define terms
    2. Describe common uses
    3. Use basic spreadsheet features (i.e.. move, copy, column width)
    4. Edit and revise an existing spreadsheet
    5. Create and apply formula to a new spreadsheet
    6. Perform save and retrieve procedures
    7. Print documents
  • Explore database activities

    • 1. Define terms
    2. Describe common uses
    3. Enter data
    4. Sort data
    5. Print reports
  • Perform telecommunications activities

    • 1. Use e-mail for daily communication (i.e., send and receive mail, set up and use distribution lists)
    2. Use the Internet to search for sources which will answer research questions
    3. Evaluate sources
    4. Print data
    5. Create simple web pages for the publication of project results.
  • Use operating systems to

    • 1. Copy, move and delete files and/or directories
    2. Manage icons and the desktop
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By the end of grade 8 all students will have demonstrated competence with the above skills and be given the opportunity to practice them using the integrated software, Eudora and Netscape available on all MSAD #50 computers.
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MSAD50  ~ Tech. Office ~ Computer Skills