| (a) General requirements. Students shall be awarded
one credit for successful completion of this course. Recommended prerequisite:
a minimum of one credit from the courses in the Information Technology
Career Cluster. This course may be taken at Grades 9-12.
(b) Introduction.
(1) Career and technical education instruction provides
content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical
knowledge and skills for students to further their education and succeed
in current or emerging professions.
(2) The Information Technology (IT) Career Cluster
focuses on building linkages in IT occupations for entry level, technical,
and professional careers related to the design, development, support,
and management of hardware, software, multimedia, and systems integration
services.
(3) In the Independent Study in Evolving/Emerging Technologies
course, through the study of evolving/emerging technologies, including
technology-related terms, concepts, and data input strategies, students
will communicate information in different formats and to diverse audiences
using a variety of technologies. Students will learn to make informed
decisions, develop and produce original work that exemplifies the
standards identified by the selected profession or discipline, and
publish the product in electronic media and print. Students will demonstrate
efficient acquisition of information by identifying task requirements,
using search strategies, and using technology to access, analyze,
and evaluate the acquired information. By using technology as a tool
that supports the work of individuals and groups in solving problems,
students will select the technology appropriate for the task, synthesize
knowledge, create solutions, and evaluate the results. The six strands
include creativity and innovation; communication and collaboration;
research and information fluency; critical thinking; problem solving,
and decision making; digital citizenship; and technology operations
and concepts.
(4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended
learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations
and other leadership or extracurricular organizations.
(5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference
content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such
as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Creativity and innovation. The student demonstrates
creative thinking, constructs knowledge, and develops innovative products
and processes using technology. The student is expected to:
(A) apply existing knowledge to promote creativity
in designing new technology products or services;
(B) design and implement procedures to track trends,
set timelines, and review and evaluate progress for continual improvement
in process and product;
(C) produce electronic documentation to illustrate
the progress of a project;
(D) seek and respond to input from peers and professionals
in delineating technological tasks and problem solving;
(E) make necessary revisions and/or proceed to the
next stage of study;
(F) use technology terminology appropriate to the independent
study course;
(G) develop and apply advanced creativity and innovation
employed in technology applications skills;
(H) identify and solve problems, individually and with
input from peers and professionals, using research methods and advanced
creativity and innovation skills used in a selected profession or
discipline;
(I) develop products that meet standards identified
by a selected profession or discipline; and
(J) produce original work to solve an identified problem
and publish a product in electronic media and print.
(2) Communication and collaboration. The student uses
digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively,
including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute
to the learning experience of others. The student is expected to:
(A) format developed projects according to defined
output specifications, including target audience and viewing environment;
(B) present findings to a panel for comment and professional
response;
(C) determine and implement the best method of presenting
or publishing findings;
(D) synthesize and publish information in a variety
of print or digital formats;
(E) use evolving network resources and appropriate
technology skills to create, exchange, and publish information;
(F) develop cultural understanding and global awareness
by interacting with learners of other cultures through evolving digital
formats and communication methods;
(G) collaborate with others to identify a problem to
be solved, hypotheses, and strategies to accomplish a task;
(H) participate with electronic communities as a learner,
initiator, contributor, and facilitator/mentor; and
(I) participate in relevant, meaningful activities
in the larger community and society to create electronic projects.
(3) Research and information fluency. The student applies
digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. The student
uses a variety of strategies to acquire information from electronic
resources, with appropriate supervision. The student is expected to:
(A) use evolving network and Internet resources for
research and resource sharing of technology applications;
(B) apply appropriate search strategies in the acquisition
of information from the Internet, including keyword and Boolean search
strategies;
(C) pose hypotheses and questions related to a selected
problem;
(D) acquire information using appropriate research
strategies with source citations through electronic formats, including
interactive components, text, audio, video, graphics, and simulations;
and
(E) identify, create, and use available file formats,
including text, image, video, and audio files.
(4) Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision
making. The student uses critical-thinking skills to plan and conduct
research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions
using appropriate digital tools and resources. The student is expected
to:
(A) evaluate the design, functionality, and accuracy
of the accessed information;
(B) conduct systematic research;
(C) demonstrate creative-thinking and problem-solving
skills;
(D) integrate appropriate productivity tools, including
network, mobile access, and multimedia tools, in the creation of solutions
to problems;
(E) use enriched curricular content in the creation
of products;
(F) synthesize and generate new information from data
gathered from electronic resources;
(G) read and use technical documentation; and
(H) write simple technical documentation relative to
the audience.
(5) Digital citizenship. The student understands human,
cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practices
legal and ethical behavior. The student is expected to:
(A) discuss intellectual property, privacy, sharing
of information, copyright laws, and software licensing agreements;
(B) model ethical acquisition and use of digital information;
(C) model respect of intellectual property when editing
graphics, video, text, and sound files;
(D) demonstrate proper etiquette, responsible use of
software, and knowledge of acceptable use policies when using network
resources;
(E) demonstrate best practices in understanding and
applying information security;
(F) develop and maintain a technical documentation
library in a variety of formats; and
(G) investigate how technology has changed and the
social and ethical ramifications of computer usage.
(6) Technology operations and concepts. The student
demonstrates a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems,
and operations. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of input
devices, operating systems, software applications, and communication
and networking components;
(B) select, acquire, and use appropriate digital tools;
(C) delineate and make necessary adjustments regarding
compatibility issues, including digital file formats and cross-platform
connectivity; and
(D) use appropriate technology terminology and naming
conventions.
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