[Year 12 IT Apps] Unit 3 - refressher

[Mark]

Congratulations on getting a class up and running. It's been a long time
since one could take that for granted.

Here are some *unofficial* reactions:

1.       Study Design (SD) defines by giving a list of what are websites
> for online communities. Wikis blogs etc. Do we have to author one of these?
>

Yep. But obviously in the real world few sites offer only ONE of those
tools. There is usually a combination of them for different purposes. The
case study you give kids should guide them in their choices of what tools
need to be added.

> 2.       The SD also lists the web functions or HTML features eg CSS that
> we must use. If I go online and just find a site and use their tools to
> build a wiki is that enough. Seems to me that you would not get to use a
> lot of HTML if you did that.
>
The SD is looking a bit long in the tooth now, IMO, in its assumption that
sites are created with individual HTML/CSS pages with an editor. But you
should probably resist the temptation to use automated web creation sites,
CMS etc for the time being and instil in kids knowledge of basic concepts
indicated by VCAA's list of required functions. Including ALL of the
features is a reach, however: none of my kids ever included EVERY listed
function in their sites.

Remember that the 'prototype' rider means that you don't have to make
wikis, blogs etc actually *functional*.
- I got kids to take a screen shot of (say) a wiki, edit it in Photoshop so
its contents looked relevant to the case study, and stick the image of the
wiki into a webpage.
- Web forms need not actually send data to a real destination site.
- Login screens can also be faked. A screenshot of a login box with an
image map placed over the "login button" can be linked to the "You are
logged in" page, so when the 'button' is clicked, it simulates a login.

The main thing of the outcome, I believe, is that kids demonstrate their
knowledge of the *need* for certain features, such as a wiki, data entry
facilities, security, and create a site that demonstrates that they know
*how* these needs can be satisfied - even if they're faked.

So - no *real* wiki, blog, login box, search box etc are needed.
Implementing most of them in a school environment would be damned near
impossible anyway, and don't add to a kid's demonstration of their
understanding of the key knowledge.

2.2c worth (with GST)
Do you have a Rewards Card?

Cheers
Mark
-- 

Mark Kelly
mark AT vceit DOT com
http://vceit.com
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