[Year 12 IPM] ITA ("IPM 2007") summary

[Laurie Savage]

We don't have problems interesting students in computing applications.

Any lunch time will see kids in two of our computer rooms working with 
Flash, Dreamweaver, their Visual Basic project or some Multimedia or 
Graphics packages. The problem is the examined content of IPM, a lot of 
which is profoundly boring. I would like to see the theoretical 
component limit its focus to SDLC, preparing design briefs and problem 
solving procedures. Others would probably differ - maybe we should 
examine the concept of electives? My students are mostly from NESB and 
the textual component of the course with its emphasis on modern 
bureaucratic language puts them at a distinct disadvantage.

Laurie

Lawson, Margaret wrote:
> Apologies if I have offended, and I congratulate those that are
> discussing this topic -  it needs to happen, we need to work through it
> as a community.
> ---
> 
> I could have expressed my feelings in many other ways before heading out
> to an afternoon of Athletics trials in 35 degree heat with no sun shade
> ...
> 
> How else ... get over it and grow up? ... you are professionals, deal
> with it? ... if you don't like it, teach something different? Would this
> have sounded better?
> 
> My take on the new study design is that I am going to get more from it
> if I work with it and not against it. And my kids are going to respond
> better to learning in my classrooms if I embrace the study design rather
> than bag it. 
> 
> As for the IT slump issue, yes my school has the same problem as
> elsewhere. So how about we hear about some strategies to get kids
> involved. Computer/Multimedia Clubs, Guest Speakers, after school
> workshops all designed to "hook" the kids and drag them in. One of the
> consequences of many schools abandoning IT as a compulsory subject
> taught by qualified people is that that most of their IT "integration"
> and role modeling comes from teachers who don't want anything to do with
> IT. So when it is offered as a subject, their experiences are not
> exactly positive. Years ago David Dimsey send a "golden" post to the
> list proposing that "English" as a subject should be integrated in the
> same way as IT. After all, every teacher "teaches" English. Food for
> thought. 
> 
> I would be more than HAPPY to convene a discussion (either on or
> offline) to talk about ideas that we could use to get kids into IT as a
> discipline.
> Perhaps VITTA can organize a network meeting for IT Coordinators and/or
> interested parties to talk about this issue over a glass of red. Or if
> someone would like to name a day during the first week of the break, we
> can then pick a venue.
> 
> On the topic of failing IT courses, take a good close look at those that
> were cancelled and those that survived. The ones that have survived have
> very much either been "old school" programming, multimedia,
> computer/electrical engineering or Business/IT courses. Most of the
> failed courses were subjects that they "sexed" up with no substance. The
> Business/IT courses that have survived contain much of the content of
> the new course: Knowledge Management, Virtual Teams, Databases,
> Conventions, Networks, User Interfaces. There might not be many "new
> topics" in the new ITA course, but there is certainly more scope to
> study those topics in depth (or have I read it wrong?).
> 
> :)
> 
> Margaret (very sun burnt)
> 
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-- 
Laurie Savage
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Student Assessment, Reporting and Tracking
Pascoe Vale Girls College, 03 9306 2544
Lake Ave, Pascoe Vale, Victoria, 3044
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