384: A Student’s Perspective on Essential Tech Skills for High School
In this episode, Meryl talks with high school senior Ada Anderson about the technology skills she has found most useful throughout her high school years.Ada shares the tools she uses regularly for school, scholarships, personal projects, and staying organized. She also talks about some of the tech skills students are often expected to know even though no one has actually taught them how to use them well.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The tech tools Ada uses most often, including Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Canva
- How she learned her technology skills through trial and error and formal classes
- Why learning these skills before high school can make later classes easier
- How often high school classes require students to create presentations, posters, and videos
- Why knowing more than the basics of Google Sheets can be especially valuable
- Why learning how to figure out unfamiliar technology may be as important as learning individual tools
- How Ada uses Google Sheets to organize scholarship applications
- How Canva and video creation skills can be useful when applying for scholarships
- Tech skills that high school students are often assumed to know but may never have been taught
One important takeaway from Ada’s experience is that students benefit from learning technology skills before they urgently need them. By the time they reach high school, they may be expected to collaborate in Google Docs, analyze information in spreadsheets, make presentations, create videos, and learn unfamiliar digital tools independently.
Resources mentioned
FundaFunda Academy Computer Applications – This full-year course introduces students to a wide range of practical technology skills. Students can choose the instructor-graded asynchronous version with weekly deadlines and opportunities for online collaboration, or a self-paced, parent-graded version that families can reuse with multiple children.The course is available for students from 7th grade up and is designed to help students become comfortable learning and using new technology independently.
Free High School Tracker – This Google Sheet helps families keep track of information students may need later for college and scholarship applications, including courses, GPA, activities, and volunteer hours.
Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.
Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology in your homeschool.
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