IT / Technology

PREREQUISITES: Basic Computer Usage / Algebra I
EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES REQUIRED: Laptop for use during all class sessions

In this course, we will begin with proper basic programming skills and habits and work toward more advanced skills. We will also learn how to use standard programming tools.

Many online and homeschool programming courses teach students to learn via programming games. Although this can seemingly make it 'fun' for the student, it doesn't prepare students for the 'real world' and takes them down a path that can set them up for disappointment later.

There are generally 10x more non-game programming jobs than there are game-programming jobs. And there are many benefits to focusing on non-game programming (including a much quicker job-entry path). Additionally, programming for online systems is a huge market.

In this course we will begin by learning proper basic skills and habits when programming, learn how to properly program.

When done with this course, the student will have a basic understanding and ability to program a fully functional application.?Students will be learning coding skills in: Python (and PHP if we have time).

1. Determine if a career in programming (or IT in general) is something that suits them
   and
2. Prepare them for a paid programming internship at the end of the year**.

• FALL - Build your Own Website
• FALL - Intro to Real World Programming
• FALL - Bookkeeping (Optional)***
• SPRING - Programming for the Internet****

NOTES:

* Although students can take these courses individually or over more than 1 year, only students that complete the entire program in 1 year will be recommended/considered for the Internship recommendations.

** We will have at least 1 company (likely more) who will be looking to fill paid internships at the end of the spring semester.Any student who has successfully completed (80% or higher results in the classes) will receive a recommendation and interview with the companies seeking to fill these positions.

*** Although Bookkeeping is not necessarily directly related to programming, many programming tasks have some involvement in some aspect of 'finance' related to the business. By having an understanding of how businesses keep their books (which is very different than personal financial management) the student will have a significant advantage when pursuing programming. And they will have another important skill to add to their resume.

**** Even before COVID many programming jobs/project involved some level of interaction with the Internet. Now, that includes almost every programmer or project having at least some Internet involvement. By focusing on skills related to meet these demands, students will have in-demand skills after just 1 year of instruction.

Many adults think that students know everything about technology; however, most students only know how to use the latest technology, they often don't have any experience or understanding of how those technologies work.

In this course we will start exploring how various technologies work, begin to learn the basics of logic and programming and learn basic skills in building electronic devices.

This course is designed for those who have had little to no previous training in computer programming or anything else related to computers.

By the end of the year each student will have learned to build and program basic computing devices (digital displays, audio devices) and will build their own mini computer.

This course is designed for grades 6-9 but open to anyone that just wants to learn how to 'tinker' with technology.

This course is not ... How to learn basic computer skills (saving files, word processing, etc.) For those skills please see our Basic Computer Skills workship in August, or our Fall semester "Microsoft Office & More". If you're not sure, please contact the instructor (see below).

HOMEWORK EXPECTATION: This course is designed as primarily a 'hands on' lab-style course with most of the work happening in class. There will be minimal homework 'expectations' but students will be provided with  'home challenges' to those who want to learn more and do more during the week.

In this one-semester class we will give students the training and experience to be ready to prepare high school and college level papers and presentations. We’ll also introduce them to tools to help them organize and document (create references for) their online (and off-line) research. And we’ll also help them establish good habits for organizing all those files that they create on their computer – and not lose them.

Students will specifically lean how to properly use the following programs/apps for both academic work as well as in relation to career work:

• Word Processor
• Spreadsheet
• Presentation
• Email

Students will also learn how to properly touch-type so that they can efficiently type all those papers and reports.

Help your church, sports team, or club set up and manage their website. Walk into an entry-level web development job ready to hit the ground running. Or start your own web development company even before you graduate high school. Those are the things this class will help you work toward. Nowadays, with everything moving online so quickly, even non-web-development jobs require employees to know something about the web. However, setting up a free WordPress website just won't cut it in the real world. You need to know how to create and maintain a secure website AND know what KIND of web site is best for the situation. In this course we'll dig into what makes (and keeps) a website secure, get familiar with the programming languages used with websites, and help you become comfortable building and managing a website with several of the most popular website systems. You'll also learn how to create specifications for a website project and present it to a prospective client or organization. By the end of the course you'll create a live website for your own portfolio—and possibly even one for your church, club, or even a paying client.

Doing school work can take a lot of time. Using a computer should make the task faster, not take longer. Computers are supposed to make our lives easier not harder. And you shouldn't have to worry about your computer getting infected or accessing inappropriate content.

This class will help you:

• Use basic protections that will keep your computer safe
• Learn way to keep inappropriate content
• Organize your system so that you can quickly find any file you need
• Safely and easily connect to WiFi when you are not at home
• Prevent everything you do from being tracked online
• Understand how to figure out what is going on when problems happen
• Find solutions to technology problems
• Easily get back to where you were last at on the Internet
• Learn short-cuts and quick tips that will save you time every time you use the computer
• Be ready for fall classes that require a laptop

In 2 half-day sessions our tech instructor Mr. Paschen will help students learn skills to deal with the issues above, as well as many of the ‘basic’ skills that we expect every adult computer user to know (but never teach them).

Students who participate in this workshop series will come away with practical computer skills that will help them during their classes at Mid Metro Academy this fall and long into the future. They will also have a Computer Tip Sheet that they can use to remember the things from the workshop.

Registration is open to all students (of grade 6+). No previous computer experience of any kind is required.

Parents of registered students are encouraged to participate in the workshop as well (at not cost to parents)– both so that you can learn how to support your student with technology during the year but also so that you can learn some tips that will help you in your every-day computer use.

Equipment Required

• A Current laptop - (required) A current laptop (within the last 4 years) with Windows, Mac or Linux is required during class.

Homework

There is no homework for this course.

About the Instructor

Mr. Paschen has been teaching technology courses for over 20 years, including both high school and college students in public and private/home-school. He also teaches several other technology courses at Mid Metro Academy throughout the year.

Doing school work can take a lot of time. Using a computer should make the task faster, not take longer. Computers are supposed to make our lives easier not harder. And you shouldn't have to worry about your computer getting infected or accessing inappropriate content.

This class will help you:

• Use basic protections that will keep your computer safe
• Learn way to keep inappropriate content
• Organize your system so that you can quickly find any file you need
• Safely and easily connect to WiFi when you are not at home
• Prevent everything you do from being tracked online
• Understand how to figure out what is going on when problems happen
• Find solutions to technology problems
• Easily get back to where you were last at on the Internet
• Learn short-cuts and quick tips that will save you time every time you use the computer
• Be ready for fall classes that require a laptop

In 2 half-day sessions our tech instructor Mr. Paschen will help students learn skills to deal with the issues above, as well as many of the ‘basic’ skills that we expect every adult computer user to know (but never teach them).

Students who participate in this workshop series will come away with practical computer skills that will help them during their classes at Mid Metro Academy this fall and long into the future. They will also have a Computer Tip Sheet that they can use to remember the things from the workshop.

Registration is open to all students (of grade 6+). No previous computer experience of any kind is required.

Parents of registered students are encouraged to participate in the workshop as well (at not cost to parents)– both so that you can learn how to support your student with technology during the year but also so that you can learn some tips that will help you in your every-day computer use.

Equipment Required

• A Current laptop - (required) A current laptop (within the last 4 years) with Windows, Mac or Linux is required during class.

Homework

There is no homework for this course.

About the Instructor

Mr. Paschen has been teaching technology courses for over 20 years, including both high school and college students in public and private/home-school. He also teaches several other technology courses at Mid Metro Academy throughout the year.