[Year 12 IT Apps] McKinnon classes 2011

Fri Sep 10 15:33:35 EST 2010

I can see a real need to try and expand kids exposure to the "real world" in a far greater way than we are doing now. VET and VCAL kids get to see a lot more on the job training and can see the relevance to their career in what they are doing. Academic kids are at least 5 years removed from any potential work they may take on or want to do by the time they get through Yr 11,12 and Uni.
Quite a lot of our kids only see the world through telly, 2 weeks work experience and Uni Open days. They need the chance to be exposed to what's out there and see first hand the sort of skills etc that are needed because they will not take our word for it.
Today's kids, more than ever, crave relevance. Everything works best if they fully understand that what they are learning is going to be of relevance to them, but I am just "a teacher" and not their boss or employer.
I would like to see society help by making it easier for kids to do more work experience in Yr 9/10 and in a greater range of situations so that kids can experience a range of what is on offer rather than just doing a week or two of labouring with Uncle Joe. Like we make them choose a range of VCE subjects or IB subjects to give a "well rounded" kid, maybe they should be required to do a range of work experience options?
Cheers
Cameron

On 10/09/2010, at 3:03 PM, ATKINSON-BUCK, Damien wrote:

> I’ve just been handed a book “Why IT rarely enters students’ schematic repertoire of future careers – A gendered analysis of student course and career choices related to IT in the 21st Century” by Catherine Lang that looks to be quite topical and interesting reading which you may want to hunt down and flick through on the holidays. ISBN 978-3-639-23327-8
> The extract from the back cover is
> “This book presents a gendered analysis of factors that shape adolescent attitudes to Information Technology (IT) at key stages in their education. Results of interviews with students in junior, middle and senior-secondary-schools in Australia are presented alongside those from students studying IT at two universities. The study found that many young women and men, while being equal in IT use and computer literacy, do not consider IT as a valid and independent discipline for future study or career. It found a surprising proportion of the university students interviewed currently studying IT, did not consider this degree as their first choice and were often not convinced that they would continue in the career after graduation. This study concluded that while IT is a varied discipline that is unique in its many applications, to many students the discipline is predominantly aligned to hardware and associated objects and that there is a deficit in student knowledge of what an IT career involves beyond that of the most stereotypical portrayal of a programmer, and that this deficit of knowledge is evident in both genders.”
>  
> Damien Atkinson-Buck
> Member of Academic Staff (Secondary)
> <image001.jpg>
>  
> PO BOX 91 The Ridgeway, Ivanhoe, Victoria 3079 Australia
> Telephone +61 3 9490 3848 Facsimile +61 3 9490 3490
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>  
> From: Kent Beveridge [mailto:kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au] 
> Sent: Friday, 10 September 2010 2:25 PM
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] McKinnon classes 2011
>  
> Just read your email on where your kids are 'going' Brendan..thats happening here too.  Our Sciency and Maths type subjects are dropping in numbers at VCE and the 'other' ones seem to be going up.
> A spike in Trends?  Who knows...
>  
> Stats....they keep you guessing always!
>  
> 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 Brendyn Hancock [BHancock at nagle.vic.edu.au]
> Sent: Friday, 10 September 2010 10:23 AM
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] McKinnon classes 2011
> 
> M
>  
> Many of our kids are taking classes with fancy names and little content. Many of them are going for classes that require less of them. Many of the VCE kids are going to VCAL/VET.
> Lots are going to more social based content classes. Environmental Studies. Social Justice studies. Art.
>  
> My observation.
>  
> B
>  
> Brendyn Hancock
> ICT Manager
> Nagle College
> PO Box 507
> BAIRNSDALE VIC 3875
> p 03 5152 6122 ext954
> f 03 5152 6220
>  
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> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
> Sent: Friday, 10 September 2010 9:59 AM
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] McKinnon classes 2011
>  
> Do you know where they're going instead?
> On 10 September 2010 09:46, Brendyn Hancock <BHancock at nagle.vic.edu.au> wrote:
> Mark
>  
> Was just about to post this same discussion. We seem to be all re-visiting this.
>  
> Nagle has an enrolment of 950. 2011 classes have just been drafted. Unit 1-2=8 students, Unit 3-4=1 student
>  
> Interesting to note we can only raise 2 classes of 25 student for a term elective of gamemaker in Y10 as well.
>  
> Trends are trending away from us..
>  
> Cheers
>  
> B
>  
> Brendyn Hancock
> ICT Manager
> Nagle College
> PO Box 507
> BAIRNSDALE VIC 3875
> p 03 5152 6122 ext954
> f 03 5152 6220
>  
> Disclaimer: 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 Nagle College. < http://www.nagle.vicedu.au>
>  
> From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
> Sent: Friday, 10 September 2010 9:01 AM
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List; Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] McKinnon classes 2011
>  
> It's really odd!  
> 
> ITA, which has run continuously forever with good numbers has barely scraped a class together for next year by combining year elevens and twelves into one small ITA class.
> 
> SD, which has only run every 3 or so years (with a small cohort when it did run), is nearly over-subscribed.
> 
> There don't seem to be any clear local causes for such a great change of attitude (e.g. changes of teachers or big changes in middle-years IT offerings) so I can only put it down to either something in the water, or the changes to the study design.
> 
> To be fair, I haven't heard kids explicitly blaming the ITA study design, and for some reason they seem dead keen on programming in our year 10 Info Systems elective. My year 11 IT classes have been dead quiet for 2 weeks with the kids busily coding in VB6.  Last year I had to beat them with chairs to finish the VB material... this year I can sit up the front folding paper aeroplanes and clipping my toenails while they beaver away and sort out problems within their own ranks.
> 
> Odd!
> 
> -- 
> Mark Kelly
> Information Systems Manager; Reporting Manager
> McKinnon Secondary College
> McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
> Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
> School Phone +613 8520 9000, Fax +613 9578 9253
> kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
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> 
> -- 
> Mark Kelly
> Information Systems Manager; Reporting Manager
> McKinnon Secondary College
> McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
> Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
> School Phone +613 8520 9000, Fax +613 9578 9253
> kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
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