Computing

Use this space to share resources for Computer Studies and ICT specific courses e.g. IPT, ITS.
This is not a space to share resources for general ICT integration.

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 * Digital Careers: has links for teachers, parents and students on possible computing careers:**

[|http://splash.abc.net.au/secondary#/subject/technologies/video]
 * ABC Splash - Vidoes, games, digibooks, audio and many other resources suitable for junior secondary:**

Apple Computers Unit plans. Torres, M. A., & Kallen, R. (2008). A Curriculum for Digital Media Creation Retrieved 10 Aug, 2011, from []

Apple has and education area setup for schools to access various activities for using thier technology. One area that I found interesting was the unit plans for various curriculum objectives. The link provided could be used to integrate IPT, English and perhaps Art and/or Drama as it pertains to developing a storyboard into a documentary. I believe it could be used for any senior year as it is or developed for middle school.

Another interesting resource on the Apple site concerns the teaching method called Challenge Based Learning. Basically it recommends many of the same types of settings and questioning types we learn at University with a few resources such as sample questions to assist in understanding of the concept. The document details sites of interest to gather more information to use within this teaching framework.

Challenge Based Learning. (2008). Take action and make a difference. //Challenge Based Learning// Retrieved 10 Aug, 2011, from http://images.apple.com/education/docs/Apple-ChallengedBasedLearning.pdf

QSITE - Teachers Resource Organisation QSITE. (2011). QUICK Retrieved 10 Aug, 2011, from []

The website has many interesting articles on how to teach and use IT for all grade levels within schools. Includes journal articles, online forums and chats and links to other professionals teaching in the IT area. The facility is available 24 hours a day. As a resource for teaching the journal QUICK has articles on how integration is achieved by teaching professionals providing invaluable ideas for other classroom teachers.

My son needed a You Tube video embedded into his PowerPoint (not just a link) and asked how I might do this. Now I generally do not visit You Tube so first I looked at Power Point help and it was not that helpful on this topic (although usually it is very good). So I went to You Tube and searched for embed You Tube video into PowerPoint. Several dozen videos on the subject appeared and after a very small sampling I was able to do the task as required. The next day was teach PowerPoint to teachers day and I introduced them to searching You Tube for how to videos on various subjects. The cool part was the video I liked did not suit their learning style so they found ones that did and used them, then went back to the one I found and understood it. That I believe is the usefulness of this tool, most learning styles seem to be catered for due to the diversity of the contributors. The ability to have the solution demonstrated on screen, pause and rewind while listening makes this an awesome addition to show students so they can find and evaluate solutions for their own problems. This technique is a useful addition to show educators so they can increase their own IT knowledge.
 * You Tube - not just a place for videos of people doing stupid things**

[|www.youtube.com].

There is also lots of great programs which allow you to legally download streaming videos. (such as found on youtube) One example is KeepVid.com KeepVid. (2011). KeepVid - Download streaming videos Retrieved 8 August, 2011, from []

Although this will be a little Microsoft centric, I would use the Microsoft certification Program to teach networking, computer systems including servers and workstations (PC's) and security. One of the main benefits in aligning studies with an industry certification program is students can then sit the industry exams and gain the certification. The certifications are recognised by Universities for not just entry into IT subjects but are used to allocate credits thus shrinking the time at Uni. These certifications are used for teaching in various schools in Victoria; one that comes to mind is the Bendigo Senior College that has been producing Microsoft Certified Professionals for some time now. For those leaving school and into IT jobs the certification lifts them from low paid semi-skilled and self-taught style positions into mid-stream positions. As a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and University qualified IT professional with 20 or years in IT I can vouch for the authenticity of the program.
 * Industry Certification linked to IPT**

Information can be found at [] Another great industry accreditation is the Oracle Certified Professional. Senior students studying SQL as part of the IPT Topic Structured Query Language can be linked into the program and complete the examinations becoming certified in Oracle. This provides them advantage at University in the form of gaining entry and credits in Database subjects. Incidentally, both Database subjects at USQ are directly linked to the Oracle certification and provide enough training to complete the exam and gain the certification. []

The aim is to enhance the students employability and using either the Microsoft learning centre or the Oracle university allows students to go that little bit further in their field of choice and develop better skill sets that will allow them to gain in the future. The other important and perhaps hidden benefit (at least from students) is the certifications require upkeep and as such set the learner on a path of continual learning thus increasing the chance of up skilling and lifelong learning.

The level this would be aimed at is Senior and it maps directly into IPT at the Computer Systems Topic. Incidentally, Office has similar certifications and those can be found on the same website.

a new EDNA group has been created to use as a resource for sharing resources. It is designed as a repository for sharing documents and files etc. @http://www.groups.edna.edu.au/course/view.php?id=2548

Softpedia. (2010). //Jasc Animation Paint Shop Pro//, Retrieved August 7, 2010, from [] Paint Shop Pro is photo editing and creation program. Paint Shop Pro allows the user to manipulate photos and literally do anything imaginable to them. It is an essential resource for computing teachers as it can be used in a variety of contexts from a unit on photo manipulation to creating characters for a game project. (for a free trial) Its great for making little animated gifs. The kids love it and its easy to make. [] photo tricks Page Tutor. (2010). //HTML Tutorials,// Retrieved August 7, 2010, from []

This website provides step by step tutorials on designing a webpage. This website is very useful for educators as there is everything from beginner stuff to more advanced material. There is numerous tutorials on HTML, Javascript and web authoring, which complies with the document production area of the ICT study area specification. The site is easy to navigate and could be used for all secondary grades. Baycon Group. (2009). //Microsoft Word 2007 Tutorial,// Retrieved August 7, 2010, from [] This site provides a tutorial for using Microsoft Word 2007. With most schools upgrading to this version, this web site is an online manual that can help users navigate around the new version of Word. The resource is essential for educators as it gives students the opportunity to understand word processing which is part of the curriculum. The tutorial breaks down different parts of Microsoft Word into lessons and also has screen shots of the different buttons so it is easily followed by all ages. Students will have to do some form of word processing throughout their schooling years and this site gives them an easy to follow break down of the most common word processer, Microsoft Word. Yo Yo Games. (2010). //Tutorials//, Retrieved August 7, 2010, from [] Is an essential resource for any educators teaching how to make a game. The site includes tutorials on how to use different gaming programs such as game maker, tutorials on how to create different types of games for example a maze game and gives tips on how to produce a good game. This website is a necessary resource for all computing teachers as it is written by experts so students can follow examples from professionals.

New South Wales Government, Department of Education & Training. (2010). // Report of the consultation on future directions for public education and training: //// One size doesn’t fit all. // Retrieved August 7, 2010, from [|https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/reviews /futuresproject/report/k_ch2_ict.pdf] Is an insightful report detailing the benefits of incorporating ICT into the classroom. There has been much debate to the whether including ICT in the classroom has a positive impact on a student’s learning but this report expresses huge benefits for engagement of learning with the use of ICT. In a technological revolution many parents don’t know how to use a computer so it is up to our children to utilise their creative knowledge along with this powerful technology to write the future and as educators it is our responsibility to provide our students with this opportunity. This report expresses the importance of including ICT into our teaching practice and is a great resource for teachers as it highlights the importance of ICT integration which some educators might find pointless.

Central. (2006). //How to Create a Webpage//, Retrieved August 7, 2010, from []

Like the title suggests this resource explains the basic coding on how to make a web page. The site uses very basic terminology and outlines the basic tags needed for designing a webpage. This resource could be utilised by teachers with students that have no prior knowledge on web page design as it includes a step-by-step explanation of the coding language.

Teaching Ideas Corporation. (2010). [|http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/ict/contents.htm\] Like the title suggests the teaching ideas website is a collaboration of teaching resources for all the different teaching areas. The ICT specific page has loads of information and links on fun ways of teaching the curriculum topics. The teaching ideas website is a very useful website for educators as it includes activities, sample lesson plans and many thoughts on how to integrate the learning material in a fun and engaging way.

Niederst, J. (2003) Learning Web Design: A beginner’s Guide to HTML, Graphics and Beyond. (2nd Ed.) Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly & Associates Inc

Many students prefer to read out of a book rather than have their eyes glued to a computer screen and this is why this resource is important for teachers. This resource could be used for a unit on web page design instead of using various internet tutorials. It starts from the basics for beginning students and for more talented students, the book also as advanced coding material. [] a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace. [] There are a number of great tools to teach programming to K-12 students, along with a lot of resources for computer science teachers: Scratch, App Inventor, Alice, and Lego Mindstorms.

Bullying in School http://bit.ly/bullyinginschool Bullying in School aims to provide useful information and resources to help deal with bullies and bullying in schools. The site includes a free e-book.

Own Your Space http://bit.ly/ownspace Own Your Space is a free, sixteen chapter ebook designed to educate teens about protecting themselves and their stuff online.

[] - uses Macromedia Dreamweaver but the software hasn’t changed much. [] - is a really good site. [] has some tutorials and some texts listed that might be useful

Creating Avatars: [] [] []

Build Your Own Games and Enter the Kodu Cup: []

[|New Cybersafety Program for Preservice Teachers] : The new cybersafety program for Pre-Service Teachers is aimed at equipping education students in their final year at university with up-to-date skills, knowledge and confidence to educate their future students about cybersafety, in keeping with the Australian Government's broad commitment to cybersafety education. It is designed to ensure beginning teachers are equipped to deal with cybersafety issues when they first enter the teaching profession and help them to more fully appreciate the influence digital culture will have on their teaching. Topics covered include cyberbullying, communicating safely and ethically, safe social networking, exposure to inappropriate content and e-security. The program is presented as a 50-60 minute lecture followed by a 90 minute tutorial. All resources, materials and presentations are free of charge. [|http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Schools/Book%20teacher%20professional%20development.aspx#PST]

Using green screens: []

top 10 free resoruces to teach ICT []

"This is "a set of curricular materials designed to encourage high school students to reflect on the ethical dimensions of their participation in new media environments." The content divides into five major subject areas: participation, identity, privacy, credibility, and authorship and ownership. I'm not sure these are the top five things I would list when thinking of ethical dimensions of new media environments. While it's useful that there is a section on [|flamers, lurkers and mentors] I think there should be something about hate, racism and bulling." []

[] The Internet Map: 350,000 Websites In 1 Stunning Visualization