[Yr7-10it] VELS and IT

Tue Jun 6 22:36:59 EST 2006

Paul,
Thankyou for your ideas.
The views expressed in this series of emails relating to IT and VELS has convinced me more than ever that we should not kid ourselves. Most non-IT teachers are not really interested in teaching the basics of IT (and ICT). They are interested in having their students apply IT skills..they do not want to have to go over how to use for example PowerPoint, they instead want to be able to ask their students to create a presentation on a particular topic and be able to then show it to the class, etc. 
If IT staff do not get the opportunity to provide students with basic, foundation IT skills and knowledge units, the outcome will become chaotic as teachers try to implement VELS' ideas of integrating the use of ICT into their units.
As with any endeavour in teaching...."you have to be interested and have your 'heart and soul in it'". Most non-IT teachers are simply not interested in teaching the basics of IT. They would rather concentrate on their areas of expertise...which is how it should be!

Regards,

Frank Merlino
Technology (IT and Systems) Co-ordinator
Web Site Manager
St. Joseph's College
135 Aphrasia St, Newtown
Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 3219
Phone: 03 52 268100 

________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Paul Sijpkes
Sent: Tue 6/6/2006 9:19 PM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] VELS and IT

At my school I teach IT and Multimedia, at year 10 level IT our curriculum covers: networks, the information processing cycle, spreadsheets, visual basic programming, graphics and web design (photoshop and dreamweaver) all in two 40 minute periods per week.  Trying to cover this many subjects in one year in so little time, the students only get the briefest of glimpses of what is possible within most of these areas.  It would be great to have specialist IT classes where we could teach the subjects Don mentioned as well as having ICT integrated into the other curriculum. I believe also we should be teaching basic ICT skills at junior level, some of my students in year 8 still don't understand that using Save As... can create a different file with a different file name.... something that really shocked me.  I've also had graphics and arts teachers complain to me that their students know how to operate a scanner at year 10 and 11 level, something that surely should be taught at junior level.  Note that I'm only speaking on my experience in one school as a new teacher.     

________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Don Morelli Edumail
Sent: Tue 6/06/2006 11:15 AM
To: 'Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] VELS and IT

My 2c worth on the argument.

I have often asked this question about who teaches the ABOUT IT as distinct from using IT as a tool. The answer that I have consistently got is that it is not the intention that classroom teachers from other KLAs teach the ABOUT STUFF (programming, OS, NOS, HARDWARE, ROBOTICS, CONTROL SYTEMS etc) and that this still needs to be taught by specialists.  Specialist IT classes should still exist within the curriculum, and must not be allowed to be removed because of any VELS argument about integration of this into existing curriculum. However, these IT classes can now have less of a focus on applications and more on what is mentioned above.

I share the frustration and am really worried about the fact that some schools are opting to drop IT classes at 7 to 10. We do need to stand up and make the various administrators aware of the ABOUT IT that seems to have fallen by the wayside, with the emphasis on applications.

Don Morelli

Leading Teacher ICT or whatever it is called now.

________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Paul Sijpkes
Sent: Tuesday, 6 June 2006 9:54 AM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] VELS and IT

Hi Frank,

I've thought a lot about this, the only way it is going to work is if schools invest enough time into PDs (which we would teach) to train their staff in robotics etc...  

I've seen potential for teaching robotics in science, in particular.  In year 8 student study the different types of levers in the body, robotics would be a great way to engage them with this, but the problem is training the teachers to use it.  Programming could be fit into Maths and the Sciences, to model experiments, again this needs support from the schools and training for the teachers.  From my understanding, VELS relegates IT and technology teachers to classroom aides that assist teachers in using the technology.  This may not be a bad thing, the majority of parents and students do not see the need to learn the technical aspects of IT.  

I think the rationale from the planners is that, essentially, it is how we use technology as a tool rather than whether we understand the workings of its innards that is important.  Subjects such as programming may be touched upon in some subjects at pre VCE level but will ultimately be (and to a large extent already is) shifted to the TAFE system.      

Paul Sijpkes

Academic Staff

THE KNOX SCHOOL

Independent Co-educational International

Wantirna South VIC 3152

Phone: +61 3 9801 9233 
Fax: +61 3 9887 1850

Website: www.knox.vic.edu.au <http://www.knox.vic.edu.au> 

CRICOS Provider No: 00151G ABN: 16 095 158 222

________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Frank Merlino
Sent: Friday, 2 June 2006 5:46 PM
To: yr7-10it at edulists.com.au
Cc: is at edulists.com.au
Subject: [Yr7-10it] VELS and IT

Dear Colleagues,

Maybe someone can share their knowledge about this one with me....

In the design of VELS, where did the "planners" think such areas as computer programming, robotics, learning about how computer systems work, etc were going to fit? One would imagine that in this day and age, it would be considered essential learning to know something about how hardware works, how programs work, how robotics is implemented and its basics, etc. Do the "planners" in their wildest dreams think these topics will be covered well in the "disciplines"? What's your opinion?

Regards,

Frank Merlino
Technology (IT and Systems) Co-ordinator
Web Site Manager
St. Joseph's College
135 Aphrasia St, Newtown
Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 3219
Phone: 03 52 268100 

_______________________________________________ 
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