Page 29 - The Ontario Curriculum Grades 10 to 12 Computer Studies - Revised (2008)

computer-related activities, such as animation and graphical programming, and may encourage an interest in programming. Offering choices from a range of instructional activities or allowing students to select their own projects can help motivate all students in a classroom by acknowledging the differences in their experiences, attitudes, and interests.
It is important to have open and frank discussions about the kind of workplace environ- ment students are likely to encounter in the field of computer science. Inviting female and visible minority role models who have had successful careers in computer studies as guest speakers and recruiting female and visible minority senior students as mentors can enhance the interest and motivation of students for whom computer studies may be a non-traditional field. Also, exploring strategies to enable students with different learn- ing and social styles to work effectively together can encourage participation by students whose presence will lead to a more inclusive working environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND COMPUTER STUDIES
Environmental education is education about the environment, for the environment, and in the environment that promotes an understanding of, rich and active experience in, and an appre- ciation for the dynamic interactions of:
• The Earth’s physical and biological systems
• The dependency of our social and economic systems on these natural systems
• The scientific and human dimensions of environmental issues
• The positive and negative consequences, both intended and unintended, of
the interactions between human-created and natural systems.
Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future:
Environmental Education in Ontario Schools (June 2007), p. 6
As noted in Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future, environmental education “is the responsibility of the entire education community. It is a content area and can be taught.
It is an approach to critical thinking, citizenship, and personal responsibility, and can be modelled. It is a context that can enrich and enliven education in all subject areas and offer students the opportunity to develop a deeper connection with themselves, their role in society, and their interdependence on one another and the Earth’s natural systems” (p. 10).
There are many opportunities to integrate environmental education into the teaching of computer studies. In each of the computer studies courses, the expectations relating to environmental stewardship and sustainability allow students to focus on learning related to critical thinking, citizenship, and personal responsibility. Students analyse
the impact of computer use on the environment. Questions about the safe handling and disposal of materials and substances used in computer studies provide students with opportunities to explore how simple human interactions with the environment can have significant consequences. Students will be expected to actively engage in developing and implementing strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle computers, their products, and associated technologies. As well, they will research government agencies and community partners who have developed relevant opportunities to support these activities. By iden- tifying and implementing measures to reduce the negative effects of computers on the environment, students will contribute to responsible environmental stewardship.
SomE conSidErationS For ProGram PlanninG
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