Teacher Notes for "Purchasing a Computer"
No software required.
I created this unit to teach students all about the names and functions of the parts of a modern computer. To do this, students give advice to real or pretend characters with individual needs.
In this unit, we cover:
- MB vs GB (megabytes vs gigabytes ...)
- What is a chip, a hard drive and RAM?
- What's the difference between HDD and SSD?
- How many songs will fit on my new ... (iPod, phone, tablet, ...)?
- If I find these 2 computers in a flyer advertisement, which is a better buy for our shopper?
For teachers, this unit is an excellent starter topic. I first developed it when I had to teach in a computer lab, but none of the computers were ready to go. So, we sat beside computers and talked about them. Once students passed the test, then they were allowed to go on the computers. (I never told them that it was the technician's fault!)
However, once I used the unit, I found that it was a really great topic and some students came back years later to tell me that they actually used the information in real life!!!!
And finally, it established that the course was a real course with real work. This is not a "bird" course or an easy credit. Some students did find the material hard! Yea! :-)
(Yes, I'm one of the teachers that believes that hard work yields rewards!!!)
I created this unit to teach students all about the names and functions of the parts of a modern computer. To do this, students give advice to real or pretend characters with individual needs.
In this unit, we cover:
- MB vs GB (megabytes vs gigabytes ...)
- What is a chip, a hard drive and RAM?
- What's the difference between HDD and SSD?
- How many songs will fit on my new ... (iPod, phone, tablet, ...)?
- If I find these 2 computers in a flyer advertisement, which is a better buy for our shopper?
For teachers, this unit is an excellent starter topic. I first developed it when I had to teach in a computer lab, but none of the computers were ready to go. So, we sat beside computers and talked about them. Once students passed the test, then they were allowed to go on the computers. (I never told them that it was the technician's fault!)
However, once I used the unit, I found that it was a really great topic and some students came back years later to tell me that they actually used the information in real life!!!!
And finally, it established that the course was a real course with real work. This is not a "bird" course or an easy credit. Some students did find the material hard! Yea! :-)
(Yes, I'm one of the teachers that believes that hard work yields rewards!!!)