Grade 15 - Information Technology

Fundamentals of Computer Systems (Credit: 0.50)

The Computer Fundamentals course will provide students with an understanding of computers and how they operate as well as a basic understanding of how to manage and maintain computers and computer systems. These skills will provide students with the ability to configure computers and solve computer problems.

Students will learn details about the different elements of computers and computer systems. They will learn to identify hardware devices and their functions. They will be instructed on the role of operating systems as well as how to install and customize the Windows operating system. Students will learn about networking and the Internet. They will also be introduced to security issues in order to protect themselves and their computers and data.

Students will also learn about some of the software applications typically used on computers today, such as Microsoft Office. In addition, students will learn specifics about maintaining and troubleshooting computers, including managing files, backing up systems, and using the administrative tools in the Windows operating system. Lastly, the students will learn the basics of customer service and working as a help desk support technician.

Fundamentals of Digital Media (Credit: 0.50)

This course gives an overview of the different types of digital media and how they are used in the world today. Students examine the impact that digital media has on culture and lifestyle. The course reviews the basic concepts for creating effective digital media and introduces a number of different career paths that relate to digital media.

Students will examine some tools used to create digital media and discuss best practices in the creating of digital media. This includes an overview of the process used to create new media pieces as well as the basics concepts of project management.

In the course, students will examine the use of social media, digital media in advertising, digital media on the World Wide Web, digital media in business, gaming and simulations, e-commerce, and digital music and movies. Students will review ethics and laws that impact digital media use or creation.

Fundamentals of Programming & Software Development (Credit: 0.50)

This course will provide students with an understanding of basic software development concepts and practices, issues affecting the software industry, careers within the software industry, and the skills necessary to perform well in these occupations.

Students will learn details about core concepts in programming using Java, including writing and debugging code, proper syntax, flow of control, order of operations, comparison operators, and program logic tools and models. They will learn the function of key program techniques including if statements, looping, and arrays. They will also learn about web development using HTML and drag-and-drop development of user interfaces in an Integrated Development environment.

Students will also learn about the Software Development Life Cycle and the different variations used to create software. They will learn about different programming languages and paradigms. They will learn about the importance of usability and user-centered design processes. Students will also learn about careers in the software industry, the education and skills required to work in the industry, and related career resources. Finally, the capstone project will allow students to explore and state opinions on key issues and trends impacting the software industry, and to learn about the experience of working in the industry.

Introduction to Information Technology (Credit: 0.50)

In this course, we introduce students to the knowledge base and technical skills that will help them to successfully compete for jobs within the Information Technology Career Cluster. Lessons are structured so that students learn and then demonstrate not only critical assessment and analytic skills, but also interpersonal skills that are valued so highly among IT employers.

We explore a range of career tracks that include network engineers, application/programming developers, and systems analysts. These career paths are described in depth, discussing typical job responsibilities, educational and licensure requirements, working conditions, and job outlooks.

Our lessons help students place the evolution of technology and job opportunities in context so that they will understand their important role in furthering its development. We believe that the most successful IT professionals combine technical know-how with leadership ability. To this end, students learn that their acquired expertise comes with the responsibility to represent themselves and the companies they work for within the highest legal and ethical standards.

Introduction to Information Technology Support & Services (Credit: 0.50)

This course focuses on real-world application including common industry best practices and specific vendors that offer tools for technicians, project managers, and IT leadership. Emphasis should be made that the purpose of the IT department of an enterprise is to support the overall mission of the company, and it is not simply a stand alone component of the company"ï¿½s infrastructure. Students will continue to apply their knowledge of hardware and software components associated with IT systems while exploring a variety of careers related to IT support and services. Students will analyze technical support needs to perform customer service, perform configuration management activities, and evaluate application software packages and emerging software. Students will demonstrate and apply knowledge of IT analysis and design by initiating a system project and evaluating applications within the IT system. Information Technology is a dynamic discipline that is continuously evolving.

Introduction to Network Systems (Credit: 0.50)

How can we automate the transfer of information from one computer to another? To answer that question, this course introduces students to the fundamental technology and concepts that make networking systems possible. The question itself is a very practical one and the concepts taught are more concerned with practices and processes rather than theoretical generalities.

The most important concept introduced is that of the OSI reference model and its bottom four layers, which are most directly concerned with networking instead of computing. Each networking layer is explored in a three-lesson chapter. By the end of the course, every student should be comfortable reading a sentence that says something like, "ï¿½X is a protocol working at the third layer."ï¿½

The course also explores a good deal of technology, specifically the software and hardware supporting LANs, WANs, and Wi-Fi networks. Particularly important are the protocols in the TCP/IP stack that are used to communicate across a network, but the students are also introduced to the hardware, including hubs, switches, bridges, routers, and transmission media. The student is expected to learn that a network is not some mysterious idea out there in cyberspace. It is a mechanism that is fully dependent on its parts working properly.

Once the students understand the fundamentals of the layers and network hardware, they can be introduced to questions of security, network management, and network operating systems. In particular, they should understand the role of the server. They have already encountered many examples of client-server relationships, and the material later in the course should introduce them to the many roles that a server can play as a part of a network.

Network System Design (Credit: 0.50)

The Network System Design course will provide students with an understanding of computer networks and how they operate, as well as a basic understanding of how to manage and maintain computer networks. These skills will provide students with the ability to design, configure, and troubleshoot networks of all sizes.

Students will learn the basics of network design, including how to identify network requirements and determine the proper network architecture. They will be instructed on the requirements of network models, as well as be introduced to local area networks. Students will also learn about Internet Protocol and the basics of routing data on a network.

Students will be introduced to wide area networks and network security issues. In addition, students will learn about network management, including monitoring and troubleshooting. Last, students will learn about network operating systems and their role in connecting computers and facilitating communications.

New Applications: Web Development in the 21st Century (Credit: 0.50)

New Applications introduces students to the rapidly evolving world of apps, or applications. The introduction of the Apple II in 1977 followed by the IBM PC and scores of compatible computers just four years later created strong consumer demand for software programs, as these applications were referred to at the time. Capable of formatting spreadsheets, composing and proofing hundreds of lines of text, or supporting classroom instruction, computer programs were initially sold by specialty stores, college bookstores, or through the mail.

The explosive growth of the Internet that followed at the beginning of the twenty-first century with the introduction of high-speed networking, the dynamic World Wide Web, and most recently the development of affordable smartphones and web tablets have all contributed to global, cultural, and societal change.

This course begins with a historical tour of the Internet and World Wide Web as well as the programs and applications that made it possible for computer users on every continent to begin to explore and better understand their world. Then, through a step-by-step introduction to WordPress, students gain the tools and insight necessary to create their own web pages and discover their online voice.

In addition to learning how to use WordPress and other applications that promote students' presence on the World Wide Web, this course discusses how the web has become the foremost channel for the distribution of applications that increase the functionality of the web and support a global hub of social networking and communication. Students are introduced to the evolution of networking and data-transfer capabilities beginning with early HTTP protocols continuing through to the recent introduction of smartphones capable of connecting to sites on the World Wide Web without having to rely on a browser for navigation.

The course concludes with a survey of the continuing explosion of new apps, or applications, designed to operate on one or more of the proprietary mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, and netbooks). Students are given an opportunity to track fundamental changes in this growing industry as development has moved from the original model of a single experienced programmer developing a single app for distribution at little or no cost to a model in which retailers, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies contract with mid-sized marketing and communications firms to develop sophisticated apps designed to raise global market and public awareness of institutions and issues. Additionally, students have an opportunity to understand that career opportunities in app development have evolved from programming and coding to now include marketing, public relations, creative arts, project and product management and sales, with a growing number of careers in the industry requiring little if any actual programming experience.

New Applications is a survey course that travels from the first software programs developed to facilitate communication on the Internet to the new generation of mobile and native apps that access the Internet without a reliance on a web browser. New Applications is also a practical course in how to develop a presence on the World Wide Web using WordPress and other available web-application tools. The goal of the course is to provide the learner insight into the rapidly evolving universe of programming and application development so that he or she can make informed career decisions in an industry that is changing as quickly as it is growing.

Software Development Tools (Credit: 0.50)

This course introduces students to the variety of careers related to programming and software development. Students will gather and analyze customer software needs and requirements, learn core principles of programming, develop software specifications, and use appropriate reference tools to evaluate new and emerging software. Students will produce IT-based strategies and a project plan to solve specific problems, and define and analyze system and software requirements.