Gr 11 May examinations

Have a look at the Grade 11 Written paper where the scenario is being honest and honourable when using the computer. The Practical paper is challenging, dealing with the important subject of global warming. It is very much a CAT paper where the learners have to do problem solving. All the data files for the examinations may be downloaded from my exam page.

Access - Afrikaans Quiz on terms

Have a look at the quizzes on Access terms made by a student doing the ACE course for CAT teachers at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. There is quiz One and Two and Three. Hulle is net in Afrikaans beskikbaar.

Afrikaans Internet Quiz

Kyk na die Internet Quiz wat deur 'n onderwyseres geskryf is. Die meeste van die vrae laat 'n mens dink, en is toegepaste kennis. Hulle is goed!

Gr 12 textbook

Have a look at the wonderful cover of the Grade 12 CAT textbook. Three of my learners are on the page! The book will be available soon! I have seen most of it - it is so good and focuses on the NCS, LPG and SAG well.

Excel - Processing marks

This PowerPoint slide show looks at processing the marks from a test or an examination. The slide show is made with Camtasia which was downloaded from the www.techsmith.com web site. Please wait for it to download!

How to manage and mark a practical computer examination

This PowerPoint was written as a number of trainee computer teachers asked how to manage and mark a practical computer examination. This is how I do it. Officials may have a slightly different ways but this has worked for me for years. Listen to it. It may take a little while to download.
This PowerPoint should view easily and the audio should be clear. If it does not run check that you have a Sun Microsystems Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Sun JRE version 5 (1.5.0_07) is strongly recommended. If you do not have a JRE environment download it free from the Java web site. It is best viewed at 1024 X 768 settings.
The PowerPoint was made or changed with Impatica from Impatica.com. I have just checked – an educational licence for one copy is USD299. I cannot afford it and am using an evaluation copy. It is great software!!

Gr 10 May Written Paper

The Grade 10 written paper is available here and on my web site. I am very lucky that my learners were able to afford to print the work they word processed as much of that information was used to solve the problems set in the examination paper. I discovered a number of gaps in the learners' knowledge - difference between discuss and list, difference between input and output devices and different kinds of user licences.
Feel free to use the paper and to comment on it. I would like to know if you used it and how it went. I believe it is a CAT paper!

Printing

In CAT the learners need to print out all their work so they can learn the work. They need to see their theory and see what skills they have learned using different applications. How it is managed financially I do not know but it is essential that their work is printed out.
I heard some one say that they do not need to print in CAT as they are meant to be learning problem solving skills. Well, before they can solve problems they need a foundation of knowledge. That knowledge must be learned – hence the importance of printing the work. All the information cannot be printed in the textbook as much of it is processed learning the application or research skills.

Gr 11 PAT

I have decided to leave the PAT until the 3rd term and complete it that term.
The learners need to know how to use their tools before they start using them. They need to know how to use Excel and Access, and create surveys before they start doing their PAT – how can they know how they will use an application if they have not seen what that application can do?
Therefore I will start Theme 3 right at the beginning of Term 3, do numbers 16, 18 and 19 and then start the PAT.
In Grade 12 it is different as by then the learners will have background knowledge of the tools: they will have learned to use most of them in Grade 11. Grade 11 is different. There is so much to know and understand before doing the PAT. Grade 11 is a time when we learn how to do the PAT – it needs to be done carefully and well so that the learners can use those skills in Grade 12.

Gr 9 Vakkeuse vergadering

We are coming up to time in the year when the learners are doing their subject choice for Grade 10. Here is a PowerPoint which can be adapted for use at a subject choice meeting. Dit is deur ‘n onderwyseres in Porterville gemaak en is in Afrikaans beskikbaar. Download the zipped file.

Gr 10 May Practical Paper

The Grade 10 learners wrote their Practical paper today. I believe it is a CAT paper and not a Computer Studies SG paper.
I believe that CAT requires the learners to transmediate information, taking information in one format, processing it and presenting it in another format. The learners ‘worked’ with the information, they had to think about the information they worked with. LO2 and 3 were well covered, as well as some Developmental Outcomes. As the paper was on Global Warming I believe they learned something of value doing the Practical paper.
The paper started off with an easy question where they had to DTP a word document, very simple. They could ‘see’ what had to be done in the Appendix which was provided to assist those who could not ‘read’ instructions.
Then they had to tidy up a transcript from a Google chat, a fairly open-ended question.
Question 3 involved creating a poster, getting the key ideas from the Google transcript. This is what CAT is all about – using and processing information and presenting it!
Question 4 involved file management.
Question 5 required the learners to create a CD cover using images from the file management question and presenting them in a suitable way, as well as creating their own image.
Have a look at the paper. Data files for the paper are available on my Exam page.

Text book or no text book

The use of a good textbook has made me a better teacher. I used to develop my own material when I taught Computer Studies, and I developed many many lessons. I will not dwell on what was wrong with my teaching using all those lessons. Rather I will discuss why I am doing a better job now teaching CAT with a textbook.
I give my learners a list of all the activities from the textbook which they are expected to complete that week. I expect them to use their textbooks and do those activities. They do the required work and I spend my time circling every row, past every learner, past every work station, for the whole lesson, giving help where needed, for the whole lesson. Therefore I am on my feet the whole lesson going around the room. The learning is facilitated by the textbook with my assistance.
Individualised teaching - Every child works at his/her own speed. The learners get almost individual lessons, depending on their needs.
Individualised learning – All the learners work at their own speeds. The NCS expects us to manage learners with different skills in a class. A textbook allows us to do that.
ALL skills taught – I know that the textbook I use has covered all the skills that are meant to be taught.
As a teacher I have a life! – I know that the work is being covered well and the learners get my knowledge!
Initially in the past some departmental officials frowned upon textbooks. Well, I know that I am doing a better job WITH a good textbook.
A good textbook is like a work of art. It is the sum of a group of inspired leaders in their field of expertise. It is beautiful to behold and lends itself to inspiring interest in and exploration in the subject. It also provides a foundation for the teacher to build upon.

My first video post

To view my first video on online safety click on the picture below. And before you create a video make sure all animals, i.e. pug dogs are not there to make silly noises. )-;

Gr 11 Integrated Task 2 on page S14

The learners have just completed the task. Many made their focus on the Smartphones part of the task and not on the first part where the focus was on housekeeping. With that in mind, many also forgot to focus on their client, Mr Wannalearn. I am adding a link to tasks made by Adrian Dawson and Jodie Wolmarans and Lee-Anne Arendse and Nicole Brauns.

Hot Potato quiz with assessment words vocabulary

I was concerned with the fact that learners cannot answer questions correctly. This HotPotato quiz may be of help.

Gr 10 May Written Paper

I feel very good. I have just finished setting the Grade 10 May Written Paper. It is based on a scenario of setting up a computer lab in a new school, similar to what is happening at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy. I took the scenario of a school as that situation is known to the learners. In future scenarios I will probably do things with a more business focus but that is for now. I am apprehensive as it will be the first written (in sentences) assessment which the Gr 10 learners will be doing for me. In the week before we write I must focus on words such as less, more, but, whereas, describe, name and compare. When I set the paper I looked at the LOs and ASs and thought of that school and ideas just seemed to flow.

Gr 10 Integrated Task 2 on page 14

The Grade 10 learners have just completed their Integrated Task 2, about the Wannalearn family. It is such a nice task to do as revision just before exams which start in a week’s time at our school. I had not realised how much the learners had learned in doing all their activities. They ‘knew’ about the input and output devices, software, operating systems, CPUs, memory and storage. The biggest problem was that many of the learners did not focus their answers on the Wannalearn family and their needs. Well, the examination will require answers applied in certain situations – I can now show them where they went wrong in their integrated task.