I don't think that computers are going anywhere anytime soon. We live in a time where computers are used for everything, so learning about them is crucial. When I read that a computer course was up for review, I knew it would be something that we needed to add to our homeschool. So for the past few weeks, Gavin has been using the Digital Savvy course from CompuScholar, Inc.
About CompuScholar, Inc. ~
CompuScholar, Inc. was formerly known as Homeschool Programming. The founders Chris and Andrea Yust have a love for computers and programming, but were frustrated with the lack of resources out there to teach students about them. They set out to teach courses on a professional level, but to also make sure that it was still fun and easy to learn.
In addition to Digital Savvy, they offer Web Design and Java Programming. We had several members of the crew reviewing one of these three wonderful programs. If you would like to learn more about the Web Design or Java Programming, just click on the banner at the bottom of the review.
About Digital Savvy ~
Gavin is 11 years old and although he knows how to do a few minor things on a computer, he by no means is knowledgeable about them. Digital Savvy is geared towards grades 6 - 12, so it's perfect for him. I love that this course covers a multitude of topics including:
- Hardware, Software, and Operating Systems
- Managing files and folders
- Basic networking
- Online safety and computer Security
- Using Word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation programs
- Creating simple databases
- Image editing
- Using social media and email communications
- Introductory website design
- Simple computer programming concepts
- Exploration of computing careers
How did we use this in our school?
Getting started with the program is easy. You will have a parent/teacher log in and also a student log in. I always like when teacher/parent and student are separated. It makes checking grades etc so much easier.
After logging into the teacher's account you can check on your student's progress. Just click on "View Gradebook", and it's all right there easy to see. I only have one taking this course, but this would be perfect if you had a number of students to keep up with. You can see their grades for each lesson, and also any test scores.
When it's time for the student to start, they will have a dashboard that's similar to the teacher/parent side. They will be able to access their courses that are arranged by chapter from this page. They can also view their grades, and edit their profile from here.
When they go to the chapter that they are currently working on, it will take them to the page where it is broken down into lessons. It's laid out so that they can easily access and work this program with very little assistance. I did sit next to him most of the time, just so I could get a good overview of what the course was about, but from here on out, he can do it pretty much on his own.
The way that he works a lesson is he first watches the video that coincides with the lesson he is on. The videos are engaging and informative. They go over each topic in detail, but not so much detail that it would be over his head.
He will then go and read the text part. This is mainly what the video covers, but it's a good way to make the information stick. When he's done the studying part, he takes the quiz for that lesson. If he doesn't do very well, he gets up to three attempts to better his grade. We have had to use these a couple of times because it's a lot of information to take in.
After all of the chapter lessons, he will have a hands on activity to do. This was definitely his favorite part! At the end of the chapter he will have a chapter exam. He will then move on to the next chapter.
We tried to do this as a chapter a week. Sometimes we had to extend it, just because life gets in the way, but it's easy to do a lesson a day. They aren't long lessons, and normally takes him about 30 minutes to complete it for the day.
Thoughts ~
I as a mother/teacher think that this is a fantastic course to help your student really improve their computer skills. I think it's important to have good computer skills because there's a very good chance that they will have to work with computers no matter what job they have. I asked Gavin what he liked about it and he said that learning the different parts of the computer has been his favorite part. He didn't know what peripherals were until he took this course! I can't wait to see what all he will be knowledgeable about when he's done with this course. I highly recommend Digital Savvy from CompuScholar, Inc. if you are looking for a thorough yet easy guided course for your student!
Make sure to follow along on Social Media!
Homeschool Programming
CompuScholar, Inc.
CompuScholar, Inc. was generous enough to let 100 of us review their products. If you would like to read more on Digital Savvy, or their other products Web Design and Java Programming, just click the banner below!
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