Twenty+per+cent+time+-+start+with+an+idea

What is 20% time?
Twenty per cent time is a philosophy developed by Google. All Google developers are allowed to work 20% of their working time on projects that interest them. Twenty percent equates to one day a week, or 1 week out of every 5.

In this course, you will be able to spend roughly 20% of your time (1 period every fortnight) on a project of your choice.

What can my 20% time project be?
Your 20% time project should
 * be something that interests you
 * be something that will involve you learning new skills, or developing your existing skills
 * be relevant to the subject of Computing

What things do I need to think about when planning my project?
You should try to answer the following questions
 * what is my project going to about?
 * what am I going to learn?
 * how am I going to learn it?
 * how will I know if I have succeeded?
 * what will my output / product be?
 * is it possible to complete my project in the timescale?

How long do I have?
Your twenty percent time will take place one period per week every fortnight. This means that throughout the school year you will have approximately 15-20 x 1 hour periods (plus any time you wish to dedicate to your project outside school of course). You will need to spend around 3 periods planning your project.

It's really important that you come up with a project that will be manageable, but also one that will challenge you within that time. There is no point in coming up with an idea which you can finish in two weeks.

What sort of projects should I be thinking about?
It's really important that the project you come up with is your own idea. However the following list might help to inspire you:


 * Difficulty level 5**
 * Learn to program in your choice of programming language


 * Difficulty level 4**
 * Design and produce a computer game
 * Design and produce a computer program
 * Design a website using HTML, CSS and JavaScript


 * Difficulty level 3**
 * Capture and edit a short documentary
 * Design a website using WordPress
 * Produce a series of short videos showing how different aspects of Maths are taught
 * Investigate the features of a graphics program and use them to produce a piece of graphic art
 * Plan, design and cost a new technological device


 * Difficulty level 2**
 * Use a spreadsheet or database to store and organise information
 * Make a stop frame animation
 * Investigate the history of computers
 * Investigate how a specific technology works

To be completed before you start your project.
 * Proposal Form**

This is to be completed after the project is over
 * Evaluation Form**