[Yr7-10it] RE: Year 8 teaching ideas...

Sun Jul 15 12:09:37 EST 2007

I agree wholeheartedly with you Kent but what about animations?  Year 8's love creating animations.  I use Flash.  I also like to use HTML for web design as I believe it has more scope.

Spreadsheets, wordprocessing, a bit of database, photoshop, macromedia flash  are all tools that I use with my Yr 8 students.  I also get the students to research computer hardware and software and they set up a powerpoint presentation on their findings.  I give them a guideline to follow.

There is plenty to do with Yr 8's, only time is the barrier.  I have one period per week for a semester.

So Stephen, go with what Kent has mentioned but just add animations to that list.

Happy teaching

Michael Martin

Copperfield College

________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Kent Beveridge
Sent: Sat 7/14/2007 5:53 PM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Year 8 teaching ideas...

Hey there Stephen,
I know where you're coming from, as probably do many of our colleagues..you know the saying...heres the class and you are the boss so YOU DECIDE!. 
Here's a few thoughts to consider:
1. Find out what your predecessor may have taught if possible to enable continuity and not doubling up of materials
2. Do a survey of the kids and actually ASK THEM what they would LIKE to do..the answers may surprise you!
3. Identify what programs are accessible to the kids on their profiles and try to tailor a course around what they can access
4. Check out the VELS documentation for level 4 in ICT as this is the standard expected at year 8, naturally youd hope the kids can do better than that..
5. What skills do YOU bring to the subject and try to share these at a basic level with the kids. Again, they might surprise you!
6. Typically, at this level expect to do any of the following:
         Introduce Spreadsheeting
         Get to a proficient level of word processing
         Maybe introduce some Database studies(only basic at yr 8)
         Publisher and Photoshop are good to teach too!
         Try Gamemaker.nl, the website for a copy of Gamemaker if your network does not already have it. (I think the site is right, but a Google search will confirm)
         Perhaps explore some introductory features of 'Real' programming with them.
         Definitely get them onto Web page design at this level...preferably use Dreamweaver if you can...its the way to go, but FrontPage will suffice as an intro.
         Have you got any programmable stuff such as LEGO?

I hope these ideas help you to structure some sort of course for them...
Oh yeah, LOGO is fine too. But turtles can only take you so far!

Me, I'm going to do some Photshop for a few weeks (3 classes of 8's each having 2 periods per week)...our kids dont have much access to graphics programms outside of the graphics class so I am going to integrate with the art and graphics teachers to help 'em out, plus it helps me decide what to do next that's interesting for the kids!

I reckon the 8's are the best year...no attitude yet and a few bright ones!
The attitude hits late year 9 and in yr10...such is hormones!
ENJOY

ps.. maybe introduce them to BLOGGING and Moodle...everyone else seems to be doin' it! (not me at this level here yet..perhaps next year)

Kent Beveridge,
I.T. co-ordinator
St. Brigids Catholic Sec. College
Horsham
email.. kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au

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________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Stephen Yuen
Sent: Thu 7/12/2007 8:25 PM
To: yr7-10it at edulists.com.au
Subject: [Yr7-10it] What to teach for year 8 IT?

Hi there,

I'm teaching a year 8 info tech class next semester, and besides getting my students onto LOGO for the next three weeks, I'm stuck for ideas for what to teach for the rest of the time. Can anyone help? 

Thanks!

Stephen Yuen
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