[Year 12 IPM] New Yr10IT Course - Construct-ion-ivist Approach

Tue Jul 5 10:39:01 EST 2005

Learning to use Content Management Systems?

I suspect this is going to be (if not already) one of those
real-life-skills needed by today and tomorrow's workforce.

I _am_ a web developer, I can code HTML by hand, and often prefer to do
so because I get clear code with less browser bugs than using a wysiwyg
editor.  (I will use a wysiwyg when I'm in creative mode, and just want
to play around with layout and design - but this means I spend a lot of
time getting the code to validate later)

But companies are deploying Content Management Systems to manage their
websites and intranets, and this is becoming a common way to manage
information.

I must admit I often find them infuriating because of their structural
limitations, but that's exactly why they're becoming more popular - let
the content expert manage their own content, and not wrestle with the
technology - Being able to find one's way around a few different CMS's
would be a great skill in my view.

5 cents into the pot.

- donna.

On Tue, 2005-07-05 at 09:38 +1000, Philip Brown wrote:
> I think there is a place for teaching web design using content
> management systems. These come in a variety of predesigned formats and
> allow the user to edit the code and structure. You need an SQL server to
> make them run but this is fairly easy to achieve using EasyPhp.
> OpensourceCMS lists many different types that are freely available to
> download. Using these can show how changes in ccs style sheets can
> immediatly affect the look and feel of a web site. 
> 
> These also show how by using PHP and a database opens up new
> possibilities for interactive web sites.
> 
> Phil Brown
> Oxley College
> 9727 9917
> 
> >>> keithcr at fastmail.fm 07/04/05 8:45 AM >>>
> An excellent comment Michael. The difference may have been there
> 'always', but it has taken you to identify and name it for us.
> This concept has been so needed, that I think it will dramatically place
> itself into our everyday language: "use IT" and "about IT" - polarities
> that we can NOW use to describe our views of IT related education.  The
> time has come!
> Keith.
> 
> 
> On Sun, 3 Jul 2005 19:55:59 +1000, "Fitzpatrick, Michael"
> <michael.fitzpatrick at carey.com.au> said:
> > Thank you to all the valuable contributions to this discussion.
> > 
> > We are also having a review of our IT courses.
> > 
> > One distinction that does not seem to have featured in these
> discussions
> > and has helped in our reviews is this:
> > 
> > IT courses can be divided into two different types and we have some of
> > each in Years 8, 9 and 10. (Hopefully the new IT study design will
> help
> > more with this in Year 11. Year 12 has one of each type - IPM and
> > Systems.) The distinction is not black and white as the two types of
> > courses have a large degree of overlap but the
> focus/emphasis/philosophy
> > of each is quite different.
> > 
> > 1. Courses that teach how to use IT to produce IT products/solutions
> e.g.
> > many multimedia courses, video editing, webpage production and design,
> IT
> > in business, IT in ....
> > 2. Courses that teach about IT - how IT works below the surface e.g.
> > programming, HTML, PHP, some types of multimedia courses, games
> > programming, some types of animations courses.
> > 
> > Of course some 'about IT' needs to be taught in the 'product'courses
> but
> > usually only what is needed. And of course 'about IT' courses need to
> > produce 'products'.
> > 
> > This distinction has helped to convince the curriculum people that
> more
> > technical courses are needed for those students who are interested in
> the
> > IT itself; and also has helped to convince them that courses are
> needed
> > for those less interested in the IT itself and more in the product. 
> > 
> > The latter type of course is often suitable for students who are not
> > academic by interest or inclination, and are often into visual
> learning
> > rather than languages and literature. Most schools would also students
> > who are interested in the 'beneath the bonnet' aspects of IT. Teaching
> > both types of students in the same class can be challenging, whether
> it
> > is a 'product' or 'about IT' class.
> > 
> > This distinction helps to get more courses approved, a greater variety
> of
> > students satisfied in meaningful courses, more classes to teach and
> more
> > IT into the curriculum.
> > 
> > This distinction also helps with the VELS as well which has across
> > curriculum implications for IT but seems to downplay IT as a
> > discipline/content area.
> > 
> > Mike Fitzpatrick
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Keith Richardson
> > Sent: Wed 6/29/2005 6:25 AM
> > To: List Yr7-10it; List IP&M
> > Subject: [Year 12 IPM] New Yr10IT Course - Construct-ion-ivist
> Approach
> >  
> > I have been impressed by the various approaches to ITC discussed
> > recently on these lists, and so decided to create an experimental
> > learning setting for my Year10IT class for Semester 2. I have played
> > with various forms of scenario-based integrative units before, as I
> > guess we all have, but decided to go all out with this one, utilizing
> > full-immersion lasting a full semester. 
> > My kids seem to work best in situations where they are involved in the
> > content, where there are clearly defined expectations, yet where there
> > is also 'room-to-move'. I have built each of these elements into the
> > course.
> > I would like to eventually move towards a Moodle style of course
> > delivery, but at this point in time the learning curve (for me) is
> > toweringly steep, so have decided to be more conventional and during
> the
> > semester in my own time try adapting it across to Moodle. We will
> see...
> > Please feel free to modify and adapt in any which way (all I ask is
> that
> > credit be given for original authorship). It should be easy to change
> > the cultural setting to suit your kids, and to adjust the various
> > software and tasks to suit what you prefer to do.
> 
> > My whole thesis is that ICT and associated software programs should be
> > there to serve other purposes. There will be times when it is
> essential
> > to pause from the theme and teach just software but just sufficient to
> > put them onto the right track with correct procedures and the
> discipline
> > of organized logic particularly in the field of file management.
> > As an aside I recommend taking a look at the Florida Gulf Coast
> > University tutorials for Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access, as well
> as
> > Wikipaedia for definitions and extended explanations.
> > Attached please find a copy of the course.
> > I would be very interested in and appreciative of critical feedback
> > please.
> > Regards, Keith Richardson
> > Keith Richardson
> > Leibler Yavneh College
> > Elsternwick Ph (03)9528 4911
> > keithcr at fastmail.fm
> > 
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> Keith Richardson
> Leibler Yavneh College
> Elsternwick Ph (03)9528 4911
> keithcr at fastmail.fm
> 
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
> IPM Mailing List kindly supported by
> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
> Authority and
> http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology
> Teachers Association Inc
> 
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> IPM Mailing List kindly supported by
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