Career and Technology Studies Grades 10-12

Have you ever wanted to send an encoded message that only a handful of people could actually decode? This conversion tool will take any text string and convert it into binary code.

Today, we’re going to take a look at how computers use a stream of 1s and 0s to represent all of our data - from our text messages and photos to music and webpages.

This is an interactive tool that supports conversion to binary/decimal/hex as you type or copy/paste ASCII and Unicode characters.

Every time you use the Internet to watch a movie, listen to music, or check directions, your device is using the language of binary code. This video explains how colours, numbers, letters and music are conveyed using only the numbers 1 and 0.

We use computers every day, but how often do we stop and think, “How do they do what they do?” This video series explains some of the core concepts behind computer science.

Today we’re going to talk about on how we organize the data we use on our devices. You might remember last episode we walked through some sorting algorithms, but skipped over how the information actually got there in the first place!

This session traces the development of operating systems from the Multics and Atlas Supervisor to Unix and MS-DOS, and takes at look at how these systems heavily influenced popular OSes like Linux, Windows, MacOS, and Android that we use today.

Memory and storage are different things but both hold data in your computer. Data written to storage, like your hard drive, is a little different, because it will still be there even if the power goes out

This session covers how some popular file formats like txt, wave, and bitmap are encoded and decoded giving us pictures and recordings from just strings of 1’s and 0’s, and we’ll discuss how our computers are able to keep all this data organized

Often files are way too large to be easily stored on hard drives or transferred over the Internet - the solution, unsurprisingly, is to make them smaller. We use a process called compression.

This is an animated video that describes the different kinds of USB (universal serial bus) ports, USB cables, and connectors. It discusses USB type A, type B, type C, mini B, and micro B.

This video helps to explain the basics of copyright law and creative commons licensing and the role each can play in helping creators protect and share their work.

A copyright fact sheet produced by the Canadian government that explains copyright in Canada.

Copyright information from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office

The University of Alberta created the Opening Up Copyright (OUC) instructional videos to make copyright law more easy, engaging, and accessible to everyone. Check out their many videos, including "Copyright In A K-12 Context."

This 3 minute video explains the basics of copyright. It will help students (and teachers) to understand how source attribution works in the real-world.

In this step-by-step tutorial, learn how you can exponentially improve your Excel skills using OpenAI's ChatGPT artificial intelligence. Write nested functions with ease, calculate the number of unique text values in a list, write a basic invoicing macro, and more, all with just a few clicks and a few basic refinements.

In this video, beginners will learn how to use the pen tool inside Adobe Illustrator

This video explains the basics of google sheets so that you can get started with creating tables and formulas right away. I also show you how make charts and graphs, and how to total your numbers.

Learn the basics of how to use Microsoft Publisher to create great handouts, posters, articles, birthday cards, calendars, worksheets, certificates, and much more. MS Publisher is an important part of Microsoft Office.

A great introduction video for how to use Google Docs to make and share documents.

A great introduction video for how to use Google Docs to make and share documents.

How do you start creating a book in Publisher? It's true that Microsoft's desktop publishing package isn't leading the field in the world of design. But you've probably got a copy already with your version of Microsoft Office. So check out this MIcrosoft Publisher 2016 tutorial for beginners and see what it's capable of

How aware are you of your digital dossier? Watch this time line of Andy's lifespan and find out when your digital dossier starts and how it grows

In this step-by-step tutorial, learn how to pull together charts in Excel. Charts are a great way to visualize and analyze your data, and Excel offers a variety of different chart types. You have line charts, pie charts, bar charts, pivot charts, and many more.

Learn the basics of using Microsoft Excel in just 15 minutes in this video

Learn how to merge elements from multiple sources into one image using this playlist of tutorial about GIMP

A playlist of 12 short videos that will teach you the basics of editing images with GIMP

A playlist of 14 medium length videos that teaches you how to do amazing photo effects in GIMP.

In this step-by-step tutorial, learn how to make a Gannt Chart in Excel. We start by creating a data table with start dates and estimated time needed. Next, we insert a stacked bar chart and make some tweaks to the chart to make it appear as a Gannt Chart.

This video will help you move from just starting to use Google Docs to becoming an advanced user! This is a looooong video, it's best to watch it in chunks.

In this step-by-step tutorial video, learn how you can use Google Drive to backup files, to access your files anywhere, to share and collaborate with others, and to get back to your files fast.

This guide will show you how to use Google sheets. We will show you how to use various features such as creating spreadsheets, using formulas, and inserting charts.

This guide will show you how to use Google sheets. We will show you how to use various features such as creating spreadsheets, using formulas, and inserting charts.

On this site, you'll find lesson plans you can use with your class to get them using Microsoft products with confidence.

Learn how to create websites using Canva!

GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.

Krita is a professional FREE and open source painting program. It is made by artists that want to see affordable art tools for everyone.

An open-source inventory system that has lots of documentation and video tutorials to get you students up and running with this software.

Why on earth should you use Scribus? Because it’s reliable and Free. It means that you are in control of your data and, if you wish, the code of your desktop publishing tool.

Vector is a simple yet powerful (and free) graphics editor that allows you to design and edit vector graphics online, without a steep learning curve.

This animated music video raps about the hazards of oversharing online and emphasizes a thoughtful approach to digital footprints. Try the video discussion guide to spark a conversation about communicating and connecting in the digital world.

How aware are you of your digital dossier? Watch this time line of Andy's lifespan and find out when your digital dossier starts and how it grows

This interactive quiz tests your understanding of the cyber security risks that you face in everyday online tasks and communications.

How well do you know your privacy rights? Take the quiz! This online activity is from the Privacy Commission of Canada.

This Canadian website exists to help teens to remove inappropriate pictures of themselves that are being shared on the Internet.

This video explains why keeping personal information private is so important (especially in an online environment), and offers tips for young people.

Wi-Fi hotspots in coffee shops, airports, and hotels are convenient, but may not be secure. This video provides tips to help protect your personal information.

This interactive takes you through 11 situations during which you may be vulnerable to ID theft. During each section (or at the end) you can review the "read and learn book" to get some helpful advice about protecting your identity and privacy.

This graphic novel follows a couple of teenagers as they start at a new school. They quickly learn more about how social media works and how to think critically about their online activities.

Derived from the words ‘Net’ and ‘Etiquette,’ netiquette describes the general rules of conduct on the internet for respectful and appropriate communication

This guide provides students with some teen-tested tips for staying on top of their digital life. Topics include balancing screen time, managing online reputations and finding reliable information.

Lots of funny and free typing games to help you get your practice time in!

A fun typing game where the speed of your race car depends on your speed and accuracy of your typing.