Great Tech Expectations-What Should Elementary Students Be Able To Do and When?

Upon reading the article, "Great Tech Expectations:What Should Elementary Students Be Able To Do and When?" by Mary Beth Hertz, I was glad to see some type of benchmark that instructors can go by in order to gauge their students' computer skills. The organization of the chart was very helpful by identifying each grade and giving a symbol for Introductory, Developing and Advanced.

I also liked the fact that the author asserts that she is from a low-income area which is important to make known because these students may have limited use of home computers and may not be able to practice independently. This gives a realistic picture of the abilities given on the chart. It offers good guidelines when planning projects in knowing what to expect from students -- whether they are within their ability level or may need extra assistance.

I thought it was important to note that along with keyboard and program skills, the list included good netiquette skills, how to work collaboratively, knowledge and understanding of copyright and copyright rules, determining what type of information is appropriate to share and not to share online and how to handle "cyberbullies." I liked that these important skills were introduced as early as Kindergarten. The only question I had was while the list  did indicate typing skills such as words per minute that each grade level should acquire,  I would like to know if beginner typing skills such as finger placement in relation to the home keys and developing  from there are being used. Students need to acquire more and more sophisticated experience with computers, however, they still need to be knowledgeable with the basics.