The 6 technology skills expected of all incoming freshmen - all

On my way to Beijing. 8.5 inches of snow last night. Keeping my fingers crossed the flights go. Getting a little work done while in the boarding area...

Minneapolis Airport, March 5, 2013 6:30AM

GoogleDoc containg all 6 IT skills that should be expected of all incoming high school freshmen and accessed at the link below. (You should not need additional permission to access.) Under CreativeCommons license so use and share. Comments are welcome:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14UnsxDRzusyJhErfldqUxh92Y8C0A-qx4CwL-xmTgn4/edit?usp=sharing

This was the purpose of the performance assessments, first written in 2005, and just updated:

What IT Skills Should Teachers Expect of Incoming HS Freshmen? (revised)

Doug Johnson
doug0077@gmail.com
March 2013

At a district curriculum council meeting in 2005 we discussed how we might be able to determine the level of technology proficiency of our incoming 9th graders. While we have a fairly good handle on what we teach all students grades K- 6 through our library media program, we still find a large disparity among students as they enter high school. Much of the difference can be attributed to the varying levels of teacher enthusiasm for reinforcing skills in the classroom and, of course, levels of home access.

A paper and pencil test on ICT skills seems shallow. A full-blown performance assessment would be a huge time commitment. A self-assessment rubric would be unreliable.

There are some online “performance tests.” ETS is designed one for college students. But I have seen little work done on how we accurately measure the skills of incoming high school students.

Here is my very modest proposal: we pick the top “ICT skills” that classroom teachers should be able to expect of all students and design short, authentic tasks that can be easily assessed. If each core classroom teacher gives and evaluates one skill at the beginning of the freshman year, a profile of every student can be compiled and remediation can be provided through classes taught by the librarian.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been a classroom teacher, but I will start the conversation by suggesting that these tools and skills are essential for all students if they are to be able to do basic work assigned by classroom teachers.

1. Word processing
2. Spreadsheet use and graphing
3. Multimedia presentation software and digital image handling
4. Online communications
5. Internet-enabled research
6. Managing one's online presence (new 2013)

Adults and over-reaction

Lies Parents Tell Their Kids (Source)

No.1  Carrots help you see in the dark
No.2  Watching too much TV will damage your eyesight
No.3  Cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis
No.4  If you swallow chewing gum it will stay in your stomach for seven years
No.5  Swimming after eating causes cramps
No.6  If you go outside with wet hair, you'll catch a cold
No.7  Crossing your eyes will make you go cross-eyed
No.8  If you sneeze with your eyes open, they will fall out
No.9  Eating chocolate causes acne
No.10 Drinking coffee will make you short

Really? Then why aren't there more adults whose eyes are crossed? 

Plagiarism Infographic from Plagtracker.com (via Stephens Lighthouse)

Really, one plagarized paper will make me a homeless bum at age 70? And a smoker? Anything, but please not a politician! 

GEICO Pig on a Date Angers One Million Moms

GEICO’s newest mascot is Maxwell, a talking pig who is the latest target of One Million Moms, a conservative organization that its website says targets the “trash in today’s media” that is aimed at children. ... Monica Cole, director of One Million Moms, says the commercial promotes bestiality.

Really? Somebody thinks that Maxwell is so hot that girls might be tempted to make out with him? Sorry, girls, this farm boy knows the difference between a boar and a barrow - and Max sure doesn't talk or look like a boar to me.

I really get disgusted with any over-hyping of a problem. Aren't kids facing enough real problems, dangers, and tough choices without adults selling a product or POV by ramping up the consequences or temptations.

How are adults supposed to have any credibility when real threats come up when stupid concerns like these are so common?

BTW, I wonder where One Million Moms stands on this perverted flick?

 

BFTP: Cyberbullying document - as promised

A weekend Blue Skunk "feature" will be a revision of an old post. I'm calling this BFTP: Blast from the Past. Original post February 14, 2008. I'd be interested in knowing from my cyberbullying (prevention) gurus, if and how this document needs an update.

As promised...

Click to access .pdf

Click to access .doc

 

Many thanks to Nancy Willard for her permission to use materials from her website, her book, and her kind advice (some of which I actually took, but probably not enough.)