Technology Draft Matrix - feeback

Working on the submissions for this, I am looking at these sort of comments, these have been posted to the various listserves that I belong to

One thing we must realise and get through to people is that we have a responsibility of the image of computing, When people take our courses they think this is how it is done in the "real world"

The public at large, as well as our students, have a pervasive and stilted image of computing, which was pointed out at the dtg symposium last year when the student from university got up and spoke.

How are we changing that image?

Are we providing students the the skills and knowledge and seeing the value of computing in terms of impacts on the world and as a possible career, do the current draft achievement standards provide this. Students should be gaining the skills and knowledge at secondary school that will enable them to identify this as a career from high school. It would be interesting to see what the institutes of technology and universities think of these standards, I can still see us in the "Other" category of entry if we continue to be under Technology.

This is a time to put our voice in, not just in here, but in the online submission

Plus

Technology is a learning area defined in the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007a). In senior secondary school, technology is taught as subjects within the technology learning area 1 . These subjects are traditionally resourced with specialist classrooms in New Zealand secondary schools and presently focus on food, materials (hard and textiles), structures and mechanisms, and information and communications technology/digital technologies (ICT/DT), control technology and biotechnology. Graphics is also a subject within the learning area of technology, which places a focus on the development and communication of design ideas.

Looking at this first statement in the rationale on the alignment of standards review, "Graphics is also a subject within the learning area of technology, which places a focus on the development and communication of design ideas", then what is ICT/DT then, how can you pull Graphics out of technology and place a statement like that in and not have one for ICT/DT.

The technology strands and their components are considered to be generic to all subjects of technology.

The statement of "The Technology strands and their components are considered to be generic to all subjects is technology". Generic, when is technology generic, Software development has a process all of its own, I show the Acheievment Standard and required pieces of work to developers in Auckland, both web and software and they look at it in amazement, is this what students have to do to meet the "Standard". Half the stuff makes no sense, or required. The evidence that is produced blows it out, most of them want to see what the product does, not the long journey that they took prioritising key factors. I agree that the brief is an important document, specifications and planning, but these are normally provided by someone else, the client. Though I do not want a course in project management

I have started looking at our moderation reports

More measurable specifications, encourage to further refine the brief. there is nothing in there about skills or development of programming practices, it is all about the process.

I have spent a while looking at this and the comments that are coming through from others in the group, and I hope that the Document that was written last year comes into light big time The future of Computer Science and Digital Technologies in New Zealand secondary schools: Issues of 21st teaching and lear suitable assessments

as this is an important paper which looked at the development of a curriculum and standards that would support it. If you haven't read it, DO!