[Year 12 IT Apps] itapps RIP

Mon Nov 1 12:34:17 EST 2010

Hi Andrew,

I have to disagree with you on a number of counts.

"The reason for the death of ITAPPS is because the course writers couldn't
keep up to date with the emerging technology" - there is plenty of emerging
technology in the course with the flexibility of adding in technologies that
come to the fore as the course is running.  One of the challenges in writing
a 4-year course AND writing a technology based course is how quickly
technology moves.  However, the writing team has taken this into account and
kept the course as open as possible.

"with spreadsheets and databases considered irrelevant by the kids" -
really?  How are databases irrelevant when the every single information
system in the world relies on them (including the Internet)?  Did you have a
look at that great "how Google works" link?  Show that to your students and
they will not say that databases are irrelevant.  And spreadsheets - well, I
have a spreadsheet for my own household budget, I do my tax returns in
spreadsheets, my builder (we are doing a renovation at the moment), has a
huge spreadsheet and he scares on a daily basis with how many of our costs
are running over.  At the risk of being controversial - spreadsheets and
databases are in the teaching.  You could make them very boring if you
wanted to!

"There was not enough consultation done with business/industry groups to
look exactly at what IT skills need to be explicitly taught." - how do you
know this?  I was on the writing panel and I can tell you that there was
wide consultation with both tertiary and industry!

"course did nothing for me or the students and the revised study design will
terminate it" - I don't think that the students know much about the course
content and we assume too much when we say that the students don't like the
new course.  Our students are not reading the new study design and they only
know what we tell them (or what students from previous years tell them).

My 2c - and I AM biased - yes.  

Cheers,
Adrian

Adrian Janson B.Sc, Dip.Ed, M.Ed
Director of ICT
Melbourne High School, Forrest Hill, South Yarra, Victoria 3141 Australia.
Phone: 03 9826 0711 International: +61 3 9826 0711
Fax: 03 9826 8767 International: +61 3 9826 8767
E-mail: janson.adrian.a at edumail.vic.gov.au
Website: http://www.mhs.vic.edu.au
Blog: http://jansona.edublogs.org

-----Original Message-----
From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Andrew Kemp
Sent: Monday, 1 November 2010 10:29 AM
To: itapps at edulists.com.au
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] itapps RIP

The reason for the death of ITAPPS is because the course writers couldn't
keep up to date with the emerging technology and school budgets were
ill-equipped to provide the hardware required to successfully teach the
technology. The course ended up being stuck in no-man's land, with
spreadsheets and databases considered irrelevant by the kids, or better
suited to business management. There was not enough consultation done with
business/industry groups to look exactly at what IT skills need to be
explicitly taught. 
I quite enjoyed teaching the old IPM course, but the ITA course did nothing
for me or the students and the revised study design will terminate it.
regards
Andy Kemp

Message: 3
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:40:42 +0000
From: Kent Beveridge <kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au>
Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITApps RIP. Kent.
To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List"
        <itapps at edulists.com.au>
Message-ID:
        <64FBC7D59E9D6B4DA547B82B7F07665C229C6A9D at garlic.stbc.vic.edu.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Alas...ITApps is no longer at my school for 2011. (replaced by the Cert 3.)

Looking to intro SD in 2012. (may use PHP, Python or maybe VB as the
languages. Also looking at the ADOBE collection for suitable programs to
develop an 'App' as I have noted it is possible with this software. One of
my brighter y9'ers is already experimenting with this tool too as we are
collaborating on this one). Might also purchase one of the texts around and
try the work. ).

Have already joined AJ's web site for ideas and possible teaching tools.
Anyone else willing to share info and course development/teaching materials
during next year so I can get myself up to speed, would be greatly
appreciated.

Also considering introducing building some 'apps' for my year 9 and 10
classes as a new incentive to build/rebuild interest in middle level
computing here(not just around the games theme as I already do that for term
1). Again, any help or suggestions welcomed folks..

Rather than let I.T. die a slow death here..I am proactive in trying to keep
its content dynamic AND actively encourage the female gender to continue
with computing beyond the junior years..

The biggest challenge I find is that the kids grow up with tech toys and
computers...

Perhaps I will put my hand up to be an Assessor next year for Apps as am not
teaching it in 2011.

KB.

Kent Beveridge
ICT Co-ordinator, St.Brigids CSC, HORSHAM,Vic,Aus.
________________________________
From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] on
behalf of Mark KELLY [kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au]
Sent: Sunday, 31 October 2010 12:33 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] Abracadabra! The magical disappearing task.

Hi all.  One of the stated improvements of the new ITA U4O1 next year is
that it only has 2 tasks instead of 3.

It's seems magical - but it's only sleight of hand.

This year there are 3 tasks:

1. software solution (35 marks)
2. user documentation (15)
3. visualising of thinking. (10)

Next year there are 2 tasks:

1. software solution INCLUDING USER DOCUMENTATION (50 marks - Hey presto: 35
plus 15!)
2. Evaluation (10)

Still 3 tasks. Same amount of work.  It's just the packaging has changed,
and VCAA has added "NEW! IMPROVED!" to the package.

I'm annoyed that it's taken me so long to see that the rabbit was in the hat
the whole time...  :-[

--
Mark Kelly
Manager Information Systems
Reporting Manager
IT Learning Area Manager

McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204
Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085
Fax +613 9578 9253
kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au<mailto:kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>

VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Edulist

For no reason, my friend became a square, flat surface with four legs. I
rushed him to hospital. His condition is table.

Click here<https://www.mailcontrol.com/sr/wQw0zmjPoHdJTZGyOCrrhg==> to
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 10:01:03 +1100
From: Roland Gesthuizen <rgesthuizen at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITApps RIP. Kent.
To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List"
        <itapps at edulists.com.au>
Message-ID:
        <AANLkTi=-26SdATnejU9grs3qbZwU=pQUnr-PzosxEUGy at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I am changing schools and oddly, I have just been told that nobody wants to
now do IT at year 11. Not sure if this is related to my departure, had some
doubts about the long term viability of ITA here so have switched the
remaining small 2011 year 12 group to SD. I hope the new teacher can do it
justice. Declining enrollments of VCE international students and a decline
in support for middle school technology classes are probably partly to
blame.

Regards Roland

On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 9:40 AM, Kent Beveridge
<kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au>wrote:

>  Alas...ITApps is no longer at my school for 2011. (replaced by the Cert
> 3.)
>
> Looking to intro SD in 2012. (may use PHP, Python or maybe VB as the
> languages. Also looking at the ADOBE collection for suitable programs to
> develop an 'App' as I have noted it is possible with this software. One of
> my brighter y9'ers is already experimenting with this tool too as we are
> collaborating on this one). Might also purchase one of the texts around
and
> try the work. ).
>
> Have already joined AJ's web site for ideas and possible teaching tools.
> Anyone else willing to share info and course development/teaching
materials
> during next year so I can get myself up to speed, would be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> Also considering introducing building some 'apps' for my year 9 and 10
> classes as a new incentive to build/rebuild interest in middle level
> computing here(not just around the games theme as I already do that for
term
> 1). Again, any help or suggestions welcomed folks..
>
> Rather than let I.T. die a slow death here..I am proactive in trying to
> keep its content dynamic AND actively encourage the female gender to
> continue with computing beyond the junior years..
>
> The biggest challenge I find is that the kids grow up with tech toys and
> computers...
>
> Perhaps I will put my hand up to be an Assessor next year for Apps as am
> not teaching it in 2011.
>
> KB.
>
>  Kent Beveridge
> ICT Co-ordinator, St.Brigids CSC, HORSHAM,Vic,Aus.
>   ------------------------------
> *From:* itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] on
> behalf of Mark KELLY [kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au]
> *Sent:* Sunday, 31 October 2010 12:33 PM
> *To:* Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> *Subject:* [Year 12 IT Apps] Abracadabra! The magical disappearing task.
>
>  Hi all.  One of the stated improvements of the new ITA U4O1 next year is
> that it only has 2 tasks instead of 3.
>
> It's seems magical - but it's only sleight of hand.
>
> This year there are 3 tasks:
>
> 1. software solution (35 marks)
> 2. user documentation (15)
> 3. visualising of thinking. (10)
>
> Next year there are 2 tasks:
>
> 1. software solution INCLUDING USER DOCUMENTATION (50 marks - Hey presto:
> 35 plus 15!)
> 2. Evaluation (10)
>
> Still 3 tasks. Same amount of work.  It's just the packaging has changed,
> and VCAA has added "NEW! IMPROVED!" to the package.
>
> I'm annoyed that it's taken me so long to see that the rabbit was in the
> hat the whole time...  :-[
>
> --
> Mark Kelly
> Manager Information Systems
> Reporting Manager
> IT Learning Area Manager
>
> McKinnon Secondary College
> McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204
> Victoria, Australia
> Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085
> Fax +613 9578 9253
> kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
>
> VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
> Moderator: IT Applications Edulist
>
> For no reason, my friend became a square, flat surface with four legs. I
> rushed him to hospital. His condition is table.
>
>
>
>  Click here <https://www.mailcontrol.com/sr/wQw0zmjPoHdJTZGyOCrrhg==> to
> report this email as spam.
>
>
> This message has been scanned for malware by Websense. www.websense.com
>
> _______________________________________________
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> 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
> http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers
> Association Inc
>

--
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
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