WHS INFOTECH CURRICULUM 2023-24
Guiding Principles: A Self-Directed and Lifelong Learner | Research & Technology Application |
Learning requires managing emotions, motivation, and the process toward meeting learning outcomes. Self-Directed and Lifelong Learners also draw on curiosity to spark driving questions, fuel initiative, and seek opportunities to enhance learning in new and collaborative directions.
| Students build new knowledge by identifying problems, inquiring and thinking critically about solutions, and developing strategies, including selecting and leveraging the appropriate technology, to demonstrate competency in their learning goals. |
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 |
I can identify an issue/topic I want to address and develop driving questions, with guidance I can describe my short-term goals and create a plan to fill knowledge gaps and make progress along the inquiry cycle I can leverage digital tools and strategies to take an active role in achieving my goals I can manage my personal data to maintain digital privacy and security HONORS: I can respond to opportunities to ask relevant questions. | I can follow my own curiosity to identify driving questions of interest, with support and insights from others I can develop long-term goals by using the inquiry cycle and considering available resources to stay focused on my driving question and fill knowledge gaps I can identify knowledge gaps and ask clarifying questions in order to make progress, with support I can leverage technology to seek feedback that informs and improves my practice and to demonstrate my learning in a variety of ways HONORS: I can learn from new, challenging experiences and seek help proactively when needed. | I can draw on prior knowledge and personal interests to establish a driving question and apply new learning to revise my driving question and advance my understanding I can formulate a plan that works toward outcome expectations by engaging with the steps in the inquiry cycle I can assess my understanding, seek additional relevant resources to address gaps, and identify alternative strategies to make progress, pursuing assistance from adults and peers when problems arise I can leverage and troubleshoot current technologies and transfer knowledge to explore emerging technologies. HONORS: I can analyze my project to define challenging short and long-term objectives. | I can pursue my interests and propel my understanding in personally meaningful directions by establishing a driving question and addressing challenges I can formulate a plan and articulate critical milestones by setting short and long-term goals, following the inquiry cycle, and leveraging technology to achieve them I can evaluate my understanding of new information and adapt my plan based on personal observation and feedback from others I can establish a network of support, reach out to relevant experts, and seek information beyond school resources HONORS: I can anticipate challenges and develop alternative pathways through the inquiry cycle. |
Guiding Principles: An Integrative and Informed Thinker | Research and Technology Application |
The ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information informs an individual’s understanding. An Integrative and Informed Thinker also sees relationships, situations information within a broader system, negotiates discrepancies to enhance their perspective, and applies this new understanding to make decisions, solve problems and find connections to other cultures.
| Students critically curate a variety of resources using print and digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts, and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others. |
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 |
I can access and extract relevant information from various resources provided by teachers and librarians to address my driving question I can use graphic organizers and other tools provided by teachers and librarians to see connections, draw conclusions, and address my driving question I can evaluate the relevance, reliability, and validity of sources, including electronic resources HONORS: I am willing to explore different approaches to the inquiry cycle with support from others. | I can gather information to further my thinking by consulting a variety of resources, including those with a range of perspectives I can employ strategies to find patterns among ideas from different sources to address my driving question I can evaluate how different perspectives and ideas can add to or complicate my own understanding I can select digital tools to plan and manage the inquiry process taking into consideration any design constraints HONORS: I can recognize information gathering as an ongoing and cyclical process, and look for ways to enhance my own approach | I can gather information from a variety of school and community resources to understand a range of perspectives I can analyze the connection of information from various sources and consider how it furthers my understanding of the issue/problem defined by my driving question I can analyze the context in which information was created, identify prejudice, deception or manipulation, and adjust my perspective to accommodate new understanding I can use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts, or solving authentic problems HONORS: I can uncover messages among arguments and claims | I can gather resources from my school and community that consider relationships and causes of an issue/topic defined by my driving question I can draw on my interest and expertise in a topic to uncover unexplored areas and identify new driving questions I can curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections and/or conclusions HONORS: I can draw my own expertise to identify unexplored areas and develop new questions I can challenge my own assumptions to uncover additional driving questions. |
Guiding Principles: A Responsible and Involved Citizen | Research and Technology Application |
The success of any community depends on the contributions of its members, whether at the family, school, regional, global, or other levels in between. Driven by a sense of belonging and a responsibility to contribute to the common good, members support the health of communities.
| Students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act in and model ways that are safe, legal, and ethical. Students use information and digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally. |
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 |
I can use MLA format to properly document my research I understand the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property I can cultivate and manage my digital identity and reputation and be aware of the permanence of my actions in the digital world Engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology leverage digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures use collaborative technologies to work with others to examine issues and problems from multiple perspectives | I can use MLA format to properly document my research I understand the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property I can cultivate and manage my digital identity and reputation and be aware of the permanence of my actions in the digital world Engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology leverage digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures use collaborative technologies to work with others to examine issues and problems from multiple perspectives | I can use MLA format to properly document my research I understand the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property I can cultivate and manage my digital identity and reputation and be aware of the permanence of my actions in the digital world Engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology leverage digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures use collaborative technologies to work with others to examine issues and problems from multiple perspectives | I can use MLA format to properly document my research I understand the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property I can cultivate and manage my digital identity and reputation and be aware of the permanence of my actions in the digital world Engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology leverage digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures use collaborative technologies to work with others to examine issues and problems from multiple perspectives |
Guiding Principles: Clear and Effective Communicator | Research and Technology Application |
Whether communicating via social media, dance, formal presentations, or casual discussions with peers, the context in which communication takes place and associated norms drive the success of conveying a message and interpreting meaning.
| Students make meaning for themselves and others by collecting, organizing, and sharing resources using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. |
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 |
I can observe and respond to communication across different platforms, tools, formats, and media. I can recognize formal versus informal contexts when interpreting messages from others. I can use some domain-specific language to convey messages. I can respond to feedback to attempt improvements in my approach and ask clarifying questions. I can restate evidence to support my own meaning. I can recognize how body language, tone, and delivery affect audiences differently and rely on feedback from others to adjust body language, eye contact, pace, and volume of speech or writing technique. I can publish and present content for my audiences(s), purpose, and task. | I can distinguish between formal and informal contexts and grasp the importance of audience, cultural differences, and the norms for varying platforms, tools, formats, and media. I can incorporate some domain-specific or technical language successfully to enhance understanding of the message. I can reflect on prior experiences to discover my own strengths and challenges with different forms of communication and use that information to plan and prepare across different modes of communications. I can recognize different viewpoints of others and connect to my own. I can explore a variety of platforms, tools, formats, and media to convey meaning and understand that different modes of communication require different skills and are appropriate for different occasions. I can understand the impact of personal tendencies in communication. | I can reflect on personal experiences and the impact of prior communication choices given a specific audience, venue, and mode to consider alternative approaches and to interpret messages from others. I can consider the purpose, formality of context and audience, and distinct cultural norms when planning content, mode, delivery and expression. I can consider my own strengths and challenges when defining purpose, goal, and form of communication. I can choose an effective format to establish meaning, evaluate quality of sources and effectiveness of examples, and justify use for the context. I can analyze and look for explicit and implicit meaning in messages from others. I can choose an effective mode of presentation, use of genre, and formal and informal language conventions to convey idea or purpose. | I can leverage experience across venues, modes, and audiences to refine personal communication goals and plan tasks toward more effective results. I can build and integrate experience and knowledge, developing interpretive lenses for messages within specific contexts. I can synthesize the overall purpose of communication with an understanding of cultural norms, context, and audience to optimize mode, delivery, and expression choices. I can adapt style and technique and optimize format and presentation of ideas stylistically to capture and maintain attention of the audience. I can perceive which forms of communication best complement my preferences and strengths. I can apply an understanding of conventions and techniques to express ideas fluidly across modes and domains. I can adapt style and technique to capitalize on genres and presentation format. |
- Critique a variety of communication tools to effectively and efficiently communicate with a targeted audience and purpose
-Choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of my creation or communication
-Communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models, or simulations.
- Publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for the intended audience
- Communicate clearly and express myself creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats, and digital media appropriate to my goals.
Guiding Principles: A Creative and Practical Problem Solver | Research and Technology Application |
Striking a balance between the uniqueness of ideas with demands of a problem and the constraints of a given context is at the center of being a Creative and Practical Problem Solver.
| Students use research and a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions. |
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 |
I can select a situation/problem from among those defined by others and explore the problem I can access information and pursue possible solutions to the situation/problem I can listen to the feedback of others and consider how to make improvements to my solution HONORS: I can work through challenges, try new approaches, and take risks, with encouragement. | I can explore a situation/problem and seek relevant information to identify the situation/problem, with support I can identify multiple possible directions, consider alternatives, and eliminate ideas that are not appropriate, with guidance I can evaluate the relevance of the solution by considering the feedback of others HONORS: I can explore possibilities, defer judgement on ideas, and keep an open mind. | I can identify a situation/problem and use familiar approaches to gather multiple perspectives on the problem I can evaluate the originality and effectiveness of ideas by considering alternative solutions and evaluating them against constraints I can evaluate my process, gather and incorporate feedback, and develop and communicate a solution to my situation/problem HONORS: I can illustrate the evolution of my ideas and how my solution fits into a larger framework. | I can analyze a situation/problem from multiple perspectives and synthesize contrasting pieces of information to develop my own ideas I can capitalize on the inquiry cycle and experiment with ideas, incorporating the most relevant information and feedback I can develop a solution that balances knowledge and creativity I can evaluate and validate the solution to my situation/problem HONORS: I can choose untested ideas that fit into, but also challenge, social conventions, constraints of medium, and relevant work of others. |
-select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem solving and decision making
-Collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making
-use a variety of digital tools and resources to identify and solve authentic problems using design thinking