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Thread: ICT PGCE course help needed

  1. #1
    Banned Jimmy Little's Avatar
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    ICT PGCE course help needed

    Hi people

    My girlfriend is applying to do an ICT PGCE course and has been given a pre interview exercise which consists of many parts that she has completed or is in the process of doing, one of these parts is to answer a few questions, I suggested posting on these forums as I know there are a few people with the ‘knowledge’ so I shall post the questions and if you chaps can help out then please do! It would be a great help in securing an interview.

    Ok!!

    1. Describe how you could use a spreadsheet to replace a mark book or recording sheets and the advantages and disadvantages of an electronic mark book.

    2. Describe the facilities of electronic mail and outline how the school could use it to support the curriculum.

    3. Describe a strategy to find information on the internet and describe the probable results of the strategy.

    4. Describe what a macro is and how one could be used in classroom activity.

    5. Describe how you would quickly create a blank timetable layout using a computer

    6. Describe the process of creating a database of information about pupils in your class to ensure normalisation into a number related files



    Ok chaps I can answer most but not in a lengthy manor!! So any help would be great!!!

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    Banned Jimmy Little's Avatar
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    I don’t think I made myself clear (sorry) this is just to be excepted on a course where she will train up to be an IT teacher, she has very good practical knowledge and is reading and working to fill in this MASSIVE application, but needs a little help with this before the deadline, they are fairly intense questions and the answers need to be good, it will make no difference to if she passes or fails the course, but it will make the difference of her getting on the course..

    Please chaps if you can help

  3. #3
    Banned Jimmy Little's Avatar
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    Guys Pleeeeease It's Sooooooooo Hard For A Noob Like Me!!

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    'ave it. Skii's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bobby Sixkiller
    Guys Pleeeeease It's Sooooooooo Hard For A Noob Like Me!!
    TBH Bobby, if neither of you can answer the questions, are you sure you should be applying?

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    Banned Jimmy Little's Avatar
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    no i'm not sure... but it's what she wants to do, she has done everything else with ease it's just getting these last few questions correct, she will learn the rest as and when she gets on the cource... i just have to help where i can and if anyone can help then that would be great

  6. #6
    'ave it. Skii's Avatar
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    Google on 'Advantages' 'Spreadsheets'

    http://www.seniortechcenter.org/lear...readsheets.php


    Google on 'What is a Macro'

    http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=define:Macro


    Google on 'creating a blank timetable'

    http://www.techcentral.ie/techcentra...rFriendly=True


    Google on 'E-mail into the Curriculum'

    http://nuevaschool.org/~debbie/library/cur/email.html


    Strategy for finding info on the Internet ?

    I'll leave you to guess that one

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    1. Describe how you could use a spreadsheet to replace a mark book or recording sheets and the advantages and disadvantages of an electronic mark book.

    A. Create a spreadsheet with the list of pupils in column A and subjects (or any area that will be scored) across the other columns starting with B.

    Advantages...
    a) Easily editable.
    b) Can be duplicated very easily. Both year to year and also creating hard copies.
    c) Ability to draw graphs, create averages, inter quartile ranges or any other analysis you want.

    Disadvantages...
    a) Need a computer to input and lookup data.

    2. Describe the facilities of electronic mail and outline how the school could use it to support the curriculum.

    A. I can't see how e-mail can help you to support the teaching of a curriculum. It has lots of advantages with communication and sharing of information across global sites but how is that going to help you teach a curriculum?!?!?

    3. Describe a strategy to find information on the internet and describe the probable results of the strategy.

    A. Identify key words to search for. Identify sources (not just google). Think about the Univeristies that specialise in certain areas, journals, societies and other such reference material. You also need to identify what you need to exclude.

    4. Describe what a macro is and how one could be used in classroom activity.

    A. A macro bascily bundles a number of tasks in a single operation improving effeciency and avoiding repeative work. How can it be used in the classroom? Errrr.... the ability to record information at a set interval. Process information in or out of spreadsheet. Automate tasks in a database so the user doesn't need to write or even understand SQL.

    5. Describe how you would quickly create a blank timetable layout using a computer

    Use an Excel wizzard.

    6. Describe the process of creating a database of information about pupils in your class to ensure normalisation into a number related files

    Talk about SQL databse with ODBC plug in to Excel spreadsheets or data dumps to CSV / TXT files.

  8. #8
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    Don't worry I'm just thowing up some ideas that might help, if you think there BS or if anyone else says 'thats poo' then it's cool. It might just help a little with of ideas and add to what Skii's & Gord's already posted .


    1. Describe how you could use a spreadsheet to replace a mark book or recording sheets and the advantages and disadvantages of an electronic mark book.
    An advantage could be that it might be easier to show/display areas of concern like attendance droping.

    A Disadvantage might be the size of a database. Would security be an issue? also with out neccasary backups, corruption and loss of files?



    2. Describe the facilities of electronic mail and outline how the school could use it to support the curriculum.
    I would say: Firstly by using E-Mail you using an electrical resource that is cheaper than the more traditional soild state medium, it can be copied, saved and resent far easier than paper, and so requests for a repeat copy of an assignment can be made with much greater ease, especaily if the pupil has lost the original in the evenings or over the weekend.

    Should a pupil be ill, it could also be used to keep them updated, while at home with current course work and lesson plans.

    Some lessons are spread over the period of a week (i.e. A once a week lessons), and a Teacher might find it difficult to make the time to be able to respond to problems or questions reguarding work or other matters. By using E-Mail a teacher may get the chance to reply to any problems or questions in depth in a free period while the pupil is in lessons and vice versa. And of course this allows the Teacher to continue disscussions of a work realted nature after the pupils have gone home in the evenings or over the weekend, allowing a level of support to pupils that could have been difficult due to location and time constraint.



    3. Describe a strategy to find information on the internet and describe the probable results of the strategy.
    Sounds like it's asking about school databases?, you know refence matirial searches online rather than the web. If it is the web then Safe Searches...


    4. Describe what a macro is and how one could be used in classroom activity.
    Using a Macro in a class activity, jesus thats hard. Something that's repetative that can be made into a short cut, appart from boring database stuff I can't think of anything, basicly take bit a , do b, then c, and so on...
    I suppose you could get the kids to make a Macro that will crack a code - hackers style lmao.

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    2nd hardest inthe infants petrefax's Avatar
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    hiya mate - just seen this post, bit tired at the mo & have a mates PC to dismantle so will give this some thought tomorrow in work in the meantime i'll follow devilbods lead & chuck a few ideas in, feel free to use or ignore as you feel appropriate....just thinking off the top of my head here so apologies for rambling a bit


    spreadsheet scoresheets

    could have 1 master sheet with kids names on which feeds onto other sheets as per whichever topics / subjects they are doing (saves typing the same thing multiple times)

    can use call validation on entire columns to ensure where scores are recorded only valid scores are allowed (eg only values A, B, C, D, F, F allowed in the "mark awarded" field)

    can use IF statements or VLOOKUPs to create a numerical score based on grade & have an overall table of grades, including individual scores for individual pieces of work, overall scores for a week/term/month etc - averages, weighted averages, whatever type of info you want, could even have an interactive graph (again, coupled with a VLOOKUP) to track individual or groups of students performance (very handy for parents evenings if the parents are a bit dim


    advantages - easy to use once set up, can be easily copied, can be easily added to once the bulk of it is in place - provides consistency of information if employed by all staff.

    disadvantages - cuts down but doesn't eliminate human error & how would you check for errors (other than validation - eg, could have an "are you sure" message if awarding a student an F grade)
    data corruption - would need an airtight backup system if student records were to be held solely in this manner


    Using a Macro in a class activity

    to a certain extent it'll depend on the age of the kids, but all kids will write a letter at some stage.
    little kids can write to father xmas (?!)
    bigger kids can write applying for jobs (or to fr xmas if they want!)

    i know you can use the word templates etc to do a lot of this, but they can be improved on with a few easy to write word macros which will set out a letterhead, insert todays date, pick up the kids name from their profile & put "yours sincerely <kids name>" at the bottom etc (if they log in as themselves on the school network that is, if not this could be done with a simple "insert your name" pop up box) - it doesn't have to be really technical

    you could tie the answer to this question to the timetable question - you could create a timetable template which prompts kids to enter data on what classes they have, who the teacher is etc & build in some error checking, that sort of thing
    Last edited by petrefax; 13-04-2004 at 09:58 PM.
    if it ain't broke...fix it till it is


  10. #10
    'ave it. Skii's Avatar
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    Will that do ya Bobby, or is there anything else we can help you with today ?

  11. #11
    Banned Jimmy Little's Avatar
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    thank you boys & girls! you have made my misses day! your top tech people!

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    'ave it. Skii's Avatar
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    Good stuff.

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    Banned Jimmy Little's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Skii
    Good stuff.
    you love it!

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