[Year 12 IT Apps] What Future IT?

[Charmaine Taylor]

I agree with you Bill that real world applications should be the basis 
of our teaching in IT and those you mentioned are indeed in the real 
world including the spreadsheets, databases, and web design. It is 
tempting to look at IT from the point of view of the applications (ie I 
have to teach spreadsheets, what shall I do?) rather than from the point 
of view of the problem to be solved (eg a cow at the abattoir has a 
disease. How do we find all others exposed to that disease and cull 
them? The ear tagging network! How does that work? Well, let's talk 
about databases and networks.....), If we take a problem-based learning 
approach, the subject of IT becomes inherently interesting and much more 
than spreadsheets, databases, etc.

Also, I am reviewing our IT units 1 and 2 and am considering some 
changes that people might like to comment on.
Unit 1 Outcome 3 I have a disc titled My Virtual Home, a CAD application 
in 3D. Thought I'd set a scenario in an architect's office. Kids 
interview(learning data gathering/survey skills) a parent/friend re 
renovating their loungeroom or build a home, then design it with the 
software app.This is a beaut use of visualising thinking!  I'll identify 
the stakeholders (business owner, student as the architect, customer) 
and set students the task of investigating and reporting on one of the 
privacy, ownership or ethical issues from each stakeholder's point of view.
Before anyone says this will take too long, the only software 
requirement for the assessment task is online software - Powerpoint or 
Word will do - kids know these already. The work in this outcome is in 
the research and after a couple of seminars much of the research can be 
done as homework. I reckon this task could be fun as well as realistic.
Unit 2 Outcome 1 I am not sure where to set this yet but Bill has given 
me a couple of ideas (eg maybe a factory production line or automated 
forklift in the warehouse) and doing robotics using Lego programming 
software. And its another good example of visualising thinking. I've 
also been tossing around the idea of programming simulations of systems 
such as water cycle, circulatory, hydraulic brakes but just realised 
these might fit better in Unit 1 outcome 1.
There must be many other possibilities out there. Let's share them.

BTW there was an interesting article in last Saturday's The Age about 
how some companies have replaced email with wikis for their internal and 
team communications. (The Age, Features p.16 When the inbox is on the outer)
Another aside, my students are over games by the time they get to VCE - 
they want serious apps that give them an idea of the type of work 
available to them in an IT career. I sell IT by telling them that there 
is a huge range of pathways in IT and VCE IT will help them decide which 
course they should apply for.
Also, another comment made on this list was that a problem with IT is 
that it is not a prerequisite for uni courses but that doesn't explain 
the popularity of Business Management or Psychology.

Charmaine Taylor
Sunbury Downs College
Kent Beveridge wrote:

>Hey Bill, you make some very valid points. Additionally, now that I doing this extra maths study, I can actually understand what you mean(bonus for me) in terms of the apps mentioned. 
>Can I also add that as part of my document presented to my principal to be considered for design ideas for applying to the new computing facilities to be built next year, I suggested adding robotics eg CAD design linked to a multi-axis robot or 'simply' perhaps a milling machine or similar that could be programmed. My thought was to give the kids the opportunity to SEE in action what their programs were doing. I remember getting excited when I designed first in CAD (using CADDSMAN, then later, AUTOCAD). I understand that this is only one potential use but its a start to regenerate an interest and can be extended. 
>Personally, I got no feedback from the boss so have no idea if it even got to first base. Methinks they just chose the boring old route of a couple of projectors, a fancy electronic whiteboard and some brand new boxes...BORING +++. Its this type of thinking thats killing off the subject I reckon!
>Give the kids something they can see happening (physical) rather than just program an interface(GUI) to do stuff!
>Sorry, my industry days are surfacing again!
>hmmm...links to packaging industry, building, cranes, operations management, aircraft design....got carried away again with REAL applications of computers (real world)
>...oh yeah, spreadsheets, wordprocessing, database, webdesign.zzzzz..snore,snore...(BOS world!)
> 
>Sometimes wonder why they bother to ask for input from teachers when most of it is ignored anyway. I think our techie here is just getting new boxes etc as above and thinking that if they can paint the cat another color they can call it a Tiger. HA!  Give it real claws and make it growl and scare little children(and adults too!) - then call it a Tiger!!
>KB.
> 
>Kent Beveridge,
>I.T. co-ordinator
>St. Brigids Catholic Sec. College
>Horsham
>email.. kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au
> 
>|<3|\|7  b3\/3r1D93 ?  ;-)
>
>Wishes and Eggs, one you make and one you break!  A bit like promises.....
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>________________________________
>
>From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Bill Kerr
>Sent: Wed 9/26/2007 5:13 PM
>To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] What Future IT?
>
>
>hi kevork,
>
>appreciate the effort you have gone to with your comprehensive list and analysis
>
>I went through your list and think it can be abbreviated to three main things:
>
>
>1.	tertiary admission (IT deemed to be less important than other subjects)
>2.	employment issues (gone to india, false perception or boring jobs) 
>3.	trivial or boring or irrelevant or integrated from either student or school perspective either due to school policies (not compulsory, integration) or lack of teacher skill
>
>I've taken out the "fun" item because at the moment that's just being suggested as a possible solution to the problem I think (ie. introduce game maker to senior school), it's not there yet in Victoria - don't think it will solve the problems anyway based on my own experience in one school in SA 
>
>Teachers don't have much control over items (1) and (2). We might argue with the Uni stakeholders but they have more say. We might argue that there really are good jobs out there but for some reason its not getting through. By focusing on (1) and (2) there might be some impact on the rate of decline but it's not going to stop the decline. Vocational pathways will continue to be offered in senior school irregardless. It's important but I see it as a side issue to the more important educational issues 
>
>Item 3 is a can of worms partly because as a society we haven't yet worked out what computers are really good for. It's an all purpose machine that can emulate lots of other machines but what are they really good for? 
>
>eg. the printing press was invented in 1450 but it took a generation before new forms of printing became popular - the older generation had to die out. eg. the first scientific illustrations didn't appear in books until 1484 
>http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-did-printing-press-change-and-how.html
>
>I would argue that there are unique and powerful educational purposes for computers - eg. dynamically representing the exponential spread of an epidemic, teaching calculus through vectors 
>
>I seem to be coming to a position that stand-alone IT might have limited impact in education. But nevertheless, the computer still is a vitally important, amazing and powerful machine that all learners ought to be invited to explore more deeply - for its powerful functionality, not just game playing, web surfing or the latest application 
>
>It's more like this 
>- the printing press led to the book which led to literature which led to English literature
>- the computer allows for the dynamic representation of systems which leads to what new subjects (?) or what extensions of existing subjects such as physics etc.? 
>
>I think mark guzdial is on the right path here: start with a rich concept from the wider world of science or economics, for example, and then use computers, including programming, to enrich the study of that domain
>http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/08/mark-guzdial-on-computing-education.html
>
>I see this sort of approach as more productive and more hopeful in the longer term 
>
>cheers,
>  
>
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