Digital Solutions II– new course 2016-17

Topic(s) / Est. Time / Requirements
Setting up of accounts: District, Google, and Office 365
Demonstrate Keyboarding Skills / 2-3 days / Students will make certain they can log on to their district folder, Google Document or Google Classroom, and Office 365. If needed, accounts will be created at this time.
Students will take a pre-assessment to determine the keyboarding skills in which they are weak.
Students who took Part I of this course, during the first semester, should see noticeable improvement in their scores and have their accounts already established.
Students will take a post-assessment to determine the keyboarding skills to determine improvement level.
Microsoft PowerPoint 2013
Office 365 Presentations
Google Slides Presentations
Keynotes for the Mac (optional) / 4 weeks / Students will complete various tutorials and projects for skills that are necessary for current and continued post-secondary education, the business environment, the military, and for basic personal use.
Collaborative work will be accomplished using online tools such as Office 365 and Google Docs to analyze and make comparisons on which tools to utilize & when.
Public Speaking & Career Awareness / 1 weeks / Students are introduced to public speaking as an important component of their academic, work, and social life and will be used periodically throughout the course.
Our goal is to help students identify their strengths, explore a variety of career options, connect instructional activities to areas of interest, prepare for education beyond high school. Students will explore career options through a variety of simple activities.
Research Skills & Note Taking Skills / 2 weeks / Students will explore the components of research skills: planning, search for information, take notes, use the information, report, and evaluate.
Students will address effectivenote takingfrom lectures and readings as an essentialskillfor all studying. Goodnote takingallows a permanent record for revision and a register of relevant points that students can integrate with their own writing and speaking.
In addition, students will investigate possible online tools to make note taking easier and report on their favorite addressing ease of use and why they prefer the tool that that chose.
3D Printing w/Makerbot / 1-1½ weeks / TBD – software download is required.
Microsoft Access 2013 or 2011
Office 365 Database / 2-2½ weeks / Students will complete various tutorials and projects for skills that are necessary for current and continued post-secondary education, the business environment, the military, and for basic personal use.
Collaborative work will be accomplished using online tools such as Office 365 and Google Docs to analyze and make comparisons on which tools to utilize & when.
Audio & Video Skills / 1- 1½ week / It's important to recognize the importance of audio in film and video. Students will differentiate between the file types and quality of audio as well as recording and editing audio.
Quality video can make or break a presentation; therefore, students will ascertain the difference in video formats as well as devices for recording video. Students will be required to record and edit video for multimedia presentations.
Adobe Photoshop / 1-1½ weeks / Students will be introduced to basic photo manipulation techniques for use with projects they will use throughout this course, high school, and beyond
Multimedia Projects / 1-1 ½ weeks / Project-based multimedia learning is a method of teaching in which students acquire new knowledge and skills in the course of designing, planning, and producing amultimedia product.Media objects such as text, graphics, video, animation, and sound are used to represent and convey information.
Students will produce real-world connections with their projects. Students do not learn simply by “using” multimedia produced by others; they learn by creating and presenting it themselves.

Animation / 2-2½ weeks / Animationis the process of making the illusion of motion and change by means of the rapid display of a sequence of static images that minimally differ from eachother. Students will explore a variety of animation software options and determine the best use of animation for the project at hand.
Adobe Effects; GoAnimate; Pencil; Synfig Studios; Stykz; CreaToon; Blender (could be course all by itself); PowToon; Wideo

This course is the second of a two-part series of 21st century computer technology, designed to help prepare the student for the technology they need for high school and beyond. The curriculum for Digital Solutions II will involve presentations, the proper use of video and audio, research skills, public speaking, interviewing techniques, collaboration, career opportunities, animation, multimedia projects, image manipulation, and global awareness. Google Docs, Office 365, and Microsoft Office 2013 and/or 2011 will be used throughout this course. Mac OSX and Windows 7 will be used.

Students will utilize their problem-solving abilities relative to material, processes, and products used in our every changing technological society. A determination to use these software titles to enhance projects in other curricular areas and beyond high school will be essential.

Public Speaking Sites:

Public Speaking How-To Video:

Career Awareness:

Research Skills:

Note Taking:

Online Note Taking Tools:

Animation: