[Year 12 IPM] VELS - Who Cares???

Thu Jun 9 07:35:41 EST 2005

Good thinking Rod - but I'm still not yet convinced. Push your point a
bit harder! What counter-point arguments came up in your faculty debate,
for instance?
Keith

On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 22:57:48 +1000, "Rod Kendall"
<rod.kendall at overnewton.vic.edu.au> said:
> Hi Keith and fellow IPMers
>  
> >From my point of view....I see VELS as the first recognition of the
> place of ICT (technology) within the curriculum. The use of ICT
> incorporated in all curriculum delivery. We have talked for years about
> computers across the curriculum but have never had official placement of
> ICT as teaching and learning tools. Yes we have all encouraged staff to
> use ICT but now we have a curriculum document making ICT's as a central
> feature of teaching and learining. The VELS illustrates the
> interconnectivity between curriculum  and ICT pedagogy. I hope it will
> be the revolution we have talked about and never really seen all staff
> "having" to embrace the use of ICT within the curriculum.
>  
> We must be careful in differentaiting between ICT and IT. I strongly
> believe that there is an Infromation Techology curriculum to be taught
> as a discreet subject from year 5-12. In fact my own faculty debated
> this topic tonight! We are currently auditing our IT curriculum and are
> looking at what is taught and making assessments as to what skills and
> processes can be taught "across the curriculum" and where they will be
> taught and then coming back to what's left and look at what we offer as
> It content (maybe programming etc).
>  
> Our collegegues in the State system have no choice as to follow the
> VELS; they must introduce the changes for the start of 2006. It will be
> a big change.
>  
> I hope the implementation is better than the documentation produced thus
> far.....but on the surface I welcome the change.
>  
> I sitting here trying to guess who on the list will throw the first
> flame!!! LOL
>  
> My meagre thoughts..
>  
> Rod
>  
> (Bring it on.......)
>  
> PS - If I am way off track will someone let me know
>  
> Rod Kendall
>  
> Head of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
> Head of Information Technology (Keilor Campus)
> Overnewton Anglican Community College
> 2-30 Overnewton Rd 
> Keilor  VIC 3036
> Direct Tel : 03 9334 0134
> Mobile: 0418 138 601
> Fax: 03 9336 1835
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Keith Richardson
> Sent: Wed 8/06/2005 10:18 PM
> To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
> Teachers'Mailing List
> Subject: [Year 12 IPM] VELS - Who Cares???
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.ictev.vic.edu.au/event/Activity_Interactive_Notes/VELS_Notes_
> 2.doc
> http://www.ictev.vic.edu.au/event/Activity_Interactive_Notes/VELS_Notes_
> 1.ppt
> Thank you Roland. My, it's scarey, isn't it? How will the poor kids cope
> with all of this almost meaningless change (for change sake?) Can anyone
> explain, using words of no more than two syllables, what all of this
> fuss is really about? Apart from our obedience, and just doing as we are
> told to do, why do it at all? Beats me!
> Anyway, here are the two URLs that Roland is referring to, but does
> anyone know where I can find answers to my perplexities above? I don't
> mind change, but I like to have really GOOD reasons - ones that I can
> believe in, and value myself...
> Keith
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 18:56:35 +1000, "Roland Gesthuizen"
> <rge at westallsc.vic.edu.au> said:
> > G'day all,
> >
> > It depends on how schools wish to implement things but there is still
> a
> > role
> > for IT educator / experts in a school. There is a nice paragraph
> buried
> > in
> > the Standards that says ".. this does not preclude schools from also
> > offering ICT as a stand-alone study ...". The challenge of course is
> how
> > we
> > can all best teach IT in the context of other learning areas.
> >
> > Paula gave a very good presentation on this at the recent ICTEV state
> > conference with some animated slides that illustrated the different
> > approaches that could be taken. After seeing this I began to realise
> that
> > our school is probably already doing this. (phew)
> >
> > http://www.ictev.vic.edu.au/event/conference.htm (scroll down - ICT in
> > VELS)
> >
> > Regards Roland
> >
> > --
> > Roland Gesthuizen - eLearning Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
> > http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au
> > 
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au]
> On
> > Behalf Of Donna Benjamin
> > Sent: Wednesday, 8 June 2005 8:25 AM
> > To: ipm at edulists.com.au
> > Subject: [Year 12 IPM] Year 7 Computing
> >
> > Recent postings reminded me of this thread from last year. I hope you
> > won't mind too much me reposting these witty words from Mr David
> Dimsey.
> >
> > -------- Forwarded Message --------
> > From: David Dimsey <david.dimsey at geelongcollege.vic.edu.au>
> > Reply-To: IPM List <ipm at fhc.vic.edu.au>
> > To: IPM List <ipm at fhc.vic.edu.au>
> > Subject: Re: OT Year 7 Computing
> > Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 16:47:55 +1000
> >
> > Frank -
> > I think that you should re-evaluate the Year 7 English program, and
> > float the suggestion that they give up the 5 periods a week currently
> > allocated to English. The idea, of course, is that the important
> skills
> > could be covered in other KLA areas.
> > If IT skills can be taught in other KLA areas by teachers untrained in
> > IT, then surely English skills can be covered in the same way (better,
> > perhaps - the average IT teacher's English skills are probably higher
> > than the average English teacher's IT skills; all IT teachers have
> > passed Year 12 English, whereas very few English teachers have passed
> > Year 12 IT). If IT skills are important enough to be included in the
> > curriculum at all, then IT deserves its own time allocation, and
> should
> > be taught by specialist IT teachers.
> >
> > I think part of the problem is the view that "IT is a tool" or "the
> > computer is just a tool". You can make exactly the same statement
> about
> > English (a tool for communication, entertainment, or expression) or
> > Mathematics (a tool for numerical calculations and analysis) or
> History
> > (a tool for understanding human behaviour).
> > As we all know, the successful use of IT (checking email, using the
> > Internet, creating word-processed documents, whatever) requires a
> > particular mindset - thinking about information and data in digital
> > terms - an understanding of how digital information is structured and
> > manipulated, extensive training and practice in the tools and
> techniques
> > of IT, and a particular vocabulary. Much like Science or Mathematics
> in
> > many ways - each of which have a curriculum allocation and specialist
> > teachers. (I would also suggest that IT will play as important a part
> in
> > our students' lives as science or mathematics).
> > The suggestion that Excel skills, for example, "should be reinforced
> > and extended by the teacher whose curriculum requires them" is
> perfectly
> > valid, in exactly the same way as writing skills should be reinforced
> > and extended by the teacher whose curriculum requires them. But this
> is
> > not to negate the place of specialist classes in the discipline (IT or
> > English) conducted by specialist teachers.
> >
> >
> > David Dimsey
> > Director of Learning Technologies
> > The Geelong College
> > Talbot St
> > Newtown VIC 3220
> > ph:  (03) 5226 3173
> > fax: (03) 5222 4046
> > david.dimsey at geelongcollege.vic.edu.au
> > www.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au
> > >
> > > >>> frankm at sjcs.melb.catholic.edu.au 7/09/2004 2:47:54 pm >>>
> > > Dear Colleagues,
> > > We are currently re-evaluating our Year 7 Computer Studies
> programme. A
> > > suggestion has been floated that the Technology faculty gives up the
> 2
> > > periods/week/semester we currently allocate to Computer Studies in
> Year
> > > 7 in favour of another KLA area. The idea is that the important
> skills
> > > ould be covered in oter KLA areas. Of course from year 8 students
> can
> > > select IT units as part of our vertical curriculum structure.
> > >
> > > I was wondering what experiences other schools have had with this
> > > approach. For example, if Computing skills are to be taught in other
> > > KLAs, are they being taught "properly"? How have other KLA
> programmes
> > > adjusted to integrate IT into their programmes?
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > >
> > > ---
> > > Frank Merlino
> > > St. Joseph's College
> > > 135 Aphrasia St
> > > Newtown, Geelong, Vic
> > > Australia, 3220
> > > (03 52 268100)
> > >
> > > For Help, Subscribe,Unsubscribe, FAQ and more go to
> > > http://www.fhc.vic.edu.au/lists
> > > Comments to k.krozian at fhc.vic.edu.au
> >
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> Keith Richardson
> Leibler Yavneh College
> Elsternwick Ph (03)9528 4911
> keithcr at fastmail.fm
> 
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
> IPM Mailing List kindly supported by
> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
> Authority and
> http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology
> Teachers Association Inc
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
> IPM Mailing List kindly supported by
> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
> Authority and
> http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology
> Teachers Association Inc
Keith Richardson
Leibler Yavneh College
Elsternwick Ph (03)9528 4911
keithcr at fastmail.fm