Parent+Letter

Dear Parents:
For the next 9 weeks, your child will be participating in the Computer Technology Class at Crossroads. 21st Century literacy requires students to be literate in the tools of technology so that they may effectively build relationships in a global community, collaborating to analyze and mange multiple sources of information. That sounds pretty complex! Simply put, students will be learning to use multiple web based tools to help them become better thinkers, more organized and efficient users of the web... for life! It is also our goal to teach students about ethics, etiquette and safety.

Students are expected to be prepared for class (pencil, planner, student notebook), be respectful and on task. Each student has signed the District's Technology Agreement (Acceptable Use Policy) and has agreed to use the equipment and to take care of it.

Keyboarding
Keyboarding skills are an important piece of technology education. Students are required to practice keyboarding skills **daily** and earn a grade based on speed and accuracy. Students are also required to use speedskins to cover the keys and help them memorize the key positions more quickly. The keyboard grade accounts for 20% of the overall class grade. 50% WPM, 50% Accuracy. 7th graders are expected to type 30 WPM, while 8th graders are expected to type 35 WPM. All students should have an accuracy of 90%. A struggling typist cannot fail the class, if all other class work is complete. There are many keyboarding sites on the web that students can use at home for practice. Visit the 'Keyboarding Practice' page for ideas.

**Media Literacy Skills:**
 * //Research skills for locating and selecting digital information//
 * //Technical skills for posting and sharing information and digital files//
 * //ability to create new media, not just passively use it//
 * //critical thinking skills to assess the quality and validity of content; and to digest large amounts of information from disparate sources//
 * //ability to adapt to new media forms and to learn them quickly//
 * //awareness of the need to use digital information ethically and to cite sources//

Edline
Please encourage your child to use Edline to track their academic progress and take responsibility for their grades. Only Crossroads staff can change the grades on Edline. Contact me if you need an access code. Edline is updated 3x per week (MWF). There is also an option you can enable that will email you a notification when the grade books are updated. Please refer to the student planner for a detailed explanation of homework and the new working lunch policy.

Web2.0
Starting in 2011, students were assigned G-Mail accounts through the nvps.net domain. Students will be asked to create several accounts online so that they may access the tools used in class. As a parent of a teen, you know the importance of helping your child learn responsible behavior. But you may also know how teens love their privacy. Don't feel guilty asking your teen to share his/her logins/passwords with you. Ask your child to share these sites with you as we start to use them. If you would prefer your child not have these accounts, please contact me. Your child will still be required to complete the assignments without using the web based tools.

EDP (Educational Development Plan)
The State of Michigan requires students to complete an EDP. We will discuss and explore career and education options and how our personalities can help guide us to careers of interest.

Students always want to play games. I don't believe gaming is the best use of our class time. There will be days where the activity is a game, but only when that game addresses certain standards and skills. Students are expected to participate in class and not game while instruction and practice is expected. Thank you for your support.
 * Gaming**

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank You.

Once you have read this letter, please send me an email confirming. Your child will receive assignment points for this. :)

Brenda Denton Bdenton@nvps.net