Rationale
The mission statement of education as we approach the 21st century is best stated by David Thornburg, who firmly believes "We must educate students for their future, not our past." Although no one can foresee with certainty what lies on the horizon for secondary school curriculum, these things do appear certain: advances in telecommunications and information technology,along with their companion, computer technology, are occurring at a rapid pace. We are living in an increasingly technologically-oriented world, one which will require a highly-educated, technology-literate workforce.There are still pockets of resistance to the changing face of education, but they are becoming fewer as the inevitable tide of computerization advances. One area that has yet to keep pace with the influx of computers into the schools is curriculum. Many educators are still mired in the past, and hence, so are their curricula. To look at the importance of computers and computer technology in education, we must examine the paradox of whether technology drives the curriculum or the curriculum drives the technology. In my view, the former condition is prevalent in light of available resources and the lack of curriculum redesign. In the future, perhaps as the curriculum improves in areas such as computer technology and telecommunications, secondary education will produce more computer literate and innovative technical workers and professionals.
The need for well-educated computer and telecommunications personnel is going to grow along with the advances in technology and growth in our economy. To meet this need, secondary education is going to have to focus on computer education, especially in the area of applied computer technology. Integrating technology into the curriculum will help produce computer literate students. Actually offering courses in computer technology within the curriculum will produce highly-skilled, technology-literate students. Technical and trade schools, along with colleges and universities, are definitely going to prefer the latter type of student over the former.
The materials contained within this document comprise only a fraction of the final proposal. It is truly a work in progress, which will require considerably more time and effort, and yes, modifications, as it grows.
Digital Student Portfolios An applied computer technology curriculum focuses on applied learning, interpersonal and intrapersonal communication, and of course, computer technology. Digitization of information and resources is a technological evolution of the print and electronic media. Written materials and resources use a tremendous amount of raw materials and storage space, and hence are not infinite. Digitization of data, video, and audio are relatively inifinite in scope, dependent on the size and digital storage capacity of the available technology. The storage of information on marvels such as the Zip or Jaz disk, hard drive, and video tape is much more economical, efficient, less damaging to the environment, and less wasteful of finite resources.
The digital student portfolio, a rather new focus area in education, provides an excellent framework for becoming a computer literate, career-oriented, and motivated lifelong learner. For these reasons, among others, an overall project-based theme of computer literacy is the preparation and maintenance of a student portfolio. Another aspect which lends itself nicely to portfolios is that of modules or sections which can be easily added as the student progresses through school and career.
The first major module of the portfolio to be designed and developed is the autobiographical section, which is the focus of the first term project. The activities associated with this initial phase of portfolio development are basically smaller sub-projects which combine to create the larger theme project.
The entire unit and scoring rubric have been developed in File Maker Pro 4.0. This initial document was created in Claris Home Page 2.0, as are many of the templates, checklists, mini-projects, and webpages. The images were created and edited in Claris Works 4.0, and converted using Graphic Converter 3.0.1. Active links between pages and to Internet resource sites are underlined in blue text. The pages are sequentially arranged similar to the linking sequence of the unit, after it has been published on the Internet.
Activity 196k: Creating a Personal Blazon
The digital portfolio provides more than just a record of achievement and a synopsis of one's personal and professional life. It also provides a marketing device for an individual to demonstrate his/her skills, level of experience, and qualifications. The advances in digital storage technology have made electronic multimedia portfolios a practical necessity. For example, a VHS video cassette tape can hold approximately 14 gigabytes (gb) of information, which is equivalent to 140 zip disks (at 100 megabytes each)! Just think of all the reams of paper, ink, and other raw materials that are conserved by digitizing that much information, rather than printing it out!
One activity which I have spent quite a bit of time and effort in design and development is that of the personal coat of arms, also called a ìblazonî. Its heritage dates back to pre-Renaissance times, when families of nobility and their armies used them as symbols of prestige and power, as well as recognition. There are quite a few sites on the Internet dealing with heraldry and heraldic insignia which adorn many coats of arms. Even today, there exist heraldic registries for families and individuals to register personal blazons.
It would seem natural for a student to design and create a personal logo or blazon to incorporate in his/her digital portfolio. Computer graphics software, such as Claris Works Paint and Draw programs, help the student accomplish this task. In fact, there are even heraldic software programs with templates and reference libraries to further assist the individual in creating his/her own blazon. Upon completion, the person can then submit his/her coat of arms to a particular registry for official registration and a framed print.
This activity is a rubric level 4 assignment, which makes it an extension. I have also planned extensions of this assignment, which require creation of a new cover page (the former one being a mini-project which involved creation of a personal logo page), and to explore even further, the addition of an animated gif clipart to a part of the blazon. Only a digitized student blazon can have an animated symbol, hence another advantage of creating digitally, what was once a time-consuming, multiple resource project.
Although this activity is still in the rough draft stage, and will most certainly be refined to the point of even using a heraldic software application, please feel free to copy the current template. Another inherent advantage of applied computer technology, which is sometimes overlooked, is its ability to stimulate creativity in students, who otherwise might not be inclined to take risks in learning new things and exploring new subject areas.