I'm asking this here because I know a number of you are at major
Universities and might have opinions on this matter. It would
probably be best if you comment off-list, as this might get
way OT...
A local private school - considered one of the better ones here in GSC -
is working on improving their general computer program, I've not only
been asked to "pinch-hit" for them on some topics which they've chosen to
use Linux as the OS, but also to make some recommendations as to what
they SHOULD be teaching.
The existing curriculum for Elementary 4 through to completion of
Highschool is basically an intro to the Microsoft software packages.
While I am no fan of MS products, most of these students probably have
computers at home with MS Office on them. So I see no problem in
**training** them to use these tools - so long as they develop more
general skills at the same time.
Aware that their existing program does not adequately prepare their
students for the major universities they wish to enter, they now want to
throw in a little on hardware, OSen and networking in the third year. They
plan to have the 4th year students do a survey of Pascal, C and Java in
their last semester. But while the intent is, I think, good, the
resulting curriculum seems, on one hand, too heavy on some things like
Powerpoint and Coreldraw which a motivated student could probably learn on
his own -and then, on the other hand, there is a one semester survey of
Pascal, C and Java - which seems overly ambitious and would leave heads
swimming.
So here are the questions:
What ** transferable skills ** do you think a student just entering
university should have in the area of computer science or use of the
computer?
If you were preparing students to enter your university - not
just computer science students but liberal arts or whatever - how would
you prepare them in this area?
If you interact with first-year students,
what in general do you see in their backgrounds that is good or bad in
this area? What do you wish they had more of? Less?
Since the school is interested in using Linux, in what areas do you
think Linux shines for teaching at this level? My gut-level feeling is
that Linux makes accessable much of what Microsoft has tried to "protect"
the user from (or the computer from the user). So teaching elementary OS
and networking concepts may make better sense with Linux. Comments?
Finally, if you're asking yourself, why the heck the school doesn't go out
and hire someone who knows the answers to these questions, then we agree.
And if you know of any promising young 4th-year CS students looking to
live the personally enriching life of a highschool teacher here in the
promised land, feel free to give them my e-mail address. In the mean
time, I guess I'm all they've got -- on a part-time basis, at that.
Hoping some of you will help me be all that I can be for this ambitious
school, I look forward to any comments.
Thank you,
Bob Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Trillium Technologies Ent.
General Santos City, Philippines
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