[Yr7-10it] Essential skills

[Donna Benjamin]

On Mon, 2009-08-17 at 13:49 +1000, Dr Paul Chandler wrote:
> Given my current role, I'd also be vying for a good chunk of visual
> literacy; it might look like a unit on powerpoint, but it'd actually
> be a unit on visual literacy.

Also - Powerpoint is just one application, from one Vendor - there are
so many ways to present information to an audience.

Including web based presentation tools such as google docs, S5 and Slidy
http://www.w3.org/Talks/Tools/Slidy
http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/s5/

Is there room for more basic computing fundamentals here?
 hardware: desktops, laptops, phones, printers, displays, discs,
devices, peripherals, components, networking gear (wireless routers etc)

how to build a computer from parts...

 software: 
   operating systems
   applications - desktop (office) vs server & web based (moodle)
   plugins, widgets, extensions
   viruses, malware, anti-virus, firewalls etc...
   

 basic troubleshooting / diagnostic skills

 basic programming  (scratch, squeak, alice)

File management strategies would be useful as this is something kids are
unlikely to explore and learn on their own through trial and error.

Software changes so fast, and is constantly updated.
applications are learnt in the process of using them, and ideally
students should be exposed to more than one version of an application -
so they learn to appreciate there is more than one way to achieve
something, and learn to 'learn' about software, how to get familiar with
different applications.

Internet Safety, search strategies, critical information literacy.

Copyright and Creative Commons:
What's safe and free to use, versus what's not.

Just a few thoughts :)

- Donna


-- 
Donna Benjamin - Executive Director
Creative Contingencies - http://cc.com.au
ph +61 3 9326 9985 - mob +61 418 310 414
open source - facilitation - web services