Welcome to Mr. Todd's 8th Grade Careers & Computers Webpage!
Mr. Todd's Main Objective:
My #1 goal in this class is to help students become more successful people. No matter what my students do in life (continue on with school or go straight to work out of high school), responsibility and respect will be necessary qualities in order to be successful. Throughout the year, students will be shown little things they can do to earn respect and be more responsible. required in order for them to achieve success. Many of my assignments are geared towards those 2 things.
About the Class:
In Careers & Computers, students will become proficient in the following Microsoft programs on the computer: PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Publisher, and Internet Explorer. We will learn those programs using the interests of the students, including music, sports, shopping, nutrition, travel, etc...The need for computer skills is growing at a rapid pace in the 21st century. More and more jobs require employees that are proficient in multiple Microsoft programs. The more skills each student has on the computer, the better their chances of getting a job after school. I have found that teaching this course based on the interests of the students is the best way for students to learn the programs we use in this class. For example, to learn the features of MS Word, students will create fliers about their favorite sports team or favorite musician. If the project is more relevant to the student, he/she is more likely to take an interest in the project and will learn the features of that program.
How will students be graded?
Students are graded based on the following 4 things: Effort, participation, the projects they turn in, occasional tests/quizzes. Students are encouraged to stay after school to fix any mistakes they make on a project so that they can get a 100 on each activity. Students are also encouraged to do extra credit assignments if they finish with an activity early. While it is not possible to get a grade of over 100 on the report card, many students do actually earn more than a 100. These grades are displayed on my "Wall of Fame" for other students to see.