Our children are surrounded by all kinds of gadgets from birth. Kids are not always allowed to have them. That is why they are so attractive to children. A first-grader can and should already be given a computer. At school, they need a computer to do homework. In addition, the computer will help the child to realize his creative skills because there you can draw, write music, make cartoons and much more.
In the context of technological progress and growing competition in the labor market, it is important to take care of the child’s future right now. What basic computer skills should every kid have and how can they help them master them?
Sometimes it seems that children are tech geeks. Today, students are successfully launching technology startups, gaining millions of followers on social media, and breaking esports records. However, oddly enough, some basic computer skills and office programs often escape the attention of teenagers. This becomes a problem when they go to university after school or get their first serious job. While being a student, they may even need to buy essay online. How to prepare a child for entering a competitive labor market and what should a modern child be able to do?
Make decent presentations
The basics of working with PowerPoint are part of a mandatory IT program, but today school skills are becoming insufficient. At interactive lessons or internal conferences, the child’s work always looks better if the presentation is designed in a modern and stylish way. In professions like consulting, marketing, sales, management a well-written presentation determines the success of a project by 80%. There are special agencies that prepare presentations, but the child will be more successful if he can cope with such tasks on his own.
Tip: try to make a joint project with your child. It can be anything from a family dinner to a family vacation. Then prepare an interesting and vivid presentation about this project. Specify the goals, preparation stages, planned results, and all possible information on the slides. Inspiration can be found on the websites of advertisement agencies.
Create tables and use Excel formulas
“A confident Excel user” is one of the most common requirements for job seekers. The ability to work with spreadsheets is a skill that everyone needs, from an office manager to an accountant. If the child learns how to correctly compose and format tables, maintain databases (even small ones), and use formulas in school, he will not have to blush at interviews and say that he doesn’t know how to use basic formulas.
Tip: Start with a simple one and ask your child to keep a record of their own expenses and income in Excel. You can add various tasks to this file, including homework. These tables can be maintained and expanded, the need to make them more convenient and understandable will arise by itself. Then the book “Excel for Dummies” and materials on the Internet will help out. There are numerous tutorials on YouTube as well that you can watch and explain to kids.
Web page layout using HTML
Having learned how to create web pages, the child will discover the scope for creativity. He will be able to make a beautiful portfolio of his projects, tell about his favorite hobby or create a whole website, as a blogger or future entrepreneur. The basics of layout are especially necessary for representatives of creative professions and future journalists. Any kid will benefit from the skills in the future.
Invite your child to share all the most interesting things about themselves, their hobbies, family, and friends in the format of a web page. Start with a draft, help choose the text and photos.
Editing simple videos
The ability to edit videos is useful both in everyday life (to make a video about a recent trip as a keepsake) and in your career: according to HeadHunter, 63% of HR specialists believe that a video suit allows you to get incomparably more information about a candidate than a standard electronic questionnaire. Needless to say, how much fun it is to edit videos. Today, there are many free tools that you can use to create simple videos.
Tip: Ask your child to record the highlights of a walk with the dog or an evening with friends within a month. After that, mount the video together in a simple editor.
Use of licensed content
In most civilized countries, the use of unlicensed (“pirate”) content is a serious crime, and most users prefer to pay for a movie or game, so as not to take risks. Eastern Europe is just moving to be this way. Today, it is important to teach children about the value of other people’s work and the need to choose legitimate ways to consume content.
Master the basic level of Photoshop
The ability to make a simple picture with text or a superimposed filter is a necessary skill for young professionals, as important as the ability to use a computer 15 years ago. If a child can make a beautiful background for a presentation, a funny picture for friends, or a poster for an event, they can always make living for themselves.
American designer Kirk Nelson suggests using Photoshop as a tool for developing children’s imagination.
It may seem that the above set of skills is not enough to spark your kid’s interest, and it is too early to teach him a competent approach to using the computer. It is difficult not to agree with this, but we, adults, are well aware that the beginning of the study is always quite routine and monotonous, but then we see how “quantity turns into quality”. You can make learning fun if you approach it right, but if you find it difficult or do not have enough time, contact specialists who will teach your child the necessary computer skills. And remember, if a child spends hours sitting at a PC, this does not mean that he is learning something there, most likely, he is just playing computer games.