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TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Library Skills 8
The two goals of the course are two-fold:

• To explore a variety of genres for pleasure reading
• To develop effective research skills

Generally, a part of each block will be spent reading books together in class, to introduce students to a variety of genres for pleasure reading. The class will create an Excel spreadsheet of favourite books which will be used as a resource from which to choose books for presentations.

Students, working in pairs, will choose an author, book, or genre and will formulate a question to be researched. The answer to their question will take the form of a PowerPoint presentation designed to persuade the class regarding their position.

A second PowerPoint presentation will be required, this time on an international issue. As with the first presentation, students will formulate a question, will research, and will try to convince the class of the accuracy of the positions they decide to take.

There will be several small assignments to familiarize students with MLA citations and effective search techniques for the following databases:

• Biography Resource Center
• History Resource Center
• Student Resource Center
• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Statesman’s Year Book (SYB World)
• Google Advanced search

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, 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 be designing, building and programming robots made out of 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 primary programming language used in this course is Scheme. This course, followed by Grade 12 Computer Programming, will give students a good foundation for AP Computer Science course.

Computer Programming 12
Prerequisite: Programming 11
This full-year course extends the introduction to Computer Programming that students began in the Grade 11 level course. T he students will be studying 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, user interfaces, and ego-less programming while they develop and program their solution. This course prepares the students to write the AP Computer Science A exam.

TECHNOLOGY – GRAPHIC DESIGN AND JOURNALISM

Yearbook 11/12 (4)
Students in Grade 11 and 12 who take this course will be responsible for the production of the entire 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* (4)
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 last year’s “Blackwatch” class are silver medal recipients for excellence in journalism from ‘The Columbia School of Journalism’ in New York City

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