BTEC/T level/other vocational 25/26

I'm disappointed Moodle is not someone's dog. I was skimming the thread quickly and hoping there would be a pic.

I find the college IT system really confusing.
DD 'lost' work because she couldn't tell if it was on our laptop at home or on the college virtual platform.
We ended up emailing things to herself as backup.
Once I had to retype a load from a print out as it disappeared entirely.

Moodle is far better than some VPL I have had to use.

@Sisublondie it's not just documents the teacher can upload, you can use it to make drag and drop pictures / documents.

So when I was teaching about eukaryotic cells I can ask students to draw a poster explaining it, I then have to mark each poster.

With Moodle I can upload a picture of the cell and a list of organelles and turn it into a 'drag and drop' for the students to label.

And I can also have Moodle mark it. So it saves me time and the students get their marks as soon as I release them.

Moodle is a Virtual Learning Platform (VPL) and not one I like.

Bit like a big Google drive and teachers can upload all the docs for lessons and assignments.

Its more a case of having to spend time working out what it there and where rather than being complicated.

When DD wails that she can’t do x because nobody gave her the information I can now ignore the hysteria and just send the right link 🤣

She happily hands me all logins and passwords for everything. One day I hope she will either take it all over or be able to employ me as the world’s most overpaid PA 🤞

Benefits of new timetable seem to have passed muster! SEND - have zero expectations born of too many years of empty promises but here’s hoping!

Good luck to everyone for tomorrow!

Yes, very good point! Esp as it’s over half an hour away! I’ll try and fathom out what it is first….. 🤷‍♀️😸…

🙏!

@OhCrumbsWhereNow

Thank you, yes, everyone is physically ok now ( just unexpected hunt for replacement car and all that ). Wrist is just a waiting game in a cast, at the mo ( but so happy no operation was needed so all good 🤩!).

I have seen you mention Moodle before…. ummmmm, I don’t know what it is!! Will it be something universal DS will have, that he just hasn’t mentioned?! 🤷‍♀️

Great that you have had a session and cracked it!! Whoo-Hoo!! You must be relieved!! Next step thwarted, doing it with her, but you deserve a prize 🏆 for getting this far!!

It is very good her college is aware of her executive function issues, and, totally, 🤞🤞🤞 their SEND are fantastic!! Oh, and amazing that you can access her email! That would be my dream, to see DS’s! I get yapped at gor “ doubting” his abilities if I ask once, let alone twice!

How is your DD with the new timetable, now that she has had chance to digest it? 🤞🙏🤞, I hope so….

Yes, I agree.. HOW long ago does it seem, from the end of the GCSEs?!! New term, new start is without doubt here this week!!! 🙀😸

…..😹😹😹🙄……..least he got the succulents!! 🤩🥳!!

@Sisublondie
😃
Well, you can't remember everything

Thank you!!! Well, he’s there! Had his first night in his new bed last night…..didn’t even close the curtains, so he can wake up to the view! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 💕!! …

…. ( my pride at completing my TDL of Essentials and crap to buy ( even down to some wholly unecessary IKEA succulents for his bathroom - that I’m shocked weren’t laughed at!) was diminished somewhat when he unpacked……yeh…. I forgot to buy bloody PILLOWS!!! 😳🤔🙀😈😹……!! Ah well…….😸

Hope everyone is recovered from car crash @Sisublondie and that your wrist gets better - sounds like a hell of a week you have had.

We did have a timetable - and now they have swapped DD to the other group, so now we have a new timetable (that I think is better, but DD doesn't deal very well with change and so meltdown on Friday when it came through.

They emailed it, so it's a good thing I have her email on my outlook as otherwise she would be turning up 2 hours early tomorrow as she never reads emails.

I've cracked Moodle... tried to do a session today with her... no chance. Apparently they have tutorials every week and she will 'do it then'. No tutorial on the timetable or mentioned on Moodle (they have three 1:1s across the year) so god only knows. However college are very aware of her executive function issues and that she will struggle with written instructions (far too much effort to read them) so I hope their SEND is as good as they say it is.

I am just sooooo glad start of term is finally here... it's been lovely, but my good post-GCSE to now feels long!

@Sisublondie A random 1 hr sounds a pain, I wonder if it could be moved...

Evening all, going to try to catch up! Wrist super painful so tap tapping along with my left hand ( getting bit tiresome now!)..

DS has got his Timetable, not bothered to really mention it, but I just dragged it out of him as told him we need to organise car ( as down to only one after the car accident wrote DH/DS19’s one off)… he is in Monday, Tuesday, Thursday ( like his induction week), with a random hour on Friday …. ?! I assumed this might be English resit class, or maybe ALS, but DH was told it is 1-1 with his tutors, he thinks?? Which, I think, if correct, is brilliant for him!! With his autism, he really can be very literal/easily misunderstands things and go along in the wrong direction, so this would be excellent as a catch up/heads up kind of thing!! Do other DC have this? In that, is this a usual for BTEC courses? Well, guess it’s a veritable wait and see.

How is everyone else feeling about tomorrow?! 😸

DS is doing core maths alongside his IT BTEC. This keeps more opportunities open but a lot of unis would be ruled out. He's not planning on going to uni but he might change his mind.

DMU and similar ex polys ask for 5 gcses grade C and above incl maths, plus A levels, BTEC or level 3. So CS degree is possible without maths A Level but obvs won't be Oxford or Cambridge.

He is doing computer science gcse already but is only in year 10. He is predicted a 6 or 7 in maths at gcse but would struggle with maths A Level I think. They like to pair CS A level with maths or physics.

By the way, do you mean Computer Science GCSE? That pathway definitely needs maths.
I would say IT was a bit different.

DS is doing an IT BTEC. His college has good onward courses/options so I am hopeful.
College also did a couple of T Levels, one of which which they stopped because they struggled to find the months of work experience needed for all the students.

@SuperTrooper1111 thanks, that's actually good news. My son has a strong aptitude for I.T (predicted 9) but isnt great with revision cramming (will probably get 4 to 6s in other grades). He also would struggle with the subjects you'd typically pair with I.T at A Level such as physics and maths. So level 3 in ICT possibly alongside something else would suit him much better. Seemed like sods law that he's seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in 2 years only to be confronted with more limited options.

I think it is extremely relevant to this thread! The Govt is preparing to publish the results of its in-depth look at the current education system and BTECs being replaced by T Levels are part of that review. The Tories were hellbent on scraping funding for BTECs so they could phase them out, because they wanted everyone to do T Levels instead. But Labour have paused it while the review is done, because T Levels simply aren't attainable for a lot of children. I'm optimistic they will stick with BTECHs but you never know.
https://feweek.co.uk/btec-survival-hope-after-level-3-policy-shift/

@sashh haha, yes I remember GNVQs. Thanks for responding, understand its not that relevant to the thread.

I've not taught on the ICT BTEC but I think T levels will go the way of GNVQ and 'vocational A Levels'. Do you even remember them being a thing?

Employers and universities understand BTEC it has been around in one form or another since, well I think the 1950s.

Anyone on on this thread with a DD or DS studying ICT Level 3 extended certificate or similar? If so, do you think its a good route to a related career or uni? My son is only year 10 but am already hearing they might be replaced by T Levels.

DD did the L2 BTEC in Creative Media Production instead of a GCSE and really enjoyed it.

We also know a LOT of people doing L3 Extended BTECs in Performing Arts or Music as DD has been in the industry since she was 4.

Are you able to say which PA college it is? Also which pathway (MT/Theatre/General)?

Is your DD wanting to be a normal teacher (is normal the right word?) or a PA teacher?

@GianinaC As someone who has worked in the media and still has friends working in it, I wouldn't waste time studying creative digital media skills now – AI is replacing the need for humans to do digital media and killing off entry level jobs – by the time your DD graduates, her skills will be worthless. I would've thought a small group would be far better for her to hone her performing skills and really focus on what she loves. That's my 2p worth anyway!

Edited to add: I missed the bit about her wanting to teach. I think teaching a physical subject like performing arts will serve her better in the long run, because it's not something that can be easily done by AI!

(Yes, I am very AI focused. I think schools should be doing far more to steer students into subjects and careers that will still be AI-immune in five years, hence us being very happy our DD is studying animal care – AI can't muck out elephants or nurse baby sloths!)

@sashh
Dd has a pt job on a Saturday.
Luckily, she has always shown good self study in this subject so 🤞