[Year 12 SofDev] 2011 numbers

Sun Sep 12 13:18:43 EST 2010

I always find this an interesting discussion at this time of year.

We have since 2000 had fairly consistent numbers, so over three different study designs we have had one full class of IPM/ITA of about 20-25, and an SD class of 8-14. The numbers are similar next year with ITA just slipping over the 25 mark to allow us to have two classes. (our Year 11-12 cohort is about 360) Year 11 and Year 10 have solid numbers, with year 10 having 4-6 semester electives running most years.

We have not been able to sustain any VET classes (we tend to go against the trend in this area), we had it one 2 year cycle a couple of years back.

And I know we often blame the study design but there are so many factors that impact on students decisions to choose a subject. As VCE Coordinator I would say, in general, the exact content of a course has limited influence over selection, other than having to have a general interest in that subject area. Peer group, prerequisites, and certainly not least the teachers they have had as well as the teachers expected to teach the subject have ever increasing influence. Most kids I spoke to about ITA/SD hadn't even realised there were any changes for next year, because they had made the selection on what a teacher said or did and what their friend who is doing it this year said etc. Not sure what we teach is an important as how we teach it.

Regards
Claudia

PS: my 2 cents because I had 5 minute free on a weekend while in the middle of the last SD SAC of the year!

*********************************************************************
Claudia Graham
VCE Coordinator
Assistant to the Head of Staff (Keilor Campus)
Overnewton College
9334 0049 (direct)

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Kent Beveridge
Sent: Sunday, 12 September 2010 10:38 AM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] ITApps 2011?

Another slightly different perspective on this topic,....
IFF statistical analysis is to reveal anything and as stats are a lot to do with sampling, population sizes and so on(I am not a statistician by the way...) then howcome the 'random audits' conducted by the body overseeing our course seems to 'randomly' pick same schools for audit regularly(me now 4 years in a row!) and add to that then, why did I bother to organize a partnership arrangement with other schools. Some things dont make sense and these are but two of them to me.
Also, as far as results go, I've done quite nicely the last 2 years thanks very much with my small cohort. BUT, seems I.T.Apps  may be dead here now..not sure but dont think anyone picked it for '11.
Got Certs 2 & 3 running instead now.  Also might convert the middle school I.T. to programming and game development using Actionscript and similar...

my 2.57 cents worth..

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 Roland Gesthuizen [rgesthuizen at gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, 11 September 2010 10:56 AM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] McKinnon classes 2011
Three years ago, my VCE IT classes got shouldered with the Arts block so the my students are generally drawn from Maths-Science to Business Studies-Arts. Most have an ESL background and my most 'accademic' IT student has only been in Australia for a couple of years and struggles with many basic computing ideas. I am still smouldering by the reviewer who openly ticked me off for a decline in IT results. Explaining to a bean-counter about small sample sizes, teaching for all and shifting cohort groups doesnt cut much cloth when they wave their moderation wand.

Oddly enough, I have more girls in my year 12 class than boys. I put this to the splendid Go-Girls-Gor-For IT seminar we ran for the year 10s a couple of years ago. My guess is that if I hadn't done this, we would also be down to just one class. The pictures speak for themselves and I believe they are running the event again.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/plakboek/sets/72157624373556087/

Lock and load ..

Regards Roland

PS: My biggest challenge is enthusing kids to return to school / class following the term break for revision and sticking it out. For the past couple of years, I sit outside the examination room to fire off a threatening glare for anybody that even just dates to think about leaving early (sigh) .. some later admit that the thought of a grumpy Mr G lurking outside keeps them indoors.

PSS: Increasingly like the idea of switching to offering SD instead next year.
On Fri, Sep 10, 2010 at 10:23 AM, Brendyn Hancock <BHancock at nagle.vic.edu.au<mailto:BHancock at nagle.vic.edu.au>> wrote:
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> [mailto: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<mailto: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<http://www.nagle.vic.edu.au>>

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au> [mailto: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<mailto:kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
VCE IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List

Korma: the philosophy that what you get out of a curry depends on what you put into it.

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Date: 2010-09-10 09:46:22.971
From: bhancock at nagle.vic.edu.au<mailto:bhancock at nagle.vic.edu.au>
To: itapps at edulists.com.au<mailto:itapps at edulists.com.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<mailto:kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
VCE IT Lecture notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Mailing List

Korma: the philosophy that what you get out of a curry depends on what you put into it.

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Date: 2010-09-10 10:23:24.772

From: bhancock at nagle.vic.edu.au<mailto:bhancock at nagle.vic.edu.au>
To: itapps at edulists.com.au<mailto:itapps at edulists.com.au>
Profile: default_out
Mail id: challenge-407820340887h-0

_______________________________________________
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IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by
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--
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

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