Course Description

In Computer Applications students develop practical digital and media literacy skills through a variety of projects. Projects include a family oral history audio interview, sketchnoting, and interactive digital writing assignments focusing on effectively using text, images, and hyperlinks to communicate with an outside audience. Students develop critical thinking and web literacy skills learning how to apply the “SIFT” framework to STOP when encountering new online information, INVESTIGATE the source, FIND better coverage, and TRACE claims, quotes and media back to their original context. Students practice keyboarding skills, focusing on improving both speed and accuracy. Students further develop digital storytelling skills, and practice wisely using WikiPedia as a “launchpad” for research using other, additional sources. The safe and legal reuse of images in media projects and respect for intellectual property / copyright is emphasized, as well as ways to safely and constructively share ideas and interact with others online, as good digital citizens. Scientific and intellectual curiosity are cultivated regularly through the discussion of weekly “Wonder Links.” Students learn to create basic websites with Google Sites, sharing their class projects in a digital portfolio.