Course Standards

The objective of this class is to help students achieve fluency in familiar technologies and to introduce new technologies. The skills gained in this class will support the work going on in other Hanover High classes by providing mastery of the tools necessary for research, problem solving and communication.

Because technology changes so rapidly, no one person will ever be adept at every aspect of the field. Our classroom will be one of constant discovery and collaboration. We will be learning from each other continuously, trying new things, exploring new territories. For this reason, one of the most important expectations in this class is that we treat each other and ourselves with kindness and respect. Everyone in this class should feel comfortable making mistakes and sharing successes with support from the group. Following are some general guidelines about the essential skills that students will gain from the class, grading, and class participation. I look forward to working with you all this semester.

Grading

Most assessments in this course will be in the form of projects. Each project will be based on activities outlined in the competencies for this course. Throughout the course, I will strive to make assignments meaningful and relevant. We will discuss the assignment’s real-world applications include careers related to the topic. Because projects are lengthy and comprise the bulk of the work done in class, students must turn in all assignments to have a chance at receiving an A or a B in the class. Students who fail to turn in 2 projects will not be able to pass the course.

There will also be occasional quizzes on vocabulary, on current events related to technology, or on subjects such as copyright and fair use. These will be graded on a points system.

There will be homework that will primarily take the form of reading or written (online) responses to topics covered in class.

The Final Project will take the place of a Final Exam.

Assignments are weighted as follows:

Projects 40%
Quizzes/Tests 20%
Homework 10%
Participation 10%
Final Project 20%

Assignments are due on the date specified in the syllabus. 10 points will be deducted for each day a project is late. However, I understand that we all have circumstances that may arise, making it difficult to meet a deadline. For this reason, you will be allowed 1 (and only one) opportunity to arrange with me in advance to turn in an assignment late. If prior arrangements are not made, the standard penalty applies.

X periods and Attendance

We will have an X period on Thursday in this class. This time will primarily be used for students who need extra time to finish an in-class project. All students are inspected to check-in and to show that the project is complete. If you have not completed projects to the instructor’s satisfaction, you may not be excused during an x-period.

Attendance expectations are outlined in the school policy in the Student Handbook, and will be strictly enforced for both absences and tardiness.

ICT Competencies

Creativity and Innovation 

  1. Students will use a variety of electronic tools such as blogs, RSS feeds etc. to study current trends in technology.
  2. Students will explore new technological applications and review them for use by the school community at large.

Communication and Collaboration

  1. Students will work collaboratively to present at weekly seminars, introducing technology topics to peers, faculty and staff
  2. Students will examine Web 2.0 applications, how they are being used throughout society and how they impact their own social life.
  3. Students will use an online educational environment such as Moodle to manage educational assignments.

Research and Information Fluency

  1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of effective digital research strategies including the use of Boolean search techniques to limit and focus search results.
  2. Students will obtain relevant, scholarly research using websites such as EBSCO and other subscription based scholarly research tools.
  3. Students will learn how to create appropriate citations for online content.

Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving & Decision-Making 

  1. Students will use his/her understanding of common software products to choose appropriate technology tools for completing educational assignments.
  2. Students will display data in ways that effectively communicate ideas.

Digital Citizenship 

  1. Students will examine issues of digital copyright, fair use, and digital ethics.
  2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of Internet safety.
  3. Students will examine issues of Internet security and how those issues relate to society’s access and use of Internet resources.

Technology Operations and Concepts 

  1. Students demonstrate skill in using advanced operations and features in common productivity software.
  2. Students will create a simple web page
  3. Students will use presentation software to create an educational slide show.
  4. Students will create and edit digital images, video and sound.
  5. Students will explore basic programming concepts and use visual programming environments to create at least one project.
  6. Students will be introduced to simple robotics concepts.