Technology is ever-changing and will continue to expand. As people and businesses become more reliant on computers and applications to process information, it’s essential that your child gets a jump start on their computer literacy. The sooner your student starts building a strong foundation, the easier and faster they’ll continue developing those skills.
It’s important to hone computer skills for elementary students to continue to expand their knowledge through high school and develop skills that will help them in their future.
1. Microsoft Suite Proficiency
The Microsoft suite is an umbrella term for the programs people can access through Microsoft applications. These applications are widely used across various industries, and your child will likely come in contact with them many times throughout their career and life. The most important programs for your child to know are Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Still, a basic understanding of Access, OneNote, Outlook, and Publisher can further improve their computer literacy skills.
Being proficient in the Microsoft suite will make your child more marketable in their future job hunt and help them be better students and future employees. Your child will complete projects using these applications throughout their education.
Microsoft Excel is spreadsheet software students can use to input data and compare information. PowerPoint is a program that students can use to create slideshows and presentations to share with their peers and instructors. Word is an application your child can use to write essays, take notes, or put reminders. Many schools rely heavily on these programs to complete school assignments, and your child will need to have an advanced understanding of them. Your child can develop a deep understanding of the Microsoft Suite in cyber school, where they will work daily with their computer and navigate assignments virtually.
2. Keyboard and Mouse Expertise
It’s important to encourage your child to improve their basic computer skills and get comfortable with a keyboard and mouse. These basic functions ensure they can navigate their way around a computer, complete their projects, and turn in assignments.
Your child will need to improve their typing speed and learn how to type without looking at the keyboard. If they need to focus on where their fingers are moving, they won’t give their coursework the attention it needs. Improving their ability to touch type will enable them to work productively and without breaking their concentration.
You can teach your child how to touch type by getting them used to the keyboard. With the left fingers on the A, S, D, and F keys, the right fingers on the colon, L, K, and J keys, and the thumbs on the space bar, they can easily access every other key and start practicing their typing skills. You can find online timed typing quizzes to evaluate their progress that will tell you how many words per minute your child types. Have them take these quick quizzes a few times a week and watch as they improve their speed.
Your child will also hone their skills through their online curriculum. They’ll naturally improve their typing and clicking speed as they log on to classes, type responses in discussions and work through virtual assignments.
3. Web Browser and Search Functionality
A search engine is where you type your questions, and a web browser is an application that houses the search engine. For example, a search engine would be Google or Yahoo, and the browser would be Safari or Google Chrome.
Navigating these web browsers and performing effective searches will be critical for your child to find trustworthy information, but knowing how to “Google” a topic is a skill your child will need in their non-academic life as well.
Your child needs to know when to click on a link and when not to do so. Visiting some websites can spread viruses on their computer and slow productivity. Furthermore, they can put your family at risk of losing personal information. Inputting a credit card number to an untrustworthy site could result in someone stealing that information.
Basic functions like downloading, viewing history, bookmarking, and saving images will help your child keep information organized and easier to find later. Teaching them how to use these functions and prompting them to practice will improve their computer literacy and encourage them to use safe and productive internet practices.
CCA offers technology coursesthat can teach your child about databases, storage options, and data management so your child can become more aware of how their computer works and how to navigate the internet safely and productively.
4. Artificial Intelligence Foundation
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be intimidating for some because there are misconceptions and confusion about exactly what it is. AI can actually streamline the education process, and students should have a functional understanding of it.
Artificial intelligence is a technology with human-like capabilities like reasoning, planning, learning, and creativity. People use AI every day to shop online, translate languages, navigate search engines, talk to digital assistants, drive cars, and use smartphones. All types of industries use AI to improve the way they work and streamline data.
AI is a part of technology that will continue to evolve and ease the strain on educators. It would be best if your student learned how to use AI to their benefit so they can adapt to its later improvements.
Benefits of AI in education currently include:
- All-time access: AI gives students access to materials regardless of when or where your child is doing their work. Students can access training and education from all over the world without ever leaving their homes.
- Response time: Although instructors eventually go to sleep and offices close at the end of the day, AI runs constantly. Your student can utilize AI to find answers to their questions so they can continue working without interruptions or setbacks.
- Additional help: Many students benefit from tutoring and other academic resources, but educators don’t always have time to dedicate to after-hours assistance. Artificial intelligence can give your students resources to work through challenges and strengthen weak spots.
- Personalization: AI gives schools the ability to create personalized educational programs for each student by analyzing a student’s previous learning histories, spotting weaknesses, or recommending courses.
CCA offers personalized schedules that allow your learner to experience the benefits of AI firsthand. With a plethora of resources available to help your student succeed inside and outside of traditional school hours and access to career training and other educational opportunities, your child will learn to use AI to be efficient.
5. Privacy and Online Etiquette
Basic computer knowledge for school students includes understanding how to collaborate with others and use safe internet practices. One vital concept for your child to understand is that once something is on the internet, it stays there forever. Deleting a post or removing a chat doesn’t make it disappear. Furthermore, your child needs to understand limitations and privacy rights and recognize that they could get hacked after accessing fishy websites. They should also know that not everything on the internet is accurate.
Spend time with your child to discuss the do’s and don’ts of the internet, how to write emails, and how to recognize untrustworthy communication:
- Create strong passwords and tell your child never to share them.
- Discuss the importance of not clicking on emails from random addresses.
- Remind them to keep personal information to themselves.
- Encourage them to ask permission before creating new accounts.
- Explain advertisements and why they should not click on them.
- Prompt them to practice writing emails for professional correspondence.
Whether your student is working with peers on a project or looking to post a status update, knowing how to write a professional email and interact with others politely is an important skill they will need far beyond their education. By helping them build skills to write emails, they can begin recognizing when incoming emails look suspicious.
Discover How CCA Grows Computer Skills and Knowledge
Online school improves computer skills for kids. CCA fosters these computer skills through daily use of their computer and actively working on internet skills students will carry with them through the rest of their lives.
Our technology helps students succeed, and we provide every child with everything they need to learn where they are the most comfortable and can put their best foot forward.
We’ve opened a whole new way of learning that is flexible and convenient. We use real-time classrooms so students can collaborate with peers and interact with instructors as they work through their lessons. Students can live chat, call, or email educators or school counselors to work through any challenges they face.
Contact us for more information about how we can hone your child’s computer literacy and give them a personalized education that promotes growth and encourages lifelong learning.
