[Year 12 IPM] IT in VELS

Mon Jun 5 15:06:36 EST 2006

They see the relevance of IT in their subject areas but only as far as typing up a document or maybe using a spread sheet - anything else is too new.  I could be really mean - the problem is their complete lack of confidence in using computers.  It is just in the way tooooooooo hard basket for them.  I know it comes back to me as the Learning Tech co-ordinator that I need to go back over the same ground with them again and again and again etc etc etc.  They are under pressure to use equipment, material, resources which they just dont understand and, in some cases, dont want to understand. (I have a staff member who uses their laptop daily but is proud of the fact that they have never sent an email) In some ways I sympathise with them.  They are in the predicament of learning what VELS is all about and then being told - oh BTW you have to include interpersonal skills, thinking skills and ICT skills into your English/Maths/French class. For many teachers (and I am sure this wou
 ld include some IT teachers) this is such a completely different mind-set from what they are comfortable with that it just gets too much for them. I also feel (and this is my personal opinion so please dont shoot me) that as groups, it is more difficult for secondary teachers to come to terms with these aspects of VELS than it is for primary teachers.

This is why it is so fundamental to me that we really argue our case. If anything, because of the new domains, dimensions included in VELS, it is imperative that we keep ICT as discrete subject. 

I am very lucky in that I have the year 7's for a semester, have various electives through our 8 to 10 vertical elective program and am running vce classes.    
frankm at sjcs.melb.catholic.edu.au on Mon, 05 Jun 2006 12:11:16 +1000 wrote:
> 
> Fiona,
> No...no way...are you telling me that some teachers don't see the relevance of ICT in their KLA? Surely not...they will all happily integrate it into their units....won't they? 
> 
> On a serious note, Fiona, thanks for your input. I suspected this sort of thing was going to happen...but then again, if they do not want IT teachers teaching the basics....then....where are students going to get their ICT skills?????
> 
> Regards,
> Frank
> 
> 
> 
> 
> fiona at balmoralhs.vic.edu.au on Mon, 05 Jun 2006 09:45:17 +1000 wrote:
> > following on from this - I have had two English teachers tell me that there is no place in their reports to include IT as a cross curricula subject because, wait for it, it (the IT VELS) is all about constructing web pages and things like that.  When I asked them about IT for communicating I got told they couldn't get it to apply to English!!
> > 
> > 
> > "Michael Warden" <warden.michael.d at edumail.vic.gov.au> on Fri, 02 Jun 2006 21:30:18 +1000 wrote:
> > > Here is my 2 cents worth....
> > > 
> > > IT teachers should teach a Year 7 introductory course specialising in:
> > > 
> > > 1). Effective File management procedures.
> > > 2). Word Processing of reports, letters and resumes suitable for "High
> > > School" level using suitable templates etc.
> > > 3). Effective Web Page authoring so students can (create) and/or edit their
> > > own web sites with suitably-formatted text, images and hyperlinks.
> > > 4). Spreadsheets to show students how to enter and select data to create
> > > effective graphs.
> > > 
> > > No offense to any Eng/SOSE/Math/Sci teachers, but they may not have the
> > > necessary expertise and knowledge of correct layout/formats to effectively
> > > instruct the students.
> > > 
> > > Any comments.....
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
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> > ---
> > fiona at balmoralhs.vic.edu.au
> > http://www.balmoralhs.vic.edu.au/
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> 
> ---
> Frank Merlino
> St. Joseph's College
> 135 Aphrasia St
> Newtown, Geelong, Vic
> Australia, 3220
> (03 52 268100)
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---
fiona at balmoralhs.vic.edu.au
http://www.balmoralhs.vic.edu.au/