B. Media Support and Services Pathway
Students in the Media Support and Services Pathway prepare for careers that involve creating, designing, and producing multimedia products and services, including the development of digitally generated or computer-enhanced media used in business. Organizations of all types and sizes use digital media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, Web sites) to communicate with existing and potential customers. Media support experts can find jobs in organizations doing such work as creating e-business Web sites.
B1.0 Students understand the effective use of tools for media production, development, and project management:
B1.1 Know the basic functions of media design software, such as keyframe animation, two-dimensional design, and three-dimensional design.
B1.2 Use appropriate software to design and produce professional-quality images, documents, and presentations.
B1.3 Analyze the purpose of the media to determine the appropriate file format and level of compression.
B1.4 Analyze media and develop strategies that target the specific needs and desires of the audience.
B1.5 Understand the development and management process of a show (e.g., television programs, musicals, radio programs).
B1.6 Know the basic design elements necessary to produce effective print, video, audio, and Web-based media.
B1.7 Use technical skills (e.g., pagination, printing, folding, cutting, binding) to produce publishable materials.
B2.0 Students understand the effective use of communication software to access and transmit information:
B2.1 Know multiple ways in which to transfer information and resources (e.g., text, data, sound, video, still images) between software programs and systems.
B2.2 Understand the differences between various Internet protocols (e.g., http, ftp, mailto, telnet).
B2.3 Use multiple online search techniques and resources to acquire information.
B2.4 Know the appropriate ways to validate and cite Internet resources.
B3.0 Students understand the use of different types of peripherals and hardware appropriate to media and technology:
B3.1 Understand the appropriate peripherals and hardware needed to achieve maximum productivity for various projects.
B3.2 Know how to identify and integrate various types of peripherals and hardware to meet project requirements.
B3.3 Use various types of audio and video equipment (e.g., digital cameras, recorders, scanners, Web cams, CD and DVD recorders), as appropriate, for different projects.
B3.4 Understand the types of media storage and the use of appropriate file formats, and know how to convert data between media and file formats.
B4.0 Students apply technical and interpersonal skills and knowledge to support the user:
B4.1 Use a logical and structured approach to isolate and identify the source of problems and to resolve problems.
B4.2 Know the available resources for identifying and resolving problems.
B4.3 Use technical writing and communication skills to work effectively with diverse groups of people.
B4.4 Understand the principles of a customer-oriented service approach to users.
B5.0 Students understand and apply knowledge of effective Web page design and management:
B5.1 Understand the purpose, scope, and development of a Web site.
B5.2 Know the relative features, strengths, and weaknesses of different authoring programs and cross-platform issues.
B5.3 Use industry-standard programs to produce a Web-based business operation or simulation.
B5.4 Know the tools needed to enable multimedia capabilities (e.g., still images,
animated graphics, sound, video) for Web sites.
B5.5 Know strategies for optimizing Web design for fast delivery and retrieval.
B5.6 Know the tools needed to enable databases to collect data from Web site visitors
(e.g., how to create forms and create a database of collected information and how to manage an online database) and the tools needed for general Web site management, including basic HTML coding, Web site statistical tracking, standard scripting languages, and advanced communications protocols.
B5.7 Know the full process of Web hosting, including registering domain names, setting up Web hosting, setting up e-mail addresses, and recognizing privacy issues.
B5.8 Understand the hardware (server) and software required for Web hosting.
B5.9 Know the tools and process for registering Web sites with search directories and engines and for enabling e-commerce capabilities (e.g., sell products, create a shopping cart, handle credit card transactions).
B5.10 Differentiate among various versions of Internet programming languages.
D. Programming and Systems Development Pathway
Students in the Programming and Systems Development Pathway prepare for careers that involve the design, development, and implementation of computer systems and software. Those careers require knowledge of computer operating systems, programming languages, and software development. Persons with expertise in programming and software development work with cutting-edge technologies to develop tomorrow’s products for use by businesses and consumers.
D1.0 Students understand the strategies necessary to define and analyze systems and software requirements:
D1.1 Develop information technology-based strategies and project plans to solve specific problems.
D1.2 Know how systems and software requirements are determined in various situations.
D1.3 Know the effective use of tools for software development.
D1.4 Know the software development process.
D2.0 Students understand programming languages:
D2.1 Know the fundamentals of programming languages and concepts.
D2.2 Compare programs by using control structures, procedures, functions, parameters, variables, error recovery, and recursion.
D2.3 Understand digital logic, machine-level representation of data, memory-system organization, and use of assembly-level programming architecture.
D3.0 Students understand the creation and design of a software program:
D3.1 Analyze customers’ needs and requirements for software.
D3.2 Know how specifications and codes are developed for new and existing software applications.
D3.3 Understand the abstract organization of information and how programs maintain the properties of the data structure while they perform such operations as
search, insert, or load-balancing.
D3.4 Know multiple ways in which to store, retrieve, and access information.
D3.5 Understand how to track software versions.
D4.0 Students understand the process of testing, debugging, and maintaining programs to meet specifications:
D4.1 Know the steps involved in the software-testing process.
D4.2 Know the methodologies of program maintenance to preserve intended program applications and the operation of scheduled batch jobs and real-time jobs.
D4.3 Know how different systems and associated utilities perform such functions as file management, backup and recovery, and execution of programs.
D4.4 Understand the differences between simple and multiuser operating systems.
D5.0 Students understand the importance of quality assurance tasks in producing effective and efficient products:
D5.1 Know the standards and requirements for software quality assurance.
D5.2 Know common quality assurance tasks and their place in the development process.
D5.3 Understand the ways in which specification changes and technological advances
can require the modification of programs.
D5.4 Know various sorting and searching methods and their comparative advantages.
D5.5 Know the characteristics of reliable, effective, and efficient products.
D6.0 Students understand the importance of effective interfaces in the interaction between humans and computer systems:
D6.1 Understand how to support access, privacy, and high ethical standards in computing.
D6.2 Use knowledge of cognitive, physical, and social interactions to create and design user-friendly computer practices and applications that meet the needs of the market.