Tech Curriculum for Middle Grade Classrooms
1. Problem Statement: What problem does our program address?
In today’s tech-driven world, digital fluency has become as important to future success as reading, writing, and math. Technology is embedded in our everyday lives, as we become increasingly dependent on its real-world applications, and students will need technology skills no matter what job or pathway they pursue.
But even before high school, many students are falling behind in digital fluency and lacking exposure to quality tech education needed to succeed in school and in life.
Many students do not have digital skillbuilding and technology education as part of their school-based learning.
CompTIA Spark has identified a critical gap in available quality technology curriculum designed for students in the pivotal years right before high school. This gap is compounded by the difficulty in finding teachers who have the technology expertise needed to facilitate existing programs, and keeping pace with rapidly changing tech concepts and content.
to learning new concepts, are developing critical thinking skills, and are beginning their career exploration journey.
If left without opportunities for exposure to technology education and the opportunities this can provide, many doors will close to students before they even reach high school. From agriculture to architecture, manufacturing to marketing, digital fluency and continuing innovation will define tomorrow’s job market. According to the National Skills Coalition, even today, 92% of jobs require digital skills, but only two thirds of employees possess basic digital skills necessary to successfully fulfill their job requirements. Students who possess digital fluency will lead in business, community building, science, national security, education, government, and public safety, as they become problem-solvers for a future that is unknown.
CompTIA Spark has identified a critical gap in available quality technology curriculum designed for students in the pivotal years right before high school.
Research indicates that it’s vital to introduce technology classes before high school because this timing aligns with students’ cognitive development. During middle school, students remain receptive
Moreover, the tech industry itself offers enormous opportunities for high earning potential for students of all backgrounds. But without exposure to tech education in middle school, students are left unprepared to pursue tech education subjects in high school, and to take advantage of the exciting, rewarding opportunities in the tech industry — which are growing rapidly and in need of diverse new talent.
Why would someone need our program?
Working to close the gap in tech education in middle grades, CompTIA Spark delivers free online curriculum to “spark” interest and increase exposure and excitement about the possibilities in technology. CompTIA Spark programs not only help to build young people’s capabilities but confidence, 21st century skills and a growth mindset to foster successful futures, regardless of the career path they choose.
Curriculum topics span from tech fundamentals to emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity and are designed to meet students where they are, regardless of their previous technology or computer experience — ensuring that tech education is fun, engaging and accessible for all students to increase participation and the impact of the program.
Being backed by CompTIA, the world’s largest IT industry association, allows CompTIA Spark to offer its leading-edge tech curriculum for free and provides access to students who may otherwise not have such opportunities. As a result, more students finishing eighth grade are prepared and excited for the future, and to continue their journey in high school and beyond thanks to the confidence and technology skills they gain.
CompTIA Spark has created a technology curriculum to:
• Build confidence, creativity and interest of every middle schooler—fostering the development of 21st century skills
• Ensure educators can facilitate and implement without any prior technology teaching experience
• Provide free access to all students and schools through an online, user-friendly environment
• Keep pace with the changes taking place in technology through the connection to CompTIA, a leading technology association
• Create a strong foundation to foster future-ready career skills that meet evolving workforce needs
“The biggest challenge we have is bridging that gap between the way our kids live and the way they learn. When we can combine that with realworld activities, real-world industry experts to help our kids learn these skills. It’s beyond just coding. It’s about collaboration, communication, teamwork, all these aspects. All of our students aren’t going to be programmers; they’re not going to be coders. But I guarantee you, they’re going to need to be communicators and collaborators in anything they do.”
Working to close the gap in tech education in middle grades, CompTIA Spark delivers free online curriculum to “spark” interest and increase exposure and excitement about the possibilities in technology.
—Chief technology officer at a school explains the value of its students using CompTIA Spark technology curriculum to offer skills that they can use throughout their life.
2. Solution Statement: What market niche does our program fill?
CompTIA Spark curriculum provides an enormous opportunity to expose more middle school students to high quality technology education in the critical years before high school.
The curriculum offers two tracks:
Tech Exploration Units, which:
• Build a range of core tech skills and digital fluency through fun, projectbased learning;
• Expose students to a variety of career paths and exciting them with future possibilities; and
• Build 21st century skills, confidence and a growth mindset.
Emerging Tech Units, which:
• Engage students in slightly more advanced activities;
• Focus on today’s most relevant and cutting-edge tech topics, including artificial intelligence, the latest in cybersecurity and more;
• Build prerequisite skills for high school IT courses; and
• Address computer science standards.
3. Market Differentiator:
What makes our program different and better than what already exists?
The primary objective of this curriculum is to establish a sustainable initiative that equips middle school students with the digital fluency, resources, confidence and skills necessary to succeed in today’s tech-connected world, and helps to prepare them for the future.
• Curriculum is backed by the tech industry, ensuring content keeps pace with real-world developments, and is informed by CompTIA SMEs.
• Curriculum is free for teachers and school systems, removing a significant barrier and providing high quality tech education to students who might otherwise not have access.
• Easy to implement—can be taught by any educator, no previous experience needed.
• Utilizes best practice approaches to learning supported by detailed lesson plans, interactive activities, and multimedia resources; allows for asynchronous and autonomous learning.
• Builds 21st Century skills and confidence, and fosters a growth mindset.
• Designed to be fun and engaging, and meet students where they are.
• Helps students to evolve from tech consumers to creators.
• Develops skills and interest to encourage future exploration of exciting, rewarding, and in demand career opportunities.
• Developed with educator feedback.
4. Program Description
CompTIA Spark curriculum for middle schools provides two tracks (Tech Exploration Units and Emerging Tech Units), with 6 themed units and dozens of lessons to meet educator and classroom needs; additional units are in development. Each lesson includes comprehensive teacher resources, including detailed lesson plans, interactive activities, and multimedia assets that help students build a project from scratch. The curriculum is designed to allow educators to act as facilitators instead of needing to be subject matter experts across a multitude of topics in the ever-evolving world of technology.
Projects are designed to be fun and engaging, collaborative, and expose students to a variety of important tools, skills and future opportunities. The content is inspired by real-world work and the latest technology concepts, and provides students with opportunities to actively apply digital skills to help solve real-world problems.
The Tech Exploration units follow a growth mindset approach and include a range of engaging and collaborative activities that simulate a dynamic workplace setting — perfect for cultivating 21st century skills. Lessons cover a variety of technology topics that build foundational skills, confidence and comfort with common online applications.
Within the Lunar Cruise Lines unit, lessons are connected by a shared theme: It is 2050 and NASA has just declared that the Moon is open to tourism. As a class, students will complete activities to create the first lunar tourism company.
The 3D School Store unit focuses on providing students with the tools to design and sell 3D printed items for a school store.
With the Beat Builders unit, music is the connecting theme to help students explore concepts of digital citizenship, coding, app design and a range of common applications. Students will also create and share an original song.
Tech Exploration Units
• Introduce productivity and creativity applications through project-based activities.
• Self-paced instruction through tutorial videos.
• Sample a range of tech topics and excite students to dig deeper into those topics that are of greatest interest to each individual.
• Exposes students to applications like Tinkercad, Sheets/Excel, Canva, Scratch, PowerPoint/Slides, Forms, MakeCode Arcade and Kiri:Moto.
• Lunar Cruise Lines — how tech applies to: 3-D modeling using Tinkercad, datascience, programming, marketing, and graphic design.
• 3-D School Store how tech applies to: 3-D design, manufacturing, market research, video production, fundraising, and business accounting.
• Beat Builders: Students explore concepts of digital citizenship, coding, app design and a range of common applications — while creating and sharing an original song.
The Emerging Tech Units consist of a series of more advanced activities inspired by real-world careers in today’s growing technology fields. Utilizing hands-on learning, the Emerging Tech Units include the following: Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots, and Smart Home.
Emerging Tech Units
• Conduct simulations and games that teach digital fluency topics.
• Allow for self-paced instruction supported by tutorial videos.
• Encourage students to identify interests in a tech or career pathway.
• Addresses prerequisites for high school tech education tracks.
• Explore Voiceflow, Canva and other software to create an effective chatbot
• Cybersecurity unit: Designed to provide a high-level and engaging introduction to foundations of a network, routers and traffic, denial of service attack through a custom game.
• Artificial Intelligence unit: Explores the role that AI will play in our society and how computers comprehend and generate natural language.
• Smart Home unit: Students will explore logic and coding concepts, plus the internet of things (IoT) as product designers for a home technology company creating automated and smart devices
All Units
• 7–25 instructional hours per unit.
• Asynchronous and autonomous learning supported by interactive activities and tutorial videos.
• Does not require teachers to have prior experience to cover the topics.
5. Timeline 6. KPIs
January–March 2023 — Listen and learn in focus groups.
March–August 2023 Test and iterate in beta phase inside classrooms.
September 2023 3 to 4 Tech Exploration units built.
September 2023 — 4+ Emerging Tech units built.
2023 Timeline: MET
January–March 2023 Listen and learn in focus groups.
March–August 2023 — Test and iterate in beta phase inside classrooms.
September 2023 2 Tech Exploration units built.
September 2023 2 Emerging Tech units built.
2024 Timeline TBD
2023 Attainments (Pilot Year)
• Students self-report continued interest in tech pathways: KPI not implemented
• Reach at least 100 teachers in pilot: Reached 141 teachers in pilot
• Reach at least 2,500 students in pilot: Reached 3,276 students in pilot
• Pre- and post-unit skill assessment: Per David, no longer applicable and it is unknown if it will be replaced by another assessment
• 7–8 units developed: 4 units developed, 2 more currently under development
2024 Goals (Cover 2024–2025 School Year)
• Engage 540 teachers to utilize the middle school curriculum
• Reach 24,000 students
• Develop 2 more units before the end of the 2023–2024 school year
