ICS 3M Culminating Task
Purpose
To allow students an opportunity to demonstrate learning of a variety of core concepts of the ICS 3M course.
Rationale
Students will have the opportunity to design and create materials to demonstrate their learning. In this project the demonstration will be the product and the process of creating the final project and all deliverables.
Overview
Students will be creating an online workspace (website) for a course of their choosing. It may be ICS 3M, but may also be any other class the student is currently taking. This website will be a sample of what a student may be required to create “in the future.” It can be considered an online class portfolio. There will be mandatory sections and deliverables. Students may also wish to complete bonus sections. A list of possible bonus additions will be listed later in this document. The culminating task will also include a section (on the website) that outlines the use of the portfolio. It will focus on the benefits for teachers and students, with a focus on how it will prepare students for post-secondary education as well as a career.
Scenario
Consider you are employed by a new school. This school has been given government grants and been told it must greatly enhance student use of technology compared with traditional schools. The school has decided that in order to focus on technology, each student will be required to maintain a digital portfolio for each class in which they are enrolled. It is your job to develop a sample portfolio so that teachers will have a model from which to follow. It will showcase features that portfolios are required to have, including: blog, podcasts, videos, resource collection and more.
In addition to the sample portfolio, you have also been asked to create “rationale” documents. These documents are descriptions of the different elements of the portfolio. They will include the rationale or “why” students will be asked to create the portfolio. It will focus on how producing the portfolio will help prepare them for post-secondary education, and/or for a career.
Deliverables
Website Framework
The website is the foundation of the online portfolio. Students will use their web design skills in order to create a professional looking website in order to create their portfolio. Students will demonstrate their understanding of HTML and CSS. Students will use Dreamweaver (or alternative if they wish) in order to design/create the site.
Mandatory Pages:
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Home page
- The main page of the portfolio. Includes the blog, recent podcasts, introduction, links to other pages
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Resource page
- A categorized page of student resources for the subject. This may include subject area websites, links to journals, links to podcasts, etc.
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Podcast and Video archive
- A page for archiving previous podcasts created by the student
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Lessons & Notes
- A page for storing/sharing assignments, lessons, notes, etc.
- This may include typed notes you wrote, handouts from your teacher, etc.
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CSS page
- This page outlines the formatting of the website
BLOG
The Blog (Web Log) will be located on the main mage of the website. The content of the Blog will be as a reflection or journal of class. It will allow a student to post ideas or opinions about certain class topics. A student would be required to post a minimum of 1 post per week. You are required to create 5 sample posts. A traditional blog allows users to comment on the page. This requires either blogging software, or the use of a blog site like blogger.com or wordpress.com. You may include the posts that you write on your website, as well as links to your blog site where comments can exist.
Types of posts:
- Reflection on class or multiple classes (topic.) This may include what you find interesting, intriguing, or difficult to understand about the material. You may also comment on how a particular lesson, activity, or project was helpful
- Resources that you find online that are particularly helpful or relevant to the current topic. An example would be finding a website with interesting videos of chemistry experiments and explanations, or a citation generator.
- Above and Beyond posts are those that examine the topic or material somewhat deeper than you did in class. Maybe you find some extra material or research that goes beyond. You can summarize this information and provide links (citations) to the material
You must complete one of each type of post.
Podcasts
Podcasts will be available for download (and/or played directly) on the main page. The site should be designed so that the three most recent podcasts are available on the main page. Older podcasts would be located on the podcast archive page. Visitors must be able to subscribe to the podcasts via RSS located on the site. You are required to create 4 podcasts.
- Podcasts must be a minimum of 5 minutes in length
- One of the podcasts must be greater than 10 minutes in length
- Audio files must be in MP3 format
- Each podcast must have a transcript available for download as a word document
Video Content
Students may create videos as part of a class. Videos may be of the following type: movies from screen capture, live action, slides or PowerPoint based. You are required to create two videos for the class. They must be downloadable from the site. They should be in an appropriate format and filesize. This means that the videos should be viewable, but not so large that downloading takes a great deal of time. Additionally, one of the videos must be uploaded to YouTube and be embedded on your site.
Form/Database
The site must be able to accept user input in some way. This will be done using Zoho Creator. A form must be posted on the website. The data submitted by users will be placed on another page showing the results in some way. This may be accomplished as a survey (ex. “What is your favourite chemical equation?”)
In order to ensure that your website is finished, you may have to create your “results page” with fake data. This is acceptable.
Rationale Documents
You are only required to create one rationale document. The focus of the document is “How experience with technology in school prepares students for a career.” You are to especially focus on the elements in the class portfolio you have created (website, podcasts, blogs, and video.)
- Try and balance between your opinion as a student, and what people in industry are looking for
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Include one relevant and appropriate quote for each area. The quote should support your point that the experience with the component is valuable
- Properly cite your quotes in MLA style
Here is an example of what your rationale document “could” look like:
- Introduction
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Technology and “New Media” in Business*
- How are companies using technology?
- What skills will new employees need to posess?
- How are companies using technology?
- The Importance of learning and using technology in school (General)
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Experience with Specific Technologies – For each below:
- Ooutline briefly what each “technology” means.
- Describe (generally) how the process works, or how the product is made.
- Describe relevance or use for businesses
- Outline how the use of the technology in school helps to prepare studnets as well as learn material
- Website design
- Podcasts
- Blogs
- Video Authoring
- Ooutline briefly what each “technology” means.
* “Business” may include self-employment, or freelance work. Is meant to be general as in “the working world.”
Due Dates
Website
All components and content of the website (except the form/database) are due:
Friday January 18 @ 1:24pm
The folder containing the website must be packaged as a .zip file. Saved in:
H:\ICS3M\Culminating\porfolio_latname.zip
It will be placed on the school website. This will allow you to ensure that your form/database component works correctly. You must display that it works on the following Monday.
Rationale Documents
The Rationale Document is due electronically and in hardcopy on:
Tuesday January 21 @ 1:24pm
The electronic version must be saved as:
H:\ICS3M\Culminating\rationale_lastname.doc
Room 514 