Digital Technologies (Programming - Enigma)
- Learning Area:
- Technology
- Year(s):
- 2021 - 2022
- Approx Cost:
- Students will need to have their own headphones.
- Technology Requirements:
- A laptop is of benefit for this course
- Entry Recommendations:
Suited for students who are confident in a wide range of common software and want to learn to code in Python.
Completion of any Year 10 Digital Technologies course and advantage.
- Course Outline:
Heard of Enigma? It was a device used in the Second World War to send encrypted messages so enemies could not read them. Want to know how that worked? Want to learn the tricks for easily sending secret messages that only you and your friends can understand?
Students will learn about a range of encryption algorithms, why they are used in the real world and problems associated with encryption. Students will create Python programs to perform encryption, decryption, and hack encrypted text.
Topics will include:
- Computer programming using Python
- Encryption, a Core Computer Science concept
- Iterative process to develop a digital outcome
- How to test and debug computer program to prove it works
Skills:
- Planning and documenting computer solutions to a problem
- Creating simple computer programs
- Working with indexed data structures and or functions
- Testing procedures
- Computational Thinking and algorithm design
- Evaluating algorithms
- Problem solving through the technological process
It is expected that students will engage with their projects beyond class time.
There is one internal NCEA Level 1 assessment in this course.
- Where Does It Lead:
Year 12 Digital Technologies (Programming) DTP201
- For further information see:
- Mrs Davey
In Year 9 students start the first year of their two year junior programme. Year 9 consists of two semesters (half year-long) with a combination of compulsory courses and option courses chosen by the students.
In Year 9 students will take 12 semester (half-year) courses that include:
a) Compulsory Courses - 2 semesters of Health & PE, Mathematics, Science, and one Semester of English and Social Studies. (the reverse happens in Year 10, the second year of the junior programme).
b) Option Courses - Four semesters of option courses (note: students choose 5 option courses in Year 10, the second year of the junior programme).
Year 10 students study five compulsory courses (English, Mathematics, Health & Physical Education, Science and Social Sciences) and six semester (half year) options (see individual course details). You can choose to do one semester course from a subject area eg: Drama - Part 1 or take two semester courses from a subject area, which is equivalent to a whole year course eg: Drama Part - 1 and Drama - Part 2. Pathways for all course at all levels are summarised on the Course Planning Chart.
A few Year 10 semester two courses require you to complete semester one first, before doing semester two.
Students won't be gaining Level 1 NCEA in Year 11. There will be up to one internal NCEA assessment per semester course, giving students the opportunity to gain approximately 45 credits but not the 80 needed for Level 1 NCEA. Some assessments maybe at Level 2 NCEA. These internal assessments will expose students to the way different subject areas assess NCEA in preparation for Year 12 and the completion of Level 2 NCEA.
Year 12 students study six year-long courses (see individual course details and Course Planning Chart). There are no compulsory courses, however, English and Mathematics are strongly recommended.
Students have the option of studying five courses. In such cases, students will be placed in the Independent Learning Project (ILP001) course, in addition to their five courses, so that they can be mentored and have their progress monitored.
Year 13 students study five year-long courses (see individual course details and Course Planning Chart) and have an Independent Study (IST). A sixth course can be selected in place of IST. Students have the option of studying four courses. In such cases, students will be placed in the Independent Learning Project (ILP001) course, in addition to their four courses, so that they can be mentored and have their progress monitored.
For students that are intending to gain University Entrance it is strongly recommended that they select at least four University Entrance approved courses. Refer to individual course details to check if a course is a University Entrance approved subject
Year 13 (IST) is independent, unsupervised learning that can take place at school or at home. Students are responsible for managing their work during this time.