Do public schools teach anything about computers?

[BlkHawk]

I haven't been in school for a long time. When I went you were lucky to get 30 minutes a week on the lone Commodore the school owned. None of the teachers knew how to use it, you just sat there alone with a book on Basic, and hoped you could make it do something.

I was checking my own network to make sure everything was locked down correctly, after that I just thought what the hell I'll poke around the Internet, and see if anyone clueless is still setting up bad home networks.

Short answer: A shit ton!
Long answer: Within the first few minutes I found several computers wide open. My Documents, My Pictures, even tax returns!

I'm no guru, and certainly no hacker but it appears that a greater number of uneducated people are setting up their own networks.

I thought with all the connected devices now people would sort of have a clue about basic networking. Do they teach anything about networks, routers, firewalls, port forwarding, or port scanning in public schools?

If not we need to start, because in this day it's like not teaching them how to read.

 

[bahodeme]

First, in my area, we have to get the kids to show up in school first to teach them anything. Truancy rate is as high as 32% in one district.

 

[ban-one]

I think it depends on what you mean by "teaching them anything."

The schools here where I live have had computer related classes for nearly 20 years that I know of, and possibly even longer. The thing is, it doesn't really seem to be anything about how to keep yourself safe or secure, but just how to do things on/with computers towards obtaining a job requiring the skills taught. So while they may be able to get a job with what they learn, they'll have to learn about security and safety somewhere else.

 

[BlkHawk]

I think it depends on what you mean by "teaching them anything."

The schools here where I live have had computer related classes for nearly 20 years that I know of, and possibly even longer. The thing is, it doesn't really seem to be anything about how to keep yourself safe or secure, but just how to do things on/with computers towards obtaining a job requiring the skills taught. So while they may be able to get a job with what they learn, they'll have to learn about security and safety somewhere else.

So kind of like teaching them to drive, by putting it in gear, and pressing the accelerator, but not telling them anything about the brake?

 

[ChuckFaze]

I don't have any kids, so I wouldn't really know the extent of any computer education in schools. I THINK I have heard here and there that in High School they do have computer classes.

That said, here's my beef.

I have a niece who right now is in the 6th grade. The last 2 years she was given school projects whereby the whole shebang had to of course be documented ... in MS Word including graphs and shit. There were 2 other assignments that were to be done in PowerPoint. NOW ... unless the teacher is going to show the students how to use MS Word and PowerPoint, WHY the fuck give them projects / assignments that involve that?

My sister knows basic MS Word, but not enough to handle that part of her daughter's projects. And she knows absolute squat about PowerPoint. And her husband is worse. So neither my sister nor her husband can help my niece with projects / assignments involving MS Word and PowerPoint, yet it doesn't stop the teachers from assigning them.

So, the last 2 years I've been the designated MS Word / PowerPoint Guru to handle that part of my niece's projects / assignments. And in about a week I'll be handling MS Word duties again for my niece's project for this year.

So yeah, why give the kids assignments to which they haven't been given all the knowledge with which to complete them? If their parents don't have the knowledge to help them, are they all supposed to go scrounge up an uncle, aunt, friend or neighbor who can help them?

 

[Battletoads]

Most of the computer stuff I leaned in public school was word processing, spreadsheets & powerpoints, internet research, and some basic coding (if you chose to take that course)

In terms of the stuff you mentioned, none at all

 

[feller469]

Students can get Microsoft certification in lots of Microsoft programs through schools. Microsoft does a lot to give students opportunities to learn business skills while in high school.

 

[ChuckFaze]

I thought with all the connected devices now people would sort of have a clue about basic networking. Do they teach anything about networks, routers, firewalls, port forwarding, or port scanning in public schools?

Heck, there are even much simpler things that could be taught that would help them out.
They should be taught SAFE computer habits & browsing habits ... the Do's & Don'ts.

For example: This very computer that I am using ... it was given to me by my youngest sister after they bought a new one.
When this computer was their computer, my sister never used it. But, between her husband, daughter and stepdaughter ... that Computer Terror Trio kept this computer infected. Every time I went over there I'd clean it up. But, by the next time I would go over there, it would be infected to infinity and beyond again.

Once the computer became mine, I gave it a mega, ultra cleaning and now with my safe computer & browsing habits, it never gets infected.
My brother-in-law and his 2 daughters are the type of computer users who will click on "Next Next Next" on any App they install, without reading to what bundled crap they are agreeing to be installed. They will click on anything and everything that remotely warns them that "Your computer is running slow ... Click here to fix that" or "We have detected malware on your computer ... Click here to remove it." I've tried to educate them on this, but it goes in one ear and out the other.

 

[knowone]

It's better here in Silicon Valley, helped a bit with Apple in the 80s giving a lot of free computers to the schools. But as far as I know they mostly teach word processing, spreadsheets & powerpoints, internet research, etc.

 

[MustBeGood]

Yes. And early from the 4th-5th grades.

Do you notice in public kids on tablets?

 

[ban-one]

So kind of like teaching them to drive, by putting it in gear, and pressing the accelerator, but not telling them anything about the brake?

I think the better analogy would be like teaching them to drive without including the rules of the road or any defensive driving. They can get where they want to go, and stop when they get there, they just leave carnage in their wake and make it unsafe for everyone else.

Or, seeing how we're on a porn forum, how to have sex to produce kids, but nothing about the diseases you could pick up or unplanned pregnancies and how to avoid them with some simple precautions. And probably nothing about female orgasms either.

 

[D-rock]

I was lucky when I was in school they actually taught us a bit of coding, and they even had us create simple programs. That was quite a while ago. Now, it's probably more word processing and other things like that. What I learned that's applicable now was mostly on my own though, as things like the Internet were in their infancy when I was in school. I don't even think graphical operating system interfaces like Windows had been around for a long time either.

 

[Patrick_S]

I was lucky when I was in school they actually taught us a bit of coding, and they even had us create simple programs. That was quite a while ago. Now, it's probably more word processing and other things like that. What I learned that's applicable now was mostly on my own though, as things like the Internet were in their infancy when I was in school. I don't even think graphical operating system interfaces like Windows had been around for a long time either.

It was the same for me. I had a math teacher who was interested in computers, and he taught us some programming in Pascal when we didn´t have any other classes.

 

[Anonyne#017]

Aren't all elementary schools already teaching programming to kids? Thought nowadays kids are being forced down porn to their throats everywhere, including twitter and less than 10-years oldies watching porn on their mobile phones is also "normal" nowadays... That's literally molestation... That's very far and cannot even been compared to what people used to do in their childhood... Funnily enough even adults can't handle watching porn and its' shitty after effects...

 

[LeyaFalcon]

They taught some of that shit when I was in high school...that was 8 years ago so im sure they teach more now

 

[Harley Spencer]

Where I went, we were started on computer in early elementary, which mostly just included playing games that had some sort of learning element to them. As the years progress, they start teaching you how to type, time how fast you are, and teach you how to use all sorts of programs like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc. Pretty sure the only safety they taught us was.. actually, nothing.

If you wanted to learn more, it was optional to take advanced computer classes. I'm sure that most of the programming and whatnot is saved for college.

 

[BlkHawk]

Where I went, we were started on computer in early elementary, which mostly just included playing games that had some sort of learning element to them. As the years progress, they start teaching you how to type, time how fast you are, and teach you how to use all sorts of programs like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc. Pretty sure the only safety they taught us was.. actually, nothing.

If you wanted to learn more, it was optional to take advanced computer classes. I'm sure that most of the programming and whatnot is saved for college.

You would really think some basic safety would be in the curriculum. Even some minor stuff on routers, and firewalls would help.

 

[Johan]

Teaching kids about computers, in school ? Wht a joke ! Most teenagers (and even some kids) know more about computers than most adults. So, unless schools recruits specific Informatic teachers, it will end with the students teaching their teachers how to use the computer.

 

[Harley Spencer]

You would really think some basic safety would be in the curriculum. Even some minor stuff on routers, and firewalls would help.

Part of it is probably because with learning about that kind of stuff, they run the risk of the kids figuring out how to take down parental controls, hack, all sorts of stuff. Can't have that happening in school.

 

[Rey C.]

Where I went, we were started on computer in early elementary, which mostly just included playing games that had some sort of learning element to them. As the years progress, they start teaching you how to type, time how fast you are, and teach you how to use all sorts of programs like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc. Pretty sure the only safety they taught us was.. actually, nothing.

If you wanted to learn more, it was optional to take advanced computer classes. I'm sure that most of the programming and whatnot is saved for college.

I'm guessing that's it. I'd say to get into network maintenance or deep programming, a kid would have to take an advanced course. Some schools, I'm sure, have that. But a lot of public schools probably aren't equipped for, don't have the funding for or don't have the teachers for that. Going by what my ex's nephew took in high school, the general classes he took, that had computers in the classroom, were about the subject, not the computer (or the software) itself. The computer was just a tool or a teaching aid. He had an intense interest in computer science though. So he was able to take more advanced classes that dealt with programming and such. But it wasn't until college that he REALLY got into that. And he just got his degree a few months ago in computer science/engineering.

It would be great to see more American kids getting involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering & math) and it would be nice to see more of them using computers and tablets for things other than chatting on Facebook or playing games. It's not so much that they HAVE to have four year computer science degrees. But taking some classes, like what people are talking about here, or doing a two year trade or community college program would really give them a boost, IMO. I'm a little (OK, a lot!) weird and I've always enjoyed school. But even with an MBA, I went back and took some classes in CAD/CAM several years ago... just because I thought it would be cool & fun to know more about that area - and it was! If I get time, I'm going to take a class or two in robotics as some point. There are so many truly fascinating areas in technology these days. And there are so many opportunities for younger (or older) people who want to take that step.