Teachers see results

by Blake Shetler ('12)

article from October 13 Reflector.

Last year, faculty member Peter Shetler began teaching a sixth grade class on computer technology. Other teachers of that group of kids have started to see the results. The teachers can now ask their students to do projects that they wouldn’t have been able to do before. Peter says of the class, “The whole point is to give [students] a broad range of tools that other teachers can ask them to use.” Having these skills has helped in the classroom, and will continue to do so in the future.

The skills that these students are learning are things that most high schoolers are unable to do. This class starts with learning how to create formats for documents and share them. They learn how to create spreadsheets, graphs, and charts, and then these things with documents. They also make presentations and use forms to take polls which they have just finished up. Next they will go on to learning about sound files, movies. Finally, they will make websites and putting all of their previous work on it.

What will this mean for these students academically in high school? It may mean that they’ll know how to solve problems, such as switching computer brands for presentations—a problem encountered in Environmental Science. It could also mean that more assignments will be completed online which would mean less paper wasted. This would save the school money. Another benefit is that Bethany could promote this class as a way to be prepared for post-school life and attract students.

The class gives these students a valuable skill that they can utilize later in life. The majority of high school students today do not know how, for example, to make a website. Although they probably won’t think about it, this teaches them basic skills that they could use as a hobby or as a profession in the future. This class brings valuable opportunities for these students.

Read more in the Reflector.