General Information Project Overview Curriculum Connections Resource Connections Evaluation

  General Information

  Project Overview

Students currently in this course are required to complete three research papers. The second of these must be a Local/Community/Newfoundland research paper. Each of the students from this class are required to choose some aspect of the 1997 Celebrations. They must complete primary research by conducting interviews with members of the various committees both within and outside of Bonavista, and interviews with members of the Vista 97 committee. If students are able to obtain an email address they may also contact outside resources via this means. Once the research is completed the students must then use the digital camera at the school to take pictures to incorporate into their papers. The students must continue the project by typing their paper into a word processing program or directly type into a web page creator that is selected. Once the typing is complete, the students must develop their papers into a web page . This page must include their original research, pictures, graphics, colors and any other feature they deem necessary to make their page attractive. Once everyone has completed their individual papers a home page will be created, with a listing of each of the topics covered, to link them together.

This page will then be incorporated into the Discovery Collegiate home page. They will be linked via the Student Work page - "Discovering Bonavista and the Cabot 500 Celebrations through the Eyes of Discovery Collegiate students."

  Curriculum Connections

The main curriculum areas that are addressed by the project are:

 Students, in Langauge 2101, must complete research from the local community. The
   specific research for this project must be related to the Cabot 500 Celebrations, as it
   is related to the Bonavista area.

 Students must present their findings. This project enables them to present to more than
   the class or the school - the entire world will be their audience.

This project fits into the overall curriculum plans for the school in a number of ways:

 First, for this school year, the school, including the community of Bonavista, is
   promoting the 500th anniversary of the landfall of John Cabot in Bonavista. This
   project falls within this goal.

 Secondly, the school has recently acquired a fully equipped multimedia lab, consisting
   of 17 computers with access to the Internet, a digital camera and other technology.
   The mandate of the school, for this year, is to integrate this lab into the curriculum.
   This lab will be used extensively during this project.

According to the Language 2101 Curriculum Guide from the Department of Education, this project will help to satisfy the following Intended Learning Outcomes:

 "Learn" the skills of finding, arranging and presenting material to convince others that
   they are right about an idea."

 "Locating information"

 "Compiling the research paper can mean that the student consults a number of outside
   sources, interprets and evaluates the information and arguments they offer, and then
   produces an essay which is a piece of original thinking..."

 This paper includes "research writing based on investigation of some concern in the
   community. Therefore, questionnaires, interviews, taping and other techniques for
   gathering in formation are used as well as standard means."

 Use "appropriate media in presentation of the report."

This project addresses the Intended Learning Outcomes for Technology Education at this grade level by:

 "incorporate advanced representation techniques in developing and communicating
   design ideas"

 "employ a broad range of communications tools, techniques, and processes"

 "demonstrate understanding of the impact of technological convergence in information
   and communications, on the interrelationships among individuals, communities, and
   global societies, and on the nature of work and the workplace.

 "develop strategies and skills to manage and accommodate technological change.

 "comprehend the role of information and communications tools, systems and networks
   in daily life, in the workplace, and in society"

 "develop proficiency with a variety of communications technologies and tools"

  Resource Connections

The STELLAR Schools Internet Connection will enable/enhance this project in a number of ways:

 The cost of this project, meaning the cost of connecting to the Internet, would not be
   feasible without this connection.

 Students are able to browse the web for information to complete their research. For
   example, the students can use the Cabot Country web page, the Cabot 500 web
   page, the Vista '97 web page, the Department of Tourism web page.

 Without the STELLAR Schools connection the students would not be able to view
   other web page to use as examples to follow when creating their own.

 Students also need to use the browser to view the work they have created, upon the
   completion of the research process.

 Finally, they will need access to the Internet to up-load their web pages then to view
   the work they have created and published on the Internet. Many students will take
   great pride in being able to view a work they have created on the Internet.

Other resources which are being utilized in this project are as follows:

 All possible sources that will enable the students to complete their research; books,
   encyclopedias, CDROM encyclopedias, videos, human resources, via interviews and
   the telephone.
 Word Processing programs for typing papers.
 Digital camera for pictures.
 Web Page creator program.

  Evaluation

The Learning Outcomes of the project in checklist form for a brief follow-up evaluation are as follows:

1. Students are able to locate appropriate information for their particular areas of research via the World Wide Web, using Internet Explorer
2. Students are able to present their research using a word processing program
3. Students are able to consult a number of outside sources for their research
4. Students are able to explain how the WWW can be used to bring Bonavista and their ideas to the world.
5. Students are able to explain how information technology and communications technology, in terms of computers, effect our daily lives, school and the workplace
6. Students will be able to develop and use a basic web page

The general impact of the project on the school and the curriculum in general can be evaluated by:

The students within this class will, no doubt, take pride in the work they completed and publish on the Internet. I feel that this can have a very positive impact on the school and the students. Many of our students are very impressed by the Internet and when they discover something relating to their home community or the school on it, they are very motivated. With student work published on the Internet, I believe that it may lead to other students wanting to learn more about it and to produce their own work for such.