Junior Secondary Curriculum and Pedagogy Workshop Notes

Junior Secondary Curriculum and Pedagogy Workshop

Introduction by Ashley Pereira

  • Ashley has been teaching for seven years, now in her eighth year.
  • She holds a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts from ACU, specializing in psychology.
  • Ashley's experience includes roles such as year-level leader and director of students in the VCE field.
  • Currently teaching year nines, which she acknowledges can be a challenging group.
  • Subjects taught include junior maths, psychology, health and PE, and health and human development for year twelves.

Scope and Sequence

Sharing Experiences
  • Ashley asks participants to share their experiences with placements and scope and sequences.
  • JFA: Attended year seven, which are currently studying fractions and year eight on geometry. Students find fractions difficult, and teachers use visual aids.
  • Shredevi: Observed year nine (trigonometry, angles, and sides) and year seven (fractions).
Curriculum Alignment
  • The Victorian curriculum guides the scope and sequence.
  • Considerations include the number of weeks for each topic, assessment tasks, and school calendar.
  • The scope and sequence shown is for year eights, including exam preparation and exams.
  • Summative assessment tasks occur at the end of each block.
Potential Issues with Scope and Sequences
  • Amelia: Scope and sequences may not always go according to plan due to unexpected events.
  • Brendan: The actual time needed for a topic may vary.
  • Flexibility is necessary, as students may progress faster or slower than planned.
Maximizing Curriculum Effectiveness
  • Considerations include differentiation, scaffolding, color coding, and adjusting to students' levels.
  • It is very important to consider students' backgrounds.
  • Making the topic relevant and relatable to students is crucial (e.g., teaching fractions through baking).
  • Time constraints can be challenging, balancing curriculum coverage with student understanding.
  • The goal is to ensure every student shows some growth, even if they don't master everything.

Differentiation

Key Principles
  • Differentiation is a way of thinking, not just a set of strategies.
  • Fairness doesn't always mean treating everyone equally; it means recognizing and responding to individual differences.
Three Areas of Differentiation (Carol Ann Tomlinson)
  • Content: Providing choices in research topics or essay prompts.
    • Example: Allowing a student interested in football to write about that instead of natural disasters, focusing on argumentative writing skills.
  • Process: Varying how students are grouped (mixed ability, same ability, English buddy systems).
    • Example: Allowing students to read independently in a less formal setting.
  • Product: Offering different ways for students to demonstrate learning (essays, multiple-choice tests, visual projects).
    • Example: Allowing a student who doodles to create a visual representation of key points.
Requirements for Effective Differentiation
  • Building relationships with students to understand their strengths, challenges, and interests.
  • Demonstrating flexibility.
  • Communicating clearly so students understand why some are treated differently.

Breakout Room Discussion on Differentiation

Task
  • Define differentiation.
  • Discuss how to apply content, product, and process differentiation in a maths classroom.
Group 1 Summary
  • Differentiation in math involves understanding students' individual needs and adjusting content, process, and products to support diverse learning styles and abilities.
  • Teachers tailor teaching methods and break down concepts into simplified steps to ensure all students can engage with maths at an appropriate level.
Group 2 Summary
  • Differentiation is altering the lesson plan based on individual needs and applies across all subjects, not just maths.
Group 3 Summary
  • It's accommodating to different needs and abilities.
  • Different teaching methods (visual aids, real-life examples) can support process differentiation.
  • For product differentiation, create a cutout or drawing.
  • Content examples include students working at different grade levels.
Group 4 Summary
  • The definition is catering to all students' needs by adapting teaching methods.
  • Traditional teaching styles focused on teacher explanation and independent work.
  • Modern approaches involve smaller groups, visuals, and materials for better understanding.
Group 5 Summary
  • Differentiation involves changing teaching methods to suit diverse learning styles, helping all students engage better and improve learning outcomes.

Data-Driven Teaching

Importance of Data
  • Data informs teachers about what to teach and how to teach it.
  • Sources of data include NAPLAN, Orwell, and PAT testing.
  • Data helps understand students' academic backgrounds, numeracy skills, and specific needs (e.g., dysgraphia, EAL).
Gathering Data
  • Assessment of student engagement.
  • Asking questions.
  • Pretests.
Pre and Post-Testing
  • Using the same test as a pretest and posttest clearly outlines student growth.

Reading and Reflection on Questioning and Differentiation

Task
  • Read pages 22 and 28 from the provided PDF, focusing on questioning and differentiated teaching.
  • Complete a reflection worksheet.
Key Takeaways from Reflection
  • Shani and Luke: Focus on product and process.
  • Amelia: Ensure success for all students.
  • Sam: Consider questioning strategies for students who lose focus.
  • Evelyn: Importance of feedback from peers.
  • Jafer: Avoid relying on the same few students.
  • Brandon: Cultivate a growth mindset.

Questioning Strategies

The Blind Side Example
  • The movie illustrates how teachers can fall into the trap of relying only on tests.
  • The teacher differentiated by allowing Michael to verbalize his test answers.
Six Effective Questioning Strategies
  • Cold Calling: Randomly selecting a student to answer a question.
    • Ensures everyone is focused and ready to answer.
    • Consider student anxiety; use safe cold calling (giving advance warning).
  • No Opt Outs: If a student says, "I don't know," ask another student, then return to the first student for an answer.
  • Whole Class Response:
    • Using mini whiteboards for quick written answers.
    • Allows teachers to quickly assess understanding across the class.
  • Think Pair Share:
    • Think independently, discuss with a partner, then share with the class.
    • Allows for multiple voices and different explanations.
  • Say It Again Better:
    • Ask students to rephrase, improve, or add detail to their answer.
    • Encourages deeper understanding and real-world application.
  • Probing Questions:
    • Ask follow-up questions to deepen understanding.
    • Encourages critical thinking and application to real-life contexts.
Poll Everywhere Activity
  • Participants used Poll Everywhere to select the best questioning technique for different scenarios.
Scenario Examples
  • Introducing Perimeter to a year seven class: Think pair share to promote engagement and probing questions for those unsure.
  • A student who rarely participates gives a partially correct answer: Say it again better to reinforce their contribution.
Ways Each Strategy Supports Students
  • Cold calling requires mindfulness.
  • No opt-outs build confidence and accountability.
  • Whole-class responses are quick and low stakes.
  • Think pair share allows processing time.
  • Say it again better deepens understanding.
  • Probing questions encourage critical thinking.

Student Profiles and Perimeter Activity

Student Profiles
  1. EAL student with basic English literacy and strong numeracy skills.
  2. Student with ADHD who struggles following instructions.
  3. High achiever who disengages if it's too easy.
  4. Student with learning difficulty and needs extensive support with basic numeracy.
  5. Quiet and shy student who lacks confidence, has learning gaps, and connects well with real-life contexts.
Breakout Room Task
  • Create a basic perimeter activity tailored to the assigned student profile.
  • Consider:
    • What do I know about my students' readiness levels in this topic?
    • What is the key learning intention?
    • What sorts of scaffolds or supports can we put in place to make sure that they are going to grasp that concept of perimeter?
    • How do we know that they've actually learnt what perimeter is and what we need to do with it?
Group 5 Summary: Quiet and Shy Student
  • Start with the classroom perimeter to leverage real-life context and build individual confidence in individual space with potential mentor available for support.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Overview
  • Bloom's taxonomy helps deepen student learning, moving from basic recall to higher-order thinking.
  • Basic comprehension builds the foundation for more challenging problems.
  • Lower-end students focus on remembering and understanding (describing, defining).
  • Higher-end students work toward creating (designing, inventing).
Perimeter Examples
  • Remember: What is the perimeter of a square?
  • Understand: Explain how to calculate the perimeter of a rectangle.
  • Apply: Calculate the perimeter of a given shape.
  • Analyze: Compare the perimeters of two shapes with the same area.
  • Evaluate: Determine the implications of changing the dimensions of a shape (e.g., doubling a side).
  • Create: Design a garden with a specific perimeter to maximize space.
Take away Task
  • Pick any junior maths topic (year seven to nine or primary school).
  • Create examples based on Bloom's taxonomy, extending students to the creating level.
  • Focus on simple examples for initial comprehension.
  • Showcase understanding through simple application.
  • Elevate comprehension by requiring new problems that promote abstract understanding.
  • Reach conclusion by promoting innovation through novel applications of skills learned."