1. Essential curriculum resources for review and action Paula Christophersen VCAA 3 April 2006

2. Purposes of VELS Students will leave school with the capacity to:  manage themselves as individuals and in relation to others  understand the world in which they live  act effectively in that world.

3. The Humanities Discipline-based learning strand Physical, personal and social learning strand Interdisciplinary learning strand Structure of VELS

4. Session overview VCAA support for teaching and learning VCAA support for teaching and learning VCAA support for assessment VCAA support for assessment

8. Inquiry-based learning Student-centred learning Student-centred learning Focuses on ‘how we know’ rather than ‘what we know’ Focuses on ‘how we know’ rather than ‘what we know’ Develop information processing and problem-solving skills Develop information processing and problem-solving skills Students construct their own knowledge Students construct their own knowledge ‘Making a difference’ ICT

10. Teaching and learning strategies – setting the scene

11. Student characteristics ICT savvy Twitch speed rather than conventional speed

12. Student characteristics hyperlink Page 1Page 100 Multi/parallel processing Linear/singular processing

13. Student characteristics Melbourne: Port and state capital in Victoria, Australia; on the Yarra River, at the head of Port Phillip Bay; founded in 1835, named after the British prime minister, Lord Melbourne; state capital, 1851 … Source: Penguin Encyclopedia, 2002 Images rather than text

14. Student characteristics connectednes s standalone

15. Digital what? Digital natives Digital immigrants

16. Teaching and learning strategies

17. Teaching and learning Experts see patterns and meanings not apparent to novices. Experts see patterns and meanings not apparent to novices. Experts have in-depth knowledge of their fields, structured so that it is most useful. Experts have in-depth knowledge of their fields, structured so that it is most useful. Experts' knowledge is not just a set of facts -- it is structured to be accessible, transferable, and applicable to a variety of situations. Experts' knowledge is not just a set of facts -- it is structured to be accessible, transferable, and applicable to a variety of situations. Experts can easily retrieve their knowledge and learn new information in their fields with little effort. (The list above was adapted from "How People Learn," published by the National Research Council in 1999.) Experts can easily retrieve their knowledge and learn new information in their fields with little effort. (The list above was adapted from "How People Learn," published by the National Research Council in 1999.)How People LearnHow People Learn Source: http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/ Source: http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/

18. Concept organisers Brain does not store information in lines or columns Brain does not store information in lines or columns Brain stores information by patterns and association Brain stores information by patterns and association

19. ICT for visualising thinking ICT tools that facilitate visual thinking are ones that allow ideas and information for all areas of learning to be easily and quickly: drafted filtered reorganised refined systematically assessed in order to make meaning for students. Students use text and image representations, such as graphic organisers, ICT-generated simulations and models to help structure their thinking processes and assist in constructing knowledge. Visualising thinking tools help structure different forms of thinking about content

20. Why visualising thinking? Integrates current and past knowledge  ‘value- adding’’ Focuses on essential information  clarity of information Explicity engages students to create tools for understanding content Understandings are more easily recalled when presented in a non-linguistic way

21. ICT for visualising thinking  assist thinking processes  reflect on the thinking strategies used to develop understanding. ICT for developing understandingsICT for internalising

22. Spreadsheets are useful for  representing  reflecting on  calculating data Building spreadsheets requires:  abstract thinking  rule making  analysis visualthesaurus.com http://www.intel.com/education/seeingreason/

23. Visualise your thinking now Visualise your perceptions of libraries

25. Sample units Sample units on VCAA website VCAA VCAA Units on:

32. Assessment Assessment of the VELS requires a mix of: Summative assessment to determine student achievement Formative assessment to inform next stage of learning Assessment must evaluate students’ knowledge, skills and behaviours in an INTEGRATED way. All teachers can contribute to a student’s assessment. Assessment is part of the learning process Purposeful assessment considers both: process (how the learning takes place) product (what was learnt)

33. Interdisciplinary Students are better able to: develop develop demonstrate demonstrate use use discipline-based knowledge and skills when they are able to employ the knowledge, skills and behaviours described in the interdisciplinary domains of Communications, DCT, Thinking Processes and ICT

34. Integrated assessment Historical reasoning and interpretation, level 5 …students frame key research questions, plan their investigations, and report on their findings. They use a range of primary and secondary sources including visual sources … Students use a variety of forms to present their understanding. They evaluate historical sources for meaning, point of view, values and attitudes. Thinking Processes ‘… use a range of question types’... Use a range of appropriate strategies of reasoning and analysis to evaluate evidence and consider their own and others’ points of view Communications ‘…use the communication conventions, forms and language appropriate to the subject to convey a clear message across a range of presentation forms

35. Integrated assessment Historical knowledge and understanding, level 5 ‘…They demonstrate understanding of key concepts such as … ICT for visualising thinking ‘…students select and apply ICT tools and editing functions that support the filtering, classifying, representing, describing and organising of concepts, issues and ideas.’

36. Making connections: ‘globalisation only makes the rich get richer’ ICT for communicatin g

37. globalisation is ahas aexamplecanare/is Generic classifications of concept Attributes of concept Specific and prototypic instances of concepts Qualities of concept Dynamic aspects of concepts Making connections: ‘globalisation only makes the rich get richer’ ICT for visualising thinking Ideas adapted from Dr D Whitehead, University of Waikato, N Z

38. CONCEPT FRAME ABOUT GLOBALISATION Is a SequenceAttributes a process Is SequenceAttributes opportunistic important international trade Can SequenceActions Groups increase money flow Has … has a … have … SequenceAttributes an effect on product prices global consumers Examples Sequence Examples Group Nokia Shell Toyota Ford Making connections: ‘globalisation only makes the rich get richer’ ICT for visualising thinking

39. By Gudrun Firth Globalisation only makes the rich get richer ICT for creating

40. Assessment support Assessment maps - Provide samples of student work of levels 1 – 6, annotated and linked to relevant aspects of the Standards Progression points - Assist teachers in making judgments about student progress towards a standard

42. christophersen.paula.p@edumail.vic.gov.au 9651 4378 ICT Curriculum Manager Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 41 St Andrews Place EAST MELBOURNE 3002