Objective
To actively engage students in the learning and use of new technologies.
Course Content
Class assignments, projects, and topics include multimedia presentations, digital photography, video photography, web design, digital music, comic design, cloud computing, social media, and Internet research. The primary software packages used in Technology are Microsoft Office, Apple iLife and Adobe Creative Suite. Students will receive a broad overview of the Mac operating system, and will also use Typing Pal to increase their speed and accuracy in touch-typing.
Materials
Students will bring their school-issued MacBooks to class. Laptops should be fully charged the night before. Chargers should be left at home. Students will also find it helpful to have a flash drive (4 gigabytes or larger) for transferring files. This flash drive may be left in the pocket of your laptop bag for easy access. All other materials will be provided.
Classwork
Technology assignments are designed to be completed during class time. Each student must complete his or her own work. Students are encouraged to be creative and find different ways to use their new skills outside of the classroom.
Homework
Homework is not assigned in Technology. However, many teachers at Saint Andrew’s integrate technology into their own assignments. An example of this is the 6th grade digestive tract project assigned in Science. Students will learn to create Adobe Flash animations during Technology but their science project will have to be completed as homework.
Grading
Grading for Technology is pass or fail. Students who complete their assignments and actively participate in class will pass this class.
Absence
Students who miss class will need to make up incomplete assignments and projects upon their return. It is the student’s responsible to obtain missed assignments and turn their work in.
Printing
There are multiple printers in the Tech Lab. These printers are to be used for printing tech assignments during school hours. If you need to print an assignment for another class, and you do not have access to a printer at home, you should print to your advisory printer before school or during break. If you do not have access to a color printer at home, and your teacher requires that your assignment be printed in color, you may use the Tech Lab printer before or after school whenever I’m available.
Contact
Feel free to contact me by email anytime. If you have questions that cannot be answered during class or you want to learn more about one of the programs, don’t hesitate to send me an email. It’s also a good idea to let me know in advance if you know you are going to be absent.