Navigation
Who's online
Virtual Lab
Virtual Lab Information Page
Welcome to the Virtual Lab at Brain Buffet. This section of the site is an online mirror of the curriculum that I use in my lab at Seminole Ridge High School. . Everything needed (except the hardware and software, of course) to successfully complete the program is here: Project descriptions, grading rubric, links for research and more. Click one of the links below for more information:
Defining The Virtual Lab Pages:
Scenarios/Projects:
Go to the Comm Tech 1 Scenarios page
This section includes all of the specifications for the projects in my classroom. Since the curriculum is problem based, there are no "activity binders" or "student guidebooks." Some would say that there is no curriculum in the traditional sense of the word. What we have endeavored to do is create a simulated workplace environment that allows students to practice solving real-world problems, using real-world tools with real-world resources. Just like in real life, students get a project and a deadline. They must find not only the answers, but find what questions need to be asked to solve the problem.
Lab Resources:
This section contains the grading criteria, the portfolio documentation guidelines, exam specifications, and team project information. Everything you need to assess and document your work can be found here.
Project Links:
This section contains literally hundreds of links to web pages that can provide information on the variousprojects. The page is divided by technological area and by project.
Organizations:
Go to the Organizations page
This page provides links to professional teacher and student organizations, companies, and other organiztions related to education or technology.
Orientation:
This page contains information that may be useful to someone interested in the program or curriculum. It contains notes used for the first week's orientation and other information on the program and how it runs.
General Information:
How this site is used:
This site is used every day in the Seminole Ridge Communications Technology Studies classes. The students access the Scenarios pages on the first day of their projects. From these pages they get the objective of the project, specifications the project must meet, guidelines on successful completion, and some of the things that will be considered for evaluating their project. After the students pick a project, they begin researching using the reference materials listed on the scenarios page and the links on the Project Links page. These links direct students to online tutorials created by everything from other students to professionals in the fields of study. After they have gathered the information critical to completing their projects, the students begin their work. Keep in mind there are no "project binders" that give the students a step-by-step activity to complete. The students in this lab are completely unhindered by this kind of curriculum. They are doing real-world research to solve real-world problems on real-world software and hardware. Unlike most labs driven by a boxed, vendor curriculum, there is no "monkey see, monkey do" curriculum at Seminole Ridge. After students finish their project, they evaluate their project and work using a rubric and document their work in a standard format they find on the Resources page. They send in their work electronically over the network and it is graded using voice recognition software. If students finish their work early (this is very rare), they are encouraged to work on an enrichment activity listed at the bottom of the scenarios page, or to work on a project for the extra-curricular activities they are involved with.