Way back at the beginning of the year, I set myself and my year 9 students a goal, to move through the course without using Microsoft Office. More or less that has been achieved, and students can ‘live’ without it, well at least in my lessons.
So now in Term 3, we face the topic of Databases. Not the most ‘hoot’ topic. I’ve found that in the past I took the following approach, which some of those teachers reading might think is the tried and tested.
Teach basic concepts of data/information/tables/fields/data types/ flat file and relational … largely though the use of the text book theory and Microsoft Access. It has always been a struggle to find an even momentum in class progress. The idea of a database seems abstract and Access is not the friendly interface it could be. If you don’t undertand the concepts, the Access is just a pain to use. Learning the basics of database theory needs cognative examples, and even then Access is still a leap of faith for many.
I have changed my approach. It didn’t work for everyone in the past, so I’ve created a set of new resources (on my slideshare) and tried to make the whole topic about them, and not about ‘databases’ as some abstract mountain to climb.
We started with spreadsheets to get the concept of tables, cells, fields and records and have limited Access at this point to creating a single table – just to double up on the theory. I’ve kept the learning statements very simple. So they can now make a table, select logical field names and set the right data types. They can even pull in data from the intitial spreadsheet.
Wow, but this is simple stuff really, I needed to make it more personal, so engaged a couple of Web2.0 sites to do it.
In doing this I asked them to solve a problem. Their problem. Getting passwords reset, new ID cards, booking the ’student loan’ laptops all require a lot of effort for students. Filling in forms, waiting, looking for technicians etc., time consuming and frustrating.
The solutions they all agree are the best, and needed will be used on the school intranet and become part of the admin process – which continues to grow and devours techie time.
The problem was real as the solution will be implimented school wide. They had no mis-understandings – it need to be done and they would be the ones to do it.
Having real world issue to solve and then seeing them being used seemed to fuel motivation. A quick test on theory and a short prac 3 hours in, and students were all 85% plus scores.
Maybe all to often the work we ask our students to complete is as abstract as some of the methods used to teach them. I use slideshare all the time. Everything I do is there, clearly ordered by lesson and the students now just head over there to review things an to revise theory. I can’t say to teachers how GREAT slideshare is a place NOT to loose powerpoints etc., forget CDs and USBs, take the plunge.
So I learned something from my students (always good). If I set real world, challenging and relevant problems to solve, they relate better and work harder to solve them.
So they looked at the problem, used the theory knowledge to interview staff and students and produced a draft design for a data collection form. It only took them an hour to create a working, effective form using Wufoo (www.wufoo.com). They then had a solution that would email a techie directly.
But then in the next lesson we talked about this being a partial solution. Students could identify floors with the process, which was excellent to hear. The needed a way for students and techies to manage the volume of requests that will be sent.
They watched the stock demo on Zoho Creator. We discussed how it might benefit their solution and also asked them to guage the ‘learning curve’ needed to use it. To do that effectively we compaired the Access/Email/HTML route.
They quickly choose the path of less resistence. Surely this is what we are really teaching – as I am very much opposed to the idea of teaching ‘Office skills’. Solving problems is what IT is about, not training Microsoft Users.
In less than 20 minutes the students had created a working data base application, tested it wil real data and invited me to be a back end manager. I was shocked at how quickley the boys applied cognative theory. They had discounted Wufoo (which the previous day was preferable to HTML and Access) and created thier first APPLICATION.
In our program of work, this topic runs until the end of the term, with a two week assessment. Should the assessment be based around Access skills as in previous years? I am sure the syllabus only says ‘database application’.
What this pre-amble has done is clear. They understand how to use a database to solve a problem, and can select a route to do it effectely. Now they have achieved this, then we can apply the same method of learning to Access in order to tackle the notion of ‘relationships and queries’ – or will we? Zoho Creator has tools for that too.
So to sum up 6 hours of learning. Students went from never building any ‘application’ to creating a functional, useful tool that will benefit the whole school. The ‘pain’ of learning an Office skill has be replaced by the rewards of creating something ‘real’. Same theory, same syllabus … alternative route to the solution.
Perhaps the most obvious factor to me has been how positive, engaged and constructive the students have been in doing this. The more I try to find ‘new’ ways of doing ‘old’ things, the quicker they achieve goals – and they do it as a whole class – despite playground cliques, the boys have come together to do some amazing things.
Best of all, Ive by-passed Access to about 90% of what I would have done previously. Thats 90% less hassle, confusion and alienation for students. All too often all but the ‘top’ students give up on Access and databases – with this approach, they will extend themselves well beyond previous years.
I know plenty of teachers dread Year 9, but my group are a delight to teach. Keep it up boys. Well done. Applogies to Anne for any typos. This was updated between dinner and bathtime. 3 little kids and trying to be innovate means sometimes you gotta work on the bathroom floor!
