Business Education

6th Grade Semester Courses

Investigating Business & Information Technology

Students are introduced to beginning keyboarding on microcomputers. Students learn proper keyboarding techniques including the touch typing method, speed, accuracy, good organizational skills, composition, language arts, and proper use and care of equipment. The Virginia Department of Education Technology Standards are integrated in the course content.

Students will

Learn components of the computer and proper care of the equipment
Learn the purpose of the function keys and procedures for implementing software
Learn touch typing techniques and improve keyboarding speed and accuracy
Practice composing at the keyboard: create a variety of documents to enhance academic skills

7th & 8th Grade Full Year and/or Semester Courses

Multimedia Technology I – Semester

Students will learn to create multimedia and desktop publishing presentations incorporating sound, graphics, and digitized video for use in their core classes.

Students will

Master basic desktop publishing skills using
Microsoft Office and Adobe software applications
Be introduced to Internet skills and techniques
Master basic technology skills on the computer
Become familiar with Alice Programming
Storyboards (what they are; why they are used; how they are created)
Animated buttons to create simple animation and visual effects to enhance presentations
Operate a video camera and create video presentations
Learn to use Microsoft Movie Maker
Creating a multimedia presentation using drawing and painting tools
Use the digital camera to take and edit photos to presentations using Adobe Photoshop C52
Use the scanner to add scanned images to presentations

Multimedia Technology II – Semester

Students will

Design and produce web pages using HTML and a variety of web page creation software and Internet sites
Create hypertext links to other pages, sites, and software (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, etc.)
Explore careers in the areas of multimedia and desktop publishing

Digital Input Technologies – Full Year or Semester

Students will

Learn touch typing techniques and improve keyboarding speed and accuracy
Learn and practice all capabilities and features of word processing software, including desktop publishing capabilities
Improve skills in composing and editing, and use word processing to create documents for academic classes
Practice formatting a variety of documents including business and personal letters, envelopes, charts, reports, term papers, and memos
Research a variety of careers and become aware of personal employability skills including resume preparation and interviewing skills
Explore business ownership and business functions in the American economic system
Complete projects on maintaining a personal budget, balancing a checking account, interpreting a paycheck, purchasing insurance and autos, choosing affordable housing, investing, and other consumer-related skills
Discuss workplace applications for new and emerging technologies (on-screen writing, speech recognition, iPads, and mobile technologies)

Investigating Computer Science – Full Year

This Coding course will develop the students’ coding, computational, and financial and digital literacy knowledge and skills while learning Computer Science principles. The curriculum includes computer coding using Alice with JAVA, Scratch, HTML, JavaScripting, mobile apps, and web page development. The integrated projects will have a “real-world” math and financial literacy application focus.

Satisfies the virtual course requirement with the of Everfi Digital Literacy and Financial Literacy online curriculum.

8th Grade Full Year and Semester Courses

Computer Applications and Internet Technologies – Full Year or Semester

Students will

Identify computer components and explain how they are used to process information
Explain how computers interact with other computing systems and devices; how software and hardware work together to perform electronic tasks; and how software is developed and upgraded
Demonstrate an understanding of the computer operating system
Manipulate and control the Windows desktop, including file and disk management
Identify how to change system settings and install and remove applications
Apply keyboarding skills to compose, format, revise and edit documents
Design and develop a database, a spreadsheet, and a slide slow using appropriate applications
Identify the appropriate use of email, and email “netiquette” protocol
Identify the different types of web browsers
Demonstrate the use of various Internet search engines and portals
Explore the use of technology in various careers
Prepare for the Internet Core Computer Certification (IC3), a nationally recognized industry certification for Computer Applications, Internet Technologies, and Computer Technologies (optional)

For complete descriptions of courses, please refer to the Arlington Public Schools Middle School Program of Studies 2016-2017

Check out the Readers’ Theatre written by Kenmore students using pictures, research, and collaboration.