Savvy Cyber Teacher® Course

Mentor Teacher Prerequisites
    Although the Savvy Cyber Teacher® Course is designed for the beginner Internet user, it is a fairly intensive 30-hour course which presents a good deal of new information to its participants.  Participants who are selected to become Mentor Teachers for the Alliance project will have the added requirement of conducting their own training back in their school or district once they complete the 10-week program. 

    From the experience gained in similar course offerings, it has become clear that it is important that potential participants meet certain prerequisites and benchmarks if they are going to meet with success in the course and especially if they will go on to mentor other teachers.  For this reason, it is important that the following list of prerequisites be reviewed prior to the course and only those candidates who meet the requirements be selected to become Alliance Mentor Teachers.  If you have questions about items listed below or are unsure if you meet the requirements, please contact your city's project coordinator whose email address and phone number can be located by clicking on the "Project Staff" button on the menu to the left.  City project coordinators can also direct you to web site tutorials or local classes that can help you meet these prerequisites and prepare for this course. 

    NOTE: Participants' skill levels will be reviewed at the first session and those who are not ready to take the course may be asked to delay participation until they gain more experience. 

    If you are looking to gain more experience, you can find many online opportunities at:

    Basic Computer Skills

    Required

    • Ability and experience using a mouse - You must be able to accurately point and click with your mouse.
    • Good keyboarding skills - Although you do not need to be able to touch type, you do need to locate the appropriate keys quickly and be capable of typing accurately in a timely fashion.
    • Ability to open (run) and close (quit/exit) programs - You should be able to open and close at least one program.
    • Ability to open and close windows (screens)
    • Ability to save files to your floppy disk or hard drive
    • Ability to print documents - You should know how to print from at least one program.
    • Word processing skills - You should be able to type a letter in at least one general word processor (e.g. MS Word, Clarisworks, MS Works, WordPerfect, etc.).  You will not be using word processors in the course but similar software will be introduced, thus having a working knowledge of word processors is needed.
    • Basic understanding of Mac or Windows operating system

    Recommended

    • Be able to create folders (directories) on your hard drive or disk
    • Ability to use a multimedia CD-ROM - Although you will not be using CD-ROMs in the course, knowledge of how they work is useful.
    • Ability to use a spreadsheet program - Spreadsheet programs will not be used in the course but knowledge of them is beneficial.
    • Ability to cut, copy and paste text
     

    Access to Technology

    Required

    • Access to computer in classroom - You should have at least one computer in your classroom.
    • Access to the Internet in your school - At a minimum, you should have Internet access on at least one computer in your school building.  You should be able to access the Internet-capable computer during the school day.
    • Access to the Internet after work - The course does require participants to complete homework assignments and practice skills outside of the training lab, thus it is important that you can access the Internet outside of the regular school day.
    • Fast Internet access - It is important that you have at least a 28,800 bps modem and computer that is no more then 4 years old.
    • Reliable Internet access - Although the Internet is never 100% reliable, it is important that you can count on a connection when needed (i.e. no busy signals or disconnection) and access to technical support people who can respond to your needs in a timely fashion.

    Recommended

    • Access to the Internet in your classroom - Although this is not required, it is highly recommended.  If you do not currently have access in your classroom, you should investigate getting it by the conclusion of the course.
    • Access to the Internet and a computer at home - Because of the homework assignments and need to practice new skills having a computer at home with Internet access can be a real asset.
    • High speed Internet access - The faster your Internet connection, the better.

    Experience

    Required

    • One year of computer experience - You should have been using a computer for at least one year before enrolling.
    • Use of computer at least 2-3 times per month
    • Use of computers and technology with students - You should have some experience using computers and other instructional technology in the classroom.
    • Training/teaching adults -  You should have experience training other adults and be comfortable conducting training for your peers. 

    Recommended

    • Three to five years of computer experience - The more experience using computers you have the better.
    • Use of computer 2-3 times per week
    • Science and/or math teacher  - Although the course is open to all educators, it is geared toward teachers who deal with math and science topics as part or all of their curriculum.  If you do not cover these topics, you can still benefit from taking the course but should be prepared to see a large portion of math and science resources and applications.  You may wish to review the syllabus for the course to gain a better understanding of what is covered.
     

    Miscellaneous

    The following items should also be considered: 
    • Time - It will be important to have the time to complete the homework assignments and practice what you learn in the 3-hour workshops. The homework assignments are not optional and will take between 30 minutes to an hour to complete.
    • Attendance - Because this course covers so much material in each class, it is vital that you do not plan to miss any classes and attend for the full three hours. If you do miss a class, be prepared to make up the work outside of the regularly scheduled workshops.
    • Interest in using technology as an instructional tool - Participants would benefit from having a personal interest in using technology in the classroom in new and creative ways.
    • Support from school district - It will be helpful if you have support from your school district and principal.
    • Commitment to mentoring -  It is important that you realize that you will be expected to conduct your own training back at your school or district.  If you have questions about this, please contact your city's project coordinator.