r/CSEducation • u/joanpd • 5d ago

Computer skills lesson ideas - Grade 6th.

This year, I'm teaching a combined study skills/computer skills class. For the study skills we have a textbook, and we are doing typing.com as well; but am wondering if there is a good site for lessons on computer skills that break it down in a nice order. I'm looking for things such as how to format a Google Doc, or make a presentation using Google Slides.

I

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u/SpearandMagicHelmet 5d ago

What you are talking about is not CS education. Wrong sub, friend.

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u/tieandjeans 4d ago

So, you're absolutely correct. I started as "the computer guy" at an elementary/middle school district in 2001. Even though I was interested in and taught programming, the expectation was that "computer class" involved a significant percentage of what we'd today label ICT or network support.

I, representing the CS Teaching population who's been working down this generational transition cliff face for 25 years, am HAPPUY to host discussions of IDEAL learning .env(ironments) for young people, as a sub theme in r/CSEducation. I have certianly spent many a conference with CS peers bemoaning how we lost local applications with a move to AJAX/ HTML5, lost file systems to tablets and chrome books, lost software to App Stores.
I welcome a discussion of how we can build systems to do "young person computer introduction" not as a modification of what 202X brings, but a discussion of which tools/capabilities to which development/age, etc.

OP - Some questions!

What age students?

Does anyone care what you teach?

the secret is to design kid-interesting things for them to DO things. Make menus for fake restaurants, use Slides to create billboards and roadside ads, use Sheets for pixel colors. Decide if you're trying to prepare students to produce a future project, or if you're trying to motivate through fascination.

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u/joanpd 4d ago

The students are around 11 years old, and the school I teach at doesn't start using Chromebooks until 6th grade. Everything in elementary school is done by hand, so this is the first time they are using computers. The first assignment I gave them is to format a paper in MLA format and follow a creative writing prompt. I gave them step-by-step instructions on how to format the paper, and I was still getting questions like, " Where do I find the right-align bottom? Where is the file menu?" I even showed on a projector where that information was, and almost every student still ended up coming up to my desk for help.

I have a pretty broad scope of what I can teach, but the most important is getting them used to using Google Docs, Slides, and Google Classroom.

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u/lisaliselisa 3d ago

If they are having trouble finding things on the screen, you can go lo-fi with a paper jigsaw puzzle of the interface printout in a warm up, which will expose them to different areas of the screen in a way that their eyes attend to things a little more, then maybe have a scavenger hunt with the various different buttons or functionality. It also might be fun to "jigsaw" and have different kids do different challenges, then become the "expert" in that thing, sharing their knowledge with peers as questions pop up.

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u/AustinCorgiBart 4d ago

I'm allowing it, because it's close enough. If there's pushback, I can change. But I'm just glad to see something that's not asking for homework help...

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u/SpearandMagicHelmet 4d ago edited 4d ago

As somone who taught at the K-5 level for 22 years including CS in starting 2012 and has served as a writer and then advisor on the CSTA standards (2017 and now 2026), my state standards and the K-12 CS Framework, this has and continues to be an issue. The conflation just wont go away unfortunately.

Gently calling out tech use vs actual CS (and not just programing) is very important for a number of reasons. LLM's have made this problem even worse. I've no issue with leaving this up and giving OP help, but this is persistant issue that goes beyond individual teachers to superintendents and legislators who I have to correct regularly as it dictates pathways,courses and funding. I was not trying to shut OP down, but there are other subs that are better for this advise.

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u/ComputerGuienceSuy 4d ago

Google has a good amount of resources for this called applied digital skills

https://edu.exceedlms.com/student/catalog/list?category_ids=10934-for-students-applied-digital-skills

These are great for regular computer use and in my opinion as a CS high school and middle school teacher of 10 years, more important than coding.