Year 9 Computing | Year 10 Computing | Year 11 Computing Media | Year 11 Computing Technical | Year 12 Computing | Year 13 Computing
Computing at Mercury Bay Area School
Computing in New Zealand splits at Senior Secondary into five areas:
Digital Information
Digital Information focuses on the knowledge, skills, and competencies that people need to locate, evaluate, and present digital information efficiently, effectively, and ethically. Students learn to use current and emerging technologies to become confident users of digital systems and tools.
Taken from the Teaching and Learning Guide for Digital Information. Which can be read online here.
Digital Media
Learning in digital media involves developing knowledge and skills about the mechanisms for communicating content.
Digital media uses a combination of different content forms including text, audio, still images, animation, modelling, and video to create digital content for the web, interactive digital platforms and print.
Taken from the Teaching and Learning Guide for Digital Media. This can be read online here.
Programming and Computer Science.
Programming is about creating new computer software to address peoples’ needs. Computer science is about the concepts and tools that are needed to write programs that run quickly, are easy to use, and produce effective output. Computer Science also explores the limits of what can be done on computers.
Taken from the Teaching and Learning Guide for Programming and Computer Science, which can be read online here.
Electronics.
Electronic devices are the building blocks of our information age making what may seem impossible one day feasible the next. Almost every aspect of our lives is informed and managed by microcontrollers, such as those found inside portable electronic games, wrist watches, heart rate monitors, automated vacuum cleaners and eco-light bulbs. New electronic devices can make interfaces more suitable for humans, for example, touch screens and interactive games with touch screens and body movement recognition that make new kinds of human-computer interaction possible.
Taken from the Teaching and Learning Guide for Electronics which can be found online here.
Digital Infrastructure.
Computers are part of both our work and personal lives. They need securing, connecting and maintaining. Having an understanding of digital infrastructure allows students to manage, create and support the infrastructure that they use in their daily life. Students will have the opportunity to create real world solutions which helps to build engagement and pride in their learning. Understanding digital infrastructure will mean that they are not just a passive user of technology but a critical user and an innovative developer.
Taken from the Teaching and Learning Guide in Digital Infrastructre which can be read online here.
Learning Intentions for Computing at Mercury Bay Area School.
The aim is for students to develop a broad technological literacy that will equip them to participate in society as informed citizens and give them access to technology related careers.
The New Zealand Curriculum. (2007) Pg.32.
- We aim to develop within our students a solid foundational knowledge of some of the main Productivity Applications so that students can use these applications in a wide range of contexts across all subject areas.
- We aim to develop an understanding of Digital Media and how to create and design this media to fulfill a purpose.
- We aim to develop an understanding of the underlying concepts and ideas that allow the student’s knowledge of computing to be transfered across applications and contexts.
- It is important that the children develop an understanding of safety issues, privacy issues and other cyber-safety concepts so that our students can be safe users of current and emerging technologies.
Resources
Students at Mercury Bay Area School are really lucky as we have two new purpose built computer labs ready for teaching in 2011. We also have new computers in these labs. The computing department makes extensive use of the school website to deliver content and resources to teachers and many of our courses have an online Moodle component.
Year Level Overview at Mercury Bay.
Computing is compulsory for all students in Y9. After Y9 computing becomes an option.
For more information on each year level click an option from the Computing Department Menu on the top right, or from the Main Menu where it has expanded to show you entries under Computing and the area of the school you selected.
