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Hi,
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<div class="">I’ve read the research the Mark refers to about the different objectives or experiences of boys and girls and technology. However, I am cautious about those generalisations as gender stereotypes lead to policies like women not being able to vote
or getting the same superannuation benefits as men. Whatever the ‘truth’ of the matter, gender diversity will strengthen and enrich students’ educational experiences. We should all be constantly on guard against language, behaviour or policies that seek to
belittle, denigrate, or position as “other” the skills, interests, needs and desires of girls - especially in computer science and technology. If you think your subject “isn’t really for girls” then ask yourself - have I made it so? What are
<i class="">you</i> doing to address girls' access to learning the skills and knowledge they are almost certain to need in the future?</div>
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<div class="">Cheers, Mel</div>
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<blockquote type="cite" class="">
<div class="">On 3 Nov 2016, at 4:10 pm, Mark <<a href="mailto:mark@vceit.com" class="">mark@vceit.com</a>> wrote:</div>
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<div class=""><b class="">INTRODUCTION</b></div>
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<div class="">For year 11 list subscribers who have not previously been subject to one of my rambling rants, I am obliged by a ruling of the High Court to preface this post with the following words:</div>
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</i></div>
<div class=""><i class="">You, the Edulist subscriber, are not legally obliged to read what follows. </i></div>
<div class=""><i class="">You are entitled to sniff disdainfully, mutter the word 'Stupid twit' - or a functional equivalent of such words - and delete this post.</i></div>
<div class=""><i class="">You may choose to read on, but the onus is then entirely on you.</i></div>
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<div class=""><b class="">MESSAGE BEGINS</b></div>
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Indeed, George, I agree with much of what you say.
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<div class="">I am certainly not an apologist* for the new study design. <br class="">
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<div class="">My lack of love for the direction of VCE Informatics has not been a secret since the first consultation draft of the design was released. </div>
<div class="">I don't know why VCAA decided to turn IT Applications into more of a soft science. </div>
<div class="">Maybe it was to take the 'nerdy' edge off it - and add a large communications dimension to attract girls and increase sales?</div>
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<div class="">There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but it's not IT as I know it, and that's what I signed up for.<br class="">
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<div class="">I think it's the moving of the goalposts that may hurt Informatics enrolments. </div>
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<div class=""><i class="">WARNING - GENDER GENERALISATIONS FOLLOW</i></div>
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<div class="">From my observations, boys love tech <i class="">for sake of the tech</i>. </div>
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<div class="">- A boy may create a messaging app, but not really want to use it to
<i class="">talk</i> with anyone. He just wants it to work, and to be great. Boys tend to want real IT, with wheels and true/false answers.</div>
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</div>
<div class="">- Girls often love tech because of what it can <i class="">do</i> for them to achieve other needs - often self-expression, community, connection, and communication. </div>
<div class="">For girls, a messaging app without a person to talk to is like a toaster without bread: it may be sort of interesting theoretically, but be pretty useless otherwise.
<br class="">
Girls prefer to study ICT within a useful and relevant social context.</div>
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<div class="">If girls are the target, VCAA can create a new IT-related VCE subject for their needs such as:
<i class="">Online Communication Technologies</i>; or <i class="">Social Networking Technology</i>. These subjects can focus on squishy talky social stuff - with a firm tech infrastructure built in to get the job done.<br class="">
</div>
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<div class="">But we must be wary of self-fulfilling prophecies along the lines of, "Kids show no interest in X so we won't offer a stream like that in earlier years."<br class="">
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<div class="">Perhaps there is no interest in X in year 11 or 12 because kids have not been exposed to X before. </div>
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<div class="">For dog's sake don't let school admin believe that "everyone is an IT teacher so we don't need IT classes" in junior years. </div>
<div class="">By that logic, <i class="">everyone</i> is an English teacher, so English can be scrapped in years 7-10.</div>
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<div class="">And not even "IT teachers" are reliable. </div>
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<div class="">True story: I once overheard a supposed IT teacher (drafted into teaching IT because of an accounting background) telling year 7 students to multiply two cells in Excel using =SUM(A1*B2) ***.</div>
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<div class="">Regards,<br class="">
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<div class="">Mark</div>
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<div class="">* In the classical sense of "defender".</div>
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<div class="">** Little to no offence is meant to <i class="">Geography</i> or <i class="">
PE</i> teachers. </div>
<div class="">You may be confused by this footnote because the post made no reference to these teachers. <br class="">
</div>
<div class="">The original draft of this post, however, <b class="">did</b> mention them, causing my judicial ankle bracelet to send an emergency injunction to the the High Court.</div>
<div class="">They ruled that I delete the reference. Sigh. </div>
<div class="">But, in retrospect, I suppose it <i class="">was</i> for the best. We can't afford further rioting in the streets.</div>
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<div class="">*** Yes, I intervened. Crisis was averted. </div>
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<div class=""><b class="">MESSAGE ENDS.</b></div>
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<div class="">Regards,</div>
<div class="">Mark</div>
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<div class="gmail_quote">On 3 November 2016 at 14:42, Ciotti, George W <span dir="ltr" class="">
<<a href="mailto:ciotti.george.w@edumail.vic.gov.au" target="_blank" class="">ciotti.george.w@edumail.vic.gov.au</a>></span> wrote:<br class="">
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<div class=""><span style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold" class="">From:
</span><span style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:11pt" class="">Mark <</span><a href="mailto:mark@vceit.com" style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:11pt" target="_blank" class="">mark@vceit.com</a><span style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:11pt" class="">></span></div>
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<span class=""><span style="font-weight:bold" class="">Reply-To: </span>Year 11 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List <<a href="mailto:yr11it@edulists.com.au" target="_blank" class="">yr11it@edulists.com.au</a>><br class="">
</span><span style="font-weight:bold" class="">Date: </span>Thu, 3 Nov 2016 12:41:52 +1100<span class=""><br class="">
<span style="font-weight:bold" class="">To: </span>Year 11 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List <<a href="mailto:yr11it@edulists.com.au" target="_blank" class="">yr11it@edulists.com.au</a>><br class="">
</span><span class=""><span style="font-weight:bold" class="">Subject: </span>Re: [Yr11 Information Technology] [Informatics] informatics Digest, Vol 12, Issue 68<br class="">
</span></div>
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<blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px" class="">Year 11 IT is a bit of a showbag with aspects of both Informatics and SD, so breadth is more desirable than depth and students get a taste of both paths.</blockquote>
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<div class="">Sure. But it’s still a lot to cover. The majority of students do not cope is my experience.</div>
<div class="">I would suggest that schools should be able to choose what 2 SACs per semester they wish to initiate students into. This would take into account a few factors that are necessarily unique to each school. </div>
<div class="">For example, if there is no SD being offered at Yr12 then opt out of that unit. It’s a tough gig coming into programming with little or no experience for such a short burst of time. It’s the kind of approach that you would necessarily find in
a tertiary computing degree where the uni is appropriately equipped to deliver. </div>
<div class="">Is covering the nuts and bolts of Networks really that important in this day and age and at this level? This could easily be a part of a Year 10 IT course given that students at this level would be much more enthusiastic in breaking apart the
hardware side of Networking with more time to really get to understand what, again, is a complex area. Ask Telstra if you don’t believe me. </div>
<div class="">In my experience students are put off by the amount of work required. It’s one thing to offer breadth but the Year 11 course still pretends to offer depth. Look at the Textbook. Look at the SACs that have been written by third parties. I feel
it’s a course in search of credibility such that it overloads everyone, students and teachers, and in the end no one gains.
<b class="">Hence the continual low numbers in Year 12 IT</b>, <b class="">Informatics</b>. It could be a much more stimulating course for all concerned if it were less about breadth, showcase as you say and more about learning fundamental concepts. As an example
the Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS) course seems well balanced. It takes a much broader approach and takes account of school needs within a two year period. </div>
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<div class="">I’m not sure about the figures but I would hazard a guess that Year 12 IT figures still rank low. </div>
<div class="">Given that IT, Computing, Informatics or whatever else you want to call it, is such an integral part of existence, and will be, we may be looking at a lost opportunity. Especially when other subject areas, and they’re beginning to, start to integrate
aspects of IT into their subjects. And contextually so. There won’t be a need to do Computing.</div>
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<div class="">George</div>
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<div class=""><span style="color:rgb(255,38,0)" class="">UHS Website Manager</span></div>
<div class=""><font color="#ff2600" class="">Computing/Art/Design/Tech Domain </font></div>
<div class="">University High School</div>
<div class="">77 Story St </div>
<div class="">Parkville 3052</div>
<div class=""><b class="">mobile: 0412 934 782</b></div>
<div class="">phone: 9347 2022</div>
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<div class=""><span style="font-size:12.8px" class="">Mark Kelly</span><br class="">
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