MYP Course Outline

Level: 9
Course Title: 9th Grade Study/Tech
Course Description: Study/Tech is a required course for all 9th graders at Eagle Rock High School.  This course will focus on developing the skills necessary for design projects and self guided study.
Approaches to Learning
The approaches to learning portion of the course will focus on skills and attitudes for success as learners and prepare them for the successful completion of the personal project to be finished in their sophomore year. Each day will begin with a 20-30 minute lesson emphasizing critical reading skills, research, criteria building, collaboration, reflection and revision, skills outlined by “Approaches to Learning”.
Design Cycle
IBMYP requires all students in grades seven through ten to complete 50 hours of technology training per year. 9th grade students will receive this training in the design cycle portion of this course.  During this time students will complete design tech projects. Working individually and in groups, students will research, create and evaluate products and or solutions to various problems and challenges. These problems and challenges as well as the steps leading up to solving them will be explicitly detailed in the MYP Unit planner. Students will produce a design folio for each design task that will be assessed based on the six Design Cycle criteria: Investigation, Design, Planning, Creation, Evaluation and Attitudes.
 Time on Task
Due to the rigor of our MYP program students will need time everyday to work independently on schoolwork from their various classes. During this time teachers will conduct systematic and daily checks of student agendas, backpacks, and binders. Teachers will also help students meet their daily goals and objectives for progress in their academic classes.

MYP Aims Addressed by this Course:
The aims of the teaching and study of technology are to encourage and enable students to:

• develop an appreciation of the significance of technology for life, society and the environment
• use knowledge, skills and techniques to create products/solutions of appropriate quality
• develop problem-solving, critical- and creative-thinking skills through the application of the design cycle
• develop respect for others’ viewpoints and appreciate alternative solutions to problems
• use and apply information and communication technology (ICT) effectively to access, process and communicate information, and to solve problems.