Course Goal:

Gather the knowledge and tools to effectively utilize the internet and technology for self-development, research, and to engage positively in society.

Course Description:

Today, the term “literacy” no longer refers exclusively to the reading and writing of printed texts. Scholars, educators, and professionals across disciplines are recognizing the importance of digital literacy to citizenship, education, information-sharing, and community-building. In response, this course will help deepen your understanding of a variety of digital writing technologies and to consider the ways in which our perceptions of self and other are mediated through these and other technologies. Over the course of the semester, you will craft and manage a digital identity while you learn about and experiment with a variety of digital composing tools, including web-authoring software, video editors, and web-based tools such as blogs, social networking sites, and microblogging applications. We will discuss the benefits and risks associated with digital footprint and will discuss the importance of self-literacy in a digital culture, particularly as it pertains to managing an online identity. In short, this course aims to help you develop not only the skills involved with operating the technologies, but the rhetorical and critical attitude involved with being content producers and critical analysts of technology.

Course Requirements:

Each Student will create an online portfolio that showcases all work done in class. This portfolio will be used to archive work done in all classes and used as a showcase for potential employers.

The portfolio will include online certificates, created works, and curated materials from other classes.

Core Competencies:

• Internet search (Using Google)
• Word processing (Making Documents)
• Digital design principles (Use of computer graphics and layout)
• Presentation software (Google and Microsoft authoring tools)
• New Media creation (Media creation and exchange basics)
• Computer Programing Basics (coding, flow charts)

Course Content:

INTERNET SAFETY AND ETHICS (Digital Citizenship)

• Explore how to be safe on the internet, understand cyber bullying and its consequences
• Digital Citizenship, Respect the rights of copyright owners, Treat other with respect online

COMPUTER TERMS/VOCABULARY (Terminology)

• Define and use computer related terminology

GOOGLE APPLICATIONS (Productivity)

• Online free applications provided by the district through a student log in system
• Google documents for individual assignments, group projects, and communication

WORD PROCESSING/WEBSITE DESIGN (Creativity)

• Explain the purpose of a word processor
• Manipulate text (insert, delete, align, change fonts, style, size, and color)
• Create, add and alter graphics
• Edit documents (thesaurus function and spell check)
• Change document layout (margin, page orientation, spacing, and blank lines)
• Use a variety of graphic tools
• Compose a word processing document

PRESENTATION SOFTWARE

• Identify the purpose and uses of presentation software
• Demonstrate understanding of the tools of software programs and their uses
• Add new pages, movies, and sound to a project
• Demonstrate understanding of modification of background appearance
• Import and edit graphics (resize and move)
• Design a project and save it
• Present work to the class

INTERNET RESEARCH

• Learn how to gathers and reports information that contains or is
• related to a specific topic
• How to avoid plagiarism and how to put the sources in the appropriate format

COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

• Develop and implement various sets of instructions
• Learn how to instruct a computer to do a certain task