[Year 12 IT Apps] Potts Ch 3 and Study Design

Tue Feb 13 00:11:32 EST 2007

I mix it up but mostly fit the theory in with the practice eg my recent 
classes
Databases - purposes, structure, design tools
- given a design, create a flat file database (this is intro task. Will 
move on to relational next week)
-  discuss fields: field names (conventions), field sizes (limit storage 
space), data types (standard & MS Access)
- create a report: sorted by, selected fields
- report conventions re format and layout
........
This approach suits my students who panic if given lots of notes in one go.
Cheers,
Charmaine Taylor
Sunbury Downs College

Keith Richardson wrote:

>The approach I use (in covering the plethora of stuff to be memorized)
>is I DO NOT TEACH IT.
>How do I justify that? There is simply too much and lecturing almost all
>of the time switches the kids off (IMHO).
>Solution - my kids have to make summaries of the chapters (one per
>fortnight) plus some scenarios and sample questions. Reward - they are
>allowed to take their own summaries into each sac.
>So what do I do with class time? Plenty of practical - let them keep
>their hands on computers much of the time. Plenty of short sharp
>discussions to whet the appetite/enthusiasm, answer some questions they
>might have about what they are reading for homework (emphasizing that
>the teacher is only one of many resources available to aid learning).
>I have a number of videos such as the study of the info system used in
>Big W - this provides a wonderful opportunity for them to identify some
>of the stuff they are learning as they summarize.
>I am not saying mine is the best approach, just that it seems to work OK
>for me.
>Cheers, Keith
>
>
>
>On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:35:35 +1100, "Mark Kelly"
><kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au> said:
>  
>
>>Russell Edwards wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>Hello list,
>>>      
>>>
>>Hello Russell.
>>
>>    
>>
>>>I just finished my last set of powerpoint slides for Ch 3 of Potts.
>>>
>>>I have a few questions; please excuse the naive ones as I am new to 
>>>teaching.
>>>
>>>Firstly, I did not expect to be giving lecture-style presentations to 
>>>secondary students, but in ITA there seems to be so much guff they're 
>>>expected to memorise with no real practical activity possible to cement 
>>>it, that lecturing and encouraging revision seems the only way to go. I 
>>>have been doing 20 mins of theory at the start of each double and then 
>>>have them go on with practical work (at present, Dreamweaver). Do others 
>>>follow a similar format for ITA? (The 20 mins looks to be too little 
>>>actually)
>>>      
>>>
>>That's why my site is called "IT Lecture Notes" - exploratory learning 
>>can be great but it chews up classtime.  The 'Lecture Tolerance Limit' 
>>of your kids can vary from year to year, but I mix lectures with 
>>practice whenever I can.
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Secondly, a few things in the book seem outdated. I'm no network 
>>>engineer, but it's my understanding that hubs and token ring networks 
>>>are a thing of the ancient past. Yet, both receive a fair bit of 
>>>coverage in the Potts book, especially hubs. Likewise, you'd be pretty 
>>>hard pressed to find anyone still using 10BASE2 these days.
>>>      
>>>
>>It's funny how conservative IT folk can be.  Yes - hubs and coaxial are 
>>history; so, effectively, are bridges and repeaters.  Token Ring is a 
>>rare oddity.
>>
>>To save time, I just teach CAT6, switches and Ethernet and basically 
>>ignore coax, hubs and Token Ring.  Be wary with ITA - the depth of 
>>networking knowledge is way less than it was in IPM: no topologies or 
>>protocols are needed now.  The most technical stuff remaining is cables 
>>and wireless.
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Thirdly and related, how can I tell *specifically* what things students 
>>>will need to know for the exam? (Will hubs and token ring nets be in 
>>>it?) The study design mentions switches and not hubs in the glossary 
>>>under network architecture, and bus, star and hybrid, not ring, under 
>>>network topologies. Does that mean they're guaranteed not to be on the 
>>>exam? It seems fairly tricky for teachers and students with a brand new 
>>>study design and no past exams to go by.
>>>      
>>>
>>If a key knowledge dotpoint or the glossary says "including X,Y and Z" 
>>it means that X,Y and Z are examinable.
>>If it says "for example", it is just an example to clarify what is 
>>intended by a point.
>>
>>No topologies are listed in U3O2 key knowledge so could not be justified 
>>as examinable.  Topologies and protocols belong in Software Development
>>now.
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Fourthly, the approach taken to network communications standards and 
>>>transmission media both in Potts and in the study design seems a bit of 
>>>a dog's breakfast, i.e. there is no concept of layers. Readers won't 
>>>know that IP runs on top of a data link layer protocol like the data 
>>>layers of ethernet or 802.11, that TCP runs on top of IP and so does 
>>>UDP, etc etc. I can't see how they're supposed to know what the random 
>>>bits and pieces they are exposed to are for and how they fit together if 
>>>they're not given the big picture.
>>>      
>>>
>>Fear not.  Such complexities are irrelevant for ITA.
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Is that a fair comment? So, in my slides I am presenting the TCP/IP 
>>>five-layer network model: physical, data, network, transport, 
>>>application. I will then go on and cover all the bits mentioned in the 
>>>book plus a few more examples for clarity, but all in the context of the 
>>>layers. Students will be told that they only need to know what's in the 
>>>book but that the five-layer model is a good way to learn it.
>>>      
>>>
>>None of that is needed for IPM.  Just stick to the study design.  Don't 
>>overcomplicate things: IPM students are FAR from technical geniuses  :-)
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Thanks in advance for any input I can get
>>>
>>>Russell Edwards
>>>Whittlesea Secondary College
>>>      
>>>
>>-- 
>>Mark Kelly
>>Manager - Information Systems
>>McKinnon Secondary College
>>McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
>>Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
>>School Phone +613 8520 9000
>>School Fax +613 95789253
>>
>>Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>>IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com
>>Moderator: IPM Mailing List
>>
>>There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary
>>and those who don't.
>>
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>>    
>>
>Keith Richardson
>ITA List Moderator
>Head of ICT, Leibler Yavneh College
>Elsternwick
>Ph: 03.9528.4911
>k.richardson at yavneh.vic.edu.au
>
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