I can vouch for Tony's suggestion. It is a good opportunity to try out new software, in a sense .. learning by 'playing'. Another idea is to cleaning out the junk to create a hardware museum. We have some fun last year getting a TV tuner card to work on an old computer and installing a different operating system.
<br><br>Regards Roland<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 27/07/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Tony Forster</b> <<a href="mailto:forster@ozonline.com.au">forster@ozonline.com.au</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
"I feel much of the time is unproductive and purely for amusement and<br>entertainment "<br><br>A possible solution to this that I have used is the rule that if playing a<br>game, they must have editable source for it. They may play for a while but
<br>then the challenge to hack the source takes over. For example I had a year<br>6, on his own initiative, take source code written by a Dutch programmer,<br>put it through Babelfish, translate to English so he could increase the
<br>range of his laser turrets.<br><br>Feel free to re-post this on the other lists<br><br>----- Original Message -----<br>From: "Kevork Krozian" <<a href="mailto:Kroset@novell1.fhc.vic.edu.au">Kroset@novell1.fhc.vic.edu.au
</a>><br>To: <<a href="mailto:offtopic@edulists.com.au">offtopic@edulists.com.au</a>>; <<a href="mailto:vet-it@edulists.com.au">vet-it@edulists.com.au</a>>;<br><<a href="mailto:vet-mm@edulists.com.au">vet-mm@edulists.com.au
</a>>; <<a href="mailto:yr11it@edulists.com.au">yr11it@edulists.com.au</a>>;<br><<a href="mailto:yr7-10it@edulists.com.au">yr7-10it@edulists.com.au</a>><br>Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 12:38 PM<br>Subject: [Yr7-10it] Lunchtime Computer Club ideas
<br><br><br>> Hi Folks,<br>><br>> Sorry for cross posting.<br>><br>> We already have a lunchtime computer club that attracts a large number of<br>> students.<br>><br>> However, I feel much of the time is unproductive and purely for amusement
<br>> and entertainment with little skill acquisition.<br>><br>> Therefore I have proposed to my colleagues that we work towards creating<br>> simple bite sized , lunchtime sized activities that we will use to get the
<br>> students to complete thereby achieving a number of goals :<br>><br>> 1. Increasing awareness of the different aspects of ICT<br>> 2. Increasing engagement , enthusiasm for ICT in middle and senior<br>
> years.<br>> 3. Educating students about the many different aspects of ICT beyond<br>> their fairly narrow interaction in many cases eg. specific game playing<br>> only<br>> 4. Certifying students with a piece of paper as having achieved X, Y and
<br>> Z skills.<br>><br>> Sounds like another class doesn't it ? Maybe, but I feel if we can get<br>> the Yr 8 - 9 group fired up they will want to select VCE/VET IT subjects<br>> more readily purely from the perspective of confidence, knowledge and
<br>> hopefully some fun along the way. It is also a way for students to<br>> discover what they like.<br>><br>> Here are a few ideas for worksheet lunchtime sized activities :<br>><br>> 1. How to upgrade the RAM in a computer, verify it and evaluate before and
<br>> after performance<br>> 2. How to add a new hard drive to your computer , verify .....<br>> 3. How to backup files<br>> 4. How to install XP or Vista and restore backed up files<br>> 5. How to install virus protection
<br>> 6. How to setup a SOHO LAN ( Small office, home office ) with router<br>> 7. How to setup wireless networking with graduated levels of security<br>> 8. How to create a simple web site .... all the way to a high powered
<br>> multimedia web site<br>> 9. How to interact between a web site and a back end database, or MySQL<br>> server<br>> 10. How to program games in gamemaker<br>> 11. How to program with Python , PHP or <a href="http://VB.NET">
VB.NET</a><br>> 12. how to program/use mobile devices.<br>><br>> the list goes on and on.<br>><br>> My request from all readers is that if we can share these types of<br>> worksheets/resources we can build a formidable skill base for our
<br>> lunchtime students and continue to update it for currency.<br>><br>> If you have any ideas or samples please send them in and I will build a<br>> section for these resources on the edulists site for all to share.
<br>><br>> One statistic that hit me yesterday was in the 4 senior IT VCE/VET classes<br>> running at Forest Hill College, of the 60 or more students in these<br>> classes there are ONLY 2 girls..........<br>> Perhaps we can build fund things for girls to do at lunchtime so that
<br>> there is a niche for EVERYONE in ICT and not just one group ...<br>><br>> Look forward to hearing from you.<br>><br>> Kevork Krozian<br>> IT Manager , Forest Hill College<br>> <a href="mailto:k.krozian@fhc.vic.edu.au">
k.krozian@fhc.vic.edu.au</a><br>> <a href="http://www.fhc.vic.edu.au">http://www.fhc.vic.edu.au</a><br>> Mobile: 0419 356 034<br>><br>><br>> _______________________________________________<br>> <a href="http://www.edulists.com.au">
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http://www.edulists.com.au</a> - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe<br>Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by<br><a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au">http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au</a> - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and
<br><a href="http://www.vitta.org.au">http://www.vitta.org.au</a> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
<br><a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead