Click on the green flag to begin. A reminder of what each skill means is in the Notes and Credits section below.
Description of Skills Digital Literacy: Being able to use computers and the internet for storing, retrieving, and sending information is now part of everyday life. The better you are at using and applying your knowledge of technology, the more you will be able to do things quickly and even create your own games, videos or animations. Programming: Computing involves using popular programming languages to create programs. They help us achieve a goal in the best way by following a clear set of rules, like steps in a recipe when you are cooking. Problem solving: To write a good program you need to be able to find the best solution for problems as they come up. These problems can sometimes be very complicated and need to be worked through step-by-step. Are you good at doing this when you find a problem? Communication: In order to work in a team you need to communicate effectively. Can you express yourself clearly? Can you share information, give and follow instructions? It seems simple, eh? But it’s a really important 21st century skill and currently there’s not enough people in the Technology Sector who are good at communicating! Collaboration: Lots of jobs now have different people working all over the world and not just in the same office. If you are good at listening and working with others, this really makes it easier to work in teams of people who have different skills. Creativity: Do you have good ideas for new games or can you think of different ways of doing things? Even though a lot of new inventions are developed from things that already exist, you always need to be creative to move ideas forward. Understanding people and the world: There are lots of issues in the world which can be made better with computers. Caring about people and the world around us leads us to finding new ways of doing things with technology. Are you interested in making a difference and improving the world around you? Curiosity: Are you interested in the world around you? Keeping an open mind and asking lots of questions, often to yourself, is part of getting a job done well. So is a willingness to investigate and experiment. Resilience: With computer programming you need to enjoy it when your program isn’t working, as well as when it is working. Are you determined? Do you keep trying even when you find something difficult or things go wrong? Initiative: Are you able to see something that needs doing and work on it without waiting for someone to tell you what to do? Can you try to work something out on your own before asking for help? Having initiative is important because it means you’ll get the job done and explore different ideas on your own.
