Cedar International School MYP - Year 5 - Computer Technology

Course Description: The Computer Technology course in the Middle Years Program for year 5 students enables them to understand the technological and computer concepts they will need in order to design, develop, and create products or to deliver services to a stated problem, as well as to pursue further technological studies. Students will use the MYP technological design cycle and a variety of tools and software to solve problems and complete projects. They will strengthen their communication skills by reflecting, in their blogs, on their learning through the use of the design cycle. MYP Technology has a hands-on, project-based curriculum. Classes typically complete 3-4 major work units throughout the school year, generally corresponding to the trimesters. The MYP curriculum is centered around the areas of interaction: approaches to learning, community/service, health/social education, environments, and human ingenuity. Units of Work Every MYP Technology work unit is centered around a unit question (previously referred to as the guiding, or essential question) that related to at least one area of interaction. Students are reminded to keep this essential question in mind throughout their work on the unit and think of it as the "big picture". Every work unit gives students a challenge, presented in the form of a problem that must be solved. Students structure their work around the design cycle, a method for approaching and solving problems. The five parts of the design cycle are investigate, design, plan, create, and evaluate. The IBO expects students to spend about 80% of their time investigating, designing, planning, and evaluating, and about 20% of their time creating. Thus, the process is more important than the outcome. Assessment: Assessment in the MYP may be very different from what you are used to. Students create a design folder (a detailed report addressing each part of the design cycle) in addition to the final product, and all their work is graded on the design cycle rubric (the grade level descriptors may vary between grade levels). Students achieve a score out of 6 possible points on each of the 6 parts of the design cycle. These points are then added to give an initial score out of 36. Then a final score on a scale of 1 to 7 is given according to the IBO's conversion scale (the ranges that convert the 36 point system to the 7 point system can change from year to year, according to IBO specifications). 1 to 7 grade descriptors are the same for all MYP subjects, but the conversion scale from the 36 point system to the 7 point system varies from subject to subject. Therefore, when you see a final grade from 1 to 7 on your childs final report, that number represents the same level of achievement across all subjects. The educator does not average students grades on specific

assignments throughout the term to determine a final grade rather; the marks on a report reflect a student's level of achievement at that point in time. This is in line with the IBOs MYP learning philosophy. Units of Work: Social Media Project Open Source/Freeware Project Sailing Project