[Year 12 SofDev] iOS comment and a question...KentB

Sun Nov 20 20:25:32 EST 2011

To Gordon and Claudia,

thanks for the feedback guys.

I must have missed the 'objective c' item on the list..(but still likely to use VB.net)

On a plus side to counter my last email, yesterday was mostly teachers on site doing the Android Apps course. Is this because it was free??  It was well presented and worth the 4hr journey again back to melbourne. A long day for me again but valuable.

Lunch was yummy too!

I will add though..the iOS course was clearly far more in depth and although it proved intense and a challenge on many levels, it did have a high emphasis on coding...a crucial I.T. skill for serious computer professionals and one which is now greatly overseas sourced.

These two courses were very valuable PD for me to attend and proved a great learning experience. Thanks Swinburne for the offerings.

Perhaps next weekend I might actually get to see both days!

Kent.

Kent Beveridge
ICT Co-ordinator, St.Brigids CSC, HORSHAM,Vic,Aus.
kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au<mailto:kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au>

________________________________
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] on behalf of Poultney, Gordon A [Poultney.Gordon.A at edumail.vic.gov.au]
Sent: Friday, 18 November 2011 8:36 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] iOS comment and a question...KentB

Although I use VB for SofDev, I did start a side project of a few (talented) students off in Android recently just to guage reaction. They enjoyed the VB esque Eclipse IDE, but found the testing/debugging cycle a bit frustrating - the emulator is very slow as is direct USB debugging to a phone. Or is that just our mediocre laptops?!

These students have grown up with pretty slick software so if it 'clunks' a little they tend to lose faith ( bit like the ultranet and me!). As Eclipse or whatever ide comes along gets better it will become a goer for SofDev.

Despite IT being subsumed into the junior curriculum, there will always be a niche for intersting mid-school electives and programming. Not sure where the VCE study design should go - it is one of those perennial list debates.

Having taught Info Systems /SofDev for 11 years straight now, and not once taught ITApps i very pleased to say, i would lean towards a single Unit 3/4 subject that emphasised hands on skills: Brief PSM, software development and perhaps have a few straight Apps style skills . Cut out the humanities style ethics questions.

a few quick thoughts
                          gordon

-----------
Gordon Poultney
Horsham College
________________________________
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] on behalf of Kent Beveridge [kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au]
Sent: Thursday, 17 November 2011 10:23 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] iOS comment and a question...KentB

Hi all.

Having just done the iOS course at Swinny last week,  can I just say it was hard yakka for me but gave me lots to

think about from a programming perspective. The attendees were mostly professional programmers from industry.

We used the Xcode IDE on Mac desktops(iMacs i think??) so now I find that with our school - and others too- going the iPad way, I reckon perhaps spending some time getting more comfy with the IDE would be great.

I dont recall seeing Objective C as an optional language for Software Dev via the VCAA official list...is it an option??

The way I see it, via the IDE we used on the Macs at Swinny, its an ideal (albeit very powerful and brain intensive!) option to extend programming students and PERFECT for developing an App for a portable device as required by one of the outcomes at the Unit 3 / 4 SD subject.

On a negative side, my discussions with participants included comments from them that a shortage of students selecting the programming courses was happening. Is this because our students these days are 'lazy' and figure if its not gaming then they dont want to touch it??  Or is it simply because they have too many other 'easy' options.

Whatever it is...the gap is growing between the job market and the qualified programmers to fill it -LOCAL, that is, not imported or outsourced programmers!

This is not good.  I wonder what the VCAA is doing to fix this issue. Seems the VELS integration into 7-10 subjects is killing us at that level and then at VCE the options for what to teach the kids at units 1 and 2 is well...limited to be polite(have heard other less polite terms used but I hate the "bor###" word.).

Seems to me, by the time 'phase 3' of the Aus curriculum comes around, not too many schools, mine included, will even have students selecting I.T. for a variety of of reasons.  Personally, I am taking steps to try and avoid that but it means rethinking just what is taught, how it is taught, getting buckets of money for 'new tools' to teach with, and competing with heaps of other offerings on the plate for students. Teachers of I.T. in the future, for those who still have jobs, I see will be in a rather different role than that presently.

Also, I did not see any other teachers from secondary level doing the Swinny course there. I cant understand that, given the way technology is going these days.  I hope perhaps a couple may be at the Android one this Saturday, but clearly this one will be far less taxing than the iOS one was, judging by my initial investigations already.

I for one, plan to examine opportunities using these skills and am intending to build on them, both in the classroom and out of it.  Dare I say it, now I must buy a Mac to do this properly!  As a colleague of mine jokes...hmmm coming to the 'dark side' now Kent?? (I've been a PC man for years...., but still not converted, just being flexible!!!).

This is intended as comment, not criticism.  Replies welcomed. Rock-throwing is not! I am a concerned, passionate I.T. teacher who is concerned about the growing black hole in industry being filled by non-local specialists when we could be encouraging locals into the industry. I do have some small number of kids into their programming, but it is a VERY small number and they often get ostracised for their interest in an area not widely recognized by their peers as 'important'.

Kent Beveridge
ICT Co-ordinator, St.Brigids CSC, HORSHAM,Vic,Aus.
kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au<mailto:kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au>

________________________________
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] on behalf of Matheson, Heath A [Matheson.Heath.A at edumail.vic.gov.au]
Sent: Thursday, 17 November 2011 4:11 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] SD exam discussion

Heya all,
Can we try to have different threads for discussion of different exam questions? My brain gave a me a  “stack full” message while trying to digest the ITA exam thread.
Perhaps we can kick things off with a list of good and dodgy questions then have separate threads?

Heath.

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Poultney, Gordon A
Sent: Thursday, 17 November 2011 2:50 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] SD exam oddity

just had a quick look through and one of the mc questions doesn't seem to have a correct answer??
Also concerned about wording in later questions - specific comments later today.

gordon

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Gordon Poultney
Horsham College
________________________________
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] on behalf of Matheson, Heath A [Matheson.Heath.A at edumail.vic.gov.au]
Sent: Thursday, 17 November 2011 2:36 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] SD exam oddity
Or one of the reasons is really obvious, which I often find is the case in these exams. The VCAA sent through “proceed normally” at 12PM so kids were not told of any changes.
Heath

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
Sent: Thursday, 17 November 2011 2:17 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] SD exam oddity

A message for Paula... Will we teachers be told if kids were given corrections to the SD paper?

The longer I look at section B Q5, the more insane it looks.

Surely there's a major technical error in there?

--
Mark Kelly
Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area
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<http://www.edulists.com.au/>

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