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TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Library Skills 8
This class will explore a variety of literary genres for pleasure reading and research. The class will create a database of favourite books, which will be used as a resource for all students to use for pleasure and presentations. To introduce the students to the persuasive methodology of composition, students will research a literary genre and develop a persuasive presentation. To further develop their analysis and research skills, students will investigate an international issue and develop a presentation to convince the class of the accuracy of the positions they decide to take. Students will become familiar with a number of databases and be required to follow MLA standards for citing their work.

Information Technology 8
This semestered course begins with a basic review of keyboarding skills and goes on to examine the ergonomic factors of computer use. Information gathering tools will be evaluated for their use in research. Each student will be involved in a project in which they invent a product that they will market and sell.  Some aspects of starting a small business will be implemented in our class. The innovative use of new media techniques will be explored and students will become familiar with Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Photoshop, InDesign, Excel and iMovie. In addition, the acceptable use of the internet and other ethical issues associated with computer technology will be studied.

TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT - PROGRAMMING

Programming 9
This compulsory trimestered course is an introduction to the logic of computer programming through working with a graphical drag-and-drop programming language. The students begin using a graphical programming environment, Scratch, giving them quick visual feedback while learning the basics of computer logic. The course continues with the students applying their knowledge to the area of robotics and engineering. Using problem-solving skills, the students will design, build and program robots using Lego to interact with a variety of environmental stimuli and overcome a number of engineering challenges.

Computer Programming 11
Prerequisite: Programming 9
This full-year course builds on Programming 9 to develop more advanced Computer Programming techniques and introduces students to the methodology of text-based programming. Students will create algorithms, construct flow charts and pseudocode and develop test data while they explore conditional statements and looping structures. The assignments become more challenging when they move on to data structures, subroutines and recursion. In the final term, students work on designing an effective graphic user interface (GUI). The 3 programming languages used in this course are Scratch, C and Java. This course will give students a good foundation for the AP Computer Science course.

Computer Programming 12/AP Computer Science 12
Prerequisite: Programming 11
This full-year course extends the introduction to Computer Programming that students began in the Grade 11 level course. The students will study the Java programming language. The class will examine more advanced data structures and methods for working efficiently with technology and applied skills. Arrays, files, searching, sorting and indexing are all reviewed. Students will explore the object-oriented nature of Java as they create class structures, objects, modifiers and constructors and come to understand and work with inheritance and hierarchies. In the latter part of the course, students in the class will work together as the members of a programming team to develop an application. As they do so, they will consider needs analysis, timelines, and user interfaces while they develop and program their solution. This course prepares the students to write the AP Computer Science A exam. *Students must write the AP Subject Exam in order to receive AP Credit for their course work. A minimum score of 3 or higher may grant the student a college credit in this subject at some institutions.

TECHNOLOGY – GRAPHIC DESIGN AND JOURNALISM

Yearbook 11/12
Students in Grade 11 and 12 who take this course will be responsible for the production of the school yearbook, The Chronicle. In a co-operative environment, they will learn the computer skills necessary to complete this project, including desktop publishing. They will learn concepts of page layout and information management, and will do photography, write copy and collect advertising. Students are expected to give extra time outside the classroom in order to meet the publishing deadlines.

Journalism 11/12
This course is intended for students who want to take an active role in publishing our school newspaper, The Blackwatch. The focus of the course is to learn about the issues involved in publishing a newspaper. This is done by learning how to write for this medium, exploring the power of the press, learning to make wise editorial decisions, participating in special assignments, selling advertising, and discussing how the press is handling current affairs. Professional journalists may also be invited to the class. Students are expected to give extra time outside the classroom in order to meet the publishing deadlines.
Students in past “Blackwatch” classes were silver medal recipients for excellence in journalism from ‘The Columbia School of Journalism’ in New York

Film 11/12
Prerequisite: Permission from the instructor
In this course, students develop acting, scriptwriting, and production skills needed to create film and television works. They learn how to position themselves correctly, to adjust the scale of their performance to the size of the shot, to adhere to specific eye-lines, to recognize the effect of eye-movements on screen and to identify how voice and movement are adjusted to create effective film and television commercials, sitcom scenes, newscasts, and other performances. Through analysis, guided practice, and reflection, they develop and enhance the skills they require to act on camera. Students learn how to adjust acting techniques in order to reproduce a scene in different genres (suspense, romance, horror, comedy, drama). In the creation of such short film clips, students will gain an understanding of the teamwork, training, on set etiquette, personal characteristics, and duties required for a successful career in the film and television industry.

Digital Media 11/12
Prerequisite: Art 9 – New Media
This course continues to build on the foundation established in Art 9 – New Media. Students will develop an innovative approach to animation by combining classical 2D representations with the latest multi-media technology. In this course, students will gain an introduction to animation software and the fundamentals of making an animated film including modeling, texturing and animation. Digital Media 11/12 will provide students with the fundamentals for producing video animation and integrating it with iMovie, Flash, and Lightwave. This multi-media course will be geared towards ­integrating classical forms of art making and ­animation into state-of-the-art image rendering technology. Students will create a body of work consisting of animation for web design, stop motion animation and 3D animation that will become part of a digital Portfolio.

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