The need for computer literacy

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Why should students learn to use computers and software proficiently and how do we choose what students learn and how?
Technology is present in every part of our daily lives whether it's related to personal, business, or educational endeavors. Most people agree that there is a need for the younger generation to understand how computers work for them. However, there is still a slight disconnect as to what computer skills are needed to be enforced on middle school/high school students and what they need to master to ensure survival once they leave high school.
Is a student considered knowledgeable in computers if they can play computer games, chat online, and surf the internet? Is it necessary to have high school students learn how to use document , spreadsheet, or presentation software in a formal class? What are the sufficient skills needed for high school students to prepare them for entering college or the workplace?
Computer skills that high school students need to master are often misunderstood, and that learning how to use the computer in a productive manner is often neglected in comparison to knowing how to use a computer for internet and social purposes. Only a small number of high school students know how to use computers proficiently for their projects, presentations, and computation. Students need to learn how to be more computer because this is what they'll be doing most of time once they graduate high school.
It's essential for high school students to master the following computer skills:
1. Basic Troubleshooting - Computer literacy can also be measured in the student's knowledge on how to keep their computers running in the most basic sense. Knowing what to do if the computer doesn't turn on, the internet i...

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...ew of the other skills they should know. This includes creating documents, presentations, and electronic documents in which data can be collected, manipulated and used in calculations. The software students learn is the most common document creation, computational, and presentation software used in business and the public called Microsoft Office. Students who sign up for this class are usually freshman and have been encouraged by parents or counselors to take the course before they graduate. The lack of available business teachers at Corvallis High School keeps the census low; however at a similar school in Salem-Keizer they have 2-3 keyboarding classes each semester. In some schools the course is required to help students become more proficient in the skills outlined above. One school that does this in the Mid-Willamette Valley is Lebanon High School.

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