Can I call this a course on transcripts?

[Blueridge]

My dd has spent hundreds of hours on the computer over the past year. She learned how to create a blog (several for different purposes), she moderates a writing blog for teens, she has helped her sisters do theirs, too. She learned (on her own) how to add pictures and music, and edits her work on the computer. She also writes for a magazine for Christian girls and edits articles on the computer. Now are all these skills just 'good to know', extra things to list in her portfolio, or can I call them a course in computer science? Thanks~

[Corraleno]

Many high schools require a half-credit in Technology, so that's what I would give her. I wouldn't call it Computer Science, though ~ that implies a much more technical course (e.g. programming, hardware architecture, etc). I would probably just do one generic "Information Technology" half-credit, and list the writing/editing/blog management stuff as extra-curricular/volunteer work.

Jackie

[Blueridge]

Great idea, Jackie. Thank you!

[SharoninTennessee]

Our homeschool tutorial calls a similar course "Digital Arts".

I've done several computer related courses with my daughter. She does websites and we've done "Web Design I and II". These were each a semester and involved learning how to do websites using several different WYSWYG software programs. Then she learned HTML and we called that "HTML Applications." Now we're doing "CS3 Applications" as she learns all the CS3 programs such as Photoshop, After Effects, and the other graphic arts software. She does websites for numerous church and homeschool groups and has put in way more than the minimum hours it takes to earn a credit for these classes.

I know her transcript is going to be rather heavy in computer arts, but since she wants to go to major in graphic arts, I figure it makes sense.

[Blueridge]

Thanks, Sharon. Your dd is going to have a meaty transcript! Where do you get the information to teach her all those things? I'm looking for some type of course to list in the portfolio section of dd's transcript. Blessings~

[Laurie4b]

My dd has spent hundreds of hours on the computer over the past year. She learned how to create a blog (several for different purposes), she moderates a writing blog for teens, she has helped her sisters do theirs, too. She learned (on her own) how to add pictures and music, and edits her work on the computer. She also writes for a magazine for Christian girls and edits articles on the computer. Now are all these skills just 'good to know', extra things to list in her portfolio, or can I call them a course in computer science? Thanks~

I would definitely put her writing/editing for the magazine as extra-curricular rather than bury it in a catch-all course.

[avdelp]

I think you could use it as a .5 credit computer tech (not science) course, but it would also make a great extra curricular! EC's are VERY important to colleges, too. I finally decided to put my daughter's piano and choir as EC's rather than a music course to balance out her transcript a little more.

[SharoninTennessee]

Ginger,

I generally search the syllabus finder website at http://chnm.gmu.edu/syllabus-finder/syllabi/ for a comparable course, look to see what text they're using, check it out on Amazon to see how it's rated, and then go from there. She's actually gone beyond what I can teach her and she's now just teaching herself.

Sharon