Technology Skills Continuum – Secondary
There are three components to the LWSD Technology Framework:
1) The Technology Standards & Proficiency Scales
Lake Washington School District adopted the Washington State K-12 Educational Technology Learning Standards
during the 2009-10 school year. Between 2010 and 2014, groups of teachers have worked with Technology
Integration Specialists to create the Technology Proficiency Scales. The Technology Learning Standards include
EALR 1-Technology Integration, and EALR 2-Digital Citizenship.
2) Technology Skills Continuum (this document)
During the 2014-15 school year, Technology Integration Specialists created the Technology Skills Continuum to
support student acquisition of the technology skills necessary to meet the Technology Learning Standards.
3) The Parents’ Guide to Technology in the LWSD
Published in 2014, the document outlines for parents how technology is used in 4 areas: Classroom Technologies
and Student Devices, Applications for Learning, Standards and Skills, and Systems for Student/Teacher/Parent
Communication.
All three documents work together to support student proficiency of the Technology Learning Standards. The
Technology Skills Continuum is an explanation of the Standards and Skills portion of the Parent’s Guide and
provides the specific skills necessary for students to meet the Technology Learning Standards. For instance, if
“swimming” was the standard students were expected to be able to meet, they would need underlying skills
to be able to meet that standard: floating, holding your breath, arm strokes, kicking feet, etc.
Development Process:
The skills are non-program specific so they may be applied regardless of the platform and more likely to
remain applicable as technology changes over the years. If a particular skill could be applied in multiple
categories (e.g., using the “save as” option), it only appears in one category to avoid redundancy. The skills
listed for each grade level are minimum requirements for students to be college and career ready. There is
nothing to prevent a teacher from extending beyond the minimum requirements. For example, knowing how
to write code isn’t listed in the Continuum, but may be valuable for students to learn.
The Skills Continuum consists of two connected documents: Elementary Skills and Secondary Skills. The
Elementary Skills document was intentionally designed so that skills begun at the Elementary level should be
mastered by the end of 5th grade; skills do not break across the Elementary/Secondary transition. Because of
this, secondary teachers may need to refer to the Elementary Skills Continuum document to find the skills
mastered in elementary that are not outlined in the secondary continuum.
The purpose of this document is to show teachers how technology skills build from year to year. The arrows
show a when a skill is first introduced, when it is practiced with help from the teacher, and by the end of
which grade level students should master the skill. When bold text is used, it indicates the changes in rigor or
complexity of a skill that is very similar from year to year.
Definitions:
Skill: a foundation that will support technology development and lead students to meet the technology standards
Desktop Publishing: creation of digital documents using page layout skills
After two years of working with the Technology Standards, teachers and parents identified the need for a
more specific, skills-based tool to guide technology instruction, which led to the development of the
Technology Skills Continuum. Technology Integration Specialists gathered information from a variety of
sources. Work began by collecting existing technology skills agreements and documents from within our
district as well as from other districts. Further research was conducted to consider industry standards and ISTE
standards that prepare students for the global workplace. Based on this information, it was determined that a
comprehensive skills document did not exist. Therefore, Technology Integration Specialists compiled all the
information and used it to draft a comprehensive K-12 Skills Continuum. Feedback on the draft was sought
from multiple advisory groups consisting of parents, teachers, and administrators.
The Skills Continuum was created based on the Technology Learning Standards from EALR 1 (TS 1-8) and EALR
2 (TS 9-15) and were organized based on similar program skills rather than by standard. The skills in each
category help students meet proficiency in multiple standards, denoted under each category name. The skills
do not replace the standards or proficiency scales; teachers will still need to use those documents to ensure
students meet all technology standards. The standards include many conceptual understandings, such as
demonstrating respect for the opinions of others posted online. However, since these concepts are not
specific program skills, they are not included in this document.
Keyboarding: inputting information using a keyboard, a process of inputting text by pressing keys
Digital Presentation: shows, describes, or explains something to a group of people using a digital tool
Research: systematic study that is done using digital tools to find and report new knowledge
Data Gathering & Analysis: inspecting, transforming, and modeling data using digital tools to discover useful information,
suggest conclusions, and support decision-making
Collaboration: work with another person(s) in an intellectual endeavor using a digital tool
Digital Citizenship: understanding technology systems and operations and practicing safe, legal and ethical behavior
Teacher Models/Student Observes: teacher demonstrates skill and students watch the teacher and/or participate in
guided practice
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices: teacher provides direct instruction of the skill and students practice skills to increase
level of expertise
Teacher Assists/Student Masters: teacher provides assistance as necessary so that all or nearly all students achieve skill
proficiency by the end of the grade level
June 2016 |Technology Skills Continuum by Lake Washington School District is licensed under a
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Revised 5/18/15
Desktop Publishing (e.g., Word, Publisher, InDesign, etc.)
Sixth
Seventh
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Using types of page breaks (e.g.,
column, continuous, etc.)
 Using the Format Painter*
 Inserting symbols (e.g., ©, ÷, ∑, Δ, θ,
π, etc.)
 Modifying printing options (e.g.,
print a selection, fit to page, etc.)
 Resizing tables
 Inserting & deleting rows & columns
in a table
 Applying table styles
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Eighth
Keyboarding (e.g., Type to Learn, integrated into assignments, etc.)
Ninth
Tenth
Eleventh – Twelfth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Inserting & deleting comments
 Using the ruler to modify formatting
(first line indent, left/right indents,
tabs, etc.)
 Creating & modifying cell borders in
a table
 Merging & splitting cells in a table
 Modify text alignment in a table
 Using advanced text wrapping
around images (e.g., behind, in
front, through)
Advanced
Formatting
Intermediate
Formatting
Technology Standards Connection: TS 1, TS 3, TS 5, TS 6, TS 7, TS 13
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Tracking revisions/changes (e.g.,
Review tab in Word)
Typing can occur in any subject, during any period, and includes typing for classwork and homework.
Technology Standards Connection: TS 3, TS 11
Practice
Standard
Sixth
Seventh
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Typing three-page, double spaced
document with 12 point font in 30
minutes at 30 wpm
 Typing four-page, double spaced
document with 12 point font in 35
minutes at 35 wpm
Students Practice
 Between all their classes, students
will type for a minimum of 75
minutes a week (15 minutes of
practice daily)

Students Practice
 Between all their classes, students
will type for a minimum of 90
minutes a week (15-20 minutes of
practice daily)

Eighth
Ninth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Student Maintains Skills by
 Typing five-page, double spaced
document with 12 point font in 40
minutes at 40 wpm
 Typing multi-page documents at
minimum of 40 wpm
Students Practice
Student Maintains Skills by
 Between all their classes, students
will type for a minimum of 100
minutes a week (20 minutes of
practice daily)

 Between all their classes, students
will type for a minimum of 100
minutes a week (20 minutes of
practice daily)

*The Format Painter is a tool used to copy the formatting (e.g., font, size, tabs, alignment, etc.) from one selection to another selection.
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Tenth
Eleventh – Twelfth
2
Digital Presentation (e.g, PowerPoint, ActivInspire, Prezi, MovieMaker, etc.)
Formatting & Presenting
Technology Standards Connection: TS 1, TS 3, TS 5, TS 7, TS 13, TS 14
Sixth
Seventh
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Eighth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Resizing tables
 Inserting & deleting rows & columns
in a table
 Applying table styles
 Duplicating slides/pages
 Adjusting the order/layer of objects
 Rotating objects
 Modifying timing of transitions
 Selecting appropriate options for
printing presentations (e.g.,
slides/pages, handouts, etc.)
 Creating or inserting graphs, images,
videos, or sounds that effectively
communicate the key point
Ninth
Tenth
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Eleventh – Twelfth
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Grouping & ungrouping objects
 Aligning objects
 Hiding slides/pages
 Exporting presentation into multiple
formats (e.g., PDF, movie, etc.)
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Using timing to create a self-running
presentation
 Modify timing and order of
animations
Design
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Using the “Rule of Thirds”* to align
text and images on a slide/page
 Using image placement to focus the
audience’s attention on a slide/page
 Using empty space on a slide/page to
draw attention to a specific element
of a slide/page and avoid
clutter/distraction
 Using notes and/or memory instead
of reading text off of slides/pages
 Using an appropriate balance of
images, text, and graphs
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Connecting all design elements
(colors, font, sizes, alignment,
placement/organization, etc.) to
cohesively communicate a story
around the topic that engages the
audience
*The “Rule of Thirds” is an image divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, important compositional elements should be placed along the points of intersection.
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3
Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Video
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Tenth
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Eleventh – Twelfth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Importing video into video editing
software
 Adding text to a video project (e.g.,
credits, titles)
 Adding sound to a video project
 Using a timeline view to edit a video
project
 Managing multiple video clips in a
video project
 Trimming & splitting video clips in a
project
 Adding transitions
 Saving video projects
 Publishing video projects (to be
played on a different device)
4
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Research & Citation (e.g, Citation Maker, KnightCite, etc.)
Technology Standards Connection: TS 1, TS 4, TS 5, TS 6, TS 7, TS 8, TS 10, TS 14
Research
Sixth
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Eighth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Choosing and using a brainstorming
or mind mapping software tool to
record research questions and plan
project
 Using a variety of search strategies
within search engines and databases
(e.g., refining searches, Boolean
searches) to locate and review
information for research
 Using a digital tools to plan and
manage a research project (e.g.,
bookmarks, online calendar,
OneNote, Haiku, etc.)
 Conducting original research using
digital tools such as an online survey,
poll, discussion board, etc.
 Producing digital works to convey
learning from research, using a
variety of tools such as text, pictures,
audio, video or other digital media
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Citation
Seventh
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Honoring author rights and the legal
use of protected information by
citing all sources, applying MLA
format
 Adhering to copyright law by using
copyright/fair use disclaimer in all
multimedia presentations
 Using MLA parenthetical citations
 Using Works Cited page in written
reports or slide in multimedia
presentation
Ninth
Tenth
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Eleventh – Twelfth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Analyzing and selecting a digital
management tool for organizing a
research project (e.g., online
calendar, OneNote, Haiku, etc.)
 Using a variety of digital resources &
search strategies (e.g., search
engines, library catalogs, databases,
advanced searches) to access and
evaluate relevancy and credibility of
information
 Choosing the most effective digital
tool for gathering information and
perspectives
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Contributing to a database of
resources useful for research (e.g.,
list of websites for research topic)
 Designing a multimedia product to
represent understanding from
research, that incorporates a variety
of digital tools
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Synthesizing information from
research and apply a variety of
digital presentation tools to create a
multimedia project
 Creating a database of resources
useful for research (e.g., Excel)
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Adhering to copyright law to honor
original works by independently and
accurately using MLA citations to
credit work
5
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Data Gathering & Analysis (e.g., Excel, simulations, probeware, etc.)
Formatting
Technology Standards Connection: TS 2, TS 3, TS 6, TS 7, TS 8, TS 13
Sixth
Seventh
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Customizing cells (e.g., resizing,
borders, colors, styles, etc.)
 Using merged cells
 Wrapping text in a cell
 Adding, naming, & ordering
worksheets
 Moving & resizing graphs in and
between worksheets
 Editing headers & footers
 Formatting numbers and text (e.g.,
currency, percentage, decimal places,
etc.)
 Adjusting page breaks for printing

Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Data Gathering & Manipulation
Eighth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Using AVERAGE function
 Auto-filling data into cells
 Creating & using online surveys to
gather data on perspectives
 Using a simulation to gather data
about a system
 Using a digital tool to collect data
from a system
Ninth
Tenth
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Eleventh – Twelfth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Using conditional formatting to
format cells
 Freezing & unfreezing headings
 Formatting graph elements (colors,
axes, labels, legends, alignment, etc.)
 Inserting & deleting comments
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Selecting & using the appropriate
type of graph
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Entering & editing simple formulas
(+, -, x, ÷)
 Moving & copying formulas and
functions
 Adding a trendline (line of best fit) to
a graph
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Entering & editing complex formulas
using order of operations
 Sorting & filtering data
 Use an absolute cell reference in a
formula
6
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Collaboration (e.g., wikis, discussions, email, OneDrive & Office 365, OneNote, etc.)
Sharing &
Communicating
Technology Standards Connection: TS 3, TS 4, TS 14
Sixth
Seventh
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Eighth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Using digital tools (e.g., email,
comments, discussions, etc.) to
appropriately communicate with
peers and adults
 Creating a digital discussion
 Creating a digital poll/survey
 Using an online space (e.g., wiki,
shared cloud storage) to work
collaboratively on files
 Managing changes of files when
edited by multiple users
Ninth
Tenth
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Eleventh – Twelfth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
 Tailoring digital communication
based on audience (formal,
informal, professional, etc.)
 Using digital comments from others
to make changes to shared
documents
 Using a digital tool to organize
group thoughts around multiple
points of view
 Design a collaborative digital project
or presentation
Digital Citizenship (e.g., Common Sense Media, AUP, etc.)
Technology Standards connection: TS 9, TS 10, TS 12
Eighth
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Safety
Seventh
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
AUP
Sixth
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Managing & remembering passwords
for multiple programs or accounts
 Discerning differences between
trusted & malicious emails, links, etc.
 Applying understanding of AUP to
recognize the impact of unethical
use of technology (e.g., hacking,
plagiarism, pirating, cyber bullying)
Ninth
Tenth
Eleventh – Twelfth
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Applying a file and folder
organization strategy seamlessly
across multiple devices, including
the cloud
 Using the cloud to manage files and
folders across multiple devices
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Organization
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Organizing files and folders logically
to be easily be found later (e.g,
folders by subject, period, teacher)
 Using a file naming system that
includes specific identifiers (e.g.,
assignment/project name) so it can
easily be found later
Troubleshooting
 Applying understanding of AUP to
appropriately use technology in the
learning environment and with
personal relationships
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Restarting assigned device weekly
 Identifying and reporting computer
problems using building process
after independent troubleshooting
 Bringing assigned device to school
fully charged daily
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
 Trying alternatives to solve
technology problems (developing
work-arounds)
 Using online resources to
troubleshoot technology problems
Teacher Instructs/Student Practices
Teacher Assists/Student Masters
7
June 2016 |Technology Skills Continuum by Lake Washington School District is licensed under a
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