HASS

Reflection 3.1

As we have proceeded to week 3; and also aligning this time with our first weekly embedded task, I do feel (as I have mentioned in previous blogs) that although we are progressing through a lot of content; I am now starting to ‘see’ what I am reading and learning – rather than a ‘haze’ and perhaps a ‘sketch’ – to now having clarity and synthesising the content so I can make sense of it. But critically how this can translate and apply to my own teaching and pedagogy; integrating week 1 and 2 learning.

In this context, perhaps the most important takeaway for me is: how can I keep front and centre in my future lesson design and pedagogy that learning:

·       Needs to be authentic, to increase learner engage and optimise learning outcomes, anchored in a real world context

o   This rests on the premise that students today are living in a thoroughly complex world, that perhaps can seem overwhelming and daunting.

o   This means that to ‘cut through’ our pedagogy must immediately inform the learner of the ‘relevance’ of this content to the world that they inhabit.

o   At the same time, to increase the quality of learning; one must think ‘how can ICT be a cornerstone’ of my pedagogy (and not merely an afterthought); in a way that strikes the right balance between ‘teaching content within the context of the Australian curriculum’ and ensuring co-design and co-learning occurs for students

o   Importantly, all pedagogy must ultimately lend itself to ‘high end learning’, reflecting here on Blooms Taxonomy

o   Finally; the above provides the framework to ensure that the important general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities are also imbued within delivery; this way ensuring the key goal as set out in the Melbourne Declaration on Education goals for Young Australians “that all young people in Australia should be supported to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens” (ACARA 2016)

As represented diagrammatically here (ACARA 2016):

NB: As just a brief reflection; I think it is a very noble concept to embed these throughout the Australian Curriculum, critically for those students who may be attending their schooling from very challenging and often complex personal and individual circumstances. Particularly, if this cohort of ‘disadvantaged’ learners may become ‘Early School Leavers’, outside of subject content; if the above can be achieved, in my view this will lend itself to an increase across their life outcomes, and future social and economic participation.

When reflecting across my curriculum area, one content descriptor states that students should be taught: “The role of political parties and independent representatives in Australia’s system of government, including the formation of governments” (ACARA, 2016).

Although this content descriptor could be viewed as a gargantuan task, it is important to consider the learner and their prior knowledge, as well as breaking this into potential Units of work to lesson plans. Drawing on week 1 and week 2 learning I would use a blog for this content descriptor as follows:  I would ask each student to create their own blog, and on this blog students would nominate a political party, or independent representative as the theme. As part of this research, prior to commencing the blog we would agree as a class (through workshopping ideas): what would we want to know about this political party? (more on why this is relevant later). In this context, I would be working to ensure the tasks set are in part co-designed with the learner, and learner centred. Ideas may be (for example):

·       The party’s (or independent) history

·       What does it stand for?

·       How many times has the party ‘formed Government’?

·       How many Members of Parliament does it have in the current Australian Parliament?

·       Identify a local Federal Member of Parliament from this political party, and research their most recent speech in Parliament

·       Identify a social issue you may be passionate about, what stance does this political party have regards this issue?

The blog would use the framework above, and have a particular focus on being multimodal; and would have to include links to videos of speeches in Parliament from the MP chosen, newspaper articles on party issues, web links to the Party’s home page etc. Importantly to ensure, reflecting on the SAMR model, that tasks achieve higher order digital learning, as a redefinition task, students would have to engage with their Member of Parliament chosen, or political party, or their various staff representatives; this may be framed by asking the Party representative, their individual views on the social issue that the student is passionate about for instance.

Reflecting on Blooms Taxonomy, the blog would culminate in the student providing an argument as to why their particular party or independent chosen, should form the next Government of Australia, thus drawing on higher order thinking, and critical thinking skills such as analysis and evaluation. Importantly then, the whole blog would act as a ‘campaign’ to convince their audience of the merits of this party forming Government, or the independent members role in the next Government of Australia (thus drawing on the various technical capacity and functions of blogger).

References:

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2016) http://v7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au/generalcapabilities/overview/general-capabilities-in-the-australian-curriculum

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2016) http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/civics-and-citizenship/curriculum/7-10?layout=1#level10