[Yr7-10it] What to teach for year 8 IT?

[Tony Forster]

Roland wrote:
"Why expand to trying out Squeak or GameMaker .. but instead of letting any 
one application tool drive their interest or the course, why not get them to 
brainstorm a project idea, design a model, build a prototype, try it out 
with their friends, document then respond to the feedback. Keep it fun and 
flexible, you can even draw material and inspiration from another study area 
or another interest. I have a lot of fun teaching environmental studies as a 
context with my year 9 class. "

Paula wrote:
"I would like to strongly endorse Roland's approach of using another 
domain(s) as the context for acquiring and applying ICT knowledge and 
skills. Processing real data for a real purpose leads to real learning. This 
is, in essence, an underpinning premise of VELS "

I strongly endorse both Paula and Roland's comments. Game programming 
provides a context for a wide range of cross domain learning. Drag and drop 
tools such as Game Maker, are particularly good as kids do not get bogged 
down in programming syntax. Games require graphics and sound so the links to 
the domains of music and art are obvious. Use the freeware Anvil Studio to 
compose and play original music, use Windows sound recorder for short .wav 
sound effects. Use the Game Maker bitmap editor or use the freeware graphics 
software Gimp.

See http://www.freewebs.com/schoolgamemaker/IT%20Course-game.doc for a 
multidisciplinary game making project (based on a media project by Keith 
Richardson)

Maybe less obvious are the links to literacy, physics, mathematics, drama, 
2nd language etc.

Games have a narrative or storyline, though branching, get kids to develop 
game storylines as a literacy activity. See also Tim Rylands 
http://www.timrylands.com/ and Brock Dubbels 
http://brockdubbels.efoliomn2.com/ for more ideas on how to use game playing 
(not making) for literacy activities.

Game making can be a good way to learn kinematics: speed, acceleration, 
gravity, a few ideas at http://schoolgamemaker.rupert.id.au/samples3/ . You 
can use spreadsheets in similar ways for iterative solutions to kinematics. 
See also http://webusers.physics.umn.edu/~border/phys1905f02/

A digression but see also 
http://www.schoolgamemaker.rupert.id.au/links.htm#applets for some great 
maths and physics applets.

Many of the activities in drama can replicated in game making, set design, 
narrative, costume...... There's also making game-based Machinima 
http://del.icio.us/tonyforster/machinima

Quest style games which have lots of narrative could be made in a 2nd 
language, see 
http://www.schoolgamemaker.rupert.id.au/samples0/foreign%20language.gm6 for 
how to use non-Unicode character sets like Japanese. For French, German its 
easier.

It may not be easy, as Paula says "Of course, this approach also warrants a 
high level of coordination with your colleagues." Good luck!