On 05/03/12 10:57, Tim Streater wrote:

Why do they need lessons on the detail of word processors at all? On how
to add a footer or change the font? You'll teach them how to do that
with Word 2007 or something, next thing you know is that MS has changed
the front end completely. So all that teaching suddenly was a waste of
time.

They are going to need it to do work in other subjects.


They need to know what a word processor is. They need to know that you
*can* add a footer (and to know what a footer is) or change the font for
a paragraph or that you can justify the text. The detail of how it's
done, they can learn for themselves at home. They need to know that
there are other word processors than Word, too. It's the *concepts* that
matter, and the stimulation of their natural curiosity.

Most people can't learn concepts without a practical example in front of
them. Some people can start from an abstract theory and apply it. By far
the majority of people can't easily do that, and certainly not at the
age when pupils need to learn this stuff.



--
Bernard Peek