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—The End of Summer
—Christmas Break
—Summer Break
This gives them the opportunity to pace themselves accordingly. If I see that the deadline is quickly approaching, then I remind them that they will need to "double-up" or even work on weekends to complete the course. Some work ahead. Others wait until the last minute. I prefer to do it this way to demonstrate that I am here to guide them, ensure it gets done, and assist them along the way. Ultimately, they are responsible for breaking down a large task into smaller ones to ensure it is completed and done well.
This course is an excellent option to use in one of those situations. You can begin it and assign it during a homeschool semester or even use it during Christmas, spring, or summer break if you have a motivated student looking to add an elective to their transcript, willing to work on it at their own pace.
The reason I chose Tech Essentials is because even though I know, use, and understand how to use basic tech tools such as Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, these tools are not necessarily self-explanatory and need to be taught. I was able to jump right into them when Google rolled them out because of my experience in college with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
I appreciate how supplemental chapters are included below the lessons. If you would like to swap any of the chapters or add new ones, they are available for your use.
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If these types of tools are not generally used in your homeschool on a daily basis and your child receives an assignment in a curriculum you are using that requires them to use one of these programs, then it might take some time to sit down and teach them. Even if you never touch on any of these programs in your homeschool, your child might need the skills in a future job or in college and will be expected to use them. Even if you are like me and prefer traditional forms of education that utilize nature, hardcopy books, and pen and paper, a quick course like this will provide the necessary exposure if they need the knowledge in the future.
Case in point, my two older sons each have their own eBay stores. It is important for them to track their inventory purchases, sales, returns, etc. When they first started, pen and paper were sufficient, but as the project actually turned into a business, they needed a more effective way to track their progress, and Google Sheets proved to be the best method to achieve that.
This is what your child will learn in this thirteen-chapter course.
Chapter 1: File Management
Chapter 2: Spreadsheets
Chapter 3: Word Processing
Chapter 4: Multimedia
Chapter 5: Online Research
Chapter 6: Presentations
Chapter 7: Group Presentation Project
Chapter 8: Coding Concepts
Chapter 9: Program Flow
Chapter 10: Algorithms
Chapter 11: Software Projects
Chapter 12: Digital Citizenship
Chapter 13: Digital Safety
My favorite chapter is Chapter 7, the group presentation project. Your homeschooler can work on this alone, with a sibling, or with a parent. However it is executed, it allows for creative thinking, research, and the use of technology tools in a practical way.
If you have a student who could use additional math practice that would help with the projects and assignments in this course, the Math Connections supplemental chapter is an excellent option and available for no additional cost.
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Kids today may be immersed in technology, but to succeed professionally, they need to know how to use it efficiently. This course teaches them how to do that.
CompuScholar also offers several other courses. You can check out my review of the CompusScholar Java Programming course that I did a few years ago if you have a child interested in programming. These are a great addition to any homeschool!
Disclaimer: Many thanks to Timberdoodle for providing the above product in exchange for an honest review.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
