Maynard Jackson High School
Information Technology Career Cluster
Programming, Games, Apps, and Society
Course Number: 11.47200
First Semester
Mr. B. Barnett
Technology Teacher
Room 2259
Student’s Name_________________________________
Phone: 404-802-5205
Facsimile: 404-247-9965
E-mail: bbarnett@atlanta.k12.ga.us
Date____________
Period____________
Course Description:
Are you ready to design and develop? The course is designed for high school students to strategize,
design, and develop games and mobile and desktop applications that can be produced in the real world.
Students will learn about life-cycles of project development and use models to develop applications.
Attention will be placed on how user interfaces affect the usability and effectiveness of a game or an
application. Programming constructs will be employed which will allow students’ applications to interact
with “real world,” stimuli. The course exposes students to privacy, legality, and security considerations
with regards to the software industry. Various forms of technologies will be used to expose students to
resources, software, and applications of programming. Professional communication skills, practices,
problem solving, ethical and legal issues, and the impact of effective presentation skills are enhanced in
this course to prepare students to be college and career ready. Employability skills are integrated into
activities, tasks, and projects throughout the course standards to demonstrate the skills required by
business and industry. Competencies in the co-curricular student organization, Future Business Leaders
of America (FBLA), are integral components of the employability skills standard for this course.
Programming, Games, Apps and Society is the third course in the Programming pathway in the
Information Technology cluster. Students enrolled in this course should have successfully completed
Introduction to Digital Technology and Computer Science Principles. After mastery of the standards in
this course, students should be prepared to take the end of pathway assessment in this career area.
Course Standard
1.
2.
ITPGAS-1
Demonstrate employability skills required by business and industry.
IT-PGAS-2
Describe the software application life cycle and use a prototype development model to develop applications.
Apply abstractions in digital data to explain how bits are grouped to represent higher-level abstractions
such as numbers and characters.
3.
IT-PGAS-3
Design and develop applications using objects.
4.
IT-PGA-4
Design, develop, and implement accessible and usable interfaces, and analyze applications for engaging the
user.
5.
IT-PGA-5
Use and implement different digital representations of media.
6.
IT-PGA-6
Evaluate an application design in terms of meeting privacy needs, legal and intellectual property
requirements, and security considerations.
7.
IT-PGA-7
Develop applications that read real-world data from sensors, interpret the data, and respond to the realworld stimuli.
8.
9.
IT-PGA-8
Describe the unique needs for information and communication technologies for diverse audiences.
IT-PGA-9
Explore how related student organizations are integral parts of career and technology education courses
through leadership development, school and community service projects, entrepreneurship development,
and competitive events.
Teaching Methods:
1.
Lectures: Important material from the text and outside sources will be covered in class. Students should plan to
take careful notes as not all material can be found in the texts or readings. Discussion is encouraged as is studentprocured outside material relevant to topics being covered.
2. Assignments: End of chapter activities and online activities will be assigned weekly to reinforce material in the
text. These assignments may require the application of various software packages.
3. Quizzes: Occasional unannounced quizzes will be given to help ensure students stay up with assigned material.
4. Exams: Three exams will be given. The exams will be closed book/notes and will test assigned readings and
material discussed in class. Review sheets will be provided prior to the exam day. The final exam will not be
comprehensive in nature. However, the instructor reserves the right to retest on material that was not appropriately
comprehended. These items will be noted on exam review sheets.
Participation: Student participation will be graded by the level of class participation and attendance
Course Outline
Assignment Descriptions:
Chapter Review (CR)
The Chapter Review provides a general survey of the material in the chapter. Students can use these pages to reinforce their achievement
of the chapter objectives.
Checkpoint (CKPT)
These exercises review key terms and concepts presented in the chapter. Have students complete the Label the Figure, True/False,
Multiple Choice, Matching, Short Answer, and Beyond the Book exercises.
Problem Solving (PS)
These exercises ask students to solve practical computer problems by using outside resources available to them, including but not limited
to the Web, blogs, podcasts, videos, magazines, newspapers, television, user guides, other individuals, electronics stores, and computer
stores. Tip Sheets, which are suggested starting points for the Problem Solving exercises, are included within the End of Chapter
Solutions folder on your Instructor Resources disc.
Learn It Online (LIO)
These exercises ask students to visit Web pages that offer additional information, resources, and activities related to topics presented in
the chapter. Answers will vary.
Learn How To (LHT)
These hands-on activities solidify the concepts presented in the chapter with practical application. Answers may vary.
Web Research (WR)
In these exercises, students use various Web resources to discover additional information related to this chapter. Encourage students to
use their browsers and the link in each exercise or a search engine to complete selected exercises. Answers will vary for the Search
Sleuth, Social Networking, Blogs, and Ethics in Action exercises.
Critical Thinking (CT)
Thought-provoking situations exercise students’ minds and challenge them to construct creative solutions. The Critical Thinking
exercises are intended to be discussed in class, presented in class, assigned for student research, or completed as a team. Answers will
vary.
Textbooks:
1. Rick Rarent, Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques, 2 nd Edition, 2008.
2. Allen Sherrod, Ultimate Game Programming with DIRECT X, 2006
Reference Books:
1. Mat Buckland, Programming Game AI by Example, 2005
2. Peter Walsh, Advanced 3D Game Programming with Direct X 9.0. 2003
3. Kenny Erleben, Jon Sporring, Knud Henriksen, and Henrik Dohlmann,
Physics-Based Animation, 2005.
4. David M. Bourg, Physics for Game Developers, 2002.
5. Grant Palmer, Physics for Game Programmers, 2005.
6. Steve Rabin, Introduction to Game Development, 2005.
Handouts: Additional handouts may be required. Instructor will provide information on obtaining this material.
Online Companion: scsite.com/dc2010
Instructional Materials, Texts, Supplemental Materials and Software
Practical Activities for Computer Enrichment. Discovering Computers 2010, Complete
*Additional textbooks and handouts will be utilized. Replacement Cost: $50.00
Materials
The student will need the following materials: pencils, pens (blue/black and red), 2 to 3 inch 3-ring binder notebook, metric
ruler, centimeter or millimeter graph paper, and an inexpensive scientific calculator.
Grading Scale
A
=
90-100
Excellent
B
=
80-89
Above Average
C
=
70-79
Average
F
=
0-69
Failing
Evaluation and Grading Policy
Students are expected to complete and submit all assignments by the due date. Each assignment whether class work,
homework, or a project counts as a significant part of your overall grade. Please do not take any one of these performance
measurements for granted.
Class assignments/Portfolio
30%
Tests/Quizzes
15%
Examinations
20%
Homework
10%
Reports/Projects
15%
Participation/Sponge
5%
Career Opportunities
Receptionist
Courtroom Clerk
Medical Office Assistant
Administrative Assistance
Word Processor
Human Resource Analyst
Data Entry Clerk
Executive Assistant
Teacher
Tutorial Days and Time
The student is expected to complete all assignments and pass all exams with a score of 74 or above. You may return after
school on assigned tutorial days for remediation or enrichment, which are Tuesday and Wednesday of each week from 3:30
until 4:30 pm. If a student makes a failing grade or is not satisfied with his/her grade on a major test and returns after school
for two tutorial sessions, he/she may make up the exam (similar, but not identical) on the third tutorial session. Students
cannot make up any other assignments due to poor performance.
Conferences
Parent(s) or guardian(s) may set up teacher-parent-student conferences from 8:15 A.M. or from 3:30 P.M. until 4:30 P.M.
Monday through Thursday. The parent(s) or guardian(s) may contact the school at (404) 802-5205 to set up an
appointment.
General Rule and Expectations
Tardiness
The student should arrive to class on time. If a student is tardy two or more times, the student may be assigned to teacherheld after school detention or other disciplinary actions, which maybe include recommendation for suspension. When tardy
students arrive to class, place the tardy pass in the basket marked passes and sign in on the tardy roster.
Attendance
The student should have good attendance. All missed assignments must be made up within three (3) school days upon the
student’s return to class. Check the assignment folder to collect missing assignments. See your class-buddy to get notes and
other pertinent information that may have been missed during your absence.
Cutting Class and Suspension
A suspended student must follow all school guidelines to ensure that they have the assignments that will be covered during
their suspension. Students who are suspended must also follow the procedures listed above under the heading
“Attendance.” A student’s absent from class must be reported absent from school or class period by the homeroom teacher
or attendance officer; otherwise, the student absence will be recorded as a cut or skip.
Preparation for Class
The student should come prepared to class each day. Preparation includes:
a. Bringing the assigned textbook to class.
b. Bringing the appropriate writing and other instructional utensils to class.
c. Bringing completed homework or other assignments to class. Late assignments maybe collected and graded;
however, for each day the assignment is late until the third day, the student will lose ten (10) points from the
original grade of the assignment.
The student should not expect to borrow from the teacher or other students while in the classroom.
The student will not get up to sharpen his/her pencil(s) while the teacher is talking.
Behavior
The student should exhibit his/her best behavior at all times. Appropriate consequences will be administered based on the
severity of the behavior.
Cheating/Honesty and Respect
Cheating will not be tolerated. Cheating or plagiarizing will result in a grade of “0”. The student is expected to show respect
and honesty at all times.
Food and Gum
Neither food nor chewing gum is allowed in the classroom. Students will properly dispose of all food and gum upon
entering into the classroom. Food not properly disposed of by the student will be confiscated and returned no earlier than
4:30 p.m.
Locker Use
Students will not be allowed to use the locker during class time.
Restroom and Getting Water
The students should use the restroom, get water, and take care of personal necessities before coming to class. If there is an
emergency, please complete and carry the hall pass before leaving the classroom. Requesting to use the phone or see other
staff members is not considered an emergency.
Lost or Damaged Property
Students who are issued educational materials must assume full responsibility for the items. Lost, broken, or damaged items
are expected to be paid for by the student, parent, or guardian.
Cleanliness
The student will clean his workspace and return all materials to their proper locations before leaving the classroom.
Detention
If assigned detention, the student should promptly return to the teacher’s classroom for after school detention at the
assigned time and date.
Class Dismissal
The ringing of the bell at the end of the period only suggests the ending of the class period. Students will remain seated
until the teacher dismisses the class.
Other/Punishment
The teacher cannot anticipate all the surprising problems that may occur in the classroom; however, unique situations will
be handled based on its severity and impact on learning. Let us try to make and keep the learning environment fun. Promote
a clean, safe, and motivating environment. Furthermore, it is very difficult for the teacher to develop strict punishments for
many of the rules and regulations listed above; nevertheless, the teacher will demonstrate consistency and fairness with
each student’s problem or concern. Most importantly, the chairperson, assistant principal, and/or principal will immediately
handle fighting, weapons, drugs and other serious school/APS board violations.
Deficiency Notices and Grade Progress Reports
The student will periodically receive from the teacher GRADE PROGRESS reports and DEFICIENCY NOTICES. You
should review with your parent(s) or guardian(s) the reports. Your parent(s) or guardian(s) should sign and return both the
GRADE PROGRESS REPORT and DEFICIENCY NOTICE on or before the assigned due date.
Lab Safety
The student will demonstrate a regard for safety in the laboratory by:
1. Working quietly in place or moving cautiously, if necessary.
2. Performing only authorized experiment; otherwise, tile student will receive a grade of “0” for the lab.
Objectives
The student will copy from the board any written objectives, assignments or activities into his notebook upon arrival to
class.
The Student Notebook
A good student notebook is one that contains class-work, homework, study materials, and other assignments related to the
course. The notebook is organized to meet the student’s need. It may be organized chronologically or topical. Nevertheless,
finding information in your notebook should be easy.
A good notebook might contain sections for class-notes, homework, class-work, handouts, quizzes, tests, and laboratory
investigations. The materials in your notebook should contain the date on which the assignment or handout was given and
your name. For this class, your notebook will be checked bi-monthly. The first notebook check will be mid-September. The
notebook will be evaluated on organization, thoroughness, and neatness. A sample checklist may be given to you before the
first notebook check.
Note Taking
You are expected to take notes daily. Notes may be from your reading assignments, class discussions, laboratory
investigations, or class lectures.
A good note taker reads or listens carefully so that he may identify what notes to write in his notebook. A note taker can
extract information from many sources; he can summarize this information in an orderly written form-notes. Some hints on
how to make notes are:
1. If the teacher repeats the information, it may be important—write it down.
2. If the teacher writes the information on the board—write it down.
3. If the teacher makes reference to information in the text or other resources—write it down.
4. If you are interested in the information—write it down.
5. If you are attempting to solve a problem—write it down.
6. Examples that may be helpful in the future—write it down.
The key is to write notes that will be help you both learn and retain information. Good notes can be used as a study guide
for tests and quizzes. Notes can also be used for future subject-related courses like, college physics and chemistry.
Homework
Homework is designed to reinforce given concepts while the student is at home. Oftentimes, homework is done at school or
copied directly from a peer or friend. Not following through on homework nullifies the basic purpose of homework. You
may work with others as you complete your homework assignment, but you should not copy someone else’s answers to the
assignment. If it has been discovered that you copied or you allowed someone to copy your answers, all parties will receive
a grade of “0” for the assignment. To ensure accuracy in completing your assignment, follow these instructions.
A. Write your name, date, class period and description of the assignment in the upper right corner of your paper.
B. If there is an essay or short answer question, write complete sentences to answer the question.
Teacher-Parent-Student Compact
The parent and student are requested to read each expectation, and if you agree to uphold the expectation, initial in the
appropriate spaces. Spaces not initialed should have an explanation explaining why the parent and /or student cannot
uphold the expectation attached to the compact. Students are required to keep a copy of this information in the front of their
notebooks.
Parent
Student
The Student will:
_____
_______
1. Regularly attend class.
_____
_______
2. Complete assignments (homework, tests, project, and labs).
_____
_______
3. Demonstrate honesty on all assignments; that is, not cheat.
_____
_______
4. Complete all activities within the specified time.
_____
_______
5. Participate in tutorials during the school week, if needed.
_____
_______
6. Participate in Discovering Computers 2010 exam preparation tutorials.
_____
_______
7. Take the Compute Technology exam in May.
_____
_______
8. Demonstrate mature behavior in the classroom.
_____
_______
9. Come prepared for class.
_____
_______
10. Take home regularly issued progress reports to parents/guardians.
_____
_______
11. Remain on task and interested in the class throughout the school year
_____
_______
12. Not request extra-credit work.
_____
_______
13. Spend at least 30 minutes per night studying Computer Technology.
_____
_______
14. Stay at least one or two lessons ahead, see syllabus
_____
_______
15. Adhere to the grading policy/guidelines.
_____
_______
16. Schedule conferences with the teacher when necessary.
I have read and fully understand the guidelines written in this course syllabus. I will follow each guideline to the best of my
ability. Please sign below and return this contract on or before August 18, 2014.
Student’s Name (printed)_________________________________
Date__________________
Student’s Signature______________________________________
Date__________________
Parent’s Signature_______________________________________
Date__________________
Teacher’s Signature______________________________________
Date__________________
Optional Information: How may I contact you?