Spotlight

Applied Digital Skills helps Michael Paulus teach towards a digital future

Michael is the Head of Business at Westminster Academy in London, UK. He teaches a hands-on Digital Enterprise class to students in Year 7 during their first year at the academy. The Applied Digital Skills curriculum was a natural fit for his project-based vision for the course.

Which Applied Digital Skills lessons have you used with your students?

We have used more than 20 different lessons – including Organise Files in Drive, Build Healthy Digital Habits, and Plan and Budget – as part of our Digital Enterprise Key Stage 3 course for year 7 students.

What specific benefits or skills do your learners gain from the curriculum?

Our students have become highly competent with a variety of Google apps. They are able to remotely collaborate and develop critical digital literacy skills.

Applied Digital Skills provides a fantastic resource for teachers and students in developing the digital literacy skills our young learners desperately need to succeed in all types of work.

How does the curriculum fit with your teaching philosophy?

We wanted to make a curriculum that meets the needs of our students for when they gain employment, and we wanted to move away from traditional knowledge-based courses. Google’s Applied Digital Skills curriculum was the perfect fit for us. It works seamlessly in lessons. Students are hugely engaged with the lessons we have included in our curriculum.

The Applied Digital Skills lessons are the perfect resource for the six main sections covered in the Digital Enterprise class. We start with building better digital habits and staying safe online, then cover digital skills, practical life skills and personal financial management. At the end of the course, students prepare themselves for the Google Workspace certification exam.

Can you share a specific student or educator success story?

The engagement level in the Digital Enterprise class is very strong. Learners with a range of ability levels can all progress well due to the in-depth plans provided by Google. The students themselves have said that they enjoy the independence that comes with the lessons, and many have noted that the format helps them avoid easy distractions to focus on the work.

Our students have gradually become much more confident in using technology, and are now far better at understanding the risks and how to use it safely. In particular, our students found the Build Healthy Digital Habits lessons highly interesting. They created some fantastic pieces of work, of which they are all still proud.