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

Mon Oct 15 15:23:38 EST 2007

I agree that kids are more technology savvy but to what level. Take Word
for example. They can type documents safe and print but you get a kid to
do a search and replace, use auto text and other slightly advanced
skills and they flounder. Our task as IT teachers is to point out all
these time saving features to our students and staff so they realise how
much they are missing out and how much better and productive things
would be if they had deeper skills. 

The Barwon South West region is piloting ICT Peer coaching - this is a
program where I have time release to work with two other teachers in
integrating  ICT into their teaching practices. They hope to go
state-wide next year - look out for it. 

Also we need to  be proactive in promoting the use of new technologies
such as Moodle, Joomla and  Podcasting so rather than just using Word
and never ending PowerPoint presentations they can use a range of ICT
skills. The overall result deeper learning and more work for us.

Ian Clare

ICT Co-ordinator 

Casterton Secondary College

________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Anne-Marie Chase
Sent: Sunday, 14 October 2007 11:54 AM
To: 'Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] Year 7-10 IT structures

Hi

What do you all think about kids being highly skilled IT users as the
media and research tells us i.e. Prenskys "Digital Natives" and
Oblinger's "net-generation" is it a myth that kids are skilled users of
technology?  If Prensky's research in America holds true for Australia
surely kids don't need ICT lessons?

Downes research in primary schools in NSW also shows kids to be highly
skilled.  Kennedy's research of first year uni students at Melbourne Uni
again shows students to be highly skilled users.

I'd be really interested in your opinions on this?

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.

Leanne Wright barbarloot at yahoo.com
<mailto:yr7-10it%40edulists.com.au?Subject=%5BYr7-10it%5D%20Year%207-10%
20IT%20structures&In-Reply-To=341ac4150710110358j3d7d99fk67c890bee59439b
4%40mail.gmail.com> 

Sun Oct 14 08:00:33 EST 2007 

I'm feeling fortunate to be at a school where IT is still a core subject
at Year 7, 9 & 10 where It runs for 3 periods a week for one semester.
Year 8s do a workshop subject and are timetabled in a computer room for
1 period where they use drawing programs to produce working drawings for
their workshop projects (our technology teachers are all IT qualified).
Next year these arrangements will remain substantially unchanged except
for Year 10 which will lose about of quarter of its present time
allowance in the transition to 72 minute periods. 

  When the status of IT was originally being discussed, I presented a
list of all the ICT skills that VELS required students to have, at which
point the committee involved realised very few non IT teachers would
have all these skills.decided to keep IT as a separate subject. 

  I too am puzzled at the idea that 'integrating'  IT into other
subjects will allow anything approaching an adequeate skills base for
the 'information age' and current employer expectations. Why not
'integrate' the teaching of English into other subjects - after all we
can all read and write, and unlike IT, most if not all of us have done
Year 12 English!

  Leanne Wright - Epping SC

Colin SUTTON <oz.sutton at gmail.com
<http://www.edulists.com.au/mailman/listinfo/yr7-10it> > wrote:
  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 _______________________________________________ 
http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe 
Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by 
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
Authority and 
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Teachers Association Inc

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From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Robert Minato
Sent: 12 October 2007 13:30
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Yr7-10it] Year 7-10 IT structures

Prior to 2007, all our yr7 classes did 2-3 periods a week for a
semester. This year, it is expected that IT is integrated into other
subjects. We have found that students arrive here with a good grasp of
applications. The yr7 do one or two periods intro to IT mainly to
familiarise non-apple students with the mac system. IT is available as
electives at yr9.

Rob

-- 
Robert Minato
Technology Leader
Catholic College Wodonga
1 Bowman Crt
Wodonga 3690
02 6043 5546

On 11/10/07 8:58 PM, "Colin SUTTON" <oz.sutton at gmail.com> wrote:

Hi all