Back to Tech Lab

Mr. Rick Williams
Room 112
School--664-8961
E-mail: williams.r@mail.wsd.wednet.edu

Personal:
1968 graduate of Central Washington University with a major in Social Science and minors in Professional Subjects and P.E.
1968-1976 4th-6th grade teacher at Washington Elementary.
1976-1988 Corporate representative and business owner.
1989-1990 Substitute teacher in North Central Washington.
1990-1998 Teacher Pioneer Middle School--Computers, Core, and PE.
1998 to Present-Foothills Middle School Technology Lab 2000

Dear Parents,

Your student is currently enrolled in Tech Learning. Tech Learning is a program that utilizes computers and many other laboratory components in the instructional process. Due to these factors, it is essential that students enrolled in Tech Learning follow all the classroom expectations.

Please review with your student the syllabus for the course as outlined in the following pages. Your assistance in reviewing and discussing this with your student will be most appreciated.

Course Syllabus
All three of our Wenatchee Middle School tech labs have worked together to create a standards based curriculum for our labs. The curriculum is based on a set of national standards that were developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). The Tech Lab Standards and Performance Indicators are shown below:

Tech Lab Standards and Performance Indicators
To live, learn, and work successfully in an increasingly complex and information rich society, students must use technology effectively. Within a sound educational setting, technology can enable students to become:
Capable information technology users
Information seekers, analyzers, and evaluators
Problem solvers and decision-makers
Creative and effective users of productivity tools
Communicators, collaborators, publishers, and producers
Informed, responsible, and contributing citizens

The Tech Lab power standards for students are divided into six broad categories. Standards within each category are to be introduced, reinforced, and mastered by students. These categories provide a framework for linking performance indicators found(numbered) within the standards. These standards and profiles are guidelines for planning The Tech Lab based activities in which students achieve success in learning, communication, and life skills.

1. Basic operations and concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
Students are proficient in the use of technology.
2. Social, ethical, and human issues Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, and productivity
3. Technology productivity tools
Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, preparing publications, and producing other creative works
4. Technology communications tools
Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with experts and other audiences.
5. Technology research tools
Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources
Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
Students evaluate and select information resources based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
6. Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools
Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.
Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems.

There are a set of 5 standards for seventh graders:
Introduction to the Internet and Search Engines
Introduction to the computer
Word processing and formatting using Appleworks and or Word.
Computer Ethics
Multimedia and presentation concepts.

Eighth graders will be working with a set of 5 advanced standards.
Advanced Internet Research
Advanced video production
Digital photography
Web page design
GIS (Geographical Information System)

Advanced Standards (for those who have finished both 7th & 8th work)
Podcasting
Sketchup (3D Drawing)
GarageBand
Scratch Computer Programming
Beginning Flash

Each of the standards for both seventh and eighth graders is task oriented and each of the standards has 4 tasks associated with it. Each of the tasks play an important part in determining the Final Grade.

Tech Lab Grading

Students are in tech lab for one semester. A minimum of two and a half standards will be completed during each of the two quarters.

To achieve a grade of “C” for a quarter a student must complete a minimum of 1 1/2 Standards with a grade of 70% or above.

To achieve a grade of “B” for a quarter a student must complete 2 Standards with a grade of 80% or above.

To achieve a grade of “A” for a quarter a student must complete 2 1/2 Standards with a grade of 90% or above.

Classroom Management:

Make Your Day is the citizenship program that is being used by all of Foothills Middle School. It is based on one rule that is posted in each classroom. “No One Has The Right To Interfere With The Learning Or Safety Of Others”.

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