Vision and Dynamics: Coping with Constant Change

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Vision and Dynamics Coping with Constant Change
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Our Take On The Reality of Being a Computer
Studies Teacher

• Chris Stephenson
• University of Waterloo
• Doug Peterson
• Greater Essex County District School Board

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10. Everyone Else Is Scared To Teach IT!
Maybe its because of the Buzzwords of the
Discipline
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9. Everyone Moves Our Cheese
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• Imagine a Geography Teacher who has the map of
  the world changed every year
• Imagine a History Teacher who has to make up
  alternative endings to every war
• Imagine a Science Teacher who doesnt get a frog
  to dissect each year

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• There is a lot of new material in the curriculum
  that teachers need to master
• problem solving and design theory
• debugging theory and practice
• object oriented programming
• code reuse
• modular program development
• career preparation
• social and ethical issues

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• Imagine a Computer Science teacher, trained in
  Fortran who has had to learn COBOL, BASIC,
  Pascal, C, C, Java, just because someones
  paradigm changed!
• Image a computer teacher who has constant changes
  to hardware, software, infrastructure, teaching
  styles, standards, Advanced Placement exams!

Just who are YOU in the profession?
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• Teacher In-service is often
• antiquated
• inadequately funded
• not sufficiently connected to learning needs
• Expensive
• overly controlled
• inadequately monitored

Just HOW do you stay current in the profession?
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8. Supporting An Entire School Is Fun
Fix my printer Format my poetry Write the
technology plan Talk to parents CS Teachers
appear to be the greatest web page authors
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• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
• School systems inadvertently punish innovators
• expecting perfection
• punishing new thinking
• wearing innovators to a nub
• forgetting to reward a good try
• forgetting to give credit and recognition

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7. We know the value of the Internet
and we dont have an epiphany when we find a new
website. (instead we critically look at the
construction misaligned pixels, overuse of
superficial graphics, inappropriate use of sound
and Flash)
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6. We know the difference between Java and
Javascript
We are amused when a Grade 3 teacher shows up
for a Java workshop
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5. We Program for an Audience
"Programming today is a race between software
engineers striving to build bigger and better
idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to
produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the
Universe is winning." Rich Cook
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• But Are the Students Up to the Challenges?
• Students dont understand what computer science
  is.
• Students have trouble thinking for themselves.
• Students have limited work habits.
• Students have limited communication skills.
• Students have little concept of ethical
  behaviour.
• Inconsistent levels of computer education at the
  elementary level can create havoc. I know
  computers

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4. Teacher Editions? We dont need no stinking
teacher editions
We teach kids to think. No two programs should
ever be the same. If a program was hard to
write, it should be hard to mark - any CS
Student!
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3. We know that you dont need a Pentium 4 with
1GB RAM, multimedia, 19 monitor, DVD-CD-RW and
wireless mouse to use Microsoft Word.
even though the teacher doing word processing
with his class doesntand we are amused when he
comes to the computer allocation meetings
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• But We DO Need Stuff that Works!
• No new hardware or infrastructure initiatives
  have led to
• outdated/antiquated/ beat up/broken down
  hardware
• complicated networks
• insufficient software
• Computer science can become the poor cousin of
  school computing.

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• We Need
• A serious commitment to upgrade existing
  computers, networks, and software (end user
  experience)
• a sensible plan for network management at the
  school level
• a reasonable replacement schedule for outdated
  equipment (sustainability strategy)

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2. Time
Just when are we supposed to do all of this
stuff?
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• TIME to meet student learning needs?
• TIME to address network management?
• TIME to master new content skills?
• TIME to master new technology?
• TIME to master new pedagogical skills?
• TIME to be a human being again?

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1. We Lead the Way and Keep a Balance
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• Inuk Shuk
• The Inuk Shuk is an ancient symbol of Inuit
  culture traditionally used as a landmark.
• This simple pile of stones was a way for an
  ancient people to say I was here.
• In Canada today this figure with open arms has
  come to represent our northern hospitality and
  friendship.

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• In its simple grace it represents
• motivation,
• leadership,
• innovation
• perseverance
• These are the qualities needed to be a great
  teacher.
• It also represents the balance needed to live a
  good life.

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• Be A Leader
• Have a broader vision
• Know how to build consensus
• Understand your limits and those of your
  co-workers and students
• Exercise the patience of Job
• Maintain your sense of self worth and humour
  despite all efforts to turn you into a joyless,
  unappreciated drone

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• Be A Visionary
• vision and objectives to achieve that vision
• assessment of current school environment
• gap analysis
• evaluation
• strategy for altering objectives in accordance
  with evaluation data

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• Remember!
• To breathe
• To maintain your sense of humour
• To keep your heads when those about you
• are losing theirs
• To keep in mind the ultimate good of the
• students
• To take better care of yourselves

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• What you do is very importantbut what you are
  is much more .
• It is
• every kindness you do
• every word of encouragement you speak
• every person you love
• everything that you learn
• every moment of joy
• every moment of sorrow
• every thought, every prayer, every breath