Computer Technology Roundtable
Summer Institute for Computer Studies Educators 2010
Facilitator: Peter Beens pbeens@gmail.com
Recorder: John Rampelt johnrampelt@gmail.com
# of participants: 18
Course Distribution
# teaching:
TEJ1O: 1 (out of 18 participants) (1 section) - marketed only through course selection document–course description sells itself. Integrated tech enrolment was declining, principal agreed to run emphasis course. Enrolment in grade 9 tech increased by one section, so it was not at the expense of another section. Course features Lego robotics, Alice.
TEJ2O: 10 - Idea: Investigate possibility of half credit split TEJ/ICS for small class sizes. Also, market TEJ2O to grade 9s.
TEJ3E: 4
TEJ3M: 9
TEJ4E: 4
TEJ4M: 8
Split Classes
Methods to accommodate: Some schools, boards limiting or disallowing splits. Peer tutoring/internal co-op/buddy system may be helpful with splits, or weaker students. Easier to handle splits with project driven course, sequenced projects. Alternatively, rotating through three different projects can keep all students in the class on a similar project. Splitting between too many grades degrades the course experience - increase in enrolment at one school after students were forced to take the course at their grade level.
Workplace vs. University/College
University bound students are attracted to the M designation. Academic more theoretical. Workplace more hands-on. No soldering irons in Workplace. Workplace set up as a computer repair business, focus on customer service, request donations, students interface with ‘customers’. Important to address privacy concerns with students. Formatting, data recovery, software installation and maintenance.
Some boards not offering workplace at all. Hard to build numbers if it doesn’t exist.
U/C courses include electronics, interfacing, programming. Workplace courses do not.
Equipment
Typical equipment includes multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, soldering irons. Cheap multimeters will do in many cases, however some board won’t support those due to liability. Trainers, breadboards, robot kits, networking equipment, LAN/cable testers also nice to have.
Computers for Schools a great source for computers, useful for interfacing, non-supported software such as ALICE, non-supported networking, charitable donations, etc. One school orders Computers for Schools computers by the 100s!
CISCO networking requires routers for network setup. Packet Tracer software used instead of a router in one school. Aspire network simulation game, binary game also used.
Lego used for robotics, along with OOPIC ERS robots, BASIC stamp, BOE-bot, Arduino, CHRP, WAND. Microcontroller programmers needed for some projects.
Parts Sources
Surplus/scavenged/donated equipment, Sayal Electronics, ABRA, Digi-key, ebay, Active Surplus. Ewaste disposal fees now limit the amount of surplus equipment some schools can take. Greentech often takes items for free, Hi-Tech Recycling pays for scrap. Offering to take industry’s old equipment can be a good source for computers/parts. Getting quantity of equipment is often not as much a problem as storage.
Emphasis Courses
# teaching: 2 (out of 18)
TEC Computer Repair: none
TEW Network Support: none
TET Information Technology Support: none
TEN Networking: none
TEI Interfacing: 1 - only option in 1 school instead of TEJ
TEL Electronics: 1
TER Robotics and Control Systems: none
How Handled?
Curriculum written in a broad-based manner, emphasis courses allow you to focus more time on one of the areas. Most curriculum expectations are written generically, and can be covered in a range of areas for flexibility. Some thoughts to keep it broad to give students maximum flexibility. Other schools working toward specialist high skills major.
Work Habits and Essential Skills
Ontario Skills Passport - find NOC codes related to careers, and print essential skills worksheets for skills development tracking. Can use worksheets in portfolios.
Health and Safety
Traditional safety lesson. Good idea to have signed safety contracts. Electrocution warnings. Must achieve 100% on a safety quiz before working. WHMIS training, Passport to Safety (printed passport, increases in difficulty), health and safety portfolios (maintain file in class). Students can PDF any certificates and hand them into network drive, another school has a Moodle to manage all ‘paper’.
What about biohazards? Contaminants in dust in computers, bacteria on keyboards - use face masks, wash hands, no food or drink. Project to clean keyboards.
Technology and Society
Students listen to and reflect on podcasts on current topics (CBC Spark, TVO Search Engine, TED talks, others). Summarize an article relating to societal implication in 1/3 page, or in 1 sentence, eg. Facebook issue, Google in China. Mafia Boy, Ewaste Dumping Ground, other documentaries on CBC doc zone.
Should get into the practice of embedding this content into projects vs. standalone.
Technology and the Environment
Discussion of recycling, project/part choices, current products, etc. Recycling project - disassemble a computer into constituent parts, sort and weigh each type of part. Try to partner with community for recycling project - expanding involvement from grade to grade.
Fundamental Concepts
10 concepts in old curriculum, 14 in new. Concepts are in the front matter of curriculum documents. Should be addressed in projects. Students should be aware that these have to be considered in all projects
eg. case modding for aesthetics.
Other Issues
Girls in classes - try to make the class environment more inviting. See front-matter for tips on making projects more socially-relevant.
(The original of this document can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1m7WgFkOG6rIHQLnT5rvfof0s_AufC_06IAU6dV1ugaw)