Normal classroom teacher who has just started teaching IT as a specialist topic. Over a year I teach 600 Year 7 & 8 students (11-13 years old) for a total of 14 1 1/2 hour sessions. Really interested to see what other teachers think would be great skills or topics to teach your kids in todays web 2.0 world. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I have taught IST, IPT, SDD and currently IT VET. One great topic to teach is programming in IST. It is often boring for kids (Logo/VB). Have a look at two languages - RUBY for which there are some great online tutorials and flash based tools. The other is ALICE - which is a 3D environment that teaches programming structures. If you create a class study group with Ning or 21 Classes, you can get kids to produce an online reflective journal to document their project.
A second idea is databases using Zoho - where they can design applications and web based forms (you can also use Survey Monkey or Wufoo too. Great to get kids to design a database application and compare these tools. Again, document with a daily journal using Ning 21 Classes.
The main thing I recommend - drop all MS Office based activities - take it all online. You really will do a better job and get more engagement with kids if you avoid MS Office - kids are over it.
I have found that the best areas to go into are areas that are applicable to their world. I think you would be hard pushed not to find children that do not have myspace, facbook or any other social networking site.
The challenge is to make students see that the web is more than just a place to chat to friends. Nearly all syllabuses now encompass group work. Show them places to collaborate together online.
Use it to create evidence of correct group work, blogging is a vital skill that will become more and more important as time progresses along with podcasts, vodcasts and all other forms of communication.
Let me know if you want to continue this discussion
I have taught IST, IPT, SDD and currently IT VET. One great topic to teach is programming in IST. It is often boring for kids (Logo/VB). Have a look at two languages - RUBY for which there are some great online tutorials and flash based tools. The other is ALICE - which is a 3D environment that teaches programming structures. If you create a class study group with Ning or 21 Classes, you can get kids to produce an online reflective journal to document their project.
A second idea is databases using Zoho - where they can design applications and web based forms (you can also use Survey Monkey or Wufoo too. Great to get kids to design a database application and compare these tools. Again, document with a daily journal using Ning 21 Classes.
Check my blog at http://deangroom.wordpress.com - I have links to apps I recommend. All my IT based resources are also on http://www.slideshare.net/pmhs please feel free to use anything.
The main thing I recommend - drop all MS Office based activities - take it all online. You really will do a better job and get more engagement with kids if you avoid MS Office - kids are over it.
Contact me if you want any help.
Dean
I have found that the best areas to go into are areas that are applicable to their world.
I think you would be hard pushed not to find children that do not have myspace, facbook or any other social networking site.
The challenge is to make students see that the web is more than just a place to chat to friends. Nearly all syllabuses now encompass group work. Show them places to collaborate together online.
Use it to create evidence of correct group work, blogging is a vital skill that will become more and more important as time progresses along with podcasts, vodcasts and all other forms of communication.
Let me know if you want to continue this discussion
Cheers
Mitchell