Grade 8 ICT

Whether you are a good artist or not, computers now offer you the opportunity to create and change your own logos, sketches, photos and animations. In this topic, you will find out how to choose the right graphics program, some of their main features, how to modify images that you already have and how to program simple animations.

As with still graphics, computers now offer all of us the ability to animate creative and realistic movie clips. The principles of animation are the same whether you use a flick book or the latest computer: make slight changes to each frame, show them in fast succession and the human brain convinces us they are moving!

Life is full of problems. In business and technology, these problems can cause machinery or companies to fail and put people in danger. The solution to these problems often involves ICT, but before you rush out and buy a new computer system, it make sense first to think about what the problem truly is, what is the best way to put changes into place and how to tell if your solutions are working.

Using Scratch, Microworlds and JavaScript to program your computer - you are in control of the animations, calculations and sounds, while learning the basics of computer programming.

Using digital recording and editing for presenting your ideas in audio format.

It is important for you to think about how ICT is used in the wider world. You need to think about the topical issues of the misuse of personal data (from spam to identity theft), health and safety, plagiarism and copyright and equal access to ICT and what effect it has on employment locally and internationally.

ICT projects to stretch your computer skills further. The first ones are integrated tasks, meaning they make you use a range of ICT skills. The others are themed by subject, but they all use ICT. You can send in your work if you want to, using the upload link at the top and good work will receive a commendation.