[VELS] A unit for Year 7 IT

Tue Dec 12 11:32:45 EST 2006

Hi Roland I do not disagree with you but I do believe it does depend on how you read the study design. At my place a lot of decisions are being made without my consultation about Technology and the approach is 'divide and conquer'. We have revisited the Mac  PC issue.  They have even hot rid of my year 8 Robotics units and introduced a subject called Design Creativity and Technology which is media based. They have big plans to carry out media amnd ake it big and I have no qualms about the people hired to do this yet they are making decisions about technology without consultation all in the name VELS

I am not anti VELS. I believe very much in the philosophies that underpin it and like you have all the respect of technology teachers. I will do your search (about the use of intefgration) but I do not disagree with you. The problem is the leadership team in consultation with trying to do things bigger and better do.

I can go on  and on about what has happened but what I need to do is work to create a curriculum that is worthwhile.

-----Original Message-----
From: vels-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:vels-bounces at edulists.com.au]On Behalf Of Roland Gesthuizen
Sent: Tuesday, 12 December 2006 2:18 AM
To: Victorian Essential Learning Standards
Subject: Re: [VELS] A unit for Year 7 IT

Integration is not really a word used by the VELS. I teach my ICT  courses with oodles of English (theatre plays, creative writing etc) but I dont call it 'integrating' English into ICT. Perhaps it is my way of thinking but 'embedding' ICT into courses sounds better and a bit more dignified. I think of it as a way for us all to teach rich and vibrant courses that overlap and support each other. 

Nobody wanted to grab the topic of Internet Safety at our school, it became a bit of a football that got kicked around with programming with GameMaker,  MovieMaker, Podcasting, Wiki's, Digital Portfolios etc. This isnt all that suprising with the reluctance of some to adopt 'Web2' technologies. Similarly, few staff were interested in the finer details of ICT assessment after discovering that it wasnt just a matter of grinding out the odd slideshow and three fold brochure to mark. (Read the standards .. Read the standards) 

Integration sounds a bit like divide and conquer, a fight over hardware instead of a more dignified collaboration and as Jamie McKenzie once described as 'smushing', a move to cram ICT into a curriculum. Of course how and when schools can best do this is really up to them to figure out.. 

Regards Roland

PS: Try this Google search +VELS integrate ICT site: vcaa.vic.edu.au  <http://vcaa.vic.edu.au> and you will see what I mean ... 

On 11/12/06, DANIELA LUPONE < luponed at columba.vic.edu.au> wrote: 

Hi Roland Is your course integrated with other subjects then taking up some of the difficulties they are experiencing? Would be interested to take a look at your course

Regards Daniela

D.Lupone
St Columba's Colege
Essendon 3040

luponed at columba.vic.edu.au

-----Original Message-----
From: vels-bounces at edulists.com.au  <mailto:vels-bounces at edulists.com.au> [mailto: vels-bounces at edulists.com.au]On Behalf Of Roland Gesthuizen
Sent: Monday, 11 December 2006 4:01 PM
To: Victorian Essential Learning Standards
Subject: Re: [VELS] A unit for Year 7 IT

Odd, we are putting a small IT course back into our year 7 curriculum to make life easier for all the other teachers. They can still embed IT into their course but relax as the assessment has been done, knowing that a competent teacher has got the ball rolling with an IT course that draws its context from the other domains. Anybody interested in a course outline? 

Regards Roland

On 11/12/06, DANIELA LUPONE < luponed at columba.vic.edu.au> wrote: 

I know there was some discussion about what people are doing with regards to VELS and It

I am putting together a course with regards to Year 7 IT. In putting this together I am conscious that the school will probably get rid of Year 7 IT in the following year. I have tried to devleop on our existing course where we use IT applications such as word, powerpoint and outlook. 

Would appreciate any criticism

regards Daniela Lupone
St Columba's College
Essendon 3040
<<Tech_UP_7_Info_Wordprocessing_2007.doc>>

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-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead _______________________________________________ 
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_______________________________________________ 
http://www.edulists.com.au  <http://www.edulists.com.au> - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe 
IPM Mailing List kindly supported by 
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au  <http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au> - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and 
http://www.vitta.org.au  <http://www.vitta.org.au> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc

-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead _______________________________________________ 
http://www.edulists.com.au  <http://www.edulists.com.au> - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe 
IPM Mailing List kindly supported by 
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au  <http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au> - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and 
http://www.vitta.org.au  <http://www.vitta.org.au> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc

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