[Year 12 IPM] Classes running Next Year [did this get
throughbefore?]
WEIR Andrew
WEIR at thomascarr.vic.edu.au
Mon Nov 27 18:49:14 EST 2006
mark
I knew that you would say that :)
As usual a thought provoking discussion.
the school is 1200 students of which 450 is vce years 11 ands 12.
we have run classes at systems of 4 students but next year its 12.
year 11 classes max out at 29 and we have two of them with a possible third.
year 12 classes max out at 18 and we have two and a 11 doing 12 of 12 students
andrew
-----Original Message-----
From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Mark Kelly
Sent: Mon 11/27/2006 3:25 PM
To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management Teachers'Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IPM] Classes running Next Year [did this get throughbefore?]
Need more data, Andrew.
How big is your VCE cohort, and what size classes does your school
consider viable?
In 2007, at McKinnon, we have
1 x ITA class(about 25 kids) and for a pleasant change
1 x SoD class (about 12 kids). And
1 x 11 IT class (usually 27 kids)*.
Info Systems traditionally only has run every second year because of low
numbers. Hope that improves in future.
I'd be worried about our IT enrolments, but I am mollified by the
realisation that it's because of our audience: McKinnon's high-fliers
are more into Maths, Physics, Business etc.
I.T. at McKinnon is more for those who can't do Maths :-(
---- long irrelevant interlude - skip this if you prefer -----
McKinnon deliberately does not offer VET, VCE Drama etc because we have
an academic bent, and we have the luxury of "referring" students to
nearby schools that prefer doing that sort of thing.
We figure: We can't do everything, so we might as well pick a speciality
and do our best at that. We chose academic performance. And we
succeeded, after a lot of work and many changes of habit.
Parents will take drastic measures, such as packing and moving, to get
into a school that offers what they seek.
It's a self-fulfilling prophecy and positive-feedback loop if a school
does it 'right' : you (for example) aim for academic excellence as a
selling point. You get a bit of such success, thereby attracting
high-achieving students, which leads to greater academic success, which
leads to a better reputation, which leads to more interest from
like-minded parents who... etc.
And as a complementary corollary, when an "average" student enters a
high-achieving class, the culture envelops them and they also often
become infected with the same attitude. They want to fit in... they want
to excel (or rebel, if the culture is the other way.)
Kids usually just want to fit in to whatever it is that the kids around
them are doing (obviously there are exceptions - like most of us who
became teachers. We are NOT normal people, I tell you!)
We all know the sensation when a class by accident (through no effort of
the teacher) becomes silent. No-one is game to speak beyond a whisper.
It can last for minutes until the noise returns.
But when everyone is yelling, everyone else yells too. Kids are VERY
sensitive to zeitgeist and mob mentality, whether it be positive or
negative. If it's positive, you've got it made. You can harvest the
attitude. If not... you spend 90% of your time keeping order and 10%
teaching.
Oops. Stepped off into many strange mental side-roads there...
The moral of the story? No school can be expert at everything; none of
us has the resources to be excellent at everything. To cater for
everyone with our current funding, the best we can hope for is
'average'. Not that average is BAD. It's heaps better than *some*
students can hope for.
This is where the private schools have the advantage: selection. They
can turn away locals who can't pay, or don't fit the bill. We public
schools have no such luxury.
And on a geographical level, metropolitan schools have the luxury of
defining their own niches. Pick a niche, fight to achieve it: become
famous. Students who don't fit in can find another nearby school.
Bush schools, however, do not have the luxury of 'specialising' because
there are no alternatives for their local students. That's a challenge
for them.
But they have their own advantages... I remember teaching year 12
English Lit in Boort -
(EVERYONE: "Boort? Where's BOORT?" I spent six years giving geography
lessons to everyone who asked me where I lived. You guys can go to
http://earth.google.com]
- with TWO students in a class... ah, bliss! The correction was a
breeze, but 'class discussion' was rather muted when both of my students
agreed on something. D'oh!
---- end of irrelevant interlude. You may safely resume reading ----
*Out of interest, all VCE IT classes here have a maximum of 2 females.
No - it's not a school rule. It's what the girls choose. And those 2
girls usually only do IT because they couldn't get into their preferred
subject choices. And usually one of them averages 24% and the other 98%.
Go figure...
Make of that what you will. I forgot what the question was a long time
ago. It's report writing day and normal mental functions stopped long ago.
MArk
WEIR Andrew wrote:
> Debra
> That brings up a very good point.
> Have schools seen an increase in Students enrolling in Information
> technology courses for next year?(
> I would also be interested to know what region you are in I.E western
> subs as I have heard that some areas are doing better then others.
>
> I'll start I have 3 IT Applications classes
> 1 software development
> 2 or 3 year 11 IT classes
> And I am in the western suburbs
> Andrew
>
> Andrew Weir
>
> VK3HFT
>
> Information Technology Coordinator
>
> Thomas Carr College
>
> 35 Thomas Carr Drive
>
> Tarneit
>
> 3024
>
>
> Phone 97484 466
>
> Fax 9748 4388
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au]
> *On Behalf Of *McDonald, Debra A1
> *Sent:* Monday, 27 November 2006 12:12 PM
> *To:* Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
> Teachers'Mailing List
> *Subject:* RE: [Year 12 IPM] VCAA CD ROM: Implementing VCE IT
>
> next year for the first time.. our school has so few numbers that we are
> not running IPM am I still able to get a hold of the CD as I want to be
> up to date for the following year..
>
>
> Debra M^c Donald
> Network Manager
> Lyndhurst Secondary College
> Cranbourne
> (03) 5996 0144
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Christophersen, Paula P
> *Sent:* Thu 23/11/06 3:05 PM
> *To:* Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
> Teachers'MailingList
> *Subject:* RE: [Year 12 IPM] VCAA CD ROM: Implementing VCE IT
>
> Yes, all VCE providers will receive the CD.
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> Paula
>
>
>
> Paula Christophersen
>
> ICT Curriculum Manager
>
> Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
>
> Authority
>
> 41 St Andrews Place
>
> EAST MELBOURNE 3002
>
> Phone: 03 9651 4378
>
> Fax: 03 9651 4324
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> *From:* ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au]
> *On Behalf Of *Lesley Humphries
> *Sent:* Thursday, 23 November 2006 2:53 PM
> *To:* Year 12 Information Technology Processing and ManagementTeachers'
> Mailing List
> *Subject:* Re: [Year 12 IPM] VCAA CD ROM: Implementing VCE IT
>
>
>
> Paula - will non-state schools also receive the CD?
>
>
>
>> Dear colleagues
>>
>>
>>
>> Schools should be receiving from VCAA on 11 December a CD ROM titled
>> 'Implementing VCE IT', which is designed to support teachers implement
>> the reaccredited study in 2007 (and beyond). Use this in conjunction
>> with all of the valuable advice you receive from your colleagues on this
>> list. But, also remember, that at the end of the day, it is the study
>> design that sets the parameters of the curriculum and assessment. I'm
>> particularly mindful of this in light of the recent press articles
>> regarding a question on the Health and Human Development examination
>> paper.
>>
>>
>>
>> When developing learning programs and designing assessment tasks, the
>> study design is your key reference (also include any articles published
>> in the VCAA Bulletin and the VCE and VCAL Ad! ministrative Handbook). The
>> assessment handbook and any other resources provided by VCAA, such as
>> the CD ROM, and other individuals and agencies, can assist you in
>> developing learning and assessment programs, but they do not carry the
>> status of 'mandatory'. The same goes for textbooks and commercially
>> published assessment tasks. You cannot use as a defence the lack of
>> coverage or inaccuracy of a publication. So please, when preparing any
>> material, use the study design as your pivotal reference point and
>> critically assess the quality of all other support material.
>>
>>
>>
>> I'll now step down from my soap box!
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Paula
>>
>>
>>
>> Paula Christophersen
>>
>> ICT Curriculum Manager
>>
>> Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
>>
>> Authority
>>
>> 41 St Andrews Place
> ! >
>> EAST MELBOURNE 3002
>>
>> Phone: 03 9651 4378
>>
>> Fax: 03 9651 4324
>>
--
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria Australia
Phone +613 95780844 Fax +613 95789253
webmaster: http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
IPM Mailing List Moderator
IPM notes: http://vceit.com
The future in IT is the next 30 seconds -- long-term planning is an hour
and a half.
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