We have 2 weeks before the final Gr 12 Practical examination. I recommend doing the activities in the back of the Gr 12 textbook Module 6.3. My learners will be doing the Champion Dog Training School topic on page 222 tomorrow. In this topic points I need to revise are
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 isI 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.
Computer Applications Technology must be the most expensive subject for a teacher to teach, with respect to personal expenses. You have to have a computer at home for all the lesson preparations, exam marking, etc. This year I have had to have my laptop repaired R1000, buy a new laptop R7000, pay for the Internet SuperUser course R6000, pay someone to help me mark as I could not cope with the time limits R2500, as well as sundry amounts. All from my own pocket! I have just had a burglary and will now have to buy another new laptop, printer, get an ADSL modem, etc. i.e. replace all the computer stuff again. Must be made of money, just to teach Computer Applications Technology.
We had very few learners at school today as many are away celebrating Eid Mubarak. The matrics are writing exams, and in one of the periods when I would normally be teaching Computer Applications Technology to Grade 12, I had to substitute for an absent teacher. The absent teacher had set work but I brought the learners to the lab and introduced them to Twitter and Facebook, and their Google CV. (I will have to face the teacher on Monday and explain but that is three days away.)
The principal has created a Twitter page for the school http://twitter.com/JeremyGibbon and I have tried to get all those I teach to follow him. Still much work to do in this field, but very useful and productive lesson.
We must all use whatever opportunities to keep abreast in our field.
Earlier this year, when the grade 10s were doing an activity on interviews, I was asked how I keep up to date. I had a number of answers but I have started doing something else which helps me keep up to date.
I review journal articles for publication in an academic peer reviewed journal. As I have a PhD I was approached to be a reviewer. In most academic institutions lecturers have to publish to keep their job. Well, I check if the articles they want to publish are satisfactory. I am sent the articles the editors deem are in my field - to date I have worked in the field of K-12 and university ICT integration. It is nice to be recognised in the international academic field. And this keeps me up to date.
When you have to use a long and complicated password to unzip a file, do the following:
Type the password in Notepad – while taking note of Uppercase, etc.
Copy and Paste this password when being asked for it.
Realise that one day, soon, your computer's hard drive will crash and you will need to recover everything! So save your bookmarks (export) to a safe place, backup all work regularly, save all passwords and hope that your colleagues will have patience. And make sure you have enough cash readily available to buy the new hardware and software! Accept that it will take some time to get used to the new computer and restore all programs and data.
No prizes for guessing what happened to me.
For years I spent hours marking tests where learners could not express themselves properly and I could not really gauge if they knew the work because their command of language and English was so poor. I was on the lookout for a better system. The course showed me how with their quality MCQs, and the software Virtual Assessor www.eduflex.com let me create tests where they are marked in seconds and I really know if the learners know their work. I am now giving my learners a test every week on the section just completed.
The test is marked in seconds and the learners focus on knowing the work. I have used some of the tests for their term marks. I have collected a great deal of data (ammunition) to use when I create comments for the reports. The tests take time to create but they are worth it. The questions from the banks can be used for whatever grade as required. You can set the tests with a time limit. The tests can be made available for different periods. You can make the tests available for revision. My first tests were poor but I have become better with reflection and experience. I have learned how to test theory as well as practical aspects of computers with online testing. If any local school want to see the work give me a mail. The school pay a monthly fee to Virtual Assessor for us to use it. Other departments at our school are also now beginning to use it. I cannot show anyone the questions as the questions can only be seen by registered 'learners'.
This UCT Internet Super-user course made me look very critically at where I was going and how I was teaching CAT.
Instructions here
The full download of Wikipedia is rather cumbersome, but a small portion of it selected specifically for schools can be downloaded at <http://schools-wikipedia.org/> This compilation of 5500 articles will fit on a single DVD, and may be freely downloaded.
I have marked many PATs and feel irritated. All reports are marked and I am just finishing off a few PPTs.
We must check that the learners actually answer the question or complete the investigation. Finding information on the topic was done well. The survey was done well and analysed. However the survey results were not linked to the theoretical information found on the topic. Problems were not identified in the target group based on the theoretical information found. Solutions were also not based on the habits of the target group.
Put simply the learners investigated … on the Internet and in books. They then looked at the … habits of the learners in their class. They did not make the link that the data on the Internet said xxx and the learners in their class only did xxx, therefore there was a problem. They did not say that x y z in their class who did not do … and should be doing …. The learners did not solve the problem. They gave solutions in general, things we all know. The work was not finished!
As we mark each phase we are meant to tell learners where they need to change and improve. In the planning phase I did indicate to learners there was a part missing but despite much talk and explanation I could not seem to convey to my learners that a huge part was missing. In future the problems and solutions phase needs much greater attention.
The September exams are coming soon. To prepare I am going over old exam papers. I am horrified at how much my learners have forgotten. I am very grateful, that now, with the 3rd group of learners writing the NSC, we have a bank of old papers to use. It is quite amusing, doing the practical papers, using Office 2007 in our lab, realising how different 2003 and 2007 are. What was easy in 2003 is difficult in 2007 and vice versa, especially in advanced Word, Excel and Access. I hope the 2010 papers take this into consideration, e.g. protecting a Word form in 2007 is tricky but easy in 2003, creating Word forms in 2007 is tricky, removing lines in Access forms is not necessary in 2007, making certain textbooks different sizes on an Access input form is tricky in 2007 but so easy in 2003, etc. All these small 'problems' make life challenging.
This is for all those good at Access. I formatted text in a database table with an input mask. When I did a mail merge, that text displays as if there had been no input mask. How do I make the input mask format 'stay'?
I had a wonderful Friday evening and Saturday morning teaching the CAT students doing an advanced certificate in education (ACE) at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. They are all qualified teachers working full time, some already teaching CAT. We did work on
I love teaching adults who are already computer literate. It is such a pity that the course will not be offered in the future as bursaries are no longer available.
Chapter 3.2 in the Grade 11 book is such an important chapter and the work so challenging. Graphs really require understand and thought. Nice!
This winter weather and soccer on TV is a wonderful time to clean up one's computer and get ready for the tax man. I cannot spend hours watching soccer – I have the TV on and regularly go to see specific action. I have been to the stadium and a fan park but sorting out papers and computer files has used much of my time this holiday. After my computer and papers, cupboards are next!
Between watching soccer I have been spending these holidays preparing to give a training session on new features of Microsoft Office 2007. I wonder, just wonder, not wanted to start an argument, how many of the new 2007 features are available in the latest Open Office. I wonder when these new features will be examined in a matric paper knowing that anything on the paper must be able to be done in both versions of Office.
I have just completed the GetSmarter Internet SuperUser course http://www.getsmarter.co.za/uct-internet-super-user. This course has been the best investment I have ever made. I have learned so much about using my computer and cell phone, to access the Internet to improve my life long learning. I sat in my home, downloaded notes in pdf format, watched videos, joined a forum to discuss topics, performed exercises, answered multiple choice questions and did assignments. I did all the work online. I have spent more than the recommended 7 hours per week on the course, it consumed me.
I believe all teachers, especially CAT, IT and school librarians, should do the course. We all have to teach using technology, some teachers more than others. We all have to access information. We all have to communicate with colleagues. We all have to publish material. We all have to manage information. We all have to keep safe online. And we all have to teach our learners responsible behaviour. The course covers all these topics.
I have learned about quality, efficiency and accountability. This course has influenced my thinking in so many ways. A similar course will be offered in September with a 10% discount to all teachers, so I am told, if you request the discount.
I intend doing another course with GetSmarter soon, you guess which.
This is an unsolicited recommendation.
Google street view is here! A Google street view vehicle has probably been in most urban areas in South Africa and taken street views. Today I went to Google map and looked for my home. I dragged the orange "Pegman" icon on the left-hand side of the map onto my street, and saw my home. Oops, I need to do some tree trimming. Read the details of Google street view here - https://sites.google.com/a/pressatgoogle.com/streetviewza/ .
And while we think of tourists have a look at the web cams at http://www.kapstadt.de/reiseinformationen/suedafrika-webcams/blouberstrand-webcam/
