Innovative Minds 1 &2
Computer Art
Students produce a myriad of modern technology
products such as MIT App Inventor to make cell
phone applications and developing robotic engineering using Logo Mindstorm NXT. Students expand
the skills they learn in Gaming and Robotics and
Website Fundamentals as well as small business and
entrepreneurial developing curriculum from Junior
Achievement.
During this intermediate
course students are introduced to the principles of
color, texture and form
using a variety of media
including drawing, painting and digital art. Students will apply basic
principles as they create
original pieces in both the traditional and digital format. Historically significant and contemporary art
examples representing a variety of cultures are investigated and represented in the creative production process.
Designing Technology Solutions
(full year 1.0 high school Tech Ed credit) This
is a high school credit course. When students
complete this course, they will have satisfied
their technology credit toward high school graduation. This course utilizes technology to put
students in situations where they have to use
technology to solve problems. For example, after students have learned code, they will be given
broken codes and they have to problem solve to
find a solution. Also, they will design a robot
with a broken program and must work together
in a group setting to re-route the program so that
the robot will function.
Television Production
Students produce the schools student-run television
news program in our digital media suite. Students
also write, develop, and produce public service announcements, documentaries, and other video projects
that are used on the school’s website and the studentrun news website.
Lights, Camera, Literacy!
This course combines English and technology curriculum to produce videos in our digital media suite.
Students write stories, design story boards, tape and
edit a variety of video assignments. As a final
product, students develop and create a complete sequence story with multiple takes and shooting angles
to edit a complete story. They also learn how to create an animated video.
Course Offerings: Argyle Magnet Middle School for Technology Innovation
Gaming and Robotics
Students spend a semester learning how to make video games and then a semester learning how to program and design robots. Students from this class also
compete in state and national competitions. Our first
and third place STEMFuse gaming competition national winners came from students taking this class!
This course requires a student to be in Math 7 or higher. Grade 6 students who are recommended for Math
7 or Algebra are placed in an accelerated technology
track that enables them to take this course in grade 6
instead of grade 7. We average about forty students
each year who will take this course as grade 6 students.
Advanced Video Game Design
Website Development Fundamentals
This is an advanced level course in which students
continue to work from programming fundamentals
using coding languages they have learned in the
pre-requisite course. Students will continue their
use of Java, Python, Game Maker Studio, and other gaming languages. Focus of this course will be
teaching coding and programing skills through the
design and development of video games. Students
design games for cell phones and gaming systems.
The effective and efficient use of the world-wideweb as a source for sharing information has become
critical to success in the academic and professional
world. This course gives students an opportunity to
create their own websites adding complexity as the
course progresses. Skill development progresses
from basic web pages
to sites that are interactive and include
animation. Students
work with web development programs
such as Alice, Java,
Adobe Illustrator, and
HTML 5.
ITCS 6: Information Technology
&Computer Science Students will be introduced to Coding through gaming concepts using
Scratch, Python, and Game Maker; create interesting multimedia presentations using digital cameras,
video cameras, and editing programs such as Windows Movie Maker and Adobe Premiere Elements,
develop Network Operation Skills using Makey
Makey boards, and learn how to design Cell Phone
Apps using MIT App Inventor!
Art 8
Grade 8 develops knowledge of art history and
techniques using master works as inspiration.
Active composition and depth of space are emphasized in drawing. The sculpture unit highlights an artist’s style, and a ceramic project is
designed to represent a specific art movement
from the past.
Web Development A/B
(full year 1.0 high school elective credit) This advanced level course continues concepts from Web
Development Fundamentals. Students manage web
projects from beginning to end starting with storyboards and ending with sites developed based on
client specifications using XHTML, Java Script,
Cold Fusion, Web composers, and object-oriented
programming languages. Skills in streaming media,
server applications, and 3-D animation are developed. Project management provides students with
skills to lead teams through projects, from inception
to completion. Prerequisite: successful completion
of Web Site Design Fundamentals.