Computer Technology and the Skilled Trades
$429.00
Open
This hands-on course enables students to apply the engineering design process and other technological knowledge and skills introduced in earlier grades. Students will design and safely create prototypes, products, and/or services, working with tools and resources from various industries. As students develop their projects to address real-life problems, they will apply technological concepts such as quality control, and health and safety standards. Students explore opportunities for job skills programs and education and training pathways, including skilled trades, that can lead to a variety of careers.
Prerequisite: None
COURSES DETAILS
Type
Open
Credit Value
0.5
Curriculum Policy
https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/technological-education/courses/tas2o/home
Curriculum Expectations
The expectations identified for each course describe the skills and knowledge that students are expected to acquire, demonstrate, and apply in their projects and in various other activities on which their achievement is assessed and evaluated.
Mandatory learning is described in the overall and specific expectations of the curriculum.
Two sets of expectations – overall expectations and specific expectations – are listed for each strand, or broad area of the curriculum. In Grades 9 and 10, there are two strands: Strand A: Design Processes and Related Skills and Strand B: Technological Development, Impacts, and Careers. Taken together, the overall and specific expectations represent the mandated curriculum.
The overall expectations describe in general terms the skills and knowledge that students are expected to demonstrate by the end of the course. The specific expectations describe the expected skills and knowledge in greater detail. The specific expectations are organized under numbered subheadings, each of which indicates the strand and the overall expectation to which the group of specific expectations corresponds (e.g., “B2” indicates that the group relates to overall expectation 2 in Strand B). This organization is not meant to imply that the expectations in any one group are achieved independently of the expectations in the other groups, nor is it intended to imply that the learning associated with the expectations happens in a linear, sequential way. The numbered headings are used merely as an organizational structure to help teachers focus on particular aspects of knowledge, concepts, and skills as they develop various lessons and learning activities for students.
TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES
Specific expectations are accompanied by supports such as examples, teacher prompts, and/or instructional tips. Examples are meant to clarify the requirement specified in the expectation, illustrating the kind of skill or knowledge, the specific area of learning, the depth of learning, and/or the level of complexity that the expectation entails. Teacher prompts are sample guiding questions and considerations that can lead to discussions and promote deeper understanding. Instructional tips suggest instructional strategies and authentic contexts for the effective modelling, practice, and application of technological education concepts.
Teacher supports, such as examples, teacher prompts, and instructional tips, are optional supports that educators can draw on to support teaching and learning, in addition to developing their own supports that reflect a similar level of complexity. Facilitating learning towards the achievement of the specific expectations must always be responsive to the diversity of the learners in the classroom. Universal Design for Learning that removes barriers for students, differentiated instruction, and flexible strategies are intended to support learners towards the successful demonstration of the expectations.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
The seven fundamental principles given below lay the foundation for rich and challenging practice. When these principles are fully understood and observed by all teachers, they will guide the collection of meaningful information that will help inform instructional decisions, promote student engagement, and improve student learning.
To ensure that assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of learning for all students, teachers use practices and procedures that:
- are fair, transparent, and equitable;
- support all students;
- are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students;
- are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or course;
- are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;
- provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement;
- develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.
Seventy per cent of the final grade (a percentage mark) in a course will be based on evaluation conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade should reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement, with special consideration given to more recent evidence. Thirty per cent will be based on a final evaluation administered at or towards the end of the course.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS
All students can succeed. Some students are able, with certain accommodations, to participate in the regular course curriculum and to demonstrate learning independently. Accommodations allow access to the course without any changes to the knowledge and skills the student is expected to demonstrate. The accommodations required to facilitate the student’s learning can be identified by the teacher, but recommendations from a School Board generated Individual Education Plan (IEP) if available can also be consulted. Instruction based on principles of universal design and differentiated instruction focuses on the provision of accommodations to meet the diverse needs of learners.
Examples of accommodations (but not limited to) include:
- Adjustment and or extension of time required to complete assignments or summative tasks
- Providing alternative assignments or summative tasks
- Use of scribes and/or other assistive technologies
- Simplifying the language of instruction
THE FINAL GRADES
The final Grades
The evaluation for this course is based on the student’s achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning. The final percentage grade represents the quality of the student’s overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline. A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student’s grade is 50% or higher. The final grade will be determined as follows:
- 70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.
- 30% of the grade will be based on final evaluations administered at the end of the course. The final assessment may be a final exam, a final project, or a combination of both an exam and a project.
THE REPORT CARDS
Two official report cards are issued – midterm and final. Each report card will focus on two distinct but related aspects of student achievement. First, the achievement of curriculum expectations is reported as a percentage grade. Additionally, the course median is reported as a percentage. The teacher will also provide written comments concerning the student’s strengths, areas for improvement and next steps. Second, the learning skills are reported as a letter grade, representing one of four levels of accomplishment. The report cards contain separate sections for the reporting of these two aspects. The report card also indicates whether an OSSD credit has been earned.