Information excavation syllabus
Grades 6 & 7
Course Description: Information Excavation is a project-based class intended to familiarize students with many of the issues surrounding Digital Citizenship as well as learning the best and most efficient research techniques. In this course, students will learn how to be responsible and safe citizens of the online world. They will also learn what it takes to do proper research, from recognizing high quality web sites to learning how to use some of the Web 2.0 tools. Students will work individually and in groups to practice the skills they have learned.
Course Goals:
Students will be able to recognize how their behavior online can affect their real lives and how to avoid becoming an online victim or an online bully.
Students will learn how to use many different resources, both online and print, to find information and how to evaluate those resources to determine which ones are best to use.
Students will become familiar with many of the Web 2.0 tools to help them organize their research, present their projects and make both more interesting.
Students will learn how to work as a group, learning from and teaching one another.
Students will practice their keyboarding skills with all projects and class work. Most notes will be taken on the computer.
Instructional Philosophy: I believe that all students need to learn to safely navigate the online world and that information found there has a purpose beyond just finding out the weather or who’s dating who in Hollywood. Most students will have to do a research paper or project at some point in their lives, either for school or work, and knowing how to go about finding information is a skill that they will use, even outside of the classroom.
Assessment Procedures: I employ a point system to grade students. Each project they do will have a point value assigned to it. There will be several projects that will be done in a group. For those, there will be a group point value and an individual point value. Each student is expected to participate in the group activities equally. The final assessment will be a group project that will be completed over the course of several weeks. Each group must present their project to the rest of the class. At the end of the course the total number of points earned will divided by the total points allowed for a student’s final grade.
Absences and Exams: Attendance is expected. When there is an absence it is the responsibility of the student to make up their work for the time they were out. Each student will be assigned two classmates from whom they can get important information, so they can stay current with the rest of the class.
Disciplinary Procedures: In class: If a student behaves inappropriately in class, that student’s name will be written on the board. If misbehavior happens again, a check will be placed beside that student’s name. The third time a student misbehaves in class, disciplinary action will be taken. Each class period, all students start with a clean slate. Therefore, students will receive no fewer than two warnings in any given class period before his or her actions are documented.
Contact Information:
Ms. Knott
Room: Library
Email: [email protected]
PHONE: 804-493-9818
WEBSITE: http://monstrossmiddlelibrary.weebly.com/
I am always available to answer any questions or concerns. Students may come to see me in the morning before school, during my planning period (block 1), or after school if they have questions or need extra help.
Course Description: Information Excavation is a project-based class intended to familiarize students with many of the issues surrounding Digital Citizenship as well as learning the best and most efficient research techniques. In this course, students will learn how to be responsible and safe citizens of the online world. They will also learn what it takes to do proper research, from recognizing high quality web sites to learning how to use some of the Web 2.0 tools. Students will work individually and in groups to practice the skills they have learned.
Course Goals:
Students will be able to recognize how their behavior online can affect their real lives and how to avoid becoming an online victim or an online bully.
Students will learn how to use many different resources, both online and print, to find information and how to evaluate those resources to determine which ones are best to use.
Students will become familiar with many of the Web 2.0 tools to help them organize their research, present their projects and make both more interesting.
Students will learn how to work as a group, learning from and teaching one another.
Students will practice their keyboarding skills with all projects and class work. Most notes will be taken on the computer.
Instructional Philosophy: I believe that all students need to learn to safely navigate the online world and that information found there has a purpose beyond just finding out the weather or who’s dating who in Hollywood. Most students will have to do a research paper or project at some point in their lives, either for school or work, and knowing how to go about finding information is a skill that they will use, even outside of the classroom.
Assessment Procedures: I employ a point system to grade students. Each project they do will have a point value assigned to it. There will be several projects that will be done in a group. For those, there will be a group point value and an individual point value. Each student is expected to participate in the group activities equally. The final assessment will be a group project that will be completed over the course of several weeks. Each group must present their project to the rest of the class. At the end of the course the total number of points earned will divided by the total points allowed for a student’s final grade.
Absences and Exams: Attendance is expected. When there is an absence it is the responsibility of the student to make up their work for the time they were out. Each student will be assigned two classmates from whom they can get important information, so they can stay current with the rest of the class.
Disciplinary Procedures: In class: If a student behaves inappropriately in class, that student’s name will be written on the board. If misbehavior happens again, a check will be placed beside that student’s name. The third time a student misbehaves in class, disciplinary action will be taken. Each class period, all students start with a clean slate. Therefore, students will receive no fewer than two warnings in any given class period before his or her actions are documented.
Contact Information:
Ms. Knott
Room: Library
Email: [email protected]
PHONE: 804-493-9818
WEBSITE: http://monstrossmiddlelibrary.weebly.com/
I am always available to answer any questions or concerns. Students may come to see me in the morning before school, during my planning period (block 1), or after school if they have questions or need extra help.