Course Syllabus p. 1 Course # 613: Digital Literacy (1 Semester) Course Description Digital Literacy is a district course designed to introduce, familiarize, and augment student learning through the use of various technologies. Serving the primary role technologically is the i-pad mini; which serves as the technology of choice for the District 1 to 1 initiative. Students will use technology to increase their efficiency and understanding of core curricular concepts such as mathematics, communication, Internet research, app usage, and understanding of personal learning style. Included in the curriculum is the earning of Digital Literacy certification through the online curriculum of EverFi Ignition. Course Objectives By the end of this course students will understand that: 1. the ability to understand, and convey understanding, of mathematical concepts can be increased through the use of technology. 2. effective communication is necessary in order to be understood and to gain credibility (academically and professionally). Technology can be used to greatly increase the effectiveness of communication. 3. they (and others) have a personal preferred learning style. Knowledge of this learning style is a strong tool that can be used to increase their personal ability to process and retain knowledge. 4. the internet is a very deep repository of information, and that there are tools available to discern which information is credible from that which is not. 5. the Internet has the ability to expose a person to unwanted attention, and that there are ways to protect oneself from the dangers this poses. 6. there are many applications available that can be used to help their learning become more efficient and also to deepen their understanding. Gradebook Classes may be taken on a Pass/Fail basis. Students wishing to partake of this option must fill out the necessary paperwork and have it submitted to the registrar of the building in which they are in attendance. Pass/Fail requests may be obtained from the local PPS office. Taking a class Pass/Fail does not impact a student s GPA unless the grade earned is a Fail. All passing grades provide no calculation into a student s overall GPA.
Course Syllabus p. 2 During senior year students may be exempt from final exams. Exemption is earned by achieving proficiency on the state PSAE exams during the student s Junior year. In the case of an exemption, a student s overall semester grade is determined by the average of the two nine week quarters comprising the semester. Bremen High School District 228 Grading Scale Letter Grade Percentage Grade Point A 90-100% 4.0 B 80-89% 3.0 C 70-79% 2.0 D 60-69% 1.0 F 0-59% 0.0 I Incomplete N/A P/F Pass/Fail N/A for Pass Your Reading Material The primary texts for this course are: Ancillary materials will be used to augment the curriculum as needed. Course Outline Below is an outline (timeframe and major content areas) that will be covered in this course. The course is designed around an 18 week semester. An ongoing assessment and certification is administered through the Everfi Ignition Course. Successful completion of Ignition certifies a student in Digital literacy and Responsibility. Learning Styles (2 Weeks) 1. Style Inventory. 2. Performance Assessment Internet Safety (1 Week) 1. E-Mail & Social Media etiquette. 2. Cyberbullying 3. Internet Predators 4. Identity Protection 5. Privacy Protection Internet Research (2 Weeks) 1. Search engines.
Course Syllabus p. 3 a Boolean Operations b Reliable vs. Unreliable c How search engines work 2. App Analysis a Math Apps b Science Apps c History Apps d English Apps e Portfolio Communication Enhancement (7 Weeks) 1. MLA Formatting (2 Weeks). 2. Formal Correspondence (2 Weeks) a Personal letters b Business Letters c Inquiry Communication d Applications (Employment) e Memos f Resumes In conjunction with Career Cruising 3. Public Presentation (3 Weeks) a Proper Techniques b Incorporating Multimedia Mathematics Enhancement (4 Weeks) 1. Functions (Formula Entering & Analysis 1 Week). a Conversions b Calculations 2. Statistics (1 Week) a Mean b Median c Mode d Probability 3. Graphs (1 Week) a Line b Bar c Pie d Pictographs e Flow Charts Logical Decision making 4. Logical Decisions (1 Week) a IF function b Nested IF Statement
Course Syllabus p. 4 Performance Assessment Career Cruising Portfolio All About Me Assignment Learning Styles Performance Assessment via Humanesources.com [Resume--Apps Reference--Certifications (Throughout the semester)] CRT Review & Preparation (1 Week +/-) BHSD 228 Policies The Different Kinds of Assignments Assignments are intended to help you master the content, so you should attempt to complete them all. Bremen HS District 228 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 Text-books are supplied in class, and generally are not checked out for student use at home. In the case of prolonged absences and needed home study, arrangements will be made between student-teacher and possibly counselor. Web Quests-- Web Quests teach you in-depth content area knowledge as well as 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. 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. Projects-- Projects are assignments that require you to submit coursework to the instructor (generally electronically). Projects are graded assignments. 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.
Course Syllabus p. 5 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 Exams: Per District 228 policy; final exams (CRT s) account for 20% of a student s overall grade. Absences for final exams generally will require an appointment to sit for administration of the exam. Appointments should be made through each school s PPS office. Performance Assessments: Performance assessments are generally a culminating project that are used to garner the depth of student understanding via an application of the content learned in class. The value of the performance assessment(s) in each class are at the discretion of the individual teacher. Students and Parents should refer to the individual teacher s course syllabus to obtain this value Late Work Policy In order to move quickly and successfully, specific deadlines for all assignments are clearly stated either in the course syllabus, or on the assignment criteria sheet given by the instructor. 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 faculty member. Per District 228 Policy, late work for periods of disciplinary suspension or unexcused absences will not be accepted for credit.
Course Syllabus p. 6 Plagiarism Policy Bremen HS District 228 considers 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, computer program, marketing plan, 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
Course Syllabus p. 7 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. Plagiarism definition above is credited to Kaplan University policy found at: https://kucampus.kaplan.edu/documentstore/docs10/pdf/research/kaplan_plagi arism_policy.pdf Procedures for Processing Plagiarism Offenses As is outlined in the student handbook academic dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating etc.) are subject to disciplinary measures. Parents and students should familiarize themselves with the consequences of these regrettable actions. Tutoring & Academic Assistance Tutoring is available to all students via a variety of methods: Connection Period: District 228 makes use of a Connection Period that is built into each schools weekly schedule. Every Wednesday (with the exception of School Improvement Days), a shortened daily schedule is employed so that students may utilize the last 35 minutes of the school day to seek help in whatever content are they deem necessary. No appointment is necessary to meet with a teacher. Students simply show up to the room of the teacher they need to see. Help, and use of the computer labs is fully available to every student. Peer Tutoring: Each school in Bremen HS District 228 has a cadre of peer tutors that are available for the benefit of every student. To enlist the help of a peer tutor, students simply request help for the subject area, and time of day (period) they need assistance. Peer tutoring requests can be made in each building s PPS offices.