January 23, 2012
Holiday Catch Up Part 1 – Apple’s Latest
Hi all,
Holiday Catch Up Part 1 - Apple’s Latest
During the holidays I catch up more with running and life and check in to professional reading by favourites on Google Reader and Twitter and storing links from Facebook and the like in Diigo. Here is a summary of the links that got my attention. I will process them in more detail a bit later .
Recently I read in one of my geography journals an article by Dr Grant Kleeman presenting the case for the text book . The argument was presented in a way that suggests we are dealing with an evolution of combining online and original text based reading. I wondered what were the tools we would use for online reading. I love my Kindle but it would ot really work for text books. Then….
In the last few weeks was the anticipated Apple announcement.
Darcy , Ronnie and Warrick have put together thoughtful blog posts about Apple’s new innovations with textbooks.
It is so new and I am not sure how this will all unfold but with these readings I can make a good start.
Darcy
http://darcymoore.net/2012/01/20/ibooks-author/
Ronnie
http://theedublogger.com/2012/01/19/3-major-problems-with-apples-education/
Warrick
http://learningau.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/first-look-at-apples-new-take-on-textbooks/
cheers Martin
November 29, 2011
Thoughts on the Achievement Standards and Outcomes in National Curriculum for Geography
Hi all,
This is the text for some thoughts I have for the Achievement Standards and Outcomes in National Curriculum for Geography
National Curriculum Geography. Here is a link to the PDF which included images of the relevant Achievement Standards and Outcomes.
Achievement Standards Years 7-10 and Outcomes 11-12
INTRODUCTION
I like the direction the Achievement Standards in Years 7-10 and the Outcomes in Years 11 and 12 are taking. The statements are clear and precise and identify the hierarchy of verbs required for each achievement standard and outcome.
There are some points of clarification and possible suggestions which are applicable to all years and some for specific years which will be addressed accordingly.
• The two separate paragraphs in the Achievement Standards are interpreted as a statement of concepts in the first and skills in the second. If this is the case the use of headings would help the reader.
• Is there any particular reason why the Achievement Standards are in two paragraphs for years 7-10 and bullet points in Years 11-12? If not it might be clearer to use a consistent form of presentation
• Is there to be any guidance for the teacher in linking/translating the Achievement Standards and Outcomes for teachers into programing, developing indicators and assessment?
• Does the elaboration of the content match the verbs in the achievement standards and outcomes? See year 10 for a specific example.
• A simplified version of planning and action would be valuable for Years 7-9 students as well. Perhaps a progression of skills of planning and action peaking in year 10 might be an option. Planning and taking action seems to be reserved for Year 10
ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS YEARS 7-10
Unit 1 Environmental Standards Year 7
Unit 2 Why people live where they do Year 7
• Perhaps students would benefit from more basic verbs in Year 7 such as making more use of describe, identify, appreciate, clarify, outline recall and account.
• I like the use of compare as it allows for the use of case studies or comparative regional and thematic examples.
Unit 1 Landscapes Year 8
Unit 2 Personal and community geographies Year 8
• The transition between Years 7 and 8 hierarchies of verbs as Year 7 stands now is quite good. If we simplify Year 7 there might be more of a gap.
• The elaboration in Unit 1 on Landscapes on sustainability matches up well with the Achievement Standard for sustainability.
Unit 1 Biomes and food security Year 9
Unit 2 Navigating global connections Year 9
• The use of compare apply and analyse seems appropriate to the work and thinking skills of students at this level
• We would like some gradual ramping up of analysis and explaining here and introduction to the concept of evaluation
Unit 1 Environmental Challenges and Geography Year 10
Unit 2 Global Wellbeing Year 10
• I like the transition to planning and action in Year 10 and as mentioned before would like to see it gradually introduced over the 4 years. Or if that is already the intention make this clear in the earlier Achievement Standards.
• There could be more critically evaluate and analysis expected here rather than just evaluation of questions encompassing perspectives and evaluation of sources as indicated in the second paragraph.
• I chose Year 10 to highlight the example of lining the Achievement Standards to the Elaborations in the Content description. For example, in the unit of work on Environmental Challenges and Geography the first two elaborations involve evaluating environmental challenges and economic consequences and do not match up with the suggested evaluation in the achievement standards mentioned above.
YEAR 11 AND 12 OUTCOMES
-
Comments
– apply to all 4 units of work
Unit 1 Changing Biophysical Cover of the earth
Unit 2 Sustaining Places
Unit 3 Environmental Risk Management
Unit 4 A World in the Making
• Why the switch from two paragraphs in Year 7-10 Achievement Outcomes and to bullet points for Year 11-12 Learning outcomes? This raises the question of consistency.
• Suggest a need for a glossary for verbs and have verbs that can be defined, appropriate to year level and aligned to elaboration.
• What is the definition of understanding which is mentioned at least 10 times in the outcomes. Understanding means many things to different people and even if defined there can be levels of understanding. Finally is just seems to be used too much.
• In all four topics we observe the verbs are too basic and characterized with a domination of understand. For example critically evaluate is on in Unit 1 and appears nowhere else.
• I’m assuming Achievement Standards = Learning outcomes for the purpose of programming, indicators and assessment.
• Is it possible to have a progression of verbs with increasing difficulty for each of the four units of work? For example build from describe to critically evaluate.
• The good work of planning and action in Year 10 seems omitted from all the units except for the final outcome in Unit four “apply a range of geographic inquiry methods…”
October 21, 2011
Australian Draft Geography Curriculum – initial summary
Hi all,
Australian Curriculum in Geography
There is a lot to process in the Draft Australian Geography Curriculum. So I have started with the basics – the content. Here is a direct link to the Draft:
By way of introduction there is a section of geographical knowledge and understanding which I have outlined below. Then there is geographical inquiry and skills which I will look into later. Then there are a series of concepts for geographical understanding including: place, space, environment, interconnections, scale and change.
As for this post.
There is the Curriculum Focus and the Big Ideas. These are the focus of this post.
Curriculum Focus
Foundation to Year 2 Exploring local and more distant places
Years 3-4 Investigating place
Years 5-6 Analysing and managing places
Years 7-10 Regional and global places in an environmental and human geography context
Senior Secondary Years
Aim 1 Extending knowledge in depth
Aim 2 Applied Geographical Inquiry
Big Ideas
Foundation -where we live
Year 1 – Not everywhere is the same
Year 2 – Links to our world
Year 3 – How we live
Year 4 – How we live
Year5 – Climate and activities
Year 6 – Going global
Year 7 – Unit 1 Environmental Resources
Year 7 – Unit 2 Why people live where they do
Year 8 – Unit 1 Landscapes
Year 8 – Unit 2 Personal and community geographies
Year 9 – Unit 1 Biomes and food security
Year 9 – Unit 2 Navigating global connections
Year 10 – Unit 1 Environmental challenges and geography
Year 10 – Unit 2 Global well being
Senior Secondary
Unit 1 – The changing biophysical cover of the earth
Unit 2 – Sustaining places
Unit 3 – Environmental risk management
Unit 4 – The world in the making
Martin Pluss
Sent from my iPad
October 14, 2011
13 Take-aways from the #aisitic AIS ICT Integrators Conference 2011
Hi all,
13 Take-aways from the #aisitic AIS ICT Integrators Conference 2011
- Don’t let your iPad go to sleep while you are introducing the Keynote Speaker.
- You learn as much in the corridors as the sessions.
- Just visit any session you will always learn something of value.
- iPad tip of the conference Remote Mouse
- Geography tip of the conference Place Spotting
- Revisit TPACK and SAMR
- We are on the right track with the official use of Social Media in school.
- Student Forum:- ”You cannot stop technology it is going to keep marching forward…we are challenging the teachers to get on board”.
- “A lot of innovation is happening outside central IT Management – learning tool vs learning platform”
- “The real revolution of the internet is not connecting people to information but connecting people to people”
- “Arghhh!Kill me Now! These poor kids.
- “Students using FB to engage in teacher-less authentic learning.
- I (still) love twitter for professional learning.
October 13, 2011
Sometimes pictures and diagrams tell the story
