Curriculum Overview
This curriculum describes a project-based learning
approach that helps learners gain the technology skills they
need to create original products. When students participate
in project-based learning, they are actively learning by
the things they do. They work together, help each other find
solutions, and work on projects. The teacher’s role
is more of a “coach” and the projects drive the
instruction, not the other way around.
Over the course of 15-20 hours, learners new
to the program will complete three projects that help them
learn the basic technology skills necessary to develop Web
sites with rich content:
Project 1: Digital Self-Portrait
This project is designed to teach learners how to create
and manipulate images for the Web. Using digital cameras
and Adobe Photoshop Elements (or other imaging software)
they will create collages that allow them to experiment
with the different features available in Photoshop.
Project 2: Personal Homepage
This project is designed to teach learners how Web pages
are coded. Using Notepad to code HTML, learners will create
simple homepages that display their digital self-portrait
collages and safe information that they would like to share
about themselves.
Project 3: Group Web site
This project is designed to give learners a chance to combine
their knowledge of digital images and web pages to create
cohesive Web sites. Learners will continue to use Notepad
or be introduced to Web authoring software and will work
together in groups to plan and create Web sites of their
own design. The Web sites can take the form of a story,
newsletter, digital scrapbook, e-zine—anything the
learners can envision. Time will dictate how simple or
ambitious this project can be.
The returning learners (intermediate), also over the course
of 15-20 hours, will complete three projects to help them
advance their skills by learning how to include animation
and music on web pages:
Project 4: Animated Motion or Emotion
This project introduces learners to animation, as well as
refreshes the graphics skills they learned previously in
the studio. Learners will draw cards that specify a motion
or emotion and then have their partners take digital pictures
of them expressing that motion or emotion in different
ways. They will then learn to animate the pictures using
Adobe Photoshop Elements and publish their animations on
Web pages using HTML or Web authoring software.
Project 5: Stop Motion Animation
Stop motion animation is a process in which inanimate objects
are brought to life by breaking up the object's motions
frame-by-frame and then having the frames play in a sequence.
The result is a short movie. In this project, learners
will develop short (10-20 frame) stop motion animations
or "movies." This project will help learners
understand the importance of sequencing in animations.
Learners will continue to use Adobe Photoshop Elements
and publish their animations on Web page using HTML or
Web authoring software.
Project 6: Animated Quotes with Sound
This project introduces learners to animation software. Learners
will animate quotes by breaking them into parts, including
graphics for each part, and learning how to include sound.
The learners who have participated in the WiredWoods program
two or more times are considered advanced and are ready
to work independently and design their own projects.
Project 7: Independent Project
This project gives learners opportunities to use their
knowledge of digital cameras, Photoshop, HTML, Web authoring
software, and/or animation software to showcase their
talents. Learners are given the freedom to choose their
own groups or work on their own and to work with the
tools that interest them the most. Some learners may
choose to learn how to implement new functionality such
as sound editing, Web-based surveys, and so on.
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