The Computer Kids Programme

Kindergarten

Recognising that some Kindergarten students may have had little or no prior computer access, Computer Kids beginning computer lessons focus on the importance of strong core skills including correct mouse operation, window management and identification of software and hardware components. Using the keyboard is a challenge for students with emerging literacy requiring a knowledge of both upper and lower case letters. Equipping a pre-reader with the skills required to log on to a computer with a user name and password is ...
 
Even children who have used computers before school benefit from this formal training.

Technology Integration in years 1-6

As children progress through their primary education, the opportunities to stimulate and engage learning through the use of technology are boundless and Computer Kids lesson-writing makes full use of this. Maths lessons can become visual masterpieces with students drawing and animating tessellating shapes, time zones and daylight hours across Australia are animated, pictographs of high performance cars, lost baby teeth and local water catchment levels are formed and numbers become video animations using PhotoShop.
 
In HSIE students take virtual excursions to a rainforest or an Australian environment and they become space cadets and journey to the Solar System with movie clips and Google Earth brings Then and Now studies right up to date.
 
PDHPE lessons teach this digital generation the importance of online safety with students using Expression Web to design and publish live websites to peer tutor social networking safety tips, they communicate with students around the world using a wiki gathering data about teeth, and their animation of the human digestive process in PowerPoint is enhanced with the addition of fun sound effects.
 
Email is an engaging tool for descriptive writing lessons, hyperlinked information reports quickly become interactive quizzes, colourful alphabet rainbows appear in Excel and copy and paste in Word makes short work of that old lady who swallowed a fly.

Assessment

Each Computer Kids lesson plan includes extension activities for students who respond to a greater challenge. Student progress is recorded by the completion of computer skills assessment tasks, written to address the learning outcomes for each activity and complying with current DET reporting policy.
 
In collaboration with Lindfield East Public School, an assessment method to report computer skills achievements in line with the new NSW DET reporting policy has been developed. Twice yearly assessment of student progress in this area enables up-to-date and comprehensive reporting to parents.

Gifted & Talented

Gifted and Talented students in years 3-6 participate in extension ICT classes to apply higher order thinking skills to more challenging technology projects. Teams have entered the prestigious DET Centre for Learning Innovation ICT Awards competitions in several categories since 2005 and achieved finalist status in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Results

Students sit the annual ICAS Computer Competition always receiving several high distinctions and with results above state average. In 2007 one student was awarded a gold medal for achieving the highest possible mark in this competition.

Computer Kids has also formulated and delivered individualised learning programs for students with a disability to enable them to acquire the skills necessary for them to employ technology in their learning – eg. Type instead of handwriting.

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   Cheryl Hill © 2008