Grade+8

= = = = =Grade 8 Information Technology=

toc
 * Qatar Academy, 2007-8**

[|Grade 8 Digital Portfolios]: On Qatar Academy wikispaces

Grade 8B and 8D: Read this for final assessment information

Unit 1: Digital Portfolio
This unit follows the IBO MYP Technology curriculum guide
 * **Area of Interaction**: Homo Faber
 * **Guiding questions**: How can I showcase my experiences and work as a student here at Qatar Academy to a wider audience? How can I best document and reflect on the learning process in order to develop and grow as a learner? How can I best communicate my growth as a learner to my audience?
 * **Learning objectives**: All students in Grade 8 at QA will create a digital portfolio this year. This will be used to showcase their individual learning and to share artefacts, reflections and experiences with their family and other members of the QA community.

Download

 * Digital Portfolio** Unit Plan [[file:Gr8_MYPTech_DigitalPortfolio_0708.doc]]
 * Digital Portfolio** Rubric and Assessment Criteria [[file:MYP_Technology_Assessment_Gr8_DigitalPortfolio_0708.doc]]

Getting Started

 * 1) **Social Bookmarking**: Set up your own account with [|delicious] and bookmark all of the good resources you find. Watch this [|YouTube video] to learn how to do this. Don't forget to use tags logically.
 * 2) [Extension task: Find other resources to read about social bookmarking [|here]]
 * 3) **Setting up your Blog**: As part of your work in IT you will establish a blog and write to it every week. Go to [|Blogger.com] and sign in to start your blog. Watch this [|Blogger video tutorial] on how to setup your new blog. Your blog will be used for your process journal for each IT project and for your own reflection and interaction with other students. Read this wiki page about Blogging for Success. Watch the video tutorials on the [|Blogging Worksh]
 * 4) Having some fun! Try out [|Animoto] and make a fun 30sec. animated video online. When you animation is ready embed it into a new blog post called "Using Animoto for Learning"

Week 1-4: Investigate
View these online digital portfolios: Write to your blog and answer these questions about each portfolio:
 * Task 1**
 * 1) [|Qareena]
 * 2) Vincent
 * 3) [|Vanille]
 * 1) What content is on each? What are the headings? What subjects and other areas are included?
 * 2) What is good about the web design? What is not so good? (Refer to colours, organisation of images and text, types of images etc)
 * 3) Make comments about the organisation of the portfolio. (Refer to navigation and how items are found)

Read 'What is a Digital Portfolio?' and explore more examples of digital portfolios from the links given. Discuss these points on your blog: - What are the three important features of a digital portfolio? - List one advantage and one disadvantage of a digital portfolio. - find a student digital portfolio that you like, hyperlink the URL and describe the strengths and weaknesses of this portfolio
 * Task 2**

Here is another digital portfolio page by Marielle on a wiki that you may find interesting. View her [|slideshow] as well.

Investigate software options for creating a digital portfolio. [|Explore HTML] (the language used to create web pages). Is this a good option for creating a digital portfolio? Explore software such as [|Frontpage] or [|Dreamweaver]. What advantages do you have using these? A [|wiki] is an online website that you can own and edit. It can be used for presentation of material and for collaboration. What advantages or disadvantages does this have for you as a publication tool?
 * Task 3**

For your digital portfolio you will start a personal wiki at wikispaces.com. In order to get an advertisement-free and free to you wiki for educational use, c/o wikispaces, follow these instructions:
 * Task 4**
 * open this page**:

[|Wikis in the Classroom]
(do not go to wikispaces.com independently)

You will find a form to fill in that looks like this:
 * For **Space Name** you must use your own name (first and last) joined into one work e.g. AhmedSmith
 * For **Space Visibility** select Protected (free)
 * Tick the **Educational Use** box
 * Now select **Create**

CONGRATULATIONS! You have just started your new wiki and taken the first step towards developing your online digital portfolio.

How will you test your digital portfolio when it is completed? How will you or others decide if it is a 'good' portfolio? Think of a rubric that will help to test and evaluate your finished portfolio. Remember that some of the criterion could include: content, navigation, page layout and design, spelling and grammar, colour and contrast or items and text.
 * Task 5**
 * Create this rubric on a new wiki page using a table
 * Create a short blog post discussing the rubric and do a hyperlink to your wiki page

Week 5-6: Design
As you continue to explore what a good digital portfolio looks like you must make decisions as to what will be on your digital portfolio. For this section you are to produce 3 documents:
 * 1) Use Inspiration to design the actual site and create a diagram showing all pages. Also show what will be on each page as a rough outline. You can upload the finished Inspiration file converted to JPG format to your IT wiki page.
 * 2) Use MS Word or Inspiration to show visually the design for your opening wiki page, including menu.
 * 3) Use your blog to write about each part of the digital portfolio that you will be creating. Make a list and then describe eg Academic subjects, C&S, Personal statement, reflections.

Week 7-8: Plan
Create a timeline for the completion of your portfolio. Consider how much content needs to be uploaded in digital format and plan to create this, collate it and upload it. NOTE: Include in your planning document a table that includes key dates and deadlines. Also allow about 4-5 weeks for the creation of a multimedia artefact (e.g. video or animation) that will probably appear on the front page of your wiki.

A video **About You** Create a NEW wiki page and complete these tasks:
 * Brainstorm ideas for your 'All about me' video
 * Make a list of what photos etc you will need to collect
 * Write a 'script' with the main things you want to say about yourself

Week 9-12: Create
We will be using Windows Movie maker to create the multimedia artifact about you. Here are some FREE tutorials to watch from Atomic Learning about using [|Windows Movie Maker] Don't forget: If you want to access any other videos in [|Atomic Learning] (they are a great resource!) use the QA login with ID: qataracad and PW: doha
 * Part 1**: **All Bout You Video**

To record audio files to be inserted into Windows Movie maker use the free program called [|Audacity]. Your file will need to be exported form Audacity in MP3 format.


 * Finishing your video about YOU:**
 * Make sure you 'Make Movie' in Windows Movie Maker
 * Your finished file should be less than 50MB, or if you want to uplaod it to the wiki directly, make it less than 20MB
 * Upload to YouTube (create an account first) or upload to your wikispaces account
 * Embed the video on a wiki page (front page, or the About Me page)


 * Part 2**: **Adding content to the wiki**
 * Revisit your plans for creating pages and adding content to your digital portfolio.
 * Now go ahead and review these plans based on what you want your portfolio to look like.
 * Make the extra wiki pages for each subject/theme etc
 * Add content!
 * Each subject should have at least one artifact uploaded
 * Each artifact should have a reflection
 * Useful resources:**
 * [|Slideshare.net] - for uploading a PPT and embedding into a wiki
 * [|bubbleshare.com] - for creative use of images and adding a widget to the wiki
 * [|Voice thread] - for adding images and voice commentary via a wiki widget...very cool!
 * [|Animoto] - for creating 30 sec videos and embedding on your blog (can then link to from the wiki)
 * To embed documents try these:
 * [|Scribd] - Publish yourself online....good for uploading essays and other word-based documents
 * [|Docstoc] - Upload and embed docs online
 * [|Issuu] - You publish and embed
 * [|Calameo] - Create and share virtual publications

Each artifact on your digital portfolio should have a reflection. Once again, be creative about this. A reflection can be written in 3 paragraphs however, if you have uploaded an essay for example, maybe your reflection could take the form of an image (with text) or a PowerPoint embedded on the page, or it could be an audio/video file.
 * Writing a Reflection**

As a suggestion the reflection can cover these three areas:
 * **What?** - Describe what the work is about. For example, this presentation is about a country and the requirement was .......Make sure you talk about what was expected for this work and what time it took you to complete it. Was it a group project? What input did others ahve to this work?
 * **So what?** - Now talk about why this piece of work is significant. Is it something you are proud of? Is it something you received a high grade for? Is it something developmental that helped you reach a new level in the subject? In other words why have you chosen THIS artifact for your portfolio?
 * **Now what?** - Now talk about how doing this work has improved you as a learner in the MYP program. Has it helped you organise your time and work efficiently? Has it demonstrated that you are capable of doing mathematics and so now you have a lot more confidecne than before? What are you now going to do with the new knowledge and skills you have gained from doing this work? How is this moving you along the path of life?

=**Finishing your portfolio for assessment**=

Semester 2 update (8B and 8D)
In the final 3 weeks these are the tasks that must be completed for final assessment of this unit (make sure you also read through the rubric attached to this page)
 * Every subject should have an artifact and a reflection along with the artifact. For assessment purposes I will expect to see artifacts and full reflections on **four** subjects. Any more than this will get bonus marks for criterion F 'Attitudes in Technology'
 * Your portfolio front page should be finished and invite the viewer to want to explore your work
 * Your finished video about you should be either on the front page or linked clearly from it eg 'My video about me'
 * Your blog process journal should have recent posts detailing the work you have done, discussing and justifying any changes you made to your design plans and talking about any technical issues you had with the work overall
 * All images and multimedia should be appropriate and clearly placed on the wiki pages

Evaluate
Your final 2 pieces of work for this unit are as follows:
 * 1) Writing a peer review of another digital portfolio **(this will take place the week starting May 18)**
 * During class you are to review one other portfolio and write a constructive review for that person. This is to be done on your blog and the hyperlink given to the person. It is also to be printed and handed in for assessment
 * 1) Writing an evaluation of your own work on your blog. This is criterion E. For full marks (6/6) you are to:
 * discuss strengths and weaknesses of your portfolio based on the peer review: what improvements were suggested, what did you modify and change?
 * discuss the strength and weaknesses of your performance during this unit: what did you do well in? what could you have done better?
 * discuss how this work aligns with the area of interaction 'Homo Faber' and the why you have created the portfolio. Also discuss the impact this portfolio may/will have on your friends and family.
 * Print out the evaluation and hand in for assessment
 * Your final evaluation and final wiki work must be completed by Thursday May 29**