Teaching IT/Computer in School Computer System Network Technology Communication Technology PowerPoint Topics Taught Excel Webpage publishing Visual Basic Programming Logo Programming MSWord Security Issues CJ inputting methods Pascal Programming Computer Ethics Information Age GIF Animation PhotoImpact MS Access

Teaching IT/Computer in School Social Issues Multimedia Production Computer Applications Diversification Computer/ Communication/ Network Technology Word Processing Programming Information/ Knowledge Management

Teaching IT/Computer in School Diversification Weak Conceptual Linkage FragmentationProblems/Challenges Content Volatility T: I can only teach the skills in using PhotoImpact without any sense of aesthetics….. T: I’m afraid of touching on those social issues since I have no undergraduate training related to this area! T: Students find it difficult in learning software packages since they share very little similarity …. T: It’s difficult to prepare notes since new version comes up every year!

Which Teaching Approaches and Methods to adopt?  deductive approach?  inductive Approach?  task-based approach?  problem-based approach?  project-based approach? Reference:

Deductive Approach  students are first taught general rules, and are then asked to apply them to particular situations to reinforce learning.

Inductive Approach  Through interpreting given examples and analysis of data (with teacher ’ s guidance), students ‘ discover ’ and make generalisations by themselves.

Which Teaching Approaches and Methods to adopt? deductive approach inductive Approach task/problem/ project-based

Which Teaching Approaches and Methods to adopt? Hands- holding approach Self- exploratory approach Balance point: appropriate scaffolding + anticipated exploration

Task-base learning 1.Illustration of the task/product What?  authentic examplesWhat?  authentic examples Why?  relevance, purpose, linkage with other subject domains or their daily-life experienceWhy?  relevance, purpose, linkage with other subject domains or their daily-life experience How?  planning; help students identify different components of the task; sub-taskingHow?  planning; help students identify different components of the task; sub-tasking 2.Illustration of skills or concepts at the beginning of each sub-task 3.Allocation of reasonably sufficient amount of time for students to do the sub-task 4.Conclusion and summary

Sub-tasking Illustration of the task Sub-task 1 Sub-task 2 Summary/conclusion Student work Briefly summarize what have been achieved Illustrate key concepts or skills Supply students with instruction guide Templates for each sub-task Establish the purpose, legitimacy and motivation capable students can accomplish the task at a faster pace

Fragmentation and Diversification  Challenge  How to work with other subject teachers to derive meaningful tasks from or across subjects?  PhotoImpact → Arts Teacher  Excel → Math. Teacher  (e.g. teaching system of equations/ quadratic equations etc. )

Weak Conceptual Linkage  Challenge  How should I teach students PASCAL programming so that they could have better transferrability of knowledge in understanding Visual Basics, JAVASCRIPT, JAVA, C++, ActionScript, Lingo Script, PHP, etc?

Weak Conceptual Linkage Commonality Among Languages  How to fire an action under certain condition(s)?  How to fire a set of actions repeatedly?  How to reuse a set of instruction without bothering to rewrite it again?  etc.

Content Volatility  What is the difference between  learning algebra and  learning the use of a web publishing tool? Algebra Web publishing tools, e.g. DW/ Flash/ Director/ Authorware Well-defined & logically structured ill-defined, depending on the designer’s conception of the nature of problems and how they are to be solved.

Content Volatility  Challenge 1  Problem/Task oriented Approach: Learning computer application is meaningful only when it is used to solve a meaningful task.

Content Volatility  Challenge 2  How to equip students with necessary skills so that they are competent enough to explore and learn on their own?  How to help student develop a habit of looking up the HELP menu, relevant websites, etc.?

Issues to consider Nature of Tasks/ Problems Delivery Questioning Avoid always hands- holding Allow exploration but with sufficient scaffolding Break up the task into appropriate sub-tasks. Avoid irrelevant and close-ended questions Think ahead one or two key conceptual question(s) Encourage more students to participate Is the task/problem interesting enough? Is the task/problem challenging enough? Break down the task/problem into more achievable sub-task/problem Teaching IT/Computer in School

Lesson Planning Revisit  Why should we bother spending time writing lengthy lesson plans to satisfy the requirements of PGDE supervisors?

Lesson Planning Revisit Thinking through the purposes and structure of one’s teaching activities

Lesson Planning Revisit It ensures that the key aspects of a lesson are well thought out, and that the lesson is suitably designed to achieve clearly defined objectives

Recall: Lesson Plan Lesson plan the SET student activities homework key questions evaluation introduction development summary teacher activities Advanced organizer

Building up The SET Relevancy LinkageInterest Duration

What you teach What they learn ≠ ＞＞

Questioning Type Close-ended questions Open-ended questions low order thinking quick feedback Promote high order thinking exploratory talks

Nature of activity Low level skills Drills and Practices

Nature of activity Challenge ahead How can we make the activities or tasks more authentic and meaningful?