NSW Department of Education and Communities

What areas of the syllabus do you assess?

As far as the Stage 6 syllabuses are concerned, the assessment components and weightings for both the Preliminary and HSC courses are set out in each syllabus. These are suggested for Preliminary courses (well worth following) but must be adhered to for HSC courses. It is important to include a range and balance of assessment tasks, although, remember that one task can assess several components. The Board of Studies suggests that 3-5 tasks are sufficient to assess the HSC course. For advice on Stage 6 assessment, view the document HSC assessment in a standards-referenced framework - A Guide to Best Practice available on the Board of Studies website:
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/manuals/hsc_assessment_std_ref_fwk.html

Also look at the assessment and reporting information here on the Curriculum Support site:
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/technology/11_12/general_assess_reporting/index.htm

Stage 4 and Stage 5 syllabus documents have advice on quality assessment practices, which is very useful. The sections under Assessment include Standards, Assessment for Learning and Reporting and these headings are the same in each syllabus. There is also information presented on choosing assessment strategies and this information addresses the particular nature of each subject.

With regards to the Stage 4 syllabus, a range of strategies should be used to ensure that a range of outcomes can be assessed. Assessment strategies can be based on activities drawn from the 'Learn to' column in either the Core or Focus Areas, and this provides scope for both practical and theoretical assessment strategies to be devised. Students will often perform better in certain areas than others, so by varying your assessment tasks it gives a better overall assessment of each individual’s strengths and weaknesses.

How do I know if I have the appropriate balance of practical and written tasks?

If you are following the advice outlined in the syllabus then you will have an appropriate balance. For example, the Stage 6 Food Technology syllabus clearly outlines the Assessment Components and Weightings, and also suggests suitable tasks. When the syllabus was developed, there was a clear intention to recognise the value of practical work and this has been reinforced in the weightings where experimentation and preparation of food are specific assessment components. The school-based assessment for both the Preliminary and HSC course should therefore contain a balance of practical and written tasks.

What is a good assessment task?

In short, it is a task that assesses what the students know, understand and can do.

A quality assessment task:

• is clear and explains to the students exactly what needs to be done to successfully navigate the task
• is directly related to what is going on in class and focuses on outcomes
• is valid and reliable, that is, assesses what it aims to assess and provides accurate information on each student’s achievement
• is given with enough time to prepare and complete
• is not expected to be completed over the holidays
• has clear criteria for marking that is communicated to the students
• assists student learning.

If you are having some trouble preparing a suitable assessment task, ring a colleague from another school who perhaps has a task assessing a similar grouping of outcomes, or seek help from your head teacher.

How do I deconstruct the syllabus?

Seek help from colleagues and your head teacher. These are some guidelines, though:

• Read the outcomes. Never forget that the content has been written in the context of these outcomes and external exam questions must address them.
• Look at the topics and their allocated percentages. Count the number of weeks you have to deliver the entire course. Allow for exams, excursions and other interruptions. Construct a scope and sequence that shows what topic you will be delivering and when. From this document, you will know how much time you can spend on each topic.
• Each Learn to and Learn about is a kind of heading and you guide the depth of students’ learning under each of these headings. In the allocated time, students should learn in as much depth and develop as many skills as possible.
• Look for ways to make the material real, deep and relevant. 
• Develop a plan for a teaching and learning program, using an Electronic Content Allocation Tool (ECAT). These tools contain syllabus learn abouts and learn tos already deconstructed and ready for you to allocate to units. ECATs are available for most syllabuses and can be found under Programming tools and templates for each syllabus at http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/technology/index.htm

Click here for more detailed explanation of ECAT:
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/technology/7_10/technology/prog_tool_template/ecat/index.htm

A teaching and learning program is a personal document. The Department of Education and Training requires you to have a program that meets basic requirements. See 1.1 in the document Policy Standards for Curriculum Planning and Programming, Assessing and Reporting to Parents K – 12 https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/curriculum/schools/curric_plan/policystandards161006.pdf

This is worth reading because DET’s requirements are quite simple. Your principal may well have further requirements. Talk with your head teacher and look at as many examples as possible. Make sure you review those available from the Board of Studies and Curriculum support – they have at least passed through a number of experienced hands before publication.

What is the best way to implement a syllabus when I am not familiar with it?

The syllabus document itself is a very valuable resource and it really needs to be read through and understood. This serves another purpose in that most Technology syllabus documents are set up in the same way, and by understanding one, you gain a good insight into how other Technology subject areas will look.

• It is advisable to begin with the Organisation of content page from the syllabus and from this, plan a scope and sequence outline which defines the order in which content and outcomes will be covered. Consider your students interests and needs and the resources you have available to you.
• From here, make a decision about what you would expect your students to know at the end of each unit of work. Think about the best way to assess this and develop your assessment schedule. Consider the type of teaching and learning activities that you will need to provide the students with in order for them to demonstrate what they know and have learned.
• Once this is done, teaching and learning units can be developed which include the assessable tasks you have previously determined.

The very first thing to do is organise a unit or two of work for each of your classes, and write up a basic program of what you want the students to learn each lesson(use the syllabus to help you here). To minimise disruption in your lessons, and to make the lessons more meaningful, you need to be very organised. I would even suggest that you write lesson plans for each lesson for the first term or two, until you feel more comfortable with delivering the lesson ‘off the cuff’. This will allow you to manage your students, until you get to know them all by name.
In conjunction with lesson plans and a basic teaching and learning program for each unit of work, you would be best advised to have somewhere you can record or register what you have actually taught them, e.g. a tick box next to each point in your teaching and learning program. This gives you (and your HT) an indication of what the students have covered, and where they are up to the next time you see them.
At the completion of each unit of work, it is quite a sensible practice to evaluate what you have done, maintaining those things that worked, and reviewing those things that didn't work. Continual self evaluation is a prime requirement in teaching, and don't be afraid to ask others what works for them as you attempt to build up a resource file for each topic.

Once you have covered the points in your teaching and learning program for each unit, check it off against the syllabus requirements to ensure that what you have actually done complies with what the Board of Studies requires.
Where can I access resources and websites to help me?
There is a wealth of web-based support for all areas of Technology. As mentioned above, the Curriculum Support website http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/technology/index.htm in the Technology learning area contains links to useful resources such as:

• course plans and teaching and learning programs
• assessment and reporting advice

• teaching ideas.
  
  I would also ask the librarian at your school to keep an eye out for television programs that can be recorded by providing them with a summary of the content you will cover for that year. For example, the area of food is well covered by the media in different lifestyle programs.

Useful websites:
Board of Studies
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/
Assessment Resource Centre
http://arc.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/

TaLE (Teaching and Learning Exchange) is accessible from the home page of the DET Intranet or directly as follows:
http://www.tale.edu.au/tale/live/index.jsp?callback=true&muid=000000&taleUserId=-445990256&userType=u&username=

NSW HSC Online
http://www.hsc.csu.edu.au/

 

What does my Head Teacher expect from me?
Here is an example of one Head Teacher’s response:

• build a positive relationship with your students
• develop quality lessons that engage students, adapting to their individual learning needs
• expect the best from the students
• display your best in front of the students
• keep the workplace clean
• strive for quality work to be  produced not quantity
• be firm
• be fair – but you are not their friend
• be positive
• be supportive
• be consistent
• be professional
• be able to accept that kids may know more than you
• be willing to listen and accept advice from those around you
• get involved in the school
• watch what is going on around you
• be well prepared.

How do I manage my class in a practical situation?

• Meet the students outside the room to greet them personally and to set the tone of the lesson.
• Set up routines in the classroom.  Put bags away, get projects or work out and be ready for learning.
• Watch what is going on around you.
• Stay in the room and actively supervise.
• Give short demonstrations and let the students get on with the work.
• During demonstrations get the students in a semi circle so all students can see what is going on.
• Move around the room to supervise student work and to touch base with all students.
• Display quality work.
• Accept only the best.
• Be well prepared.

How do I manage my class in a computer lab?

Generally, use of Quality Teaching principles is the answer. Different teachers successfully use different techniques. Most labs are set up with computers facing the wall so the teacher can observe screens. This has the advantage of providing a computer-free zone in the middle of the room for discussion. It does not work well if the teacher is demonstrating techniques that students have to practice as they have to twist to see the demonstration. It is also usually ergonomically poor because strong light from windows often backlights screens. If I'm in a room like this:

• For discussion, I move students away from the computers into a round-table setup in the centre of the room. I sit with them. I regularly take a technology section from a newspaper and facilitate a discussion about new developments that are likely to affect them.
• Some students multi-task well. I am happy to have students work on a project or task and be contributing to a blog or wiki (discussing the project) at the same time. Having said this, be wary of emails that are not relevant to the class. Negotiate ground rules about this. Ensure that students are aware that their emails and files are not private and that they are responsible for their own cyber citizenship.
• I use whatever sharing/collaboration facilities are available to me to help with meaningful group work. Tools available are Adobe Buzzword (a ‘cloud’ application that allows sharing documents as though they were in a wiki) and Microsoft OneNote (a collaboration tool). I use the school’s own network as a sharing space, too.
• Set and negotiate rules about looking after the equipment and stick to them. Teach ergonomics and as far as possible implement good ergonomic practice.

 
What are some tips to engage my students with the content?

Here are some tips from a teacher survey of 100 students at their school...

• structured preparation – from the teacher and students being organised
• teachers clear knowledge of subject
• relating learning topics to real life, that is, actual examples
• variety of presentation of information – worksheet,  OHTs, PowerPoint, research tasks, practical work, discussion, planning and evaluation
• not to use text book entirely – becomes boring
• one that is not full of theory writing
• when a group is involved, discussions and practical work
• when the teacher explains what we are doing everyone has fun doing the things they give you
• interesting things to do
• a good lesson includes, class participation and involvement, class debates and expressions of opinions, no matter how ridiculous they are!
• practical work
• learning interesting stuff, having fun, having mates in class
• having fun and learning at the same time, learning new things.
  

In the same survey the students stated the following about what makes a good teacher:

• understanding you
• can help you – stern but not over strict
• controls the class
• one who respects you and you can respect
• approachable
• makes learning fun
• ready to listen to you and you can trust them
• acknowledges you
• a teacher that gets down to your level, one who understands the class and is not cranky all the time. Humorous, one who attracts attention
• when they have a sense of humour and they know what they are on about
• they know what they are doing
• they help us when we need help
• quality and definitely respect
• being able to relate to one another on experiences and being able to discuss topics covered in class and not feel vulnerable stupid or uncomfortable about having to ask for help
• being nice
• nice and kind
• humour, attitude, friendly
• them being in a good mood and wanting to teach and answer your questions.

Another Head Teacher had this to say...
I use the Quality Teaching model
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/qualityteach/index.htm
All the elements are valuable, but relevance, depth and the quality learning environment are to me among the most important.

I am interested in students. I make an effort to find out who each student is, starting with knowing names as fast as possible. Use mnemonics, cheat sheets, photo rolls. Try to find out something about their backgrounds. A little knowledge of the reasons for a student's behaviour can save you angst and curb a teacher's tendency to take some things personally. As well, it's interesting.

I prepare. I make sure I have enough material for students to work with, I try to make sure that equipment, software, web sites etc all work. While preparing, I look at the lesson and try to indentify an element from the framework that the lesson uses. If there's none, it's a recipe for an unsatisfying experience for everyone.

I reflect. I look for one Quality teaching element that my lesson contained and note how I could have included more. Realistically, there are occasions when things don't go as well as you expected. Nobody's perfect.

I collaborate. I'm happy to discuss my lesson with a colleague, especially if they have observed all or part of my lesson. It's easy for me to say this because I have experience and, justified or not, confidence. I understand that this isn't easy for a beginning teacher, but it is certainly beneficial. This technique will gain your colleagues' respect. I observe good teachers and try to deconstruct what they are doing right.

Another Head teacher had this to say...
Engaging students can be possibly one of the most difficult outcomes to achieve, and sometimes can lead to teacher stress and lack of confidence, particularly for the new teacher. How do I know when my students are engaged? You can see it by the way they respond to your questioning, to the way they respond to you, and by their general classroom behaviour. A noisy room doesn't always translate to a disengaged class, sometimes the exact opposite. Disengagement can sometimes be due to the actions of one or two in the class. If this is the case you are better to deal with those culprits first and then you may have greater success with the rest of the class. This may mean separating disruptive students or standing them to one side of the room where they are isolated. I refrain as much as possible from sending students out of the room, unless you have a very supportive HT who is willing and able to deal with those students immediately. You have to develop your own methods for dealing with misbehaviour in the classroom.

If discipline is ok, but your students still don't appear to be switched on to what you are teaching, it may be the type of content, or the way in which you deliver it that may be the problem. Try being more animated in your delivery. Try some quizzes for five minutes to get them thinking. There are a host of strategies that you can try, but keeping teenagers engaged is probably one of the hardest and most challenging aspects of teaching.

Food Technology

How do I deconstruct the syllabus?
Teachers of Stage 6 Food Technology tend to cover the content in a lock step fashion, starting with Food Availability and Selection and then continuing through the syllabus in that order. There is no real advantage to the students of this course in deconstructing the syllabus. The reason for this is quite simply that when the students sit their HSC exam, it is set out under the same headings that the syllabus is. The HSC Examination Specifications are set out on page 35 of the syllabus. Past HSC papers and Notes from the HSC Marking Centre are available via the Board of Studies website http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc_exams/ and are worth reviewing if you have a senior class.

Teachers of the Stages 4 and 5 Food Technology syllabus tend to organise the content by first considering the specific needs and interests of the students at their school and the resources available to teach the course. When you look at the Organisation of content (page 14 of the syllabus) you will see that there are two areas of core learning, all of which must be covered regardless of whether a 100 or 200 hour course is undertaken. This is then combined with Focus Areas which provide a context within which to teach the core. A closer inspection of each of the eight Focus Areas will reveal that the outcomes for each are exactly the same. This indicates that choice of Focus Areas to be studied is entirely up to the individual teacher, as the same outcomes will be covered and assessed regardless of the area chosen, which gives the teacher a lot of scope to target student interests. A large number of teachers delivering the 200 hour course would most likely select between four to eight Focus Areas and cover that content by combining it with the core content which would then be spread throughout the course which would most likely run over two for years 9 and 10.

Agriculture

How do I deconstruct the syllabus?
Deconstructing the syllabus is essentially about breaking it up into sections which you can deal with in blocks of time, say a four or six week unit of work. To do this successfully you will need the school calendar handy, and work the units to fit in with when your school has scheduled Half Yearly Exams, Trials and Assessment Tasks.

You will also have to work your units around the seasons, and the availability of resources. For instance, if you wish to study a Unit on Beef Cattle you could schedule it when you are preparing a steer for the local Show. Or if you are studying Horticulture, you may think about growing some Chrysanthemums and doing the unit in Term 1 so it concludes with the students selling the flowers for Mothers Day. I like to do Prime Lamb production in Term 3, as this coincides with when the lambs are being born at the school farm, which always creates more interest than during Term 2 when the ewes are pregnant and there is not a great deal to show them.

When you formulate your teaching and learning program, use the syllabus as a guide, and use your local plant or animal enterprise examples to cover each of the syllabus points. This makes the program more relevant for your students.
What unit do I teach first?
This is going to depend on what resources you have available, what time of the year it is, and what you want to cover before the first exam. As a suggestion, I would expect to cover all things relating to Farm Safety and/or OH & S and Animal welfare topics first. This provides the students with the information they will need for the duration of the Agriculture course, i.e. you need to teach them the dangers associated with using tools in the vegetable plots first, to avoid possible incidents in practical situations. After that, it is whatever fits in with the seasons and/or the activities that are occurring at the school farm.

For the Stage 6 course, I generally begin with the Farm Case Study in Preliminary, and the Product Study in the HSC course. This, by the way, is how it is presented in the Syllabus, so you can't go too far wrong by following that format.
Useful websites :

• State Departments of Primary Industries (e.g. NSW DPI, Qld. DPI).
  http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/
• Various Breed Societies such as the Limousin Breed Society or the Jersey Herd Society. These sites have a wealth of information, including contacts that would be more than willing to provide you and/or your students with brochures, notes, etc.
  http://www.limousin.com.au/
  http://www.jersey.com.au/