Computer Literacy Topics
Computer Literacy Lesson Topics by Software Package
- computer lab rules, hardware and software
- Windows basics: on/off, windows, menus, calculator
- Windows tour and windows help
- chat
- word processing: keyboard, basics
- word processing: files and folders
- word processing: basic formatting
- word processing: wizards/experts
- Creative Writer
- card file or Hypercard
- typing tutorial
- spreadsheets: basic data entry
- spreadsheets: formatting
- spreadsheets: formulas like sum, average
- spreadsheets: wizards/experts
- draw/paint
- Fine Artist
- hypertext encyclopaedia (Encarta 97)
- web browser (Netscape, Internet Explorer)
- electronic mail (Eudora)
- newsgroups, discussion groups, and/or listservers
- educational games (hangman, spelling, scrabble,
quiz games, SimCity, etc.)
Some Computer Literacy Lessons I Gave in 1997
- Chat: Have a written conversation with the person
next to you.
- Windows 95 tour: Take the tour and follow the
instructions.
- Word processing: Write a few sentences about
yourself and your interests, save it in a file in your folder,
close it, and open it to verify that it was saved.
- word processing (jobapp.doc): Write a letter
applying for job information, based on the one shown on the overhead
screen.
- word processing (cv.doc): Write your own CV,
based on the one shown on the overhead screen. (2 lessons)
- spreadsheet (sums.wk4): Type in the numbers shown
on the screen and write formulas to sum the rows and columns.
The numbers make a magic square, so all rows and columns should
add up to the same number.
- spreadsheet (marks.wk4): Enter formulas to find
the sums and averages of student term marks.
- spreadsheet (carsales.wk4): Use formulas to make
calculations using car sales data.
- spreadsheet (profit.wk4): Use formulas to calculate
quarterly and yearly profits given company data.
- spreadsheet (africa.wk4): Sort the spreadsheet
alphabetically by country, capital city, currency, or leader.
- spreadsheet (namibpeo.wk4): Produce different
types of charts and graphs using the given data.
- graphics (graphing.bas and graphing.doc): Practice
plotting different mathematical functions.
- database (friends.xls): Create a database with
information about your friends.
- paint: Draw 10 different shapes, fill them with
10 different colours, and label the shapes and colours.
- paint: Make a picture of a house.
Computer Literacy Lesson Topics for Teachers by Software Package
- computer lab rules and supervising students
- starting and ending all the different types of
programs on the computer
- thinking of computer teaching ideas for your
subject
- using desktop publishing to create class newsletter/newspaper
- using presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint)
to enhance lectures
- using web authoring (e.g. Netscape, FrontPage)
and HTML coding to make information available to students
- scanning photographs and using photo editing
software
- scanning text and using optical character recognition
software
- using spreadsheets to calculate grades
- using database to print report cards
- using mail merge to print testimonials
- adding your own questions about your subject
to a quiz program database
Computer Literacy Lesson Hints
- When first introducing an application, everyone
should follow the teacher's set procedure. Later, students can
work on their own, at their own pace and level, and the teacher
can give individual help.
- The students should have a specific objective,
to produce something that can be saved and evaluated, such as
a letter, essay, drawing, or spreadsheet, so that learning the
software has some worthwhile context.
- Display overheads listing commonly used commands
and functions.
- Display overheads listing step-by-step instructions.
- Display overheads showing how screen should look,
clearly labelling each part of the screen.
- Use teacher computer and an LCD projection panel
to demonstrate all steps in the procedure.
Teaching Ideas by Software Package and Subject
Word Processing
- English: Make corrections to a document designed
by the teacher with commonly made errors in spelling, grammar,
punctuation, formatting, etc.
- English: Write a letter to the Principal suggesting
one improvement to make in the school.
- English: Write a consumer complaint, order, product
ad/brochure, lost/found ad, etc.
- English: Write a letter applying for a job or
bursary.
- English: Create your own CV with personal information,
objective, education, work history, awards, extra-curriculars,
interests, and references.
- English: Write a short story, essay, magazine
article summary, book report, newspaper article, etc. that is
well-formatted and organised with no spelling or punctuation mistakes,
using the computer to make corrections.
- English: Keep a journal that must have at least
one entry per week.
Draw and Paint
- art: Draw a picture of a house, person, village,
car, animal, plant.
- art: Design an industrial product, building,
or wallpaper tiling.
- art: Design a logo or crest for family, class,
school, town, product advertisement, etc.
- geography: Draw a labelled map of the school
or area.
- mathematics: Draw a labelled floor plan of a
school room, building, house or shop according to actual measurements.
- English: Make a cartoon where the characters'
speeches are written in balloons.
- English: Design a poster for a public issue campaign,
like AIDS awareness or litter.
- publishing/English: Create a greeting card, party
invitation, or announcement.
- graphics/extra-curricular: Enter a computer art
contest on a given topic.
LAN or Internet
- encyclopaedia or web browser/any subject: Students
search for information on their choice of a topic (related to
the class subject like history and within a specific area like
19th Century China) and write a report or short summary
in their own words or complete a worksheet with specific questions.
- web authoring/English: Using a template web page,
each student creates and fills in categories, such as personal
information, subjects, favourite subjects, hobbies and interests,
career goal, personal philosophy, picture, links to friends, CV.
- newsgroup/any subject: Students must post at
least one message per week on a given question/topic or comment
on the course content; responses will be discussed in groups or
in writing.
- chat or newsgroup/English: Students log in anonymously
and try to identify other students by their writing style, personality,
interests, etc.
- e-mail/English: Students e-mail at least one
diary entry per week to the teacher, who replies with comments.
- e-mail or newsgroup/English: Groups of 5 students
work together to create drafts of a group document about a subject,
perhaps to make an encyclopaedia article.
- e-mail/English: Student reviews another student's
work, and send comments to the author and teacher.
- e-mail or newsgroup/any subject: Students collaborate
with another class or school to produce a paper or project of
their choice.
- web browsers and e-mail/English: Students read
a passage and submit answers to questions (true/false, multiple
choice, and/or short answer) about the passage using a Web form
which is automatically e-mailed to the teacher or saved on the
file server.
Other
- word processor, spreadsheet, or graphics: Format
and improve the layout of a table, chart or diagram.
- spreadsheet/math and science: Collect experimental
measurements, enter them into a table, find the average or sum,
graph the results, write a conclusion; e.g. heat loss, ticker
timer, body measurements, period of pendulum, spring constant,
Ohm's law, population growth, sports statistics, survey of townspeople.
- spreadsheet/accounting: invoice, account statement,
business/trip budget, income statement, purchase order, estimated
personal monthly expenditures
- educational/mathematics: Work through drills
on a specific topic e.g. fractions.
- computer magazines/English: Find an advertisement
and answer questions about it.
- presentation/any subject: Make a multimedia presentation
with colour, music, animation, etc. to present a lecture on a
theoretical topic instead of using chalkboard or overheads. Give
handouts so no copying is needed; leave space for students to
add notes.
- speech recognition/English: have students compare
their pronunciation with a native speaker's; see how well the
program recognises their speech
Ideas for Handouts
- list of most commonly used commands and functions
for each software package
- computer vocabulary/glossary of terms and definitions
- syllabus: what the student must know for the
exams
- scheme of work: year or term outline of topics
that will be covered, homework assignments, tests, exams
- book references: pages to read/study/know
- review sheets
- project ideas to choose from
Ideas for Posters and Displays by Students and/or Teachers
- history of computers
- uses of computers
- computer careers
- hardware (input, output, storage, processing)
- software
- computer art
- computer-aided design
- computers and communication
- robots
- modelling and simulation
- expert systems
- computer ethics
- computer lab rules
- computer-printed items from everyday life: bar
codes, invoices, receipts, bank statements, library searches,
junk mail, etc.
- discarded equipment
- exemplary student work
- magazine pictures and articles about computers
- computer designs
- clip art
- photocopies from computer books, magazines, newspapers
- any computer printout can be expanded to poster
size using a photocopier and A3 paper
Ideas for Web pages
- school administration: class schedules and timetables,
year plan, exam timetables, school rules
- course materials: homeworks, syllabi, schemes
of work, programs related to subjects, past exams
- scanned pictures of students, school, area
- links to Internet educational sites around the
world
- on-line bulletin boards for each class, and topics
within a class
- use Internet Explorer 4 to describe the contents
of each computer directory as if it were a web page
- use mailto: links to encourage electronic mail
as a way to get students to ask questions that would be difficult
to ask in person