[Yr7-10it] New Yr10IT Course - Construct-ion-ivist Approach

[Keith Richardson]

Hi Pam. I work on a "KISS - only attempt what is likely to work"
principle, and keep things between compatible teachers who WANT to work
together. For example, the English teacher of my Yr 7 Science classes is
doing a novel with them that has as its central happening a young boy
who is in a light plane that crashes because the pilot suddenly has a
heart attack ("Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen, 1989). I teach the theory of
flight using (you guessed it!) a series of Tasks in a booklet, then they
build a flying model aeroplane to a standard design, then build an
own-design wing, then an own-design fuselage etc. Wings and fuselage are
held together with rubber bands so various configurations can be tried.
Meanwhile, back in the English camp, the kids make book covers to
illustrate the book (using ICT, of course, in full living colour). On
one evening we invite the parents in for an inter-squadron flying
display/competition plus show the book covers etc.
All in all it is a rewarding total experience for the teachers, the kids
and a feel-good for the parents.
The Flight booklet is 800Kb so I won't attach it here, but if people
want a copy I will put it up somewhere and they can download it.
Ciao, Keith



On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 14:39:38 +1000, "Pamela Wright"
<P.Wright at latrobe.edu.au> said:
> It's such a comprehensive unit of work Keith. This is the sort of thing I
> have been aiming for my students to produce, but find that often they
> don't have enough knowledge of other subject areas to do it well. So my
> research is leaning toward team teaching to get them to produce the sort
> of thing you've done.
>  
> What are your opinions (and other people's) of team teaching or whole
> school curriculum planning?
>  
> Pam Wright
> Lecturer
> School of Educational Studies
> La Trobe University
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Keith Richardson
> Sent: Wed 29/06/2005 6:25 AM
> To: List Yr7-10it; List IP&M
> Subject: [Yr7-10it] New Yr10IT Course - Construct-ion-ivist Approach
> 
> 
> 
> I have been impressed by the various approaches to ITC discussed
> recently on these lists, and so decided to create an experimental
> learning setting for my Year10IT class for Semester 2. I have played
> with various forms of scenario-based integrative units before, as I
> guess we all have, but decided to go all out with this one, utilizing
> full-immersion lasting a full semester.
> My kids seem to work best in situations where they are involved in the
> content, where there are clearly defined expectations, yet where there
> is also 'room-to-move'. I have built each of these elements into the
> course.
> I would like to eventually move towards a Moodle style of course
> delivery, but at this point in time the learning curve (for me) is
> toweringly steep, so have decided to be more conventional and during the
> semester in my own time try adapting it across to Moodle. We will see...
> Please feel free to modify and adapt in any which way (all I ask is that
> credit be given for original authorship). It should be easy to change
> the cultural setting to suit your kids, and to adjust the various
> software and tasks to suit what you prefer to do.
> My whole thesis is that ICT and associated software programs should be
> there to serve other purposes. There will be times when it is essential
> to pause from the theme and teach just software but just sufficient to
> put them onto the right track with correct procedures and the discipline
> of organized logic particularly in the field of file management.
> As an aside I recommend taking a look at the Florida Gulf Coast
> University tutorials for Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access, as well as
> Wikipaedia for definitions and extended explanations.
> Attached please find a copy of the course.
> I would be very interested in and appreciative of critical feedback
> please.
> Regards, Keith Richardson
> Keith Richardson
> Leibler Yavneh College
> Elsternwick Ph (03)9528 4911
> keithcr at fastmail.fm
> 
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> Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by
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> Teachers Association Inc
Keith Richardson
Leibler Yavneh College
Elsternwick Ph (03)9528 4911
keithcr at fastmail.fm