Comp Tech Course Description

Computer Technology Course Outline Dave Mulkey, Oct 2016

Student Background

There will be a large range of skills and experience among the students. We structure lessons to be accessible to the less skilled students, but still interesting and valuable for the more experienced students. We assume that virtually all the students have some familiarity with computers and basic computer usage, so this is not a "beginners" course. Less experienced students must seek individual help from the teacher to ensure their success.

Student Needs

The major needs of the students are to develop skills and understanding to enable them to use computers and IT tools effectively and successfully. That includes the following areas:

Familiarity - identify standard software tools and hardware devices, and connect them with standard application areas (e.g. knowing that a calculator is more appropriate for some types of calculations, while a spreadsheet is more sensible for other calculations);
Productivity - use standard tools (document editors, graphics software, PowerPoint, etc) efficiently to produce assignments for their classes - printed essays, computer presentations;
Research - use a web-browser to do Internet based research for academic classes;
Communication - use e-mail and other web-based tools for personal communication;
Handling problems - diagnose and fix common computer problems, including changing settings and handling printer problems;
Terminology - understand common technical terminology associated with computers, especially terminology required for understanding operating instructions and error messages;
Components - understand the standard components of a computer system and their function, especially where that promotes efficient use and handling problems;
Technical Extensions - some students want or need to develop greater technical expertise to prepare for further Computer Science courses, home user needs, or future career plans;
Future - expand skills and knowledge to prepare for future developments in the computer industry.

Instruction

Instruction will be activity-centered. A typical lesson starts with a brief explanation or demonstration, accompanied by web-based instructions, then followed by ample time for the students to perform the required task(s). Lessons include both practical products and theoretical/vocabulary expectations.

Lessons are task-oriented, not tool-oriented. For example, rather than learning a long list of word-processor features, that might be useful "sometime in the future", the students are given a task to perform (e.g. produce a flyer for a concert) and must learn the features connected with that task.

Some lessons will require group-work, but most work should be individual. The teacher spends significant time giving individual help and advice to students, and relatively little time giving lectures to the entire class.

A typical topic should require 2 or 3 lessons - an explanation during the first class, then a quick review and reminder with more working time during further classes. Most topics will produce a project to be graded - a few topoics will end with written tests or a task to perform in limited time.

Expectations

Students are expected to maintain a positive, cooperative, productive attitude at all times. When they encounter difficulties or obstacles, they should ask questions to avoid wasting time.
Students need to attend class every day, as the practical work may not be appropriate as a "take-home" exercise. The teacher presents demonstrations (lectures) almost every day - it is difficult for students to "make-up" missed lectures. Frequent absences usually result in poorer achievement.
Students may discuss assignments with other students and help each other, but they must not copy work from other students. Practical work must represent the personal work of each individual student (except in teamwork assignments).
Students must use computer equipment responsibly - this includes avoiding dangerous behavior which might damage the hardware or corrupt the software.
Students are responsible for saving their work frequently, and making backup copies of all work. Lost work must be redone for credit.

Assessment

Assessment should focus on the following:

successful and timely completion of required tasks;
quality of practical products;
development of effective skills and work habits;
recall and use of technical facts, concepts and vocabulary.

This table shows suggested criteria for marks in these areas. Some topics might not be marked in all these areas.

Level	Completion of Task(s)	Quality of Product	Effective Skills and Habits	Recall and Use of Vocabulary and Facts
7	Completed quickly, correctly and easily	Innovative, creative, or highly efficient	Uses skills beyond the standard skills	Always recalls and uses relevant vocabulary and facts correctly
6	Completed and submitted without delay	Product is correct and efficient, showing thorough attention to detail	Uses standard skills with no errors	Usually uses relevant vocabulary and facts correctly
5	Completed with some delay or difficulty, or with minor defects	Product is adequate with only a few missing or incorrect details.	Standard skills are used with few errors	Often recalls and uses relevant vocabulary and facts correctly
4	Mostly complete, with noticeable defects, or with moderate delay	Largely satisfactory, with many missing or incorrect details	Standard skills are used with some errors	Attempts to use relevant facts and vocabulary, but makes occasional errors
3	Only part of the task is complete, or contains numerous defects	Not satisfactory, containing numerous or large defects	Standard skills are used, but with many errors on routine tasks	Often attempts to use relevant vocabulary and facts but makes frequent errors
2	Only a small part is complete, or it took far too long	Few parts of the product are satisfactory	Few standard skills are used successfully	Rarely succeeds in recalling and using relevant vocabulary and facts
1	Turned in but almost nothing completed	Turned in but none of the parts are acceptable	No evidence of successful use of standard skills	No evidence or no attempt to recall and use relevant vocabulary and facts
0	Nothing was completed	Nothing was completed	Nothing was completed	Nothing was completed

Topics

The topics for this course should support the goals associated with students needs (above). The topics are multi-faceted rather than highly specific. Basic skills are repeated and reinforced in various topics. Topics should be accessible to the less skilled students, but still interesting for the highly skilled students.

We must acknowledge the growing importance of the Internet and communication uses of computers, and the reduction in importance of more technical and mathematical uses and skills. We must also accept that rapid innovation in the computer industry, along with technical issues, will require frequent changes in the curriculum of this course. Teachers and students will be solicited for suggested topics. So this list of topics will always be provisional and should be viewed only as suggestions, to be altered later. The order is only suggestive and will change each year, keeping up with changes in the computer industry.

*Understanding Concepts*	*Using Tools*	*Sample Units*
Web-Page Authoring Basic components (text, boxes) Java-Script for simple DHTML HTML code - simple modifications	WYSIWYG Web Editor(s) Web-Builder for graphic design and dynamic pages PageBreeze (or similar) for HTML + preview	Collecting Links Rollovers and Image Links Slide Show Hawaii Hide and Show Active Web-page with JS Headline Page Sample Student Pages
Google Searching - search terms, boolean Extras - converting units....	Google and Google Tools	Google Searches Google Tools Google Sites
Internet Concepts How web-servers work Bandwidth, DSL vs Modems Security Ethical/legal issues	Internet Tools Using a web-editor to make web-pages Uploading web-pages to a server Patching web-pages with an HTML editor Searching with Google and others Downloading softwareUsing online tools (Google Earth, Writely, photo sharing sites, ...) Making a PDF file from MS Word	Wikis Blogs Ethical Issues Techy Details Future Developments Better Internet Electronic Portfolio
Graphics Concepts Vocabulary - pixel, resolution, color depth, mixing colors, etc.	Graphics Tools Image processing with Paint Shop Pro Simple animations (in web-pages) Drawing with Open Office (or similar) Diagrams in MS Word	Collage Morphing GIF Animations Diagrams in MS Word Paint Shop Pro - Various
Scripting and Automation What is a program? What is a script? What do programmers and software developers do and how? How do technicians automate things	Scripting and Automation Tools Making interactive web-pages (Java Script) including DHTML movement Simple Video Games (Blitz Basic) Recording Macros in MS Word Setting up efficient options in various software applications (work faster) Scheduling processes in Windows FLASH Animations and Web Pages	Drawing in Blitz Basic Snowball Fight in Blitz Survive in Blitz DHTML Pizza Quiz Student Samples DHTML Flash Animation Intro Flash Page Flash Ads Flash Banner Ad for Country 3D Title
Publications What can you do with a word-proc.? What shouldn't you do with a WP? Choosing the best tools	Publications Printing posters, printing business cards Making signs for the school / activities Desktop Publishing – make a newsletter using MS Word or equivalent tool, but with columns and box layout Math graphing tools + equation editor - type math problems/worksheet Charts and statistics with a spreadsheet - analyze and present data/statistics	Tiny Schedule Business Cards Making Signs for School Best Thing Flyer Computer Tools for Math Why Are Spreadsheets Popular? Visualizing Data Typing Math Touch Typing
Home/Consumer Electronics How to read an advertisement How to choose the right device What is possible, what’s not	Home/Consumer Electronics Digital cameras, Scanners, Cell phones, Web-connections, memory cards MP3 players, CD Burners	Memory - Digicams, etc Follow the Data Monitors Ubiquitous Future Practice for Vocab Test
Technical Vocabulary RGB, RAM, ROM, TCP/IP, HTML, HTTP, etc........ How to protect your data How to schedule backups	Technical Tools Encryption tools for text and e-mail Installing/uninstalling software Compression (.zip archives) Disk-defragmenter and clean-up Registry editor Repairing defective Windows installation Hard drive partitions External storage (USB Stick, hard drive)	Tech Tips Tech Quiz Using Linux Live CD
FIS Intranet Concepts What servers do we have? How do the connections function? Security, safety How do other intranets differ ?	FIS Intranet Tools Logging in, changing password Where can you store your work? Connecting and using printers Connecting to school from home	Good Habits Accounts
Projects How can we use computers to support activities and/or projects in the schooll?	Various Tools Use various tools in a coordinated fashion Work in small groups Divide the work to be efficient and productive	Web-site Design for Activites
more items will be added as time permits