[Year 12 IPM] VELS - Who Cares???

Thu Jun 9 08:58:54 EST 2005

Keith

Basically the moot point was that everything we do in IT can be taught
across other KLA's. I would argue that there is an IT curriculum that
would never be taught (from an IT, IPM and IS perspective) by other
KLA's. The reason why my senior students easily pick up concepts and
theory in IPM and IS is that they have been working through the steps in
the IPC and SDLC since grade 5 (very modified of course). Students have
a greater appreciation of hardware and software. We have IT as a
discreet subject at Years 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Electives in Year 10 and
then VCE and VET choices.

The main teacher who was questioning as to whether IT can simply be
integrated into all other curriculum areas does not teach senior classes
and does not have a great appreciation/ knowledge of IT theory. It did
worry me that someone out of my own faculty could think this and that
got we wondering if all staff believe that they could deliver "IT" in
their curriculum.

I am a firm believer in ICT in the classroom (hence my job title) but
also believe that IT curriculum is a "fully fledged" curriculum area on
its own.

Cheers

Rod

Rod Kendall

Head of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Head of Information Technology (Keilor Campus)
Overnewton Anglican Community College
2-30 Overnewton Rd 
Keilor  VIC 3036
Direct Tel : 03 9334 0134
Mobile: 0418 138 601
Fax: 03 9336 1835

-----Original Message-----
From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Keith Richardson
Sent: Thursday, 9 June 2005 7:36 AM
To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
Teachers'Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IPM] VELS - Who Cares???

Good thinking Rod - but I'm still not yet convinced. Push your point a
bit harder! What counter-point arguments came up in your faculty debate,
for instance?
Keith

On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 22:57:48 +1000, "Rod Kendall"
<rod.kendall at overnewton.vic.edu.au> said:
> Hi Keith and fellow IPMers
>  
> >From my point of view....I see VELS as the first recognition of the
> place of ICT (technology) within the curriculum. The use of ICT
> incorporated in all curriculum delivery. We have talked for years
about
> computers across the curriculum but have never had official placement
of
> ICT as teaching and learning tools. Yes we have all encouraged staff
to
> use ICT but now we have a curriculum document making ICT's as a
central
> feature of teaching and learining. The VELS illustrates the
> interconnectivity between curriculum  and ICT pedagogy. I hope it will
> be the revolution we have talked about and never really seen all staff
> "having" to embrace the use of ICT within the curriculum.
>  
> We must be careful in differentaiting between ICT and IT. I strongly
> believe that there is an Infromation Techology curriculum to be taught
> as a discreet subject from year 5-12. In fact my own faculty debated
> this topic tonight! We are currently auditing our IT curriculum and
are
> looking at what is taught and making assessments as to what skills and
> processes can be taught "across the curriculum" and where they will be
> taught and then coming back to what's left and look at what we offer
as
> It content (maybe programming etc).
>  
> Our collegegues in the State system have no choice as to follow the
> VELS; they must introduce the changes for the start of 2006. It will
be
> a big change.
>  
> I hope the implementation is better than the documentation produced
thus
> far.....but on the surface I welcome the change.
>  
> I sitting here trying to guess who on the list will throw the first
> flame!!! LOL
>  
> My meagre thoughts..
>  
> Rod
>  
> (Bring it on.......)
>  
> PS - If I am way off track will someone let me know
>  
> Rod Kendall
>  
> Head of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
> Head of Information Technology (Keilor Campus)
> Overnewton Anglican Community College
> 2-30 Overnewton Rd 
> Keilor  VIC 3036
> Direct Tel : 03 9334 0134
> Mobile: 0418 138 601
> Fax: 03 9336 1835
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Keith Richardson
> Sent: Wed 8/06/2005 10:18 PM
> To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
> Teachers'Mailing List
> Subject: [Year 12 IPM] VELS - Who Cares???
> 
> 
> 
>
http://www.ictev.vic.edu.au/event/Activity_Interactive_Notes/VELS_Notes_
> 2.doc
>
http://www.ictev.vic.edu.au/event/Activity_Interactive_Notes/VELS_Notes_
> 1.ppt
> Thank you Roland. My, it's scarey, isn't it? How will the poor kids
cope
> with all of this almost meaningless change (for change sake?) Can
anyone
> explain, using words of no more than two syllables, what all of this
> fuss is really about? Apart from our obedience, and just doing as we
are
> told to do, why do it at all? Beats me!
> Anyway, here are the two URLs that Roland is referring to, but does
> anyone know where I can find answers to my perplexities above? I don't
> mind change, but I like to have really GOOD reasons - ones that I can
> believe in, and value myself...
> Keith
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 18:56:35 +1000, "Roland Gesthuizen"
> <rge at westallsc.vic.edu.au> said:
> > G'day all,
> >
> > It depends on how schools wish to implement things but there is
still
> a
> > role
> > for IT educator / experts in a school. There is a nice paragraph
> buried
> > in
> > the Standards that says ".. this does not preclude schools from also
> > offering ICT as a stand-alone study ...". The challenge of course is
> how
> > we
> > can all best teach IT in the context of other learning areas.
> >
> > Paula gave a very good presentation on this at the recent ICTEV
state
> > conference with some animated slides that illustrated the different
> > approaches that could be taken. After seeing this I began to realise
> that
> > our school is probably already doing this. (phew)
> >
> > http://www.ictev.vic.edu.au/event/conference.htm (scroll down - ICT
in
> > VELS)
> >
> > Regards Roland
> >
> > --
> > Roland Gesthuizen - eLearning Coordinator - Westall Secondary
College
> > http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au
> > 
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au]
> On
> > Behalf Of Donna Benjamin
> > Sent: Wednesday, 8 June 2005 8:25 AM
> > To: ipm at edulists.com.au
> > Subject: [Year 12 IPM] Year 7 Computing
> >
> > Recent postings reminded me of this thread from last year. I hope
you
> > won't mind too much me reposting these witty words from Mr David
> Dimsey.
> >
> > -------- Forwarded Message --------
> > From: David Dimsey <david.dimsey at geelongcollege.vic.edu.au>
> > Reply-To: IPM List <ipm at fhc.vic.edu.au>
> > To: IPM List <ipm at fhc.vic.edu.au>
> > Subject: Re: OT Year 7 Computing
> > Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 16:47:55 +1000
> >
> > Frank -
> > I think that you should re-evaluate the Year 7 English program, and
> > float the suggestion that they give up the 5 periods a week
currently
> > allocated to English. The idea, of course, is that the important
> skills
> > could be covered in other KLA areas.
> > If IT skills can be taught in other KLA areas by teachers untrained
in
> > IT, then surely English skills can be covered in the same way
(better,
> > perhaps - the average IT teacher's English skills are probably
higher
> > than the average English teacher's IT skills; all IT teachers have
> > passed Year 12 English, whereas very few English teachers have
passed
> > Year 12 IT). If IT skills are important enough to be included in the
> > curriculum at all, then IT deserves its own time allocation, and
> should
> > be taught by specialist IT teachers.
> >
> > I think part of the problem is the view that "IT is a tool" or "the
> > computer is just a tool". You can make exactly the same statement
> about
> > English (a tool for communication, entertainment, or expression) or
> > Mathematics (a tool for numerical calculations and analysis) or
> History
> > (a tool for understanding human behaviour).
> > As we all know, the successful use of IT (checking email, using the
> > Internet, creating word-processed documents, whatever) requires a
> > particular mindset - thinking about information and data in digital
> > terms - an understanding of how digital information is structured
and
> > manipulated, extensive training and practice in the tools and
> techniques
> > of IT, and a particular vocabulary. Much like Science or Mathematics
> in
> > many ways - each of which have a curriculum allocation and
specialist
> > teachers. (I would also suggest that IT will play as important a
part
> in
> > our students' lives as science or mathematics).
> > The suggestion that Excel skills, for example, "should be reinforced
> > and extended by the teacher whose curriculum requires them" is
> perfectly
> > valid, in exactly the same way as writing skills should be
reinforced
> > and extended by the teacher whose curriculum requires them. But this
> is
> > not to negate the place of specialist classes in the discipline (IT
or
> > English) conducted by specialist teachers.
> >
> >
> > David Dimsey
> > Director of Learning Technologies
> > The Geelong College
> > Talbot St
> > Newtown VIC 3220
> > ph:  (03) 5226 3173
> > fax: (03) 5222 4046
> > david.dimsey at geelongcollege.vic.edu.au
> > www.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au
> > >
> > > >>> frankm at sjcs.melb.catholic.edu.au 7/09/2004 2:47:54 pm >>>
> > > Dear Colleagues,
> > > We are currently re-evaluating our Year 7 Computer Studies
> programme. A
> > > suggestion has been floated that the Technology faculty gives up
the
> 2
> > > periods/week/semester we currently allocate to Computer Studies in
> Year
> > > 7 in favour of another KLA area. The idea is that the important
> skills
> > > ould be covered in oter KLA areas. Of course from year 8 students
> can
> > > select IT units as part of our vertical curriculum structure.
> > >
> > > I was wondering what experiences other schools have had with this
> > > approach. For example, if Computing skills are to be taught in
other
> > > KLAs, are they being taught "properly"? How have other KLA
> programmes
> > > adjusted to integrate IT into their programmes?
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > >
> > > ---
> > > Frank Merlino
> > > St. Joseph's College
> > > 135 Aphrasia St
> > > Newtown, Geelong, Vic
> > > Australia, 3220
> > > (03 52 268100)
> > >
> > > For Help, Subscribe,Unsubscribe, FAQ and more go to
> > > http://www.fhc.vic.edu.au/lists
> > > Comments to k.krozian at fhc.vic.edu.au
> >
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> >
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> Keith Richardson
> Leibler Yavneh College
> Elsternwick Ph (03)9528 4911
> keithcr at fastmail.fm
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> 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
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 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
Keith Richardson
Leibler Yavneh College
Elsternwick Ph (03)9528 4911
keithcr at fastmail.fm

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