[Year 12 IT Apps] suitable freebie PM software for ITA outcome 1

Sun Feb 25 17:26:05 EST 2007

Hi all,
As my school has no PM programs on its system, I will be resorting to using Excel and hoping that my class can understand my ramblings when I talk about resources, timelines etc for our outcome to attempt shortly. 
Being previously personally spoilt with MS Project at previous schools, I wondered how many others are in this same boat and have found suitable freebie programs on the net that don't explode with copyright law.
I have a great bunch of kids who are keen and willing to listen and would love to have them use a simple piece of PM software rather than Excel(they're sick of the microsoft stuff). They have picked up Access tables, queries etc superquick(this means I can focus more on the theory for them)
They have the basics about the theory at this stage but a program that could plot critical pathways and show resources used etc would be ab fab!
Any suggestions folks...

Kent Beveridge,
I.T. to years 8-12
St. Brigids Catholic Sec. College
Horsham

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________________________________

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Christophersen, Paula P
Sent: Fri 23/02/2007 3:47 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IT Apps] Unit 3,Outcome 1 database and project management

Dear Michael and colleagues

I'm just a little perplexed about your comments regarding annotations, as the 2003?06 study design, Unit 4 IPM Outcome 1 required students to 'annotate the solution to indicate how it meets the decision-making needs of the organisation.' - this requirement for IT applications, Outcome 1 is no different.  

I apologise in advance for my following verbose response to your annotations query, but I think it is best to be expansive rather than brief. Students do not have to comment on every instance of efficiency and effectiveness, in order to demonstrate to you that they understand the relationship between their solution and how it meets the decision-making needs. For example, you could quite reasonably ask your students to annotate a specified number of examples, such as two efficiency and two effectiveness features (the number is dependent on the nature of the task) - this puts boundaries on the scope of the task component. Or, you might ask them to provide annotations to support a set number of evaluation criteria. In any such situations, however, you must consider what leverage is available for you to discriminate between performances; if only one example of each is required, this restricts your ability to discriminate. Of course, the quality of the annotation is also critical, so students need to meet both qualitative and quantitative requirements. Limiting the annotation requirements decreases the amount of printed material.

The most difficult part of preparing a realistic project plan is estimating time - most people invariably grossly underestimate the time it will take to complete a task (and I thought this response would take about 5 minutes to prepare!!!). If progress goes according to plan, we hope that this is due more to good management rather than good luck. If, however, things do not go according to plan, you are not going to 'punish' a student who reports this ? surely a student who can then make adjustments to their plan in order to still finish 'on time' is smart, and should be rewarded for their nous and effort.

Happy to continue the discussion if needed.

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: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Michael Torsello (Mr)
Sent: Friday, 23 February 2007 2:17 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IT Apps] Unit 3,Outcome 1 database and project management

Paula

I take your point but annotations seem very weird to me.

You are telling me that we want students to create an electronic information product but we want them to print out tables, queries, forms so they can annotate them.

Talk about going backwards to the old CAT days where every CAT was a tome's worth of paper.

When students create their project plan, is the analysis stage meant to be part of it or do they only plan the actual making and testing of the database?

And which students will want to admit that things went wrong during their SAC? If everything goes well, they don't have to change their plan. If something goes wrong, then they have to change their plan as well as fix their mistakes. 

---------------------------------- 
With thanks 
Michael Torsello 
Director of Computing 
St Margaret's School, Berwick 
Ph: (03) 9703 8111 

"Unless mankind redesigns itself by changing our DNA through altering our genetic makeup, computer-generated robots will take over our world." Stephen Hawking

________________________________

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Christophersen, Paula P
Sent: Friday, 23 February 2007 12:15 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] Unit 3, Outcome 1 database and project management

Dear colleagues

I have a couple of comments to make about the queries raised in Michael Torsellos's email regarding the tasks for this outcome.

*          The outcome requires students to apply project management strategies when producing a solution and information product. This means that giving students a separate project management (PM) task that does not require the application of PM skills to the development of a solution is not appropriate. So sorry folks, but Task 2 is intertwined with Task 1, even though they are reported separately. 

Also note on page 25, second para of Area of Study 1 ? 'The project plans must be developed in the designing stage of the problem-solving methodology.'  The amount of project management required in this outcome is not extensive, and the reaccreditation committee responsible for the development of the study design believed that it is a more meaningful task if applied to the development of a solution and product. 

Also, this para states that the PM plan should include information about: tasks, time and resources ? budget is not a consideration. For resources, students just have to list the technology they are using, so the bulk of the plan focuses on tasks and time, and the monitoring of their progress. If all goes according to plan, then no adjustments need to be made.

*          I would consider 500 minutes for the SAC to be at the upper end of the time scale. I wonder if your task expectations are a little too much? Also note that students do not have to prepare a written report for Task 1 ? while the key skill states that students must 'evaluate how the efficiency of the solutions and the effectiveness of the products meet identified decision-making needs', the task description says that this is achieved through annotations. This is a lot less formal and time consuming (see page 30 'Students annotate the solution and information product to indicate how the identified decision-making needs are met') than a written report. 

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

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Important - This email and any attachments may be confidential. If received in error, please contact us and delete all copies. Before opening or using attachments check them for viruses and defects. Regardless of any loss, damage or consequence, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or not, resulting directly or indirectly from the use of any attached files our liability is limited to resupplying any affected attachments. Any representations or opinions expressed are those of the individual sender, and not necessarily those of the Department of Education.

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