PATs in 2011

I have just seen that the Gr 10 and 11 PATs have been uploaded. Look at http://www.thutong.doe.gov.za/computerapplicationtechnology/Home/Blogs/tabid/2236/EntryId/446/Practical-Assessment-Tasks-PATs-Grade-10-12.aspx

Gr 10 PAT

I am getting my PAT right with my Gr 10s. For the moment I have ignored the printed instructions and rubric. I am teaching and guiding. I regard this as good preparation for 11 and 12. The Computer Ethics topic is a topic of great interest. We discussed the topic. We then investigated it and the learners created questions to investigate, about 10. They made a survey to ask their fellow learners about their use. They collated the results and then started the report. The Introduction is

I am going to investigate computer ethics. I will focus on software piracy and the habits of learners in my class regarding the copying of music and computer software. From this investigation I will report to the LRC. I will indicate what the trend is and make suggestions to recommend some ideas to encourage good habits and create awareness of ethical behaviour. In order to produce a quality report I will apply quality control to find information and analyse this considering several relevant factors. I will use the Office package as a tool to achieve my objective.

with the highlighted words changed, then comes the main question which is adapted to each learner's own topic.

What is the trend regarding the copying of music and computer software among learners in my class and what might the implications be?

The Uses of learners describes how the learners in the class misbehave or comply with ethical behaviour. This section is filled with graphs and comments to explain each graph.

The Solutions section discusses IF so many did something, THEN this is a solution. They are busy with this section now and it is fascinating. There are questions voiced such as IF copying music is bad, why do we have technology to copy music? IF spam clogs email boxes, thank goodness for ISPs and email programs such as Gmail which help block it. The Conclusion will bring the problem and solutions together.
When we are finished I will go back and look at the rubric and make adjustments to the work.
I have had experience with the PAT over a number of years and realise that I have spent too much time focused on the rubric and not enough on ‘teaching’. The rubric makes sense in standardising marking over provinces but it became the focus and not the task. My learners are becoming real infotectives.

Gr 10 PAT

I have just finished marking the Gr 10 PATs. I believe we have left out an important point, or we did not leave it out but we did not allocate enough marks and the learners ignored it. The learners did not properly draw the research project to a clear conclusion: do the public (not disabled people) have a clear idea of the abilities of the disabled and all the different kinds of disabled people, and are there facilities to help the disabled. I think we must allocate more marks to this section and perhaps give more criteria in the checklist. We gave 1 and 4 marks respectively to this and my learners seemed to ignore it, maybe because the rubric did not specify more criteria. Most learners did not answer the main question or problem.

Gr 10 PAT

Final report

• Headings need similar styles, i.e. font sizes and fonts
• Readable font, i.e. Arial or Comic Sans used
• Same font used for all the body text, and includes table
  
• URLs must be placed in the bibliography, not as headings or in the text
• Page borders should only found on the first page
• Headings should not be bulleted
  
• Headings underlined - so old fashioned, that is what typists did, not those with word processing formatting features
  
• Results from spreadsheet - Do a copy and paste. Whole spreadsheet not required. Cells of the table must be widened so that it looks like a ‘neat’ table.
• Needs a clear conclusion based on the results of the spreadsheet and what has been written about.
  

Gr 10 PAT

A strange thing is happening in the Gr 10 PAT final report: The learners are copying the data/advertisements for hardware/software they find on the Internet. It is meant to be a report - they have to rewrite the information on the hardware/software in their own words. They have to change the person or tone! If they just copy a section off the Internet and I pick it up they will get 0 for that section.
They are enjoying the topic!

Gr 10 PAT

My Gr 10s are working so hard on their PAT about computers and the disabled. They had problems getting their questions correct but that has now been sorted out.

Yesterday at the gym all the disabled parking bays were occupied by able-bodied males (not gentlemen). I will not mention what I think of them!

I had to take my Father out for supper last night. He is 85 and will not use a wheel chair although he is what could be called disabled. I have managed to get a disabled parking ticket. The only place where we could go to eat was at a shopping centre as that is the only place where there are managed parking bays for the disabled.

The PAT has made me more aware how challenging life for the disabled is. I think we should try to make the learners more aware and considerate of others in this exercise.

Gr 10 PAT

The Gr 10 PAT is now available in English and Afrikaans. I believe that many teachers and learners are really going to enjoy doing this PAT.

Gr 10 PAT

The PAT is available for Gr 10. This PAT is based on Celebrations and Feesvieringe. Geniet dit!