I've had the view for the last three years that high school computer tech students are more capable than the middle school and junior high because of their experience. I've discovered a lot this year, having been giving the chance to teach 6th and 7th grade tech students for the first time.
I'm officially changing that view now. There are 6th grade students that are very capable of taking on the same assignments as the high school students, and in many cases, already have. They have demonstrated a hunger and inquisitiveness for learning more about the topics we cover. I'm very proud of these students for the level of work they have produced. When compared side by side, it is often difficult to determine which work was produced by middle school and which by high school. That isn't to say the high school work is below par, it isn't. They are given more requirements, tighter deadlines, and higher expectations to accomplish the tasks than the 6th and 7th graders are on similar tasks.
High School
There is enormous potential with any of my high school students. Some have taken on responsibilities outside of class that require more work, earn no grade and no reward (other than sincere thanks!). This includes one student that has created an entire content management system website for the town of Pandora, that will be going live in the next month, replacing the existing www.pandoraoh.com. Another student is studying to pass the Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) exam. Others are dissasembling an LCD monitor to replace a broken backlight with components to create a custom projector inside a plywood box. Still others are pioneering the use of newscasts using actual studio lighting and green screen to cover what other teachers are doing in their classrooms from K through 12. This sets the bar high for next years students that will be making them weekly.Congratulations to the parents and other teachers who have recognized and encouraged this curiosity and the perseverance to complete the tasks. It makes my job so much more enjoyable knowing I have this caliber of people to work with.
