(a) General requirements. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course. Recommended prerequisite: a minimum of one credit from the courses in the Information Technology Career Cluster. This course may be taken at Grades 9-12.     
      (b) Introduction.      
        (1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills for students to further their education and succeed in current or emerging professions.       
        (2) The Information Technology (IT) Career Cluster focuses on building linkages in IT occupations for entry level, technical, and professional careers related to the design, development, support, and management of hardware, software, multimedia, and systems integration services.       
        (3) In the Independent Study in Evolving/Emerging Technologies course, through the study of evolving/emerging technologies, including technology-related terms, concepts, and data input strategies, students will communicate information in different formats and to diverse audiences using a variety of technologies. Students will learn to make informed decisions, develop and produce original work that exemplifies the standards identified by the selected profession or discipline, and publish the product in electronic media and print. Students will demonstrate efficient acquisition of information by identifying task requirements, using search strategies, and using technology to access, analyze, and evaluate the acquired information. By using technology as a tool that supports the work of individuals and groups in solving problems, students will select the technology appropriate for the task, synthesize knowledge, create solutions, and evaluate the results. The six strands include creativity and innovation; communication and collaboration; research and information fluency; critical thinking; problem solving, and decision making; digital citizenship; and technology operations and concepts.       
        (4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other leadership or extracurricular organizations.       
        (5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.       
      (c) Knowledge and skills.      
        (1) Creativity and innovation. The student demonstrates creative thinking, constructs knowledge, and develops innovative products and processes using technology. The student is expected to:                  (A) apply existing knowledge to promote creativity in designing new technology products or services;                   (B) design and implement procedures to track trends, set timelines, and review and evaluate progress for continual improvement in process and product;                   (C) produce electronic documentation to illustrate the progress of a project;                   (D) seek and respond to input from peers and professionals in delineating technological tasks and problem solving;                   (E) make necessary revisions and/or proceed to the next stage of study;                   (F) use technology terminology appropriate to the independent study course;                   (G) develop and apply advanced creativity and innovation employed in technology applications skills;                   (H) identify and solve problems, individually and with input from peers and professionals, using research methods and advanced creativity and innovation skills used in a selected profession or discipline;                   (I) develop products that meet standards identified by a selected profession or discipline; and                   (J) produce original work to solve an identified problem and publish a product in electronic media and print.         
        (2) Communication and collaboration. The student uses digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning experience of others. The student is expected to:                  (A) format developed projects according to defined output specifications, including target audience and viewing environment;                   (B) present findings to a panel for comment and professional response;                   (C) determine and implement the best method of presenting or publishing findings;                   (D) synthesize and publish information in a variety of print or digital formats;                   (E) use evolving network resources and appropriate technology skills to create, exchange, and publish information;                   (F) develop cultural understanding and global awareness by interacting with learners of other cultures through evolving digital formats and communication methods;                   (G) collaborate with others to identify a problem to be solved, hypotheses, and strategies to accomplish a task;                   (H) participate with electronic communities as a learner, initiator, contributor, and facilitator/mentor; and                   (I) participate in relevant, meaningful activities in the larger community and society to create electronic projects.         
        (3) Research and information fluency. The student applies digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. The student uses a variety of strategies to acquire information from electronic resources, with appropriate supervision. The student is expected to:                  (A) use evolving network and Internet resources for research and resource sharing of technology applications;                   (B) apply appropriate search strategies in the acquisition of information from the Internet, including keyword and Boolean search strategies;                   (C) pose hypotheses and questions related to a selected problem;                   (D) acquire information using appropriate research strategies with source citations through electronic formats, including interactive components, text, audio, video, graphics, and simulations; and                   (E) identify, create, and use available file formats, including text, image, video, and audio files.         
        (4) Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. The student uses critical-thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. The student is expected to:                  (A) evaluate the design, functionality, and accuracy of the accessed information;                   (B) conduct systematic research;                   (C) demonstrate creative-thinking and problem-solving skills;                   (D) integrate appropriate productivity tools, including network, mobile access, and multimedia tools, in the creation of solutions to problems;                   (E) use enriched curricular content in the creation of products;                   (F) synthesize and generate new information from data gathered from electronic resources;                   (G) read and use technical documentation; and                   (H) write simple technical documentation relative to the audience.         
        (5) Digital citizenship. The student understands human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practices legal and ethical behavior. The student is expected to:                  (A) discuss intellectual property, privacy, sharing of information, copyright laws, and software licensing agreements;                   (B) model ethical acquisition and use of digital information;                   (C) model respect of intellectual property when editing graphics, video, text, and sound files;                   (D) demonstrate proper etiquette, responsible use of software, and knowledge of acceptable use policies when using network resources;                   (E) demonstrate best practices in understanding and applying information security;                   (F) develop and maintain a technical documentation library in a variety of formats; and                   (G) investigate how technology has changed and the social and ethical ramifications of computer usage.         
        (6) Technology operations and concepts. The student demonstrates a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. The student is expected to:                  (A) demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of input devices, operating systems, software applications, and communication and networking components;                   (B) select, acquire, and use appropriate digital tools;                   (C) delineate and make necessary adjustments regarding compatibility issues, including digital file formats and cross-platform connectivity; and                   (D) use appropriate technology terminology and naming conventions.         
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §130.318 adopted to be effective August 1, 2020, 45 TexReg 4190