COMPUTER TECH with Mr. Mills

Policies

Review important assessment policies and classroom expectations

Mr. Mills' Classroom Policies

Table of Contents

Classroom Expectations

What you need (and don't need)

Grade 9 Computer Technology Course Outline

TEJ2O Course Outline.pdf

Classroom Expectations

Please read through the following rules and expectations for the class. By attending class, you agree to comply with the following rules, which permits you entry to Room 27. Failure to comply with these rules may result in your removal from the classroom until parents/guardians/administration have reached an agreement to address the issue.

Be Respectful

All students and teachers in this class will be respectful to each other AND the materials/resources in the classroom. This means everyone is to use appropriate language and tone when speaking or messaging each other. Hate space will not be tolerated at all, even if it is a “joke”. Hate speech includes homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, islamophobia or any other prejudicial remarks, speech or actions on the basis of race, religion or sexual orientation. We all want to support each other in this class. It is our goal as a class to see everyone succeed. Being respectful to each other is how we do it. Respect also extends to our shared classroom space, you are responsible for maintaining a clean and organized workspace and treating classroom materials (computers, devices, etc.) with care.

Be Honest

All students and teachers in this class will be honest with each other concerning academic and school-related topics. Students requesting extensions on assignments should do so ahead of time, not moments before or after the deadline. It is okay to admit that you may need more time to do things because of extenuating circumstances but it is not okay to make excuses or fabricate lies to get out of an assignment. Your teachers are much more likely to help you if you just be honest with them the first time.

Be Resourceful

High school students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of resilience and responsibility in their studies. This means keeping track of deadlines, due dates, assigned work, and assignments independently using an agenda or productivity application. Students are encouraged to complete assignments in a timely manner to avoid hiccups before a deadline. Students are expected to explore the resources provided to them by the teacher (which are always available via this website classroom), are encouraged to seek additional resources online (using keyword searches, YouTube, Wikipedia, etc.) and through emails if additional clarification is needed.

Be Productive

All members of this class will arrive on time to class, prepared to do their best during class time. Students are allowed to work on assignments and tasks at home, but must keep in mind that they can be most resourceful during class time since the teacher and resources (computers, etc.) are available. With that being said, breaks are important for working effectively. Students may sign out for a washroom, water, or walk break for a maximum of 10 minutes using the provided sign out sheet. Only one student is allowed out at a time, so please be mindful of your time spent out of the class, as someone may be waiting for you to return to use the washroom. Excessive and frequent breaks over a period of time may result in confiscation of these break privileges.

What you need (and don't need)

What you DO need:

For notaking: your technology notebook/cahier (if you have an accomodation in place, you may use a chromebook instead)
For practice: some scrap paper (you can use the back of your notebook, or use scrap paper from Mr. Mills) but keep this separate from your notes!
A pen or a pencil
3.5mm headphones to watch video content (cheap ones available from Mr. Mills, or at 7-11 or Dollarama down the street)
An account on Khan Academy tied to your TDSB email address
An account on TinkerCAD tied to your TDSB email address

What you DON'T need:

Food. Your lunch should be eaten during lunch time. No food or drinks (other than a water bottle) will be permitted in the classroom.
Coats and backpacks. All students have a locker assigned to them. Use it.
Your cell phone. We are in a computer lab, there's no need to use your phone ever. Almost all of the course work accessed here on the lab computers.

Assessment Policies

Notebooks

Small 15-30 minute tasks

Can be done at home

Connected to the lesson

Practice what you just learned

Always due at the start of the next class

Checked physically (no uploads/emails)

Be ready to show it to me

Email me before the deadline if you need one more day

The details

Notebook activities are not always assigned but when it is, it is always due at the start of the next class (from the class it was assigned from. It is always checked in person, so be prepared to show your work at the start of each class. I will never ask you to upload or send me your homework digitally.

If at any point in the semester you need an extra day to complete this work (either because you won't be home in the evening, have plans with family/friends, or won't have access to a computer) you may send me an email at kieran.mills@tdsb.on.ca requesting a one day extension.

An email to me will automatically be grant you a one day extension for notebook work, no questions asked. You must send this email to me before the work would be due. If you do receive an extension, be sure to show your completed work the next time notebooks are checked, otherwise it will be marked incomplete.

Quizzes

6 questions, 5-10 minutes

Halfway point of the unit

Basic concepts of unit

Must get perfect (6 out of 6) to pass

Unlimited attempts

Must be done in class

Book a time at lunch or after school if you'd like to keep trying

The details

Quizzes are positioned right at the halfway point of each unit to give you a chance to check your understanding with the basic concepts of the unit. They are short and simple, either multiple choice or short answer questions that ask you about the basics concepts needed to continue learning about the unit.

The catch is that you must score perfect on the quiz in order to pass it. Any grade below perfect will not pass. However, you are allowed to retake the quiz an unlimited number of times under my supervision. If you don't score perfect on your first attempt, you're encouraged to figure out what you got wrong, look through your notes and practice a few problems before giving it another attempt. If you do not score perfect before the time is up in the class, you will need to book a time at lunch or after school to visit me and give the quiz another attempt. When you retry a quiz, you'll be presented with a new collection of questions that test the exact same concepts, so be prepared to see something slightly different each time!

Tests

15-25 questions, 30 minutes

At the end of the unit

Ultimate test of your knowledge

1st attempt = closed book

Make up test is next day

2nd attempt (optional) = open book + one partner

Final score = average of all attempts

Note from parents if both test days are missed

The details

Tests are written in class, closed book (without your notes) and independently (no talking or working with others). All tests are designed to be written in 30 minutes, but all students can take up to 60 minutes to write them.

The next day after a test is the only make up test opportunity. If you miss the first test, you will write the make up test the next day. If you miss both days, a doctor's note will be required to schedule you a new test date.

Students who wrote the first test may also write the make up test and may do this test open book (you may bring one notebook or open one Google Doc and consult it during the test) and you may speak to maximum one other person in the class who is also writing the test a second time. The catch is that your make up test must be completed in a maximum of 30 minutes. Your scores from both tests will be averaged to create your final grade.

Assignments

Week-long projects

Second half of the unit

Done in class & at home

No extensions granted without a medical note

5% late penalty each school day

Can reupload with feedback addressed for full marks

Late marks from first submission carry over to all future submissions

The details

Assignments are generally completed entirely in class, but may require you to work on your own or with a group outside of the classroom to complete a task or two. Each unit has a different assignment that varies in what is asked, but there is always a Set Up (Part 1), Execution (Part 2) and Reflection (Part 3). The Set Up will get you (or your group) to research or create something related to the concepts being taught. The Execution asks you (or your group) to put all of that content together in a presentable format, and the Reflection component asks you a few questions about your understanding of what you did.

There are no extensions for assignments. For each school day (weekends are not included) that your assignment is late, 5% will be deducted from the total (for a maximum of 10 days or 50%). However, you may resubmit an assignment with feedback addressed any time after the deadline and still receive full marks with no late penalties. If the first submission was late however, those late marks are permanent and will remain on any resubmissions.

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