[Year 12 IT Apps] Task 3 I'm still confused

[Mark Kelly]

I'm still rather disconcerted by the lack of support from VCAA to 
support this visual thinking innovation.

Sure, textbooks can guess what the VCAA might be asking of students, and 
_I_ can guess what they mean, but we are all still guessing, and the 
VCAA still have not issued any kosher examples of what they really want 
from students.

Surely such examples would help teachers, just as the VCAA's practice 
exam questions did.

I think it's unfair to give teachers a vague instruction about a skill 
that most of us have never used before (visualising thinking) without 
explaining it in an authoritative manner.

Sadly, the perfect place for such explanation, the Advice For Teachers 
in the Study Design, is mute on the matter.

Has there been any official PD this year on this task?

Cheers
Mark K

margaret.lawson at konstantkaos.net wrote:
> Ok ....What we are working on is a visual thinking workbook that the kids
> can use throughout the SAC to brainstorm and work through solutions as
> part of Task 1 and 2. We have included a range of blank mindmaps, fishbone
> diagrams and other thinking structures to assist them in choosing a tool
> to develop their thinking for each of the Tasks in the SAC. For the
> majority of the kids in our Y12 class, they have never used structured
> thinking tools in this way before and many do not see how it fits in with
> their preconceptions of IT.
> 
> For Task 3, the students can use this "workbook" to produce their visual
> representation using the software in a set period of time. Using
> Inspiration or whatever tool you have access to.
> 
> Where we are getting stuck is the metacognitive part of the SAC - thinking
> about thinking - "evaluate all thinking strategies" is a large task - also
> given the time that this task has to take, I think that it is unfair to
> get the kids to evaluate ALL their strategies, but perhaps get them to
> choose 2 or 3 of their visual thinking pathways and evaluate the
> effectiveness of them.
> 
> How does this sound?
> 
> I must admit that scaffolding the course to allow the kids to understand
> these concepts (we have quite a weak group) and allowing them the *time*
> to learn the skills has been challenging. (But don't we all like the
> challenge?) and looking at the way that other Year 12 subject introduce
> new Course Designs, I am disappointed in the range of PD sessions that
> have been available for teachers to attend.
> 
> Next year (or the next time I teach ITA) the use of thinking skills will
> be embedded from the VERY START so that when I get to this SAC, the kids
> know a range of thinking tools, how to apply them and the
> strengths/weaknesses of them.
> 
> :)
> 
> Margaret
> 
> On Thu, August 2, 2007 9:41 am, Brendyn Hancock wrote:
>> All
>>
>>
>> "record visually the decisions made and actions taken when
>> problem-solving"
>>
>> This to me sounds like a task that needs to be done at the same time as
>> the problem solving methodology is being followed through. If this is the
>> case then mind mapping tools are not really useful as they are best used
>> up front in the analysis/design process.
>>
>> To me the skill required is best served with a diary type solution
>> except for the fact that it says "record visually..."
>>
>> What's the point of drawing pictures or using icons etc to express a
>> simple linear progression through the problem solving methodology. To me it
>> feels like forcing a tool into an assessment task that does not really fit
>> but "we have to put it some place...".
>>
>> A little cynical I know, but if anyone can help me understand better
>> what is required I would appreciate it.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>> Brendyn
>>
>>
>>
>> Brendyn Hancock
>> IT Manager
>> bhancock at nagle.sale.catholic.edu.au
>> ---------------------------------------------
>> Nagle College
>> 5152 6122
>> Bairnsdale VIC 3875
>>
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