Overview of ICT4me's Six Curriculum Units

The curriculum consists of six units that incorporate problem-solving activities in which the youth critique and critically frame problems, guided practice in which youth participate in a software engineering process, and opportunities to redesign and troubleshoot available technologies. Each activity and unit builds on the previous; however, units and many activities can be used individually.

The ICT4me curriculum is written for program staff. Units 1, 2, 4, and 5 are semester long units (2 hours and 20 minutes per week, for 10-15 weeks). Units 3 and 6 were designed for a two-week, 2 and a half hours per day summer program.

Unit 1: Redesigning Your World (one semester, after school).
In this introductory unit for ICT4me, youth explore the designed world through hands-on activities while learning that design is a process that involves identifying and solving problems for a specific group of users. They learn to analyze familiar objects as designed objects with affordances and limitations. Youth are introduced to The Design Process, a process that they will use throughout ICT4me. In a culminating performance task, youth present their vision for a redesigned object, along with results from their user testing. The unit concludes with youth reflecting on the successes and limits of their designs and the possible effects of designs on social processes. Youth share their designs at Family Tech Night.

Big Ideas

• Design is a process that involves identifying and solving problems for a specific group of users. All of the objects, tools, technologies, places, transportation systems, buildings, and media—the human construction of the world—that we encounter every day went through and may continue to go through the design process.
• The design process, composed of specific stages and elements, is a sequence of strategies for addressing user needs and satisfying constraints: brainstorming, planning, gathering user data, scenario development, storyboarding, requirements and documentation, prototyping, user testing, and revising.
• Design is iterative. An initial solution is often revised or improved by iteration, which often causes a refinement in the definition of the problem.
• A "mathematical disposition" toward problem solving requires analyzing given information, drawing on specific strategies, and having the ability to monitor and adjust strategy use.

Essential Questions

• Where do you see design around you?
• What is the design process?

Unit 2: Design Online: Communication Tools and the Internet (one semester, after school).
Youth are introduced to the Internet and Internet-based communication and collaboration tools such as the Web, blog, chat, IM, as well as other new tools as they become available. They learn about the structure of the Internet, online safety, and explore the design of a variety of tools on the Internet. In teams, youth explore and design social networking tools. Two tools will be explored in depth: blogs and an online social networking space. Youth complete two projects with these tools focused on understanding the form and function of Internet-based social networking. Youth enrich their experience through technology-focused field trips and ICT professional visits. Youth present their designs and share their reflections at the Family Tech Night.

Big Ideas

• Designs have both form (how it is designed, what it looks like) and function (what it is designed to do). The functionality can be visible (e.g. web page navigation and hidden (e.g. html code) to the user.
• Networked computing enables three types of communication: one to one; one to many; many to many. Audience and intent of the communication should determine communication design and choice.
• The Internet is a large global network comprised of thousands of smaller networks that allow information to be routed among computers. These structures have an impact on the flow of information that can affect a user’s experience.
• How to use structured approaches and models to address complicated counting problems that are found in the development of Web applications. (i.e. algorithmic thinking)

Essential Questions

• Identify the form and function of a communication tool. How does the form of a communication tool relate to its function?
• How does your audience and the intent of the communication affect your technology choices?
• How does information travel on the Internet?

Unit 3: Redesigning the Web (two weeks during the summer).
In this summer session, youth work individually and in teams to apply their design skills to the development of web pages and web-based communication tools. Program leaders provide instruction on web development and guided practice in the girl-led problem-based activities. The unit concludes with youth reviewing each other's designs. The youth reflect on the successes and limits of their designs and the impact that not knowing technical limitations and affordances of the Web had on their designs. They share their designs and reflections at Family Tech Night.

Big Ideas

• A design has both form (how it is designed, what it looks like) and function (what it is designed to do). The functionality can be visible (e.g., web page navigation) or hidden (e.g., HTML code) to the user.
• Engineering conventions (i.e., shared standards) create opportunities and constraints for design.
• ICT professionals work with colleagues and users to solve problems.
• There are a variety of ICT careers. Some of these careers involve computer programming.
• Structured approaches and models in mathematics address complicated counting problems that are found in the development of Web applications (i.e., algorithmic thinking).

Essential Questions

• What are the differences between how a user interacts with the web and how an engineer interacts with the Web? Hint: You’ve engineered your web pages.
• How does HTML enable and limit your designed Web page?

Unit 4: Design in Networked Technologies (one semester, after school).
Youth participate in activities that encourage their exploration of networks and networked applications. Youth explore the network hardware (e.g., cell phones, Wii remote) and connections (e.g., Infrared, Bluetooth, wireless LAN). One of the networks the youth build is an interactive whiteboard, using simple and inexpensive technologies. In design teams, they design and build a prototype for a networked classroom of the future. Youth share the activities they’ve designed at Family Tech Night.

Big Ideas

• Computers, in a variety of sizes, can be used independent of networks and as part of networks.
• Networks include a variety of human and technology components that can be mapped and analyzed to troubleshoot problems and improve the system.
• Mathematics: An algorithm is a detailed, step-by-step description of a solution to a problem. Computer programming is used to implement algorithms on computers to address problems.
• Mathematics: Algorithmic problem-solving includes: problem statement and exploration, examination of sample instances, design, program coding, testing, and verification.

Essential Questions

• Why would you want to use a network?
• How do computer networks and the computers they connect impact your life?

Unit 5: Collaborative Game Design & Troubleshooting (one semester, after school).
Youth will experience the participatory design process as they work in teams to design a game for younger youth (siblings, younger youth in the afterschool program). Youth will receive instruction and opportunities to practice leadership skills. Youth will enhance their leadership abilities through practice, as they offer assistance, support, and team leadership. Youth will learn how to allocate resources–technology and human–and how to share and distribute knowledge among team members. In addition to leadership and collaboration skills, the youth will continue to explore computer science concepts in this unit, specifically object-oriented programming. Youth will present their projects at Family Tech Night.

Big Ideas

• Collaboration involves a strategy for dividing tasks associated with a solution into pieces that can be worked on individually and reassembling the work products into a cohesive whole to form the solution (NRC, SCANS).
• Leadership involves teaching others new skills, communicating ideas to justify a position and convince others, and supporting a vision that may challenge the status quo (SCANS).
• To troubleshoot a problem in an information technology system, application, or operation, it is essential to have some expectation of what the proper behavior should be and how it might fail to be realized (NRC).
• Algebra: represent patterns in tables, with graphs and with symbolic expressions.

Essential Questions

• How do you decide what to build?
• What is programming?

Unit 6: Joining a Design Team (two weeks during the summer).
Youth work in collaborative teams to apply their design skills to the development of web pages for a specific client. Program leaders (possible along side the client) facilitate web development and guided practice in the girl–led problem-based activities. Youth gain leadership skills in interacting with their client and users, taking the initiative to learn the HTML they need to complete the job, and presenting their web pages to the client. Youth on their second HTML unit assist first-time youth in the design of their websites. Youth also reflect on the variety of careers they see through field trips to ICT organizations. At the Family Tech Night, youth showcase their technology solutions and their ICT career experiences.

Big Ideas

• Collaboration involves a strategy for dividing tasks associated with a solution into pieces that can be worked on individually and reassembling the work products into a cohesive whole to form the solution.
• Leadership involves teaching others new skills, communicating ideas to justify a position and convince others, and supporting a vision that may challenge the status quo.
• ICT Professionals: ICT professionals work with others to solve problems: colleagues and users.
• ICT Professionals: There are a variety of ICT careers. Some of these careers involve computer programming.
• Mathematics: A "mathematical disposition" toward problem solving requires analyzing given information, drawing on specific strategies, and having the ability to monitor and adjust strategy use (e.g. use of ratios in image sizing).

Essential Questions

• How can you divide tasks among team members in order to develop an effective product?
• How can you divide tasks among team members in order to develop an effective product?