We probably should avoid a me vs you software battle, ala mice with one button vs two.<br><br><font size="-1"><span class="a"></span></font>Of course what a school chooses depends on familiarity, training, teacher background, student interest, resourcing etc. All of the options mentioned to date including Python and PyGame have considerable
merit, each to his own with some splendid resources (some authored by readers on this list!) to support. <br><br>I think I
did justice teaching IT many years ago with less than what we have now. Those students have survived and moved on .. as I have with my Fortran :-) .. what I remember was my teachers and the ideas they taught.<br><br>Regards Roland<br>
<br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 25/02/2008, <b class="gmail_sendername">andrew barry</b> <<a href="mailto:jagguy999@gmail.com">jagguy999@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div>I would only teach them a regular language that the students can see a use for eg <a href="http://vb.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">vb.net</a> or common scripting language like php which is very common on the net. </div>
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<div>This way you can build from scratch but I dont belive gamemaker or any add-on is really the way to go for VCE (as we are teaching IT students ).</div>
<div>VB.net has plenty of scope for games graphics play and php you can do web stuff and role play game with that.</div>
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<div><div><span class="e" id="q_1184e017f1a7213b_1"><span class="gmail_quote">On 2/24/08, <b class="gmail_sendername">Roland Gesthuizen</b> <<a href="mailto:rgesthuizen@gmail.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">rgesthuizen@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span>
</span></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div><span class="e" id="q_1184e017f1a7213b_3">I am really keen to keep the girls motivated and engaged. Have used GameMaker, am also super keen to try out Python and am madly collecting resources, got some kids started off with Scratch and might bounce them off eToys. Am building up a nice collection of tutorials, games, videos and sample activities. Several girls are keen about Ren'Py .. a similar program that uses python scripting for an Adventure Quest type interface. Without any prompting, some kids got excited about Alice (a cool 3D program using Python scripting that Dr Paul Chandler mentioned last year) .. I installed it on the base image and they took to it like ducks to water in their own time. Again, the scripting is Python based. Perhaps sadly for DEECD, none of my secondary students liked Kahootz.<br>
<br>Also consider exploring the VITTA resources such as the PHP-MySQL text book by Kevork and VBasic by Adrian.<br><br>Regard Roland<br><br>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 22/02/2008, <b class="gmail_sendername">Dr Paul Chandler</b> <<a href="mailto:paul.chandler@yvg.vic.edu.au" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">paul.chandler@yvg.vic.edu.au</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-US">
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2">Having taught PHP for years, I am now firmly converted to Python. Admittedly, not teaching IT12 this year, but Python would be my choice for a programming language Year 10 and up.</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2">... and there's the add-on "pygame" for the those more inclined towards the gaming dimensions.</font></span></div><br>
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<font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:yr11it-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">yr11it-bounces@edulists.com.au</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:yr11it-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">yr11it-bounces@edulists.com.au</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Howard, David<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, February 22, 2008 4:03 PM<br><b>To:</b> Year 11 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List<br><b>Subject:</b> RE: [Yr11 Information Technology] programming software<br></font><br> </div>
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<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy; font-family: Arial;">Game maker is fine for a scripting language, I spoke to someone at the PD who was going to get the yr11s to make a game for the primary school kids, the primary teachers would be the clients I suppose. I am going to use PHP.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><strong><b><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-AU">David Howard</span></font></b></strong><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-AU"> <br>
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<p><font color="navy" face="Calibri" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: navy;"> </span></font></p></div>
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<p><b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;">From:</span></font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;"> <a href="mailto:yr11it-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">yr11it-bounces@edulists.com.au</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:yr11it-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">yr11it-bounces@edulists.com.au</a>] <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Behalf Of </span></b>Webster, Karen B<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Friday, 22 February 2008 12:48 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:yr11it@edulists.com.au" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">yr11it@edulists.com.au</a><br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [Yr11 Information Technology] programming software</span></font><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></font></p></div>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-AU">Hi</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-AU"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-AU">I am new to Edulists and teaching in a SC. I am trying to decide which way to go with programming and was wondering if anyone uses Game Maker.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-AU"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-AU"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-AU">Karen Webster</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-AU">Alexandra SC<i><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></i></span></font></p>
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</div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College<br><a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead