The State of Texas has guidelines in place for students who enter the Pre-K program in our public schools. The focus of the TEKS is to familiarize the student with the basic components of a computer. That entails learning all of the devices that also go along with using a computer. Learning the vocabulary of the computer is also an integral part of the curriculum. Once a student is familiar with the vocabulary and devices, they are introduced to interaction through stories and games. These stories and games can be integrated with subject areas and used with a variety of software packages.
The Pre-K TEKS help lay a foundation will lead to students continually building on that foundation year after year. Students who have regular access to computers will have enhanced learning in the areas of information acquisition, problem solving, and communication. This learning should begin as soon as they enter the school setting. The State of Texas has put measures in place that provide for a spiraling of opportunities to master the objectives. In addition, new skills are added to reinforce on-going learning.
Under the Foundations section, the Pre-K student has to learn how to log on to a computer, use the computer, then exit the software programs. This is further enforced and scaffolded under the Foundations for Kinder - Grade 2 - The student is expected to start and exit programs as well as create, name, and save files. In Grades 3 -5 under Foundations, the student is expected to save and delete files, uses menu options and commands, and work with more than one software applications. Again under Foundations, Grades 6 - 8, the student is expected to compare, contrast, and appropriately use the various input, processing, output, and primary/secondary storage devices. Based on the expectations for each level, students build on previously learned skills to help master the new skills and objectives.
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Can you picture a 4 year old trying to type in a username AND password - - - a password that they are to keep a secret - - - correctly. They can't even recognize the letters in their name much less find the correct letter on the keyboard. Kind of makes you laugh at the state desired outcomes.
ReplyDeleteIt is important for students to become familiar with a computer as soon as they enter school. That was a great example of spiralling TEKS, where a student starts off with something as simple as exiting software programs and progressing to saving and deleting files.
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