iTECH Academy at Miami Springs SHS is a Magnet Schools of America National Award of Excellence Magnet program. We offer a sequence of courses that provide coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards, relevant technical knowledge, and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers such as a Game/Simulation Designer, Game Programmer, and Game Software Developer in the Information Technology career cluster. iTECH Academy focuses on technical skill proficiency, through competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills. It encompasses all aspects of the Information Technology career cluster. The content includes but is not limited to practical experiences in game/simulation conceptualization, design, storyboarding, development methodologies, essential programming techniques, and implementation issues. Specialized programming skills involving advanced mathematical calculations and physics are also integrated into the curriculum. As a bonus to academic excellence, iTECH Academy, Miami Springs integrates scholastic Esports gaming experiences, training, and tournaments.
At iTECH Academy we use video game design as the natural vehicle to deliver science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) to young learners regardless of age, race, gender, and other characteristics, such as, neurodivergences, ELL or ESE. The creative process for designing a game is a team effort using unique ideas from all collaborating members to create the whole game. For this reason, games exist for people of all ages, demographics, and on a variety of platforms. Use your unique abilities to tell a story, program, make art, and music to become part of the next generation of game designers. Follow your passion for gaming and STEAM, turn your unique vision into a reality, and enroll in iTECH Academy at Miami Springs Senior High School to meet the growing demand in STEAM fields.
The creative process for each game involves various aspects of the whole game. Our curriculum is designed to explore the creative process of each one of the major aspects in game design. As a concept and storyboard artist you will develop ideas that will become your game. In addition, you will produce objects and characters for your game as a character artist. As a level designer you will create the environment your player will interact in and as a texture artist you will add convincing skins to your objects, characters, and environment. Moreover, you will incorporate sound effects and produce the music for your game. Finally, no game can go untested, as a tester you will learn to find solutions to problems in your game.
Indispensable to the creative process of game design are programmers. As a programmer you will work on mathematical principles, theories, and models fundamental to game design. You will engineer visual effects that simulate physics and attach audio cues to events and actions for real-time interaction. You will write code to give characters artificial intelligence and script gameplay producing the logic that will make a successful game. As an iTECH Academy programmer you will work hands-on with a producer, designer, sound effects artist, and tester to make your successful video game happen.
For more information, please contact iTECH Academy Magnet Lead Teacher, Alvaro Montes de Oca, at coachm@dadeschools.net.