Year 8 ICT

Brief summary of the syllabus:

The course aims to ensure that pupils are confident users of ICT to at least National Curriculum level 5 . They will be able to word- process documents, manipulate data using spreadsheets and databases, write sequences of instructions, present information in a variety of ways and retrieve information effectively. The National Curriculum programme of study for ICT in Key Stage 3 groups the knowledge, skills and understanding students need to acquire into themes. These themes, which characterise what people normally do when they work with ICT, are:

• Finding things out
• Developing ideas and making things happen
• Exchanging and sharing information
• Reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it progresses

What skills and attributes are being developed and examined?

Pupils will become increasingly independent users of ICT tools and information sources. They will have a better understanding of how ICT can help their work in other subjects and develop their ability to judge when and how to use ICT ad where it has its limitations. They will become more focused, efficient and rigorous in their use of ICT, and carry out a range of increasingly complex tasks. They will think about the quality and reliability of information. Pupils will be taught key skills in ICT. Pupils will learn to apply their skills to familiar and unfamiliar situations. All of the skills and attributes will be tested through Classwork, homework, tests and assignments.

What can parents expect to see in class work and homework?

In class work and homework parents should expect to see a variety of activities aimed at developing their son's knowledge and skills in ICT, including the preparation of presentations using the computer, annotation of work, and printing of presentations. Presentations will include documents, spreadsheets, databases, web pages, and multimedia presentations. Evidence of proofreading should be expected.

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What can parents do to help in this subject at this stage?

Encourage your son to practisce his ICT skills so that he is able to apply them to familiar and unfamiliar situations. Encourage the production of a high standard of work through the consideration of layout, formatting and audience. Encourage boys to proofread their work, checking the content and layout before printing and submitting. Encourage your son to submit all work on time and catch up on all work missed as a result of absence. Ensure that your son keeps a backup of his ICT work by saving it to a home computer, the school computer and a memory device, such as a memory stick.

Discourage your son from breaching copyright and plagiarising. All work he completes must be his own and there are stiff penalties for those who copy other peoples' work. Encourage safe working practices by ensuring your son takes breaks from using the computer and avoids long periods of repetitive game playing which can lead to RSI. Check that your son is using his time on the computer wisely as it is very easy to become distracted by other activities when using a computer.

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Testing and Setting:

Pupils will be assessed in a variety of ways, including class work, homework, written tests, skills checklists and assignments. All assessment will identify the National Curriculum level that the pupil is working towards. The testing schedule will be:

• Autumn half-term: Written assessment
• Autumn end: Project assessment
• Spring half-term: Written assessment
• Easter: Project assessment
• May half-term: Written assessment
• Summer Term: Project assessment

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Revision:

Pupils will be using the handbook for Key Stage 3 ICT, from which they should revise for all tests. They should also revise from notes they prepare from lessons and homework. Pupils may be referred for additional revision to the Learning Resources and specific web sites.

Pupil Target sSetting:

At the conclusion of each unit of work boys will be expected to review their own learning and set themselves targets for improving their performance, knowledge, understanding and skills for future units of work. They will also be guided on appropriate targets for improvement through assessment feedback. They will be able to check their own performance against National Curriculum Levels.

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National Curriculum Level Descriptors:

Level 5

Pupils select the information they need for different purposes, check its accuracy and organise it in a form suitable for processing. They use ICT to structure, refine and present information in different forms and styles for specific purposes and audiences. They exchange information and ideas with others in a variety of ways, including using e-mail. They create sequences of instructions to control events, and understand the need to be precise when framing and sequencing instructions. They understand how ICT devices with sensors can be used to monitor and measure external events. They explore the effects of changing the variables in an ICT-based model. They discuss their knowledge and experience of using ICT and their observations of its use outside school. They assess the use of ICT in their work and are able to reflect critically in order to make improvements in subsequent work.

Level 6

Pupils develop and refine their work to enhance its quality, using information from a range of sources. Where necessary, they use complex lines of enquiry to test hypotheses. They present their ideas in a variety of ways and show a clear sense of audience. They develop, try out and refine sequences of instructions to monitor, measure and control events, and show efficiency in framing these instructions. They use ICT-based models to make predictions and vary the rules within the models. They assess the validity of these models by comparing their behaviour with information from other sources. They discuss the impact of ICT on society.

Level 7

Pupils combine information from a variety of ICT-based and other sources for presentation to different audiences. They identify the advantages and limitations of different information-handling applications. They select and use information systems suited to their work in a variety of contexts, translating enquiries expressed in ordinary language into the form required by the system. They use ICT to measure, record and analyse physical variables and control events. They design ICT-based models and procedures with variables to meet particular needs. They consider the benefits and limitations of ICT tools and information sources and of the results they produce, and they use these results to inform future judgements about the quality of their work. They take part in informed discussions about the use of ICT and its impact on society.

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