Course Syllabus

Course Description

These courses provide a fundamental working knowledge of the varied aspects of MS Office, Google Docs, and or Adobe Photoshop and prepare students for future studies in more specialized topics within the subject area. Students will increase their awareness of the overall computer and information literacy and or as acceptable uses of collaborative computing. This course also covers communication technology, intellectual property, digital media design, and Internet etiquette.

 

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

1. Describe appropriate use of intellectual property
2. Differentiate the computer based and online application appropriate for the each task
3. Describe effective collaboration
4. Discuss the role of technology resources in the modern workplace
5. Describe the current business and educational environment and topics of current interest in technology

Gradebook

 

  

 

Your Reading Material

This course does not use a traditional textbook. Instead, you will be reading from different websites and from different articles, or eGuides.

You will have eGuide reading assignments in Units 2 through 9.

You can access and download the eGuides at any time by clicking the Class Website tab at the very top of page.

 

Course Outline

Below is an outline of the content and activities in each unit of the course. 

 

Course Home

              Course Syllabus  

              Instructor Information  

              Course Description  

              Course Objectives  

              Grading and Progress Reports  

              Your Reading Material   

              Acceptable Use Policies & Netiquette 

              Online Communications Guidelines  

              Class Policies  

              Tutoring  

              Email

Unit 1 Comp Apps: Introduction Information Literacy

Unit 1 Comp Art: Introduction to Digital Design Tools

              Discussion  

              Classwork  

              Review  

 

Unit 2 Comp Apps: Critical Reading – Annotation and Summary

Unit 2 Comp Art: Digital Photographic Montage

              Reading  

              Discussion  

              Classwork  

              Review  

Unit 3 Comp Apps: Collaborative Computing (Web 2.0)

Unit 3 Comp Art: Designing With Text

              Reading  

              Discussion  

              Classwork  

              Review  

Unit 4 Comp Apps: Information Technology and Communication in the Electronic Age

Unit 4 Comp Art: Page Layout and Graphic Design

              Reading  

              Discussion  

              Classwork  

              Review  

Unit 5 Comp Apps: Macro and Micro Web Publishing & Portfolio Review

Unit 5 Comp Art: Web Animation

              Reading  

              Discussion  

              Classwork  

              Review  

Unit 6 Comp Art: Digital Photography

              Reading  

              Discussion  

              Classwork  

              Review  

Unit 7 Comp Art Comp Art: Painting

              Reading  

              Discussion  

              Classwork  

              Review  

Unit 8 Comp Art: Drawing

              Reading  

              Discussion  

              Classwork  

              Review  

Unit 9 Comp Art: Digital Media Showcase

              Reading  

              Discussion  

              Classwork  

              Review  

Unit 10 Comp Art: Digital Portfolio Review and Reflection

              Discussion  

              Classwork  

              Review  

 

Course Policies

 

Instructor’s Grading Criteria/Timetable: 

 

All course projects will be graded within one week of their due date.  Late projects will be graded no later than one week following the date the student emails the instructor notifying the instructor the project has been submitted.  Students submitting late projects must email the instructor to let the instructor know the late submission has been posted in the dropbox or Google site.  Discussion grades will be updated each week no later than Saturday of the week following the Unit’s completion. 

 

Course Policies:

 

Naming Conventions:  In order to facilitate the tracking of assignments and correspondence with the instructor, please use the following naming conventions (username is your Student ID, # is the unit number for the activity).

• Projects:  studentID-project-unit#.doc
• Email Subject Lines:  Please start your subject lines in email correspondence with Course & Period Student ID: SUBJECT_OF_MESSAGE

 

Extenuating Circumstances:  If you have extenuating circumstances that prevent you from completing projects, or participating in the class, please contact the instructor to make alternative arrangements. Active communication is the key to overcoming any hurdles you may encounter during the term. 

 

Early Discussion Policy: Discussion Board postings are critical to the success of the online classroom and work best when all students are engaged in the same discussion at the same time. This is fine; however, in order to receive full credit for the discussion, students must participate in the peer-to-peer discussion during the unit beginning and end dates.  In addition, please understand it is unlikely your instructor and peers will provide comments to your postings until the scheduled time for the unit’s discussion.  

 

Early Project Submission: It is understandable there may be times students wish to post projects to the Drop Box or Google site prior to their due date.  However, instructors do not download any projects or begin providing feedback on those submissions until the due date has passed.  This permits “batch grading” of all projects, reviewing the submissions across all students.  Students are urged not to work too far ahead in completing projects as each unit’s discussion and lecture provides additional information to support your project effort. 

 

GRADING RUBRIC – Discussion Board (Collaborize)

 

Discussion Questions (DQs) provide a forum for students to seek clarification and answer important questions about the course material.  The discussion also allows students to receive feedback from the instructor and other students in the class. A discussion question grade will be posted to the grade sheet using the following grading criteria.

 

 

The following grading rubric will be used for Art Projects:

 

Grade	Content, Focus, Use of Design	Analysis and Critical Thinking	Style, Aesthetics Format (when assigned)
%	50%	30%	20%
90-100%	Responds successfully to the assignment description(s); thoroughly uses resources	Exhibits strong higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e.g., evaluation).	Presentation is clear, concise, and direct; tone is appropriate. Design skills are strong with almost no errors. Correct use of format when assigned.
80-89%	Responds to the assignment description(s) with only minor digressions; sufficiently uses the resources.	Generally exhibits higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e.g. true analysis).	Presentation is generally clear, concise, and direct; tone is appropriate. Design skills are competent with very few errors per page. Correct use of format when assigned.
70-79%	Responds to the project assignment description(s) with some digression; sufficiently uses the resources	Exhibits limited higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e.g. application of information).	Presentation is occasionally busy or contains too much white space; tone is too informal. Design skills are adequate with few errors per page. Apparent use of format when assigned.
60-69%	Responds to the assignment description(s) but digresses significantly; insufficiently uses the resources.	Exhibits simplistic or reductive thinking and analysis but does demonstrate comprehension.	Presentation is generally busy and/or contains too much white space; tone is too informal. Design skills are inadequate, clarity and meaning are impaired, numerous errors per page. Inadequate use of format when assigned.
0-59%	Responds insufficiently to the assignment description(s); insufficiently uses the resources.	Exhibits simplistic or reductive thinking and analysis and demonstrates limited knowledge on the subject matter.	Presentation unclear enough to impair meaning; tone is inappropriate and/or inconsistent. Design skills are inadequate.  Unacceptable use of format when assigned.

 

 

The following grading rubric will be used for Application Projects:

 

Grade	Content, Focus, Use of Text/Research	Analysis and Critical Thinking	Writing Style, Grammar, APA Format (when assigned)
%	50%	30%	20%
90-100%	Response successfully answers the assignment question(s); thoroughly uses the text and other resources.	Response exhibits strong higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e.g., evaluation).	Presentations are clear, concise, and direct; tone is appropriate. Grammatical and technical skills are strong with almost no errors per page. Correct use of APA format when assigned.
80-89%	Response answers the assignment question(s) with only minor digressions; sufficiently uses the text and other resources.	Response generally exhibits higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e.g. true analysis).	Presentations are generally clear, concise, and direct; tone is appropriate. Grammatical and technical skills are competent with very few errors per page. Correct use of APA format when assigned.
70-79%	Response answers the project assignment(s) with some digression; sufficiently uses the text and other sources.	Response exhibits limited higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e.g. application of information).	Presentations are occasionally wordy or ambiguous; tone is too informal. Grammatical and technical skills are adequate with few errors per page. Adequate use of APA format when assigned.
60-69%	Response answers the assignment question(s) but digresses significantly; insufficiently uses the text and other sources.	Response exhibits simplistic or reductive thinking and analysis but does demonstrate comprehension.	Presentations are generally wordy and/or ambiguous; tone is too informal. Grammatical and or technical skills are inadequate, clarity and meaning are impaired, numerous errors per page. Inadequate use of APA format when assigned.
0-59%	Response insufficiently answers the assignment question(s); insufficiently uses the text and other sources.	Response exhibits simplistic or reductive thinking and analysis and demonstrates limited knowledge on the subject matter.	Presentation unclear enough to impair meaning; tone is inappropriate and/or inconsistent. Grammatical and technical skills are inadequate.  Unacceptable use of APA format when assigned.

 

Online Communications Guidelines

Netiquette

Interactions in an online classroom are in written form. Your comfort level with expressing ideas and feelings in writing will add to your success in an online course. The ability to write is necessary, but you also need to understand what is considered appropriate when communicating online.

 

The word "netiquette" is short for "Internet etiquette." Rules of netiquette have grown organically with the growth of the Internet to help users act responsibly when they access or transmit information online. As a SYHS student, you should be aware of the common rules of netiquette for the Web and employ a communication style that follows these guidelines.

 

You should also review and refer to the Acceptable Use.

A Few Rules of Thumb

Wait to respond to a message that upsets you and be careful of what you say and how you say it.

• Be considerate. Rude or threatening language, inflammatory assertions (often referred to as "flaming"), personal attacks, and other inappropriate communication will not be tolerated.
• Never post a message that is in all capital letters -- it comes across to the reader as SHOUTING!
• Use boldface and italics sparingly, as they can denote sarcasm.
• Keep messages short and to the point.
• Always practice good grammar, punctuation, and composition. This shows that you've taken the time to craft your response and that you respect your classmates' work.
• Keep in mind that threaded discussions are meant to be constructive exchanges.
• Be respectful and treat everyone as you would want to be treated yourself.
• Use spell check!

 

Participating in Threaded Discussions

You will communicate with your professor and classmates using the threaded discussion areas. This is where you post your responses to Discussion Questions and share your experiences in completing Exercises and applying the content of the course.

Participation in discussions is required and will help determine your grade. You are expected to contribute to each of the Discussion Questions in each unit. You should read all responses of other students and add your own.

 

During discussions, you must demonstrate not only that you understand the subject matter but also that you can apply what you have learned, analyze it, integrate it with knowledge you already have, and evaluate it critically. Your postings should be appropriate and timely contributions that add value to the discussion.

 

Your instructor will provide you more detailed information about requirements and grading related to participation in discussions.

Discussion Guidelines

To ensure your success as a contributor to discussions and as a student in this class, we suggest the following guidelines for posting:

• Be clear about which message you're responding to. Refer to specific passages or ideas in the course or text that have sparked your interest.
• Make sure your contribution adds something new to the discussion. A simple "I agree" may be your initial response, but think about how you can take the conversation to the next level.
• Make your posting clear and easy to follow by dividing longer messages into paragraphs.
• Address classmates by name or user name, and sign your own messages.
• Feel free to pose new questions to your classmates within your own message.
• Use correct spelling, capitalization, grammar, syntax, and punctuation.
• If you plan on posting a lengthy response, it is a good idea to type your response in Word or Notepad, then copy and paste it into the discussion area. This way you'll always have a record of your communication if for some reason you lose your connection to the course.
• If you have any questions on these procedures, please contact your instructor.

Sample Question and Answers

The following are some examples of acceptable and unacceptable responses to Discussion Questions:

 

Sample Question: "The author claims that the Internet has changed teaching. How would you respond to this assertion?"

 

Unacceptable: "I agree."

 

Unacceptable: "I think the author is off her rocker on this point. I can't stand it when techies try to write about education."

 

Acceptable: "I agree with Becky’s basic point--that is, I think she's right that the advent of the Internet means dramatic changes in how we teach. But I think she's so concerned with whether technology is going to replace teachers that she misses an essential point. Teachers must change themselves to use the Internet effectively. The Internet will never replace teachers and it will never be a successful tool unless teachers make it one."

 

Acceptable: "I disagree with Becky. The Internet has not changed teaching any more than the printing press changed teaching, or modern instructional design has changed teaching. New ideas about teaching and new technologies help us deliver good teaching more effectively. They may help us understand more fully what we're delivering. They may help us reach more students. But the essence of good teaching remains the same."

 

The Different Kinds of Assignments

Assignments are intended to help you master the content, so you should attempt to complete them all. Courses employ a variety of assignments, including:

• Online Readings-- Online reading assignments are included in some courses. They may provide an introduction to a unit, provide information, or be articles or papers that have been authored by experts in the field.
• Readings from Books-- You need to have any required textbooks in advance of starting the course. Any textbooks required for a course are listed on the Course Home Page.
• Web Field Trips-- Web Field Trips (also known as Internet Resource Assignments) teach you how to use the Internet as a resource tool. You may be given links to websites that either enhance the content of readings or show you where information and resources can be found. Some provide online stories or articles. Most also have Discussion Questions relating to the content of the Internet resource. Your instructor may also list supplemental online resources in the Webliography section.
• Exercises-- Exercises may consist of answering questions in a text chapter, writing a paper, or completing some other assignment. Exercises are usually performed offline. You should evaluate your results by comparing them to the results or criteria posted by the Instructor at the end of the unit. Some instructions may include submitting these Exercises to the classroom dropbox or Google Site for your faculty to evaluate.
• Projects-- Projects are assignments that require you to submit coursework to the instructor via the dropbox or Google Site. Projects are graded assignments, whereas exercises are ungraded.
• Reviews-- Any Reviews in this course are used to help check your understanding of the content. Review results may be included in your final course grade.
• Discussion Questions-- Discussion Questions are answered in the class discussion areas and form the core of class communication. Discussion Questions may ask you to apply course concepts to your own circumstances, provide your opinion about course content, or share your experiences completing course Exercises. Participation in discussions is required.
• Reflective Activities-- Reflective activities such as writing up a case study, designing a project, or critiquing an assignment may be used as a method for you to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate course content.
• Collaborative Projects-- Collaborative projects can involve teams of students working together to participate in study groups, write research papers, make presentations, create case studies, and take part in simulation activities. The projects allow interactions with fellow students and build on facilitation and planning skills.

 

Final Projects and Final Exams

Most courses require a Final Project and/or Portfolio. In some cases, a course will include a Midterm Project or Exam. In Unit 1, click on Final Exam/Project Information and/or Midterm Exam/Project Information for a specific description of the course expectations.

 

Paper Submissions

APA manuscript style dictates how your paper should appear on the page.

There are two types of APA manuscripts: copy manuscripts (those submitted for publication) and final manuscripts (those not submitted for publication). Copy manuscripts are much more formal and may contain multiple sections. Specifically, they will have an abstract (a one-paragraph summary of the paper). The papers you produce will be final manuscripts. Unlike copy manuscripts, final manuscripts do not, unless specifically required by an instructor, require an abstract.

 

They do include:

• A title page
• The paper itself (the "discussion")
• A references page

 

A title page contains three items: a running head (a short version of the title), the paper's title, and the author's name. Traditionally, the author's affiliation (the school he or she attends or works for) appears below the author's name; however, many instructors prefer students to put the course and section number (period) in this place (since we all know which institution we are at). The running title appears in the top right corner of every page, including the title page, right before the page number. The title, the author's name, and the author's affiliation (or course and section number) appear in the center of the title page.  

 

Formatting the discussion, or body, of the paper, is also quite straightforward. APA final manuscripts are generally double-spaced (unless your instructor requests otherwise). As mentioned above, the running head appears in the top right corner of each page, right before the page number. The full title also appears, but only on the first page of the discussion. For subsequent pages, the running head is the only "title" present.

New paragraphs should be indented (which is the default setting for the Tab key) and there should not be an extra blank line between paragraphs.

 

The last thing required is the references page. This page, like the others, has the running head and page number in the upper-right hand corner. Sources should be alphabetized by the author's last name (or, for sources without authors, by the first letter in the title) and the second line of each source should be indented a half inch (the first line is not indented).

Here are a few additional formatting standards to keep in mind:

• Use standard margins: 1" on all sides.
• Use standard 12-point font size.
• Use standard double-spacing: average of 22 lines per page, and between 20 and 24 lines per page.
• Use left-aligned text. Do not right-justify.
• There should be no subtitles or spaces between paragraphs within the paper.
• When citing a quote of more than four lines, you should indent the entire quoted passage 10 spaces from the left margin. It is not necessary to indent these block quotes from the right margin. Continue with the usual double-spacing, and give the usual acknowledgements at the end of the quote. Block quotes do not require quotation marks.

 

Course Policies

Extra Credit Policy

Extra credit is not offered.

Attendance/Tardiness

The following changes to the Attendance/Tardiness policy are effective July 15, 2012:

The specific requirements for attendance are the following:

1. Any student, who does not attend classes for seven days of the semester, will be at risk of failing the class.
2. Any student, who arrives late for class for three days of the semester, will be at risk of a failing citizenship in the class.
3. Students work will be sent to their email and or posted online as is expected to be completed upon return.
4. Students may appeal to the school’s attendance office or Assistant Principal if they feel an error has been made in their attendance calculation.

Late Work Policy

In order to move quickly and successfully, specific deadlines for all assignments are clearly stated in the course syllabus.

 

Should a student be unable to meet a deadline, it is expected the student will make arrangements in advance with the instructor to turn work in late. A penalty may or may not be assigned, at the discretion of the instructor.

 

If a student does not make prior arrangements with the instructor and fails to turn individual work in on time, the following penalties may be applied:

• Work that is submitted 1 - 2 calendar days AFTER its due date may be graded down a maximum of 10%.
• Works that is submitted 3 - 6 calendar days AFTER its due date may be graded down a maximum of 20%.
• Work that is submitted more than 7 days AFTER its due date will receive an automatic failing grade. 55% (Late projects cannot be submitted for grading after Unit 4 for Computer Applications and Unit 9 for Computer Art.)
• Final course projects and end-of-term papers must be turned in no later than the last day of Unit 4 for Computer Applications and Unit 9 for Computer Art.

 

Exception: Threaded Discussions are designed for maximum student participation and engagement. It is critical to the success of these courses that students contribute to the Threaded Discussions in a timely manner. Therefore, no late postings to the Threaded Discussions will be accepted.

Plagiarism Policy

I consider academic honesty to be one of its highest values. Students are expected to be the sole authors of their work. Use of another person's work or ideas must be accompanied by specific citations and references. Though not a comprehensive or exhaustive list, the following are some examples of dishonesty or unethical and unprofessional behavior:

• Plagiarism: Using another person's words, ideas, or results without giving proper credit to that person; giving the impression that it is the student's own work.
• Any form of cheating on examinations.
• Altering academic or clinical records.
• Falsifying information for any assignments.
• Submitting an assignment(s) that was partially or wholly completed by another student.
• Copying work or written text from a student, the Internet, or any document without giving due credit to the source of the information.
• Submitting an assignment(s) for more than one class without enhancing and refining the assignment, and without first receiving instructor permission. In cases where previous assignments are allowed to be submitted for another class, it is the responsibility of the student to enhance the assignment with additional research and to also submit the original assignment for comparison purposes.
• Assisting another student with reasonable knowledge that the other student intends to commit any act of academic dishonesty. This offense would include, but would not be limited to providing an assignment to another student to submit as his/her own work or allowing another student to copy answers to any test, examination or assignment.

 

In essence, plagiarism is the theft of someone else's ideas and work. Whether a student copies verbatim or simply rephrases the ideas of another without properly acknowledging the source, it is still plagiarism. In the preparation of work submitted to meet course requirements, whether a draft or a final version of a paper or project, students must take great care to distinguish their own ideas and language from information derived from other sources. Sources include published primary and secondary materials, electronic media, and information and opinions gathered directly from other people.

 

A discussion thread, collaborative papers, digital designs, PowerPoint presentation, and other similar work produced to satisfy a course requirement are, like a paper, expected to be the original work of the student submitting it. Copying documentation from another student or from any other source without proper citation is a form of academic dishonesty, as is producing work substantially from the work of another. Students must assume that collaboration in the completion of written assignments is prohibited unless explicitly permitted by the instructor. Students must acknowledge any collaboration and its extent in all submitted coursework. Students are subject to disciplinary action if they submit as their own work a paper purchased from a term paper company or downloaded from the Internet.

 

I reserve the right to check all student work to verify that it meets the guidelines of this policy. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and may result in the following sanctions:

• 1st offense: Failure of the assignment in which the action occurred.
• 2nd offense: Failure of the unit in which the action occurred.
• 3rd offense: Failure of the course.

Procedures for Processing Plagiarism Offenses

Procedures for processing plagiarism offenses are as follows:

All Students

Charges of academic dishonesty brought against a student shall be made in writing by the instructor to the Assistant Principals Office.

Dispute of Plagiarism Charges

All plagiarism disputes must be made by the student within 10 days of the e-mailing of the official letter by the instructor.

Tutoring

I offer tutoring for ALL SYHS students.  You can receive tutoring for such topics as APA format, grammar, sentence structure, page layout and graphic design. You can even submit a paper to be reviewed. 

 Remember – I’m here to help you. All you have to do is ask!

If you have any questions regarding our tutoring services, including directions on how to sign up, please email me.