[Yr7-10it] Year 7-10 IT structures

[Anne-Marie Chase]

Hi

 

I'm not sure that making ICT non-compulsory is a bad thing if subject
teachers are supported by ICT specialists so they can integrate ICT into
their subject area in a meaningful way.  All the schools I have ever taught
in I have had periods allocated where I am not teaching but available to
provide support to teachers.  I have then worked with teachers in the best
way for them, team teaching, classroom support, PD, providing access to
hardware or software etc.  I tired to keep an ear out for what was going on
where in the school and make suggestion and encourage use of ICT.  Some
subject areas see ICT as being irrelevant so this can take a lot time to
build trust and confidence with some teachers, before they will consider
anything new. 

 

I worked with a group of English teachers studying Romeo and Juliet with
year 10's.  We did web design and the combination of skills made it a
fantastic project.  I was only able to attend one lesson a week, so the
students had to wait to have technical problems dealt with at that one
lesson or support each other.  I offered e-mail support to the students
which was great to see them define problems and independently seek support.
Some of the teachers did something they had never had the confidence to do
before.  Some students who had never previously been engaged really
excelled.  The whole writing for a purpose and writing for a specific
audience was covered much better by the English teachers than I would be
able to do it.  Too many great things to list.....

 

Over the years I have worked with teachers from just about every subject
area to deliver projects that have ICT integrated in a meaningful way. 

 

I think sometimes the leadership in schools needs to be offered ideas about
how to deliver ICT.  Discreet ICT lessons do not have to be the way to go,
many of the social and cultural issues related to ICT would be difficult to
cover in a discrete lesson but fit perfectly into the context of a subject
area.

 

Cheers

 

Anne-Marie

 

Anne-Marie Chase
Graduate School of Education 
The University of Western Australia
web http://digital-kids.wikispaces.com <http://digital-kids.wikispaces.com/>


 

P please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to.

 

  _____  

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mclean, Rachelle L
Sent: 12 October 2007 12:30
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] Year 7-10 IT structures

 

I'm at Hampton Park Secondary and there's no compulsory ICT here either.  It
is ridiculous.  The school's attitude is that every teacher can teach ICT
integrated with their regular units.  As if!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

Rachelle McLean

Hampton Park Secondary

 

  _____  

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Colin SUTTON
Sent: Thursday, 11 October 2007 8:59 PM
To: yr7-10it at edulists.com.au
Subject: [Yr7-10it] Year 7-10 IT structures

 

Hi all

My school, Montmorency SC, has NO compulsory ICT!

A student can go through 6 years of schooling here and do NO formal IT.

No other school I have ever taught in (2 in Vic, 3 in QLD and 4 in the UK)
have ever had this! 

It seems unbelievable that in the Information Age students are not formally
taught ANY ICT.

They have to learn another language, do wood, metal, cooking and sewing -
useful and even essential - but the ONE thing none of them can avoid is ICT!


Sure, many can play games and surf to sites, but they are not formally
taught a wide range of other useful or essentail skills.

Schools I have taught in elsewhere had at least one semester of ICT at Year
7 (Yr 8 in QLD as secondary starts in Yr8). 

Most had an elective system that required them to do at least ONE or more
units at 8/9 or even again in Yr 10.

Comments anyone?

 
Regards

COLIN _______________________________________________ 
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