[Year 12 IT Apps] REVIEW OF VCE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE STUDY DESIGN

Tue Aug 18 20:53:21 EST 2009

I agree 100%! A serious study of IT must include databases and spreadsheets!

It is a bit like studying Maths and not studying Algebra because students
can't understand the concepts (or find the concepts boring)! That is just
bizarre! We are here to challenge students not give them "easy" multimedia
tasks which could easily fall into the domains of Creative Arts, fine arts,
Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Photography etc.
IT in the "real world" runs on databases! The internet is a database!
How can we not want to teach how powerful this tool is or understand the
knowledge and skills involved???
I don't understand the problem here.
We should be wanting to challenge our students not asking them to chose a
subject because it is "easy or fun"!
Besides databases can be real fun when creating a wonderful solution with
all the bells and whistles.
My 2 cents worth!
Antoinette

-----Original Message-----
From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Margaret Lawson
Sent: Tuesday, 18 August 2009 5:26 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] REVIEW OF VCE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, SUMMARY
OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE STUDY DESIGN

I think that the biggest problem with studying databases is that the 
kids do not have time to get engrossed in the wonder of data 
manipulation. Often we hurry through the unit skipping over the fact 
that databases are sexy! They run the world and knowing how to 
manipulate that data is powerful.

Perhaps the fascination with databases, or lack of, starts much earlier 
.... As for the creative side ... you can still have databases with 
images and linked to avi files, problem solving with databases is a very 
creative process.

What I would love to see is the VCAA supply schools with some "test 
databases" with dummy data. Not 10-15 records worth, but 200-400 records 
worth. So that the kids get a real sense of the power of databases. I 
often find that they HATE to create test data for their databases, but 
if I give them one with some meaty data, all of a sudden they can see 
why databases are sexy!

2 cents

Margaret

Bane, Janet A wrote:
> Robert, with all due respect, I think you're missing the point.  Our ITA
numbers are decreasing.  Whenever I start to go on about databases or
spreadsheets, their eyes start to glaze over.  Students start to nod off.
The occasional one has even fallen off their chair in a deep deep slumber.
They look at me pityingly when I say "its part of the study design, and we
have to do it".  Their response is its BORING!
>
> So how will doing two database SACS, (worthy though they might be) help us
to attract numbers to our study?  One database SAC is enough (if it has to
stay at all). Lets offer a course that is a bit more interesting for the
kids (and one which they will hopefully enjoy and be attracted to because
its FUN).
>
> I think the way to go is to include a task that will appeal more to their
creative side  - eg.a multimedia task (eg. using powerpoint, photo story,
movie maker, flash, kahootz, scratch  etc.) where they have to manipulate
picture and sound files (which IMHO have been sadly neglected and the kids
love playing with) to produce a product suitable for an audience.  It can
still be rigorous in terms of designing, producing (& testing) and
evaluating as well as following our  beloved "problem solving methodology".
>
> What do others think???
>
> regards
>
>
> Janet Bane
> Patterson River SC
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Robert
> Sent: Tue 18-Aug-09 3:29 PM
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] REVIEW OF VCE INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY,SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE STUDY DESIGN
>
>
>
> Oh dear!
>
> I happen to like databases. They are used considerably in the "real
world".
> Sure they are not the only IT app, but should we "tart" the course up to
> attract the less interested students, or should we have a course that does
> mirror the real world of IT?
>
> Robert Hind (Semi-retired)
> Ashwood and Traralgon
> robert at yinnar.com
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark Kelly" <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
> To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List"
> <itapps at edulists.com.au>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 3:18 PM
> Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] REVIEW OF VCE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, SUMMARY
OF
> PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE STUDY DESIGN
>
>
>   
>> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/vceconsult/itsumofchanges.doc
>>
>> *TWO* ITA outcomes using databases?  O! no no no...
>>
>> ITA enrolments have been bad enough recently.
>>
>> This will surely kill them stone dead.
>>
>> --
>> Mark Kelly
>> Manager - Information Systems
>> McKinnon Secondary College
>> kel AT mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>> McKinnon Rd, McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
>> Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085 Fax +613 9578 9253
>>
>> Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
<http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/>
>> IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com <http://vceit.com/>
>> Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List
>>
>> Why do people mis-spell 'grammar' and mispronounce 'pronuniciation'?
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Association Inc
>>
>>     
>
>
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-- 
Margaret Lawson

Konstant Kaos Designs

ABN 50 523 597 927

26 Nash Street
Northcote 3070
Victoria Australia
M: 0407 896309
P: 9489 6309

margaret.lawson at konstantkaos.net

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http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html -
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and
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Association Inc