Comments for Zoe Ross http://www.zoeross.com Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:50:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Mr Gove’s BETT Speech by ZoeRoss http://www.zoeross.com/mr-goves-bett-speech/#comment-267 ZoeRoss Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:50:16 +0000 http://www.zoeross.com/?p=836#comment-267 Hi Chris, Thanks for your comment. What a shame that was your experience and it has lead you to put your teaching career on hold. You are right that ICT is often seen as an easy option and some of the GCSE courses for ICT are very weak. Exam boards (and the strive results and a higher place in the league tables) have much to answer for. There is no doubt that Computer Science is more rigorous and useful for some students; let's hope we can have that and also an engaging ICT (or whatever they want to call it) curriculum that is accessible for other students and deals with other aspects too. Josie Fraser addresses this further in her excellent post <a href="http://fraser.typepad.com/socialtech/2012/01/compueter-science-is-not-digital-literacy.html" rel="nofollow">Computer Science is not Digital Literacy</a>. Good luck in your future plans, whatever they may be. Hi Chris, Thanks for your comment. What a shame that was your experience and it has lead you to put your teaching career on hold. You are right that ICT is often seen as an easy option and some of the GCSE courses for ICT are very weak. Exam boards (and the strive results and a higher place in the league tables) have much to answer for. There is no doubt that Computer Science is more rigorous and useful for some students; let’s hope we can have that and also an engaging ICT (or whatever they want to call it) curriculum that is accessible for other students and deals with other aspects too. Josie Fraser addresses this further in her excellent post Computer Science is not Digital Literacy. Good luck in your future plans, whatever they may be.

]]> Comment on Mr Gove’s BETT Speech by Chris Allen http://www.zoeross.com/mr-goves-bett-speech/#comment-266 Chris Allen Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:34:10 +0000 http://www.zoeross.com/?p=836#comment-266 A good post which supports those teachers who do care, unfortunately my own (aleit brief ) experience of teaching showed me how much work is required to move ICT teachers forward. This was a huge disappointment for me and was a significant factor in my decision to put my teaching career on hold after I completed my PGCE. I am glad for Gove's decision even if with his clumsiness because it gives me hope that the teachers who really need a shake up may now get it, instead of being able to teach the same things over and over and putting a lot of students off, not many students who got as far as A2 level I my school showed any interest in doing it after and many of the GCSE students seemed to have chosen it thinking it would be an easy pass. As a member of the BCS I hope their input will be valuable too. It would be a better world if all ICT departments had a head like you were! :) A good post which supports those teachers who do care, unfortunately my own (aleit brief ) experience of teaching showed me how much work is required to move ICT teachers forward.

This was a huge disappointment for me and was a significant factor in my decision to put my teaching career on hold after I completed my PGCE.

I am glad for Gove’s decision even if with his clumsiness because it gives me hope that the teachers who really need a shake up may now get it, instead of being able to teach the same things over and over and putting a lot of students off, not many students who got as far as A2 level I my school showed any interest in doing it after and many of the GCSE students seemed to have chosen it thinking it would be an easy pass.

As a member of the BCS I hope their input will be valuable too.

It would be a better world if all ICT departments had a head like you were! :)

]]> Comment on Mr Gove’s BETT Speech by ZoeRoss http://www.zoeross.com/mr-goves-bett-speech/#comment-265 ZoeRoss Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:11:52 +0000 http://www.zoeross.com/?p=836#comment-265 Thanks for the comment, Oliver and I do see where you are coming from, particularly from a primary perspective. I do have to emphasise though that most secondary ICT departments are now doing some form of programming, usually Scratch and this is not just innovators. I totally agree that a move in this direction is positive, however I am also concerned that the balance will swing too far and some of the excellent, but not computer science, aspects of ICT will be removed. Computing is great but it's not for everyone. Thanks for the comment, Oliver and I do see where you are coming from, particularly from a primary perspective. I do have to emphasise though that most secondary ICT departments are now doing some form of programming, usually Scratch and this is not just innovators. I totally agree that a move in this direction is positive, however I am also concerned that the balance will swing too far and some of the excellent, but not computer science, aspects of ICT will be removed. Computing is great but it’s not for everyone.

]]> Comment on Mr Gove’s BETT Speech by Oliver Quinlan http://www.zoeross.com/mr-goves-bett-speech/#comment-264 Oliver Quinlan Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:51:50 +0000 http://www.zoeross.com/?p=836#comment-264 Some interesting points Zoe. I understand the frustration that many innovative ICT teachers will feel at the accusations of being 'boring'. However, it is easy for those innovative, connected educators to over estimate their influence due to the close networks they are part of such as twitter. We have to remember a minority of teachers are sharing in this way, and that are many, many more who are not (and potentially not innovating as a result). You are right to point out that many ICT teachers effectively evolved beyond the current curriculum some time ago. What interests me is the delivery of ICT by non specialists though, particularly at Primary level. There are many teachers there who feel ICT is not their specialism and that so long as they deliver the NC (or, shockingly, the QCA scheme from 10 years ago), they are fulfilling their responsibility in terms of ICT. This announcement will hopefully make many thing again, and consider what they are doing in ICT and whether it is actually what their pupils need. If significant numbers of teachers start follow these lines of thinking then we could see some subtle but large scale changes for the better in this area. Some interesting points Zoe. I understand the frustration that many innovative ICT teachers will feel at the accusations of being ‘boring’. However, it is easy for those innovative, connected educators to over estimate their influence due to the close networks they are part of such as twitter. We have to remember a minority of teachers are sharing in this way, and that are many, many more who are not (and potentially not innovating as a result).

You are right to point out that many ICT teachers effectively evolved beyond the current curriculum some time ago. What interests me is the delivery of ICT by non specialists though, particularly at Primary level. There are many teachers there who feel ICT is not their specialism and that so long as they deliver the NC (or, shockingly, the QCA scheme from 10 years ago), they are fulfilling their responsibility in terms of ICT.

This announcement will hopefully make many thing again, and consider what they are doing in ICT and whether it is actually what their pupils need. If significant numbers of teachers start follow these lines of thinking then we could see some subtle but large scale changes for the better in this area.

]]> Comment on Mr Gove’s BETT Speech by Michael Gove and the computing curriculum: not thought-through « Yacapaca http://www.zoeross.com/mr-goves-bett-speech/#comment-263 Michael Gove and the computing curriculum: not thought-through « Yacapaca Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:42:37 +0000 http://www.zoeross.com/?p=836#comment-263 [...] 2: two more good posts from Little Mavis and Zoe Ross. Advertisement LD_AddCustomAttr("AdOpt", "1"); LD_AddCustomAttr("Origin", "other"); [...] [...] 2: two more good posts from Little Mavis and Zoe Ross. Advertisement LD_AddCustomAttr("AdOpt", "1"); LD_AddCustomAttr("Origin", "other"); [...]

]]> Comment on Mr Gove’s BETT Speech by Gideon Williams http://www.zoeross.com/mr-goves-bett-speech/#comment-262 Gideon Williams Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:47:43 +0000 http://www.zoeross.com/?p=836#comment-262 Lucid, forthright and challenging as ever Zoe. Have responded on my blog - well a stream of consciousness - http://gideonwilliams.posterous.com/day-11-of-366 Lucid, forthright and challenging as ever Zoe.

Have responded on my blog – well a stream of consciousness – http://gideonwilliams.posterous.com/day-11-of-366

]]> Comment on Mr Gove’s BETT Speech by ZoeRoss http://www.zoeross.com/mr-goves-bett-speech/#comment-260 ZoeRoss Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:36:52 +0000 http://www.zoeross.com/?p=836#comment-260 Indeed, and all the more reason he needs to be advised by teachers, not those with their own, possibly skewed, agenda. Thanks for the comment! Indeed, and all the more reason he needs to be advised by teachers, not those with their own, possibly skewed, agenda. Thanks for the comment!

]]> Comment on Mr Gove’s BETT Speech by Nellmog http://www.zoeross.com/mr-goves-bett-speech/#comment-259 Nellmog Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:27:12 +0000 http://www.zoeross.com/?p=836#comment-259 You raise a series of excellent points. I have seen the impact of a poor ict curriculum first hand but Gove 'vision' seems very narrow...he talks of abandoning the curriculum to free it up but then tries to say what should be taught. I just see it that once again he has demonstrated his lack of understanding of the issues. You raise a series of excellent points. I have seen the impact of a poor ict curriculum first hand but Gove ‘vision’ seems very narrow…he talks of abandoning the curriculum to free it up but then tries to say what should be taught. I just see it that once again he has demonstrated his lack of understanding of the issues.

]]> Comment on Mr Gove’s BETT Speech by ZoeRoss http://www.zoeross.com/mr-goves-bett-speech/#comment-258 ZoeRoss Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:49:29 +0000 http://www.zoeross.com/?p=836#comment-258 It is just too easy to "bash" ICT & actually Gove improved on this from his speech as SSAT & was much clearer that it was the ICT curriculum he was opening up - but in which direction?. I hope you can get the right changes in Wales too soon! It is just too easy to “bash” ICT & actually Gove improved on this from his speech as SSAT & was much clearer that it was the ICT curriculum he was opening up – but in which direction?. I hope you can get the right changes in Wales too soon!

]]> Comment on Mr Gove’s BETT Speech by ZoeRoss http://www.zoeross.com/mr-goves-bett-speech/#comment-257 ZoeRoss Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:38:40 +0000 http://www.zoeross.com/?p=836#comment-257 Thanks for the comment, Stuart and I do agree that there is more work to do, however I have noticed a genuine increase in the numbers of teachers I meet who are already using tools such as Scratch and are now looking to push it further - ie create more complicated games. So, it is happening, albeit more slowly than is right for some pupils, and if this speeds that up then that is a good thing. How do they find out about the work we've all being doing...well maybe we should all write a book like #movemeon & ask Gove for the money to put it into every ICT department? ;-) Thanks for the comment, Stuart and I do agree that there is more work to do, however I have noticed a genuine increase in the numbers of teachers I meet who are already using tools such as Scratch and are now looking to push it further – ie create more complicated games. So, it is happening, albeit more slowly than is right for some pupils, and if this speeds that up then that is a good thing. How do they find out about the work we’ve all being doing…well maybe we should all write a book like #movemeon & ask Gove for the money to put it into every ICT department? ;-)

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