Tech Projects Class Proposal

Books & Materials: FrontPage (current version), Adobe Photoshop, LViewPro, Visual Basic 6 or higher; Squeak (an open user licensed programming environment based on SmallTalk); Microworlds Logo (Preferred), Star Logo or MSW Logo; MS Office programs and MS Office Visual Basic help files. Macromedia Flash is a useful program that will help students explore animation and would be helpful for the course.

Course Description: Tech Projects is course designed for the students who wants to learn more about an area of technology and develop a project in it. The first ten or twelve class meetings will introduce students to various software and hardware so they will have a basis for choosing a project that interests them. Examples of projects may be programming useful macros in MS Office products, creating games in Logo or Squeak, learning how to create and manipulate images in Photoshop, developing a web site that showcases something a student wants to communicate, creating animations and lessons in Flash (if purchased), or learning how to program interactions with a browser. Students will leave the course with deeper understanding of a particular area of technology

Tech Projects is a series of one-semester courses that are run at the same time in the same classroom. After students finish Tech Projects I, they may enroll in Tech Projects II, then Tech Projects III in subsequent semesters. As they enroll in each subsequent course, they will be expected to purse more complex projects, as well as mentor other students who are investigating the same area. As they will know which areas they want to investigate, they may submit their project proposals during the first week of class.

Student Learning Outcomes

Effective Communicators

Students will write project proposals, which will include not only the project itself, but also proposals on how the project should be assessed. They will revise these proposals based on feedback from the teacher and other students, then report on project progress. Whether students elect to create webs, program a simple game, learn how to effectively manipulate images or sound, they will need to have an audience in mind and structure their communication toward that audience.

Literate Individuals

Students will apply their learning to authentic situations as they will be choosing and developing their own project that will fill a need for them. They will need to read fluently as much of the information and help they get will come from reading the documentation and help systems. They will have to get their assistance from diverse sources, which may include a vendors web site, other web sites, FAQ lists, or writing to an expert.

Critical Thinks and Problem Solvers

Students will have to use creativity and persistence to pursue their own projects. They will demonstrate flexibility in thinking as they develop their projects and overcome the obstacles.

Self-Directed Productive Learners

That is the main thrust of this course. They will independently pursue their own projects. They will have to set and achieve goals as part of the proposal process, and they will periodically reflect on their progress. (Students in this grade are at an ideal age to move from telling what happened to telling why something happened and how they perceived it.) These reflections will help them adapt their project as they progress. Although technology may seem to be the focus, the focus is really on students actively participating in developing their own learning curriculum.

Constructive Community Members

A large emphasis in the course will be on intellectual honesty and integrity. Students will, often for the first time, be faced with how they can incorporate another person’s work (e.g., images, writing, and music) into their projects while adhering to standards of ethical conduct. Students who are more advanced will also share their time and talents with students who need more assistance.

Last maintained 08/23/2003