Techtalk t4 2013 by NSW Department of Education

Term 4, 2013

TECHtalk

We l c o m e t o t h e T A S / Te c h n o l o g i e s e-Newsletter The TECHTalk e-Newsletter is designed to support teachers of all TAS/Technology subjects Years 7—12.

Inside this issue Contents and Welcome

Australian Curriculum: Technologies update

BOS Memorandum to Principals

IEEE TISP Workshop

Questacon Technology Learning Centre

InTech Exhibition

Board of Studies online guide for Stage 5 and Preliminary course grades

Sydney Mini Maker Faire

Digital Technologies Curriculum Summit

Anaphylaxis reminder

National Computer Science School (NCSS) Challenge 2013

[CTRL][P] Objects On Demand—Student Workshops

Resources

14-15

Help wanted! Survey questions

Welcome back to Term 4! That’s 3 down and 1 to go! It’s hard to believe that the year has gone so quickly. Just when you thought you had a minute to catch your breath after Year 12 finished, it’s time to start all over again with a new cohort of Year 12s! This term’s issue of TECHtalk is a little longer than usual. Every time I thought it was finished, another story or resource popped up that was too good to ignore! The Australian Curriculum: Technologies is still under development. We anticipate the final curriculum to be released at the end of the year, or very early in 2013. As for TAS teachers in NSW remember, it is business as usual, following the existing syllabuses until advised otherwise by the Board of Studies. The Board of Studies issued an update to principals reinforcing this message in July. The role of KLA Curriculum Advisors is to help support you in what you do as teachers . As TAS Advisor I’d really like to know what areas you feel could be better supported through professional learning opportunities. Please take the time to consider the questions on page 16 and drop me an email with your suggestions.

Australian Curriculum: Technologies update The Australian Curriculum: Technologies is now in the final stages of refinement. It will go to the ACARA Board for approval this month with the expectation of release late December or early January 2014. Last month Yvonne Hughes (Science and Technology K-6 Advisor for the Australian Curriculum) and I were involved in the process of the Validation of the Achievement Standards. We were joined by Curriculum Officers from around the country as well as primary and secondary teachers nominated by the relevant sectors and educational authorities for their expertise in either Design and Technologies or Digital Technologies. Our task was to check the continuum of learning from Foundation—Year 10 against the expected level of achievement in terms of knowledge and skills. Disappointingly, teachers worked separately from the curriculum officers and Design and Technologies was evaluated in isolation to Digital Technologies. Digital Technologies proved more problematic than Design and Technologies. The pitch, progression and language of the curriculum required further modification. As part of the National Panel, I was asked to contribute to a further activity in which the implementation support needs for NSW teachers surrounding Digital Technologies were considered. We were asked to prioritise the Bands/Stages needing the most support and rank the threads within the knowledge and skills strands in order of difficulty for teachers. The answer was simple—primary teachers and many non-computer specialist TAS teachers will need extensive professional learning and ongoing support to implement this very new and different learning area. Which strands need the most support? All of them!—it is impossible to separate these interdependent steps within a process. For NSW the separation of these two subjects is still a major area of concern from Foundation—Year 8. An integrated approach through which the Digital Technologies skills, knowledge and understanding are explored in a project based environment and incorporated within the Design and Technologies framework may be the preferred model for the NSW Board of Studies to adopt if new syllabuses are to be developed.

MEMORANDUM TO PRINCIPALS On 24 July 2013, Tom Alegounarias, President of the Board of Studies NSW, issued a memorandum to principals to update them on the status of development and implementation of NSW syllabuses incorporating the Australian curriculum. We were reminded that: 1. New NSW syllabuses, incorporating Australian curriculum content, for K–10 English, Mathematics, Science (including K–6 Science and Technology) and History have been finalised and schools should be using 2013 to become familiar with these syllabuses, before staged implementation in classrooms commences from 2014. 2. In the remaining K–10 learning areas, schools are required to continue to use existing NSW syllabuses. Any decisions about adopting the Australian curriculum, developing syllabuses, and planning subsequent implementation will be made only after thorough consultation with NSW stakeholders. 3. In relation to Geography, K–10, the Board will begin the development of a new syllabus in 2013. 4. In relation to senior secondary syllabuses for English, Mathematics, Science and History, the Board is examining how Australian curriculum content can be effectively adapted and incorporated into the NSW senior secondary curriculum structure. 5. In the interim the Board’s existing Stage 6 syllabuses will continue to be the curriculum for the Higher School Certificate.

IEEE TISP Workshop On Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 September, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) ran its first NSW Teacher In-Service Program (TISP) Workshop in Sydney. The aim of the workshop was to explore opportunities for practicing engineers to work with teachers and students to promote STEM education. IEEE is the world's largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. The TISP program has worked successfully in the United States and has been trialed in Queensland. The program draws upon more than a hundred lesson plans developed by IEEE, available on their TryEngineering website. While the lessons were created for the American context and aligned to their National Science Education Standards, several have now been mapped to the Australian Curriculum for Science. The TISP program is still considering the best model for Australian schools and will continue to be developed over the next year. Ultimately it will allow schools to access the expertise of engineers, promote enthusiasm about STEM education and encourage a greater understanding of the role of engineers in our society. The lesson plans are free and available online. They are easily adaptable to a range of subject areas in both primary and secondary and are scalable for different stages of learning. For TAS teachers in NSW many of the lessons fit nicely into Technology (Mandatory) with more specialised lessons adaptable to IST, IPT, SDD (there is also a TryComputing site), Agricultural Technology, Industrial Technology, Engineering Studies and Design and Technology. You will need to be discerning and select units that address outcomes from the specific current NSW Technology syllabus you are using. The lessons may be used as introductory activities or may provide a pivotal building block around which a more complex unit of learning can be developed. The lessons encourage testing, iterative refinement of ideas and prototyping. Many involve collaborative team work and design challenges that promote a healthy, competitive environment and allow for some fun while learning.

ÂŠ State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2013

Questacon Technology Learning Centre We all know how fabulous the National Science and Technology Centre, Questacon is, but did you know about the new Questacon Technology Learning Centre? The Questacon Technology Learning Centre (QTLC) has been created to stimulate an interest and awareness of the way things are made, show how components fit together and demonstrate how innovation can solve everyday problems—from simple devices to higher end technology. The QTLC helps develop skills and an understanding of manufacturing processes by mmersing secondary school students in ideas, tools and creativity. Young people are encouraged to have a go at making things and be inspired to pursue careers in technology and engineering. The QTLC offers a suite of interactive and challenging workshops for secondary students, delivered in the Maker Space which is fully equipped with tools, equipment, materials and our experienced Maker Project staff who guide the students on their innovation journey. The programs aim to create an innovative culture where students have the courage to ask “why” and the confidence to discover “how”. Programs are also offered in metropolitan and regional communities through creative, innovative events and activities based on design and create workshops, national challenges and teacher training. Check out the current range of workshop activities. Go to the website for further information.

Bookings and enquiries: 1800 889 995 Email: qtlc.bookings@questacon .edu.au As well as hands-on workshops, there is a QTLC video conference workshop program which focuses on different parts of the innovation process. Pre and post-workshop activities complement all Questacon video conference workshops. Workshops are 1 hour in duration and are offered on Mondays and Fridays, with three workshop sessions each day. Monday: 9.30 - 10.30 am, 11.30 am - 12.30 pm and 1.30 - 2.30 pm Friday: 9.30 - 10.30 am, 11.30 am - 12.30 pm and 1.30 - 2.30 pm

InTech In July 2013, Yvonne Hughes and I were fortunate enough to attend the opening day of InTech at Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush. InTech is the exhibition of exemplar Major Projects from HSC Industrial Technology students. Projects were predominantly from the Furniture and Timber technologies focus area but projects from Automotive, Electronics, Graphics, Metals and Engineering and Multimedia technologies were also on display. Students also presented their folio which documented the design, management, communication and production of their project. The exhibition was outstanding, not only because of the amazing craftsmanship and quality of work, but because of the incredible interaction of past and present students. Students who had completed their Major Projects last year generously came back to display their products and discuss their journey with current and future Industrial technology students. The student challenges conducted on the day added to the buzz, with students working collaboratively and under the pressure of time and public scrutiny, competing school against school—it was great! Events like this don’t just happen—they take an enormous amount of time and work—but the outcome for our students was undeniably positive one. Congratulations to all those involved! The in 2014 InTech displays will be held in Kinross Wolaroi School Orange in late March and at the Timber Working with Wood Show (TWWWS) at the Dome, Homebush Showground in late July.

Board of Studies online guide for Stage 5 and Preliminary course grades The Board of Studies NSW has developed an online guide to assist teachers when awarding, moderating and monitoring grades for Stage 5 and Preliminary courses. The guide will be particularly useful for teachers when submitting grades to the Board of Studies for all students completing Stage 5 and Preliminary courses. The guide aims to support best practice and promote consistency across the state, and includes: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Understanding standards Awarding grades Support for grading Checking grades Using student work samples How the Board monitors grades.

Teachers are also reminded that grades are to be submitted for every student for every Preliminary course (other than Life Skills and VET) by Friday, 25 October 2013. The guide can be found at: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/rosa/grades/.

The Consistent teacher judgement professional learning support package is designed to assist teachers in NSW schools to award Stage 6 Preliminary grades to students for their Record of School Achievement (RoSA). It explores the awarding of grades within a standards-referenced framework, the common grade scale, the application of professional judgement and the importance of collaboration to ensure consistency and the use of the Assessment Resource Centre (ARC) work samples for moderation. The package consists of a PowerPoint presentation with full presenter notes. A series of scenarios help teachers explore and understand the process

ÂŠ State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2013

An event not to miss... The Maker Movement comes to Sydney! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss this exciting opportunity to get involved. For more information go to http://makerfairesydney.com/ Applications close 5pm Friday, 18 October 2013. Want to know more about the Maker Movement? Check out Make: magazine and be inspired!

ÂŠ State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2013

Digital Technologies Curriculum Summit Google Australia are hosting the first Digital Technologies Curriculum Summit on “Integrating technologies into the curriculum” in Sydney on Thursday 8 November and Friday 9 November 2013. The summit aims to explore the future implications of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies and the Digital Technologies component which puts a new, strong focus on computational thinking in Australian schools right from foundational levels. Extensive teacher professional learning will be required to help teachers adapt. Hopefully, this will be the first step to bring teachers and administrators together to share ideas and best practice and gain a dose of inspiration from some of the best STEM education minds around! Further information on the summit is available here.

Wood: Art, Design, Architecture Years 7 - 12 An education kit with information and exercises relevant to the curriculum. The kit is an easy-to-use guide for teachers and students across a range of art and design disciplines. http://www.forestlearning.edu.au/Resource/wood -art-design-architecture

Anaphylaxis reminder... We all started the year off so well but Term 4 seems like a good time to step back and make sure all of our procedures are in place to ensure the safety of students diagnosed at risk of anaphylaxis. A few things to remember:  Anaphylaxis is a severe and sometimes sudden allergic reaction. It can occur when a susceptible person is exposed to an allergen (such as a food or an insect sting). Anaphylaxis is potentially life threatening and always requires an emergency response.  Become familiar with those students you teach who have been diagnosed at risk of anaphylaxis. Make sure their personalised ASCIA Action Plans are displayed in an area where they are easily accessible to staff.  Schools should avoid the use of peanuts, peanut butter or other peanut products in all curricular or extra-curricular activities. They should also review curriculum materials to make sure that they do not advocate the use of peanuts, peanut butter or other peanut products.  All schools now have at least one general use adrenaline autoinjector and training autoinjector. Make sure all staff know where they are located and how to use them.  For an individual with asthma who is also at risk of anaphylaxis, the adrenaline autoinjector should be used first, followed by asthma reliever medication, calling an ambulance, continuing asthma first aid and following the instructions on the student’s ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis. Early recognition of symptoms and immediate treatment could save a student’s life.  Symptoms of severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis can occur when there is no history of known allergies. This situation should be treated as an emergency. An adrenaline autoinjector should be administered, if available, an ambulance called and first aid provided until expert help arrives.  Use the Anaphylaxis webpage to access the Anaphylaxis procedures for Schools, resources and the most current and accurate information about supporting students diagnosed at risk of anaphylaxis.  Use the online student resource Anaphylaxis: Food Preparation and Sharing to help students learn about anaphylaxis and severe allergies.

National Computer Science School (NCSS) Challenge 2013 The NCSS Challenge 2013 was an outstanding success, with more than 6000 students learning the Python programming language and putting their problem solving skills to the test. The NCSS Challenge consisted of three streams: Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced Python, each of which provided students with separate resources, problems and leader boards. Students participated from over 600 schools across Australia and New Zealand, making over 327,000 submissions, using programming to answer questions on topics from biology to cryptography, physics to poetry. Students made chatbots, wrote Pacman, and even implemented preferential university placements. The NCSS Challenge encourages students to engage with an important and challenging aspect of computing which can be daunting for students to learn. The combination of fun questions, interactive materials and a dynamic, supportive online environment, where students could get help, made for an excellent five weeks for all involved. One teacher reported, "Students who have normally been less than engaged in Tech are suddenly immersed in it, not only managing to work through the problems and frustrations but also helping each other."

NCSS Summer School applications now open: The National Computer Science School (NCSS) is a ten day summer school for students going into years 11 and 12. NCSS brings together talented young people from around Australia for an intensive course of computer programming, embedded systems and web development in the School of IT at the University of Sydney. NCSS 2014 will run from Saturday 4th to Monday 13th January, 2014 (inclusive). NCSS is organised by academic staff, alumni and students of the School of Information Technologies. The school is completely residential, with all students staying with NCSS staff in full-board accommodation provided by The Women's College, within the main Camperdown campus of The University of Sydney. Applications for the NCSS Summer School are now open, and close on Friday, 15th of November: http://ncss.edu.au/summer_school

ÂŠ State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2013

[CTRL][P] Objects On Demand [CTRL][P] Objects on Demand 15 OCTOBER 2013 – 25 JANUARY 2014 [CTRL][P] is a collaboration with the talented folk at Courtesy Of The Artist (COTA). It includes Designers in Residence working in mobile studios, debates, pecha kucha style exposés, technical how-to workshops for beginners through to experienced CAD users and even a photo booth for you to scan and print a miniature copy of your head! In [CTRL][P] we explore this much-hyped technology, which has been heralded by some as the next wave of the industrial revolution. We dig beneath the surface to map out the future potential across sectors, from design to health and ask the question – what else is possible?

Object: Australian Design Centre and Courtesy of the Artist (COTA) have joined forces to present the What,

Why and How of 3D printing.

Student Workshops 3-hour workshops in November and December. Students will have the opportunity to learn about 3D printing and its application for the future, watch a demonstration and create their own design for printing. Workshops will be suitable for both beginners and the more experienced. Cost: $300 per workshop with a maximum of 15 students in a group. Book here. Time: 10am–1pm Available Dates: November 5, 6, 7, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 December 17, 18, 19 An afternoon at Object Gallery for Teachers Hannah Chapman (Newington College), Melissa Silk (Sydney International Grammar School) and Angus Deveson will show you how you can utilise 3D printing in creative ways and what programs to use. Thursday November 28th 4.30pm–6.30pm Object Gallery, 417 Bourke St, Surry Hills Cost $10 Booking: Eventbrite http://ctrlpteachersevent.eventbrite.com.au

Coding Like it or not, the push for every student to learn computer coding is here. Watch this video which is packed full of some very successful (and very wealthy!) coders to help understand why. We definitely need more students to enter tertiary studies in computer science and software engineering and pursue a career in the Information Technology industry—show this video to your students it may inspire them! http:// www.code.org/

There are some times when I wished I lived in the United States! Valuing a culture of making things is alive and well! If you don’t know about TechShop have a look at this site and watch the video. http://www.techshop.ws/

“Recycled” Resources Last term I highlighted a couple of great resources that have been around for a while, but might have been forgotten. I’ve uncovered a few more—for some, they might be brand new! Either way, they are worth having a look at: Food by design Technology (Mandatory) Stage 4 Preparing and presenting food are important skills in the design of food products to meet the needs of specific situations. In this unit students develop a basic understanding of food and skills to allow them to design a food product for a specific situation. They explore career opportunities that exist in the area of food design, food trends, recipe modification and management techniques.

Engineered structures—materials testing Stage 5 Industrial Tech Engineering, Stage 6 Engineering Studies This “Sites 2See” (a one page learning object), provides some excellent external links including a Virtual Excursion where students explore tensile testing to determine how materials will behave.

Textiles as a medium of expression Stage 5 Textiles Technology The resource presents students with the opportunity to develop a digital mood board, examine items from a recent collection of a contemporary Australian designer and create a virtual exhibition of textile items. Students explore the influence of culture on textiles and develop a range of information and communication technology skills.

Help wanted! I really need your feedback about how best we can support the work of teachers in schools. The questions below are only a guideâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;any suggestions about professional learning, resources or other teacher support mechanisms would be appreciated. Just drop me an email at the address below. In what TAS subject do you consider professional development is most required? Stage 4/5 ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Stage 6 ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Within the subject you have selected, please indicate specific content areas that need support (topic/strand/concept) ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Are after school videoconferences and/or Adobe Connect sessions an option for professional learning? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Are recorded sessions that can be viewed individually or as a faculty a better option? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Would new/updated HSC Marking simulations/walkthroughs be of use to teachers? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Any other suggestions: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Please send me your thoughts and ideas so we can improve support to better meet your needs. Sandra.mckee4@det.nsw.edu.au

ÂŠ State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2013

We would love you to join us on our Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/technologies.curriculum

TAS/Technologies curriculum contact: Sandra McKee TAS Advisor Years 7-12 Secondary Education Directorate Learning and Leadership Portfolio Level 3, Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, 2010, NSW T: (02) 9266 8514 sandra.mckee4@det.nsw.edu.au

The non-DEC products and events listed in this eNewsletter are to be used at the readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discretion. The inclusion of product and event information is not an endorsement by the DEC.

ÂŠ State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2013