[Year 12 IT Apps] No ITA at McKinnon in 2012

[O'Grady, Liam A]

I actually really like the new study design. Databases is a nice meaty topic with many good practical applications so I feel like I'm teaching my students valuable skills. And whilst normal forms are a bit scary to start with they do provide a clean and logical way to help design good databases.  It's also nice to move away from using spreadsheets to do tasks they weren't really designed for. Like using a flat head screwdriver for a Philips head. It works but it's not the best.

Haven't taught SD yet so it could be interesting to try that at some point.

Cheers
Liam

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Roland Gesthuizen
Sent: Thursday, 20 October 2011 2:29 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] No ITA at McKinnon in 2012

Was kind of thinking the same thing here. Would be nice to offer both ITA and IS but Rob and I had enough on our plate this year with a huge campus merger. Not sure how the numbers are panning out for 2012.

Compared to ITA, the IS flavour does look subject with more bubbles and a twist of fun.

Regards Roland

On 20 October 2011 08:30, Mark KELLY <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au<mailto:kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>> wrote:
Hi all.

As I feared, ITA didn't get enough enrolments to run in 2012 - for the first time in about 15 years.

Strangely enough, Software Development *is* running - and before this year it hasn't run for 3 years.

Actually, I'm kind of relieved since SD is more interesting anyway, and ITA seems old, dry and tired. Perhaps it's just because I've been teaching it since forever, or it may be that the new study design is partly to blame - and yes! normal forms, I AM looking at you.  And I'd also put some blame on the freakishly large and long U4O1 - my kids were exhausted at the end of that.

After a hiatus this year, Units 1&2 return to McKinnon in 2012, and since I have barely looked at them it will be another fun year compiling resources for those units.
If the ITA embargo continues and SD continues to run, I may craft units 1&2 to be heavy on programming to better funnel kids into SD in the following year.

Do you guys know what units will run at your places next year?

--
Mark Kelly
Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085<tel:%2B613%208520%209085>, Fax +613 9578 9253<tel:%2B613%209578%209253>
kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au<mailto:kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Edulist<http://www.edulists.com.au/>

Want a good time? Call 0112358. Ask for Mr Fibonacci.

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