[Yr7-10it] currency?

Thu Mar 12 11:45:52 EST 2009

Yep, I concur with you Ros about the updating and how it is perceived by other KLA's. I too am a qual'd maths teacher (but not with any maths load this year), so I understand about the discussion on 'change'. 
We are currently undergoing the planning paperwork thing this year...oh, the joys!  As if staying current wasnt enough, now i must actually 'plan' for it.

ah, well, such is etc..

Kent.

Kent Beveridge,
I.C.T. co-ordinator
St. Brigids Catholic Sec. College
 http://www.stbc.vic.edu.au/ <http://www.stbc.vic.edu.au/> 
Horsham Ph (03) 5382 3545
kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au
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________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Ros Meadows
Sent: Wed 3/11/2009 8:44 PM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Yr7-10it] Tools for Interactivity (Was: Missed the boat?)

Yes Ken - I really believe that the staff at my school perhaps think I just absorb my skills and knowledge by osmosis or some other mystic transference process every time I boot up my computer! Little do they realise how much time we spend keeping up to date! Yet in the past when I have offered to give an ICT session at lunchtime or after school only 2 or 3 staff will turn up (and they are usually the "converted")!
Give me an English novel to read any day! Although I must say I doubt I could cope with trying to read students' essays on the novel!!! 
Cheers
Ros

ken price wrote: 

	The task of remaining current with ICT is a massive issue. I've been both a Mathematics teacher and a Computing teacher and you are most certainly correct as far as content is concerned. 90% of school maths content is the same as it was 40 years ago - and a quick look at textbooks will verify that (pedagogy however has changed significantly though). Computing content has a very short half-life.

	Some time back we changed the mandated programming language in one IT subject from Pascal to Java, One of my colleagues in another school asked their principal for some time to learn this language and update their notes, assignments etc. The response was "I used to teach English and we had a new novel every year. What's so hard about changing a computer language?"

	And it was said in all seriousness. 

	The nature of ICT and the workload in remaining current is not well-understood by most people outside of it. Some people find even a change of web browser challenging, but at a deeper level of study the change is much more demanding of course. The most successful PD models I have seen rely heavily on the generosity of the teachers involved and their willingness to go beyond the minimum. This is of course impossible to mandate across the board.  It isn't always about sending people to training, though that has its place.

	Any suggestions on workable models for PD in the use of ICT tools generally, or the ones discussed here specifically? (workable = able to be scaled to all staff, not just the enthusiastic.)

	Ken, TASITE Tasmania

	On Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 2:46 PM, Bane, Janet A <bane.janet.a at edumail.vic.gov.au> wrote:

		I often think I should have been a maths teacher - algebra and trigonometry probably haven't changed much in the past few decades (sorry to any maths teacher if I have offended you), but if you think of the giant strides made in the field of computers and ICT, its no wonder schools can't keep pace.

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