Welcome to Gateway to Technology! In this class, we will be working with the curriculum from Project Lead the Way, which provides a hands-on program with online support. We will focus on three modules in this class, Design and Modelling, Green Architecture, and Automation and Robotics. 

Homework: Unplug Yourself

Each trimester begins with students asking if this class has homework. The short answer is yes, you have homework, but it is not what you think.

 We are preparing students for high school, and there should be the expectation of homework in all classes. Elective classes are important- in middle school, students receive a letter grade which has a direct impact on their GPA. In high school, electives not only count in their GPAs, but they also fulfill graduation and college requirements.

This then brings up the dilemma- what should homework be in a computer class?  The first answer is any unfinished classwork. If students miss work or are behind, they should work on completing the work outside of class. We will have work days, which will allow us to get caught up, too. 

But after that, it becomes a challenge. Students already spend enough time with technology. We do not need to add more time. Sometimes we need a better balance. One way to do that is to knowingly take a break from technology, to unplug. Students are expected to unplug- not use any technology- three times a week for at least 30 minutes each time. They are to track their time on a log and get a parent's signature at the end of the month. At the end of the month, they will reflect on how unplugging themselves impacted their technology use. Results do vary, but students overall become much more aware of how much they use technology and often find ways to use less.

Please have your student show you the information in Canvas about specific homework requirements. Below are links to the homework information and the log.

Unplugged Homework Information

Unplugged Log