[Year 12 IPM] ITA ("IPM 2007") summary

[McDonald, Debra A1]

Margaret, I agree.   I have only got half way through the document and even though  I am having a difficult time at the moment trying to work out what to do and how.  It is the document that we are going to be teaching from for the next few years and due to that, we have to work out how to make it work for us and try not to work against it.  As far as I recall even though it is not officially ready yet there is not time for big changes maybe not even for little changes.
 
I agree with the masses, that kids are leaving our IPM classes in droves (my class is down by 12 kids this year, but I believe this is mainly due to past teachers (for unit 1-2) and the fact that it is more theory than they wanted) or were lead to believe was in the subject,  we simply need to make students want to do the subject somehow and make it more interesting.  
 
is there anyway in which we as a large body of people can change what is being mandated we teach in this subject???  
can those who write the study design include what we believe is needed on the whole (if given the freedom or will we all want something different?)?
 
two questions that I for sure don't know the answer but if there is a way let me know and I will be on board 100%. but till then I believe that we need to work with what we have and hope for the next one we can make the changes that we need.....
 
Debra McDonald

________________________________

From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Lawson, Margaret
Sent: Fri 03/03/06 5:01 PM
To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management Teachers'MailingList
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IPM] ITA ("IPM 2007") summary



Apologies if I have offended, and I congratulate those that are
discussing this topic -  it needs to happen, we need to work through it
as a community.
---

I could have expressed my feelings in many other ways before heading out
to an afternoon of Athletics trials in 35 degree heat with no sun shade
...

How else ... get over it and grow up? ... you are professionals, deal
with it? ... if you don't like it, teach something different? Would this
have sounded better?

My take on the new study design is that I am going to get more from it
if I work with it and not against it. And my kids are going to respond
better to learning in my classrooms if I embrace the study design rather
than bag it.

As for the IT slump issue, yes my school has the same problem as
elsewhere. So how about we hear about some strategies to get kids
involved. Computer/Multimedia Clubs, Guest Speakers, after school
workshops all designed to "hook" the kids and drag them in. One of the
consequences of many schools abandoning IT as a compulsory subject
taught by qualified people is that that most of their IT "integration"
and role modeling comes from teachers who don't want anything to do with
IT. So when it is offered as a subject, their experiences are not
exactly positive. Years ago David Dimsey send a "golden" post to the
list proposing that "English" as a subject should be integrated in the
same way as IT. After all, every teacher "teaches" English. Food for
thought.

I would be more than HAPPY to convene a discussion (either on or
offline) to talk about ideas that we could use to get kids into IT as a
discipline.
Perhaps VITTA can organize a network meeting for IT Coordinators and/or
interested parties to talk about this issue over a glass of red. Or if
someone would like to name a day during the first week of the break, we
can then pick a venue.

On the topic of failing IT courses, take a good close look at those that
were cancelled and those that survived. The ones that have survived have
very much either been "old school" programming, multimedia,
computer/electrical engineering or Business/IT courses. Most of the
failed courses were subjects that they "sexed" up with no substance. The
Business/IT courses that have survived contain much of the content of
the new course: Knowledge Management, Virtual Teams, Databases,
Conventions, Networks, User Interfaces. There might not be many "new
topics" in the new ITA course, but there is certainly more scope to
study those topics in depth (or have I read it wrong?).

:)

Margaret (very sun burnt)

_______________________________________________
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




Important - 
This email and any attachments may be confidential. If received in error, please contact us and delete all copies. Before opening or using attachments check them for viruses and defects. Regardless of any loss, damage or consequence, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or not, resulting directly or indirectly from the use of any attached files our liability is limited to resupplying any affected attachments. Any representations or opinions expressed are those of the individual sender, and not necessarily those of the Department of Education & Training.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/ms-tnef
Size: 7343 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://www.edulists.com.au/pipermail/ipm/attachments/20060304/e5f843a4/attachment.bin