[Oz-gifted] computer competition

[Ellen Hrebeniuk]

At 8:17 AM +0930 5/4/06, Sandy Horne wrote:

>  >none of the regular teachers at my school can pass it
>
>This doesn't surprise me. In my experience (and I often deal with teachers
>in a professional capacity as well as through my children) teachers have
>generally appalling computer skills.

Five years ago, I would have said the same (I deal with TAFE teachers 
in a professional capacity), but I believe they are catching up as 
community computer literacy improves.  This doesn't mean that their 
*information literacy* is any greater, alas.

>  We can now have the strange situation
>where a computer literate 12 year old student may well know more than most
>of her teachers.

So?  Unless it's an IT teacher, this should not be a surprise.  How 
many specialities should a teacher have?

>But what surprises me more is the attitude that I've heard from many
>teachers - that they are unwilling to learn about computers or frightened
>of them or, worse, that it's not necessary to know this stuff.

IME that's on the decline, but TAFE teachers might be different to 
school teachers.  To be honest, I sympathise; I tried to read an 
article about superannuation this morning, but my eyes glazed over 
before I was through the first column.  I am sure some people feel 
the same way about IT as I do about finance -- it's an area that you 
seem to need degree-level information in, but have neither the time 
nor the inclination to study.

>Teachers
>expect their students to have open minds and be ready to learn new
>things yet have this unfortunate attitude when it comes to new technology.
>There are exceptions but, IME, the majority of teachers need to
>get with the times.

How will they do this?  More training courses?  Or are they supposed 
to be pottering at home in their copious free time?
-- 
Ellen Hrebeniuk
Sydney, Australia

Being a librarian is how you change the world.
Nancy Pearl