Comments on: Taking the C out of ICT http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/taking-the-c-out-of-ict/ ICT in Education Consultant and Trainer Thu, 03 May 2012 09:00:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Natalie http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/taking-the-c-out-of-ict/comment-page-1/#comment-893 Natalie Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:49:07 +0000 http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/?p=213#comment-893 Writing as a software developer shouldn't kids be learning proper computer science in schools? How to program in java or c#, what objects, loops and variables are. What binary arithmetic is, how computers, networks, databases and the internet work? Personally I would have thought that would be a lot more interesting than how to use word. It might do the British economy some good too if people understood technology a little better. I remember having a children's basic book when I was about seven and using it to write simple programs. I am sure kids would enjoy that sort of thing and it would help them to think logically too. Writing as a software developer shouldn’t kids be learning proper computer science in schools? How to program in java or c#, what objects, loops and variables are. What binary arithmetic is, how computers, networks, databases and the internet work? Personally I would have thought that would be a lot more interesting than how to use word. It might do the British economy some good too if people understood technology a little better. I remember having a children’s basic book when I was about seven and using it to write simple programs. I am sure kids would enjoy that sort of thing and it would help them to think logically too.

]]> By: Andy Bird http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/taking-the-c-out-of-ict/comment-page-1/#comment-546 Andy Bird Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:26:51 +0000 http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/?p=213#comment-546 I am also concerned about the ks4 qualifications in ICT.. My daughter is currently in year 10 and will complete the equivalent of 2 GCSEs by the end of the year. At present she has almost full marks and will almost certainly get the equivalent of 2 A's at the end of Year 10... i know what she is capable of and there is no way on this earth that anyone could claim she is A material. She knows almost nothing about ICT beyond working with simple office applications and a few web related creation tools. She finds ICT as uninteresting a subject and I don't blame her.. I would be bored to tears. On the other hand she is half way through her GCSE Maths.. again on course for an A* but the things she needs to know are unbelievable. The level of knowledge and understanding needed to get 1 GCSE qualification is many many times that of the ICT qualification. Embarrassingly so. So what do we do about it? Moderate the ICT up or the Maths down? If we take ICT up.. what do we offer? ICT is a very diverse field. If student specialise too much does that not become a subject in itself? eg if a pupils specialises in Web Design to the equivalent depth of a Maths course this is a complete GCSE by itself. Ditch KS4 qualifications in ICT...perhaps it's time to consider the unthinkable? I am also concerned about the ks4 qualifications in ICT.. My daughter is currently in year 10 and will complete the equivalent of 2 GCSEs by the end of the year. At present she has almost full marks and will almost certainly get the equivalent of 2 A’s at the end of Year 10… i know what she is capable of and there is no way on this earth that anyone could claim she is A material. She knows almost nothing about ICT beyond working with simple office applications and a few web related creation tools. She finds ICT as uninteresting a subject and I don’t blame her.. I would be bored to tears.

On the other hand she is half way through her GCSE Maths.. again on course for an A* but the things she needs to know are unbelievable. The level of knowledge and understanding needed to get 1 GCSE qualification is many many times that of the ICT qualification. Embarrassingly so.

So what do we do about it?

Moderate the ICT up or the Maths down?

If we take ICT up.. what do we offer? ICT is a very diverse field. If student specialise too much does that not become a subject in itself? eg if a pupils specialises in Web Design to the equivalent depth of a Maths course this is a complete GCSE by itself.

Ditch KS4 qualifications in ICT…perhaps it’s time to consider the unthinkable?

]]> By: doug http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/taking-the-c-out-of-ict/comment-page-1/#comment-545 doug Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:12:21 +0000 http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/?p=213#comment-545 Thanks for the comment, Andy. No I'm not saying that we were taught to drive a train or pilot a 'plane in school but we were told what subjects we'd need to study if we wanted to pursue such career choices. My question would be, would studying ICT in schools inspire or dampen enthusiasm for an IT career? Thanks for the comment, Andy.
No I’m not saying that we were taught to drive a train or pilot a ‘plane in school but we were told what subjects we’d need to study if we wanted to pursue such career choices.
My question would be, would studying ICT in schools inspire or dampen enthusiasm for an IT career?

]]> By: Andy Bird http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/taking-the-c-out-of-ict/comment-page-1/#comment-544 Andy Bird Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:01:46 +0000 http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/?p=213#comment-544 " In my schooldays or my father’s schooldays, we were inspired to become train drivers or pilots, if I were at school today I guess I might be inspired to become a website designer, a computer games programmer or a designer of apps for mobile devices. Does our current ICT curriculum meet the needs of such aspirations?" are you implying that you were taught to drive a plain in school? I also am very perplexed at the spin ofsted are putting on this. Are they really so far behind the curve that they still think of ICT purely in terms of a subject? Completely missing the opportunities that embedded ICT across the curriculum offer to other subjects and the employment opportunities (life skills) of the pupils. 71% of adults use ICT in their work place.. 33% of pupils use ICT in class... something is not quite right here. ” In my schooldays or my father’s schooldays, we were inspired to become train drivers or pilots, if I were at school today I guess I might be inspired to become a website designer, a computer games programmer or a designer of apps for mobile devices. Does our current ICT curriculum meet the needs of such aspirations?”

are you implying that you were taught to drive a plain in school?

I also am very perplexed at the spin ofsted are putting on this. Are they really so far behind the curve that they still think of ICT purely in terms of a subject? Completely missing the opportunities that embedded ICT across the curriculum offer to other subjects and the employment opportunities (life skills) of the pupils.

71% of adults use ICT in their work place.. 33% of pupils use ICT in class… something is not quite right here.

]]> By: Bill Lord http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/taking-the-c-out-of-ict/comment-page-1/#comment-543 Bill Lord Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:49:30 +0000 http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/?p=213#comment-543 A really good discussion of the point - I personally think that, rather than renaming the curriculum, it would be easier to make Primary teachers actually teach the curriculum rather than cherry pick the bits that they can teach. It is too easy for teachers to avoid using ICT at the moment and until school leadership teams address this in each and every school we will not move the teaching of ICT forwards. A really good discussion of the point – I personally think that, rather than renaming the curriculum, it would be easier to make Primary teachers actually teach the curriculum rather than cherry pick the bits that they can teach. It is too easy for teachers to avoid using ICT at the moment and until school leadership teams address this in each and every school we will not move the teaching of ICT forwards.

]]> By: Nick http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/taking-the-c-out-of-ict/comment-page-1/#comment-542 Nick Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:20:02 +0000 http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/?p=213#comment-542 Well rounded discussion and reflects a lot of my thoughts/views after 10 years years teaching ICT. I think the crucial issue is not the dropping of letters or what the subject content should be. The issue is, as in the rest of teaching, how we are use technology in education to assist teaching/learning and inspire teachers/learners. Recently, having concentrated on that in a project, I have seen great engagement in from a teaching and learning perspective. Have a look at my muses on how I have taught a particular project in ICT: http://largerama.posterous.com/ Cheers <b> @largerama </b> Well rounded discussion and reflects a lot of my thoughts/views after 10 years years teaching ICT. I think the crucial issue is not the dropping of letters or what the subject content should be. The issue is, as in the rest of teaching, how we are use technology in education to assist teaching/learning and inspire teachers/learners. Recently, having concentrated on that in a project, I have seen great engagement in from a teaching and learning perspective. Have a look at my muses on how I have taught a particular project in ICT: http://largerama.posterous.com/
Cheers @largerama

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/taking-the-c-out-of-ict/comment-page-1/#comment-541 uberVU - social comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:43:17 +0000 http://dougwoods.co.uk/blog/?p=213#comment-541 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Friendfeed by deerwood: Published a new post: Taking the C out of ICT http://ping.fm/Mp2qZ... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Friendfeed by deerwood: Published a new post: Taking the C out of ICT http://ping.fm/Mp2qZ…

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