STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY

COMPUTER/TECHNOLOGY SKILLS :: PREFACE

PREFACE

General Principles The Computer/Technology Skills Standard Course of Study describes the progressive development of knowledge and skills in six strands: Societal and Ethical Issues, Database, Spreadsheet Keyboard Utilization/Word Processing/Desktop Publishing, Multimedia/Presentation, and Telecommunications/Internet.
  • In the primary grades, the objectives focus on the essential skills.
  • In the upper elementary and middle grades, the objectives build upon and reinforce those skills through application and use in content area assignments/projects. During the eighth grade, students should be prepared to successfully pass the computer proficiency assessment required for graduation.
  • In grades 9-12, the objectives focus on the application, refinement, and transfer of knowledge and skills to be used in content area assignments, in preparation for work, continued learning, and personal use. Objectives at these grade levels are organized by subject area, allowing students to employ, expand, and internalize the proficiencies they have already developed.
Revision Process The revision process began in August 2002. North Carolina educators, through an online discussion forum, survey, focus groups, and teleconference, evaluated the Computer/Technology Skills Standard Course of Study. The Computer/Technology Skills Core Revision Committee reviewed the input and recommended that revisions be made. At its October 2002 meeting, the State Board of Education approved a revision of the telecommunications strand, with particular emphasis on personal safety and responsible and ethical behavior in the use of technology resources and information.

From October 2002 until the present the Computer/Technology Skills Core Revision Committee has been working on the revision of the K-12 Computer/Technology Skills Standard Course of Study. Educators from across the state have provided input and feedback to draft documents 1-10 in a variety of ways:
  • Online surveys (467 responses)
  • Focus group sessions (24 sessions with 565 participants)
  • Public hearing November 24, 2003, Raleigh
  • Formal/informal sessions (ongoing)
  • Drafts of the K-12 Computer/Technology Skills Standard Course of Study document were posted on the Instructional Services website beginning in September 2002 to the present
  • Quicktopic Discussion Forum has been available for all who wanted to participate in the on-going discussion. URL
Focus Groups - number in parentheses indicates number of events in a given location
  • Technology Coordinators, Wake County Public Schools (2)
  • MEGA Meeting, Leesville Middle School, Wake (1)
  • NCAECT Conference (2)
  • SW RESA Elem. Supervisors (1)
  • SW RESA, Middle School & High School Coordinators (1)
  • Kenansville/Duplin ENTech Center (1)
  • Southeastern Region Teaching & Technology Conference, Greenville (1)
  • Williamston/Martin ENTech Center (1)
  • Moore ENTech Center (1)
  • Technology and Learning Seminar, UNCG (1)
  • Western Region Meeting (3)
  • Northeast Region, Guilford (1)
  • Eastern Regional, Bertie (1)
  • Southwestern Region, Albemarle (1)
  • Nortel Networks Focus Group, RTP (1)
  • Public Hearing, Raleigh (1)
  • NC Educational Technology Conference, Focus Group,
    • Greensboro (2)
Input/ Suggestions And Concerns Suggestions and input provided to the Computer/Technology Skills Core Revision Committee from teachers, administrators, parents, business, and community were the following:
  • Make objectives clear.
  • Make organization of document clear and easy to use.
  • Provide sample activities for each objective by grade level.
  • Write objectives in language to encourage integration into content areas.
  • Encourage collaboration among all classroom teachers, computer coordinators, media coordinators to support instructional use of technology.
  • Focus attention on Copyright Law and Acceptable Use Policy/Internet Use Policy (AUP/IUP) issues.
  • Telecommunications/Internet includes tools for collaboration.
  • Align document to National Educational Technology Standards for Students.
  • Identify terms/concepts.
All suggestions were discussed, reviewed, and incorporated into draft documents by the Core Revision Committee.
Revisions to Document Societal/Ethical Issues Strand
  • Respect for the work of others – security, privacy, passwords, personal information.
  • Responsible, safe and ethical behaviors online.
  • Trouble-shooting common hardware/software problems/issues.
Telecommunications/Internet Strand
  • Safe, responsible, and ethical behavior online.
  • Evaluating quality of resources and information online
  • Collaborative tools.
  • Advantages and limitations of collecting/disseminating information/ideas online.
Multimedia/Presentation Strand
  • Personal Safety Issues when developing, selecting, and using personal information, images, and content in presentations/online.
Features This SCS is based on the 1998 K-12 Computer/Technology Skills Standard Course of Study. Four of the six topic strands address objectives from the 1998 document using precise language with examples. The Societal/Ethical Issues and Telecommunications topic strands have been refined and enhanced.
  • Objectives are stated in clear, precise language.
  • Terms/concepts are identified in objectives.
  • Organization of document is clear and easy to use (Matrices/charts).
  • Objectives encourage integration with content areas at all levels.
  • Encourages collaboration among all classroom teachers, computer coordinators, media coordinators to support instructional use of technology,
  • Focuses on personal safety, ethical use of resources and information--Copyright Law and (AUP/IUP) issues.
    • Encourages use of Telecommunications/Internet collaboration tools.
  • Aligns North Carolina Computer/Technology Skills Competency Goals with National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS*S) and profiles of Technology Literate Students by end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12. (3)
  • Each Strand follows the same pattern from grade to grade as is shown in the chart below.

Societal/
Ethical Issues 		Database Spreadsheet Keyboard Utilization/
Word
Processing/
DTP 		Multimedia/
Presentation 		Telecommunications /
Internet
1.a

Context of Technology 		2.a

Context		 3.a

Context		 4.a

Context		 5.a

Context of Multimedia Tools		 6.a

Context of Internet /
Telecommunications
1.b

Terms/ Concepts		 2.b

Terms/ Concepts		 3.b

Terms/ Concepts		 4.b

Terms/ Concepts		 5.b

Terms/ Concepts		 6.b

Terms/ Concepts
1.c

Ethical Responsible Safe Use & Behaviors		 2.c

Use Sort & Search Strategies		 3.c

 Use Features/ Functions		 4.c

 Keyboarding		 5.c

Ethical Responsible Safe Use 		6.c

Ethical Responsible Safe Use & Behaviors
1.d

Copyright		 2.d

Copyright		 3.d

Copyright		 4.d

Copyright		 5.d

Copyright		 6.d

Copyright
1.e

Use functions/Features		 2.e

Collect, Organize, & Display Data		 3.e

Organize, Calculate, & Display Data		 4.e

Use Features/ Functions		 5.e

Use Sequencing Strategies		 6. e

Use Collaborative Tools
1.f

Select Appropriate Tools

1.g

Occupations/ Careers Related to Technology		 2.f

Interpret/ Evaluate Data to Problem Solve & Make Decisions		 3.f

Interpret/ Evaluate Data to Problem Solve & Make Decisions		 4. f

Design & Layout Strategies		 5.f

Interpret/ Evaluate Resources & Data to Communicate 		6.f

Interpret/ Evaluate Resources & Data to Communicate

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