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.
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