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week_4_journal_entry.docxWeek 4: Moving forward - The Australian Curriculum
This assessment task requires you to write one 400-word journal entry each week on the concepts explored in the first four weeks of the unit. In total you will submit, in a Word document, 4x400- word journal entries. The purpose of this assessment task is to reflect on the knowledge and understandings you acquire from the weekly online activities (specified below). You are expected to draw on the prescribed weekly readings and resources to help support your reflections, as well as independently sourced scholarly literature.
For each journal entry, you must include evidence of the completed weekly activity (clearly indicated in your submission). Please note that your response to the weekly activity itself will not be assessed, however, it must be submitted in order for you to at least pass the assessment task.
Responses to the weekly activities will not be included in the word count. Each journal entry will follow the Connect-Extend-Challenge thinking strategy:
Connect – how are the ideas and information you’ve explored this week connected to what you already know? Firstly, you need to consider how all of the information and new concepts you have read and thought about connects to your pre-existing knowledge and experience. Provide an example (1-2) here demonstrating this connection with theory to support.
Extend – in what ways has your thinking been extended by these ideas and this information? Then you need to consider how the new material and discussions on Bb with your fellow students has extended your thinking. What is something new you have learnt? How have your ideas been developed? Have we discussed something that you had not previously considered? Use examples and theory to support.
Challenge – what challenges do you think you will face in applying this knowledge/understanding to your classroom practice? Finally, you need to highlight the challenges you may face in applying the concepts and new knowledge from Week 1 into practice during your practicum and as a teacher into the future. Again include examples and theory support.
1. Understanding of concepts
The key concepts that underpin each of the activities have been accurately identified and critically reflected upon. A comprehensive and succinct knowledge of the concepts being explored has been demonstrated and well-supported with relevant and meaningful academic literature.
2. Link between theory and activity
The entries demonstrates a deep, insightful and sophisticated understanding of connections between prior and new knowledge. The ways knowledge has been extended are thoughtfully articulated.
3. Transfer of knowledge into practice
Insightful and succinct entries demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the challenges in applying new knowledge to practice. The entries are fully supported with meaningful and relevant examples and sophisticated integration of ideas from relevant, current and diverse bodies of scholarly literature.
4. Academic writing.
The journal entries are professionally presented, well-structured and logically ordered. The writing has no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. APA referencing is correct.
Concepts and readings
Focus: Introducing the primary curriculum and teaching resources to support teaching and learning
Last week we introduced you to a range of teaching strategies including: direct instruction, discussion, small-group work, cooperative learning, problem solving, inquiry, case study and role-play. Throughout this exploration we asked you to consider some of the key features of each strategy, the benefits and/or limitations, as well as, some of the various ways that they could be implemented into a variety of contexts.
Over the next two weeks we will be focusing our attention towards curriculum and planning within a primary context. This material will form a significant component of the work you perform during your practicum, as it underpins Assessment 2: Lesson plans and Assessment 3: Reflective practice.
This week we will start by developing a sound understanding of curriculum: its design, purpose and value, which will then lead us into a focused exploration of the Australian Curriculum. Throughout this exploration, we will be looking at its development, implementation and structure and unpacking the various components within it. We will conclude this week by introducing you to a range of teaching and learning resources that directly support the Australian Curriculum.
Understanding 'curriculum'
As you prepare to make your transition into the primary school setting, it is imperative that you have a sound understanding of curriculum: its purpose, design and value, as a basis for creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences for your students. Dowden (2013) highlights the importance of having a solid understanding of the curriculum in order to appreciate its place in the educational setting. He acknowledges that often, official curriculum documentation are stereotyped as being dry and disengaging, when in fact, viewed through the right lens, can be appreciated as a springboard to powerful and effective teaching and learning. The following reading, ‘Understanding the Curriculum’ (Dowden, 2013) sets the scene to this week’s exploration of the curriculum by looking at the purpose of national and state/territory curriculum documents, the design and construction of local curriculum, changes to the curriculum and the importance of meeting students’ needs within curriculum design.
Reading
Read Chapter 3 Understanding the curriculum (Dowden, 2013), pp. 37-48. As you work through this reading, consider the reflective prompts below:
1. As a curriculum stakeholder, in what ways can you influence curriculum design within the classroom context?
2. What implications might arise if a group of teachers, within a teaching team, do not place the same emphasis/effort into curriculum design and/or have the same approach?
3. How might schools overcome this?
Introducing the Australian Curriculum
In 2008, an agreement was made between the federal, state and territory governments to introduce and implement a national curriculum (Foundation to Year 12) to unite all states and territories under one curriculum and provide all Australian students with an equitable education. Until this point, each state and territory had their own curriculum and assessment methods which they would use. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA, 2011) has since been working in close consultation with all of the states and territories, and in accordance with the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (Ministerial Council, 2008) to develop the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, n.d.). The curriculum has been designed in three phases, with the intention of a staged implementation. These phases are as follows:
· Phase 1: English, Mathematics, Science and History
· Phase 2: Languages, Geography and The Arts
· Phase 3: Design and Technology, Health and Physical Education, ICT, Economics, Business and Civics and Citizenship.
(NSW Department of Education and Communities, 2011).
It has since been the responsibility of each state and territory’s education agency to implement the Australian Curriculum throughout their jurisdiction and support all educators in this transition. To see how the Australian Curriculum has being implemented within in your state/territory, click on the name of your state/territory on the interactive map below.
It is important to acknowledge here that for those subjects that are yet to be released and/or are not yet included in the Australian Curriculum, pre-existing state and territory curriculums are still required to support these subjects. As you may notice throughout your discussions with colleagues during your practicums, different schools will still be at varying stages of this implementation process, therefore, it is highly recommended that you discuss this with your mentor teacher. In addition to this, it might be worthwhile inquiring about the impact that this implementation process has had on their planning and assessment and/or about the support that they have received throughout this process.
Reading
To learn more about the development, intentions and structure of the Australian Curriculum, read the following excerpt from Brady & Kennedy (2014) Chapter 2 The Australian Curriculum: process, politics and issues , pp. 11-23. As you progress through this reading, take some time to consider the values underpinning the development of the Australian Curriculum and furthermore, the relationship between curriculum, assessment and reporting and how they will operate under a national arrangement.
Introducing the learning areas, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities within the Australian Curriculum
The Learning Areas
The Australian Curriculum is structured around eight key learning areas, these being: English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, The Arts, Technologies, Health and Physical Education and Languages. It is important to note that some of these key learning areas, may have more than one subject associated with it, as represented in the diagram below. By clicking on each of the subjects within this table, you will be taken directly to that particular curriculum area in the ACARA (n.d.) website which will provide you with a rationale and aim, as well as, content descriptions, achievement standards, elaborations and portfolios of student work samples across the various year levels. As you review these subjects, take some time to note how each one is scaffolded from one year level (or band) to the next.
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English |
· English |
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Mathematics | |
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Science |
· Science |
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Humanities and Social Sciences |
· History |
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The Arts |
· Drama · Dance · Music |
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Technologies | |
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Health and Physical Education | |
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Languages |
· Chinese · French · Italian |
The General Capabilities
Embedded throughout the eight learning areas are seven general capabilities that have been identified in the Melbourne Declaration as being essential skills, behaviours, knowledge and dispositions required for learners in the twenty-first century (ACARA, n.d.). These capabilities include: Literacy, Numeracy, Information and Communication Technology Capability, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding and Intercultural Understanding. It is important to note here the ‘general’ nature of these capabilities and to reinforce the intention of these, for them to be infiltrated throughout the entire curriculum (ACARA, n.d.).
The general capabilities have been aligned with various content descriptions throughout each learning area within the Australian Curriculum, wherever a clear opportunity has been identified for them to be applied or developed. As showcased in the diagram below, each general capability has been allocated its own icon which has then been used to clearly and visually highlight its connections to selected content descriptions. By clicking on each of the general capabilities below, you will be provided with a brief overview of the value and significance of each.
Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
Critical and creative thinking
Personal and social capability
Reading
To learn more about the general capabilities and their influence on curriculum integration, read the following excerpt from Brady & Kennedy (2014), Chapter 5 General capabilities and integrated curriculum , pp. 58-72. As you make your way through this reading, consider the connection between an integrated curriculum and student-focused teaching. How would you define this relationship?
The cross-curriculum priorities
Three cross-curriculum priorities have also been embedded within the learning areas that focus on equipping students with the knowledge, understanding and skills to engage and interact in a globalised world (ACARA, n.d.). The intention of these cross-curriculum priorities, as outlined in the Australian Curriculum, is for students to be able to make sense of the world in which they live and to effectively contribute towards building the social, intellectual and creative capital of our nation (ACARA, n.d.). The three cross-curriculum priorities include: Sustainability, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.
As with the General Capabilities, each of the Cross-Curriculum Priorities have been allocated an icon, that have been used throughout the curriculum to identify which learning areas/content descriptions they have clear connections to. Click on each of the Cross-Curriculum Priorities on the diagram below for a brief overview of their value, significance and progression across the year levels.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
Piecing it all together: exploring the Australian Curriculum
Now that we have introduced you to some of the key components within the Australian Curriculum, take some time to explore the curriculum as a whole; its components, structure and organisation by watching the following video Australian Curriculum guided tour (ACARA, n.d.). As you watch the video, pay special attention to how the curriculum is organised, where to access the various components and where to find the student work samples (portfolios of student work).
Online resources
Explore The Australian Curriculum (ACARA n.d.) now at your own pace. In particular, access each of the key learning areas, from Foundation to Year Six and see how they have been organised into their strands and sub-strands. Familiarise yourself with the terminology, language, icons etc. used within the level descriptions, content descriptions and achievement standards and view a selection of annotated student work samples, to see how the Australian Curriculum has been used in a practical sense, to support teaching, learning and assessment practices.
Digital teaching resources that help support the Australian Curriculum
To conclude this week’s introduction to the Australian Curriculum, we will direct you towards two highly practical and relevant digital teaching resources that have been designed to directly support the Australian Curriculum. Take some time to navigate and explore each one of these thoroughly, as they will direct you towards a vast and varied range of resources that may assist you with your planning whilst on your upcoming practicum.
Scootle (Education Services Australia, n.d.): Home to thousands of digital teaching resources that have been matched directly to the content descriptors throughout the Australian Curriculum. The resources within this site are vast and varied, and include: interactive, multimedia resources, audio, photo and video resources, open-ended tools for teachers and students to create learning resources, interactive assessment resources, work samples, collections of curriculum resources, alongside teacher ideas and units of work (Education Services Australia, n.d.). Watch the following introductory video (ACARA, n.d.), taking note of how to search for specific learning areas and/or levels and then explore the website at your own pace, in preparation for this week’s activities.
ABC splash (ABC, n.d.): This website has been developed collaboratively by The Australian Broadcasting Network and Education Services Australia and contains hundreds of high-quality videos, audio clips, games, virtual worlds and other interactive digital experiences that are directly linked to the Australian Curriculum. As you explore the website, it is highly recommended that you continue to file, save or bookmark any teaching resources that interest you for future reference, to assist you in building up your bank of teaching resources.
Activity
In the last few TPs this activity has proved to be the most challenging and the least well written journal activity for A1. Take the time to complete the readings and really think about what the task requires of you. This will make your journal writing for Week 4 much easier. In particular, and with a focus on literacy and numeracy, consider:
· the key benefits of how the literacy capability has been structured. Support with evidence of this NOT just your personal opinion.
· the key challenges of how the literacy capability has been structured. Support with evidence of this NOT just your personal opinion.
· the key benefits of how the numeracy capability has been structured. Support with evidence of this NOT just your personal opinion.
· the key challenges of how the numeracy capability has been structured. Support with evidence of this NOT just your personal opinion.
Hope this helps you in creating a more informed and reflective response for this week.
Activities and assessment Activity 1: Evaluating the importance of literacy and numeracy as general capabilities
LITERACY Literacy understanding: Through the reading of Australian Curriculum literacy involves students being able to listen, read, comprehend, view, speak, write and present information orally. Literacy is a necessary skill that students need to become successful learners in. It’s with my understanding that literacy has an impact on most of the learning areas in the Australian curriculum. Literacy is mostly taught within English learning area however other learning areas for example history or science would use some components of literacy within their curriculum too. There is a Literacy continuum that focuses what elements are drawn from the Language and Literacy strands of the Australian Curriculum. These elements are able to be used for most learning areas. The elements are the following: Comprehending text Composing text Text Knowledge Grammar Knowledge Visual Knowledge Word Knowledge The learning continuum is a basis of where students get assessed on for example students in grade one should be able to navigate, read and view simple texts with familiar vocabulary and supportive illustrations. This means students in English should be able start a book at the right place and follow reading the book in the correct direction. A student should be able to read aloud and sound out words when unsure what the word is. IMPORTANCE OF LITERACY: Literacy is vital to ensuring your child has the best chance to succeed in their schooling and everyday life. Literacy allows us to understand a variety of writtern, visual, spoken text now a day’s online (internet) but also through books, magazines, newspapers, DVDS, TV ect. Literacy is needed to be able to learn in majority of subjects at school. The national trust 2015 suggest that good literacy skills allow people to have higher self esteem, better health, better jobs and higher wages than those with poor literacy skills. Key benefits and challenges: I believe that Literacy being incorporated enables students to develop skills in more than one area which helps teachers teach more than one thing at a time too. General capabilities such as literacy comprises an integrated and interconnected set of knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that students develop and use in their learning across the curriculum, in co-curricular programs and in their lives outside school (ACARA, 2013). The way literacy is structured is done well, its included in most learning areas and enables students to use their literacy skills in different ways. For example in history students are given an activity where they have to read information and with the information they read they need to speak to the class about what are two main things they have learnt from the reading. Students therefore are not only learning about history but also applying their literacy skills to develop and learn. Numeracy Numeracy understand: When teachers recognise demands through the curriculum, students have used their mathematical skills and knowledge to other areas of learning other in a mathematical classroom. Incorporating mathematical skills allows students to recognise how numeracy can be interconnected not only with mathematics but also within other the learning areas such as science, but also once after school within a work environment. The learning continuum is organised into six elements which students should be able to learn and develop skills in. These elements are able to be used in different learning areas. -Estimating and calculating with whole numbers -Recognising and using patterns and relationships -Using fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios and rates -Using spatial reasoning -Interpreting statistical information -Using measurement IMPORTANCE OF NUMERACY: Good numeracy is the best protection against unemployment, low wages and poor health.” (Schleicher. A, 2015). Numeracy is important because it isn’t only used throughout school but also needed to be employed in a decent job and also allows people to live a happy life. We use numeracy when we go shopping, to plan to go away, to work out how much you earn, cooking to measure quantities of cooking items. An interesting fact when researching about numeracy is that a quarter of young people in custody have a numeracy level below that expected of a 7-year-old, and 65% of adult prisoners have numeracy skills at or below the level expected of an 11-year-old (Schleicher. A, 2015). We need numeracy to solve problems, time, patterns, and shapes, reading a map or bill and even for sport. Numbers are all around us and we need to be able to interpret them and use it through daily living. Key benefits and challenges: I believe a key benefit is that the student are able to apply what they have learn in maths with other subjects. For example, in geography the students were asked to work out the average of rainfall from 1991-2010 here they were able to apply maths knowledge to geography. Students need to know the basic of maths, to be able to follow on. Students need to know addition subtraction, multiply and division to be able to do Algeria. The way numeracy is structured works well for students, it enables students to apply knowledge in other areas and strengthen numeracy skills.
