This e-newsletter is designed to inform and support K — 6 teachers in the area of

Science and Technology

SciTech TA

LK

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2014

Contents

What’s happening

Digital Technology

Opportunities

SciTech Syllabus – Quality Design Tasks

Welcome

Welcome to Term 2 2015

It’s no doubt a busy term with assessment and reporting happening across the state. When assessing Science and Technology it’s important to use assessment evidence to extend the process of assessment for learning into assessment of learning. A SchoolBiz notification will soon be published that will clarify what needs to be reported on across all learning areas.

This newsletter has an array of opportunities in which your school may be interested to participate. Alternatively, if you know of opportunities which support the Science and Technology K-6 syllabus, let us know and we could include details in the next issue.

As we travel around the state, we encounter schools who are searching for resources to support teaching and learning in this area. PLEASE be mindful that you purchase/download resources that are aligned to the NSW syllabus and supports learning in science AND technology. We need to get in the habit of including the ‘technology’ in our conversations around this syllabus, the technology that encompasses the design process and develops skills in creating design solutions.

If your school is ready for PL around the syllabus, please contact your Educational Services team or contact us and we would be more than happy to support your Community of Schools. …and as usual, let us know what you would like to see in this newsletter. It would be great to hear of your successes/challenges or journeys with SciTech.

Regards, The Science and Technology team

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2014

Digital Technologies Pilot – Intel Galileo Project Some wonderful schools are currently piloting the use of Intel’s Galileo Gen 2 programming board (Arduino boards). The board provides students with a fully open source hardware and software development environment. The teachers have been involved in Professional Learning and are buzzing with ideas on how to incorporate Galileo into their primary and secondary classrooms. Watch this space, as more resources and opportunities for schools are coming…

News Flash Historic creamery at Belgenny Farm to become agricultural learning centre

NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson and Member for Camden, Chris Patterson have announced that the colonial building at Belgenny Farm, known as the

creamery, will be transformed into a state-of-the-art agricultural learning facility. It will host a range of new school initiatives providing opportunities for students and teachers to learn all about food and fibre production, particularly dairying and milk production. School students

and visitors will be taken back to the very early era of European agriculture and journey through to modern computer driven dairy farming.

This provides great support to the Science and Technology AND History syllabuses. We will publish progress of its development as it comes.

Below, students from Quakers Hill Public School have been inspired by the Vivid connection. The class started the initial backdrops for their very own Vivid presentations. They were very eager to get into coding their shows! Here are a few of the beginning sketches. The class is aiming to build a blacked out diorama presentation arena where they will insert their LEDs into their artwork and record the show in a pseudo night environment. They have cleverly linked it to the Physical World substrand of the syllabus and are immersed in both skills strands of Working Scientifically and Working Technologically.

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2014

Creating and Innovating with Technology in the Classroom:

an Afternoon with Gary Stager

Ever wanted to learn how to set up a maker space in your school that integrates STEM? Or introduce students to an exciting new world of creating new technologies, rather than just consuming them? One of the world’s most progressive and engaging educational thought leaders, Gary Stager, will keynote this high energy information session at the Museum of Contemporary Art. A panel session will follow featuring some of Australia’s most innovative teachers who will provide practical advice and case studies to teachers who want to transform their classroom. Following the formal part of the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to network with Gary and other like-minded educators while absorbing the spectacular view. Where: Harbourside Room, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Rocks, Sydney

When: Monday 25th May, 2pm-4pm

Cost: $19 (All proceeds donated to World Vision)

Visit the Vivid Website to sign up http://bit.ly/VividGaryStager

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2014

Young ICT Explores is an open School Technology Challenge for Year 3 – 12 students. It’s an opportunity for students to create and showcase innovative Information and Communication Technology related projects. Participants can win great prizes. Registrations are open now! Teachers should register their school before 26 June. Projects are to be submitted by July 21 2015. Visit www.youngictexplorers.net.au to register. Good luck to all participants!

New web resources from PIEFA

Caterpillar Classroom – aims to encourage student exploration into biological and agricultural sciences www.caterpillarclassroom.com.au Sustainable Gardens – ABC Splash has developed resources covering various aspects of establishing and maintaining a school garden. Their website includes designing a school garden, building a worm farm, using greywater, growing vegetables and native plants. http://splash.abc.net.au/home#!/topic/496480/sustainable-gardens

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2014

Opportunities to incorporate sustainability in your teaching

Wooglemai Environmental Education Centre can help you! Wooglemai assists schools by offering quality day programs on site at Wooglemai, located in Oakdale. Their calendar is open for Semester 2 2015. For further information visit their website http://www.wooglemaieec.com.au/ or phone 02 46809483

National Tree Day

Get involved with National Tree and Schools Tree Day this July. Each year around 200 000 Australian schools participate to raise awareness of taking care of the planet. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get students into nature and link their experiences to the living world. Your school could get involved by:

• Planting trees • Growing vegetables • Going on a bushwalk

Schools Tree Day is on Friday 24 July. For more information visit http://treeday.planetark.org/ Use the hashtag #nationaltreeday for any photos taken on the day.

Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre

This Environmental Education Centre runs excursions and incursions in and around The Rocks, Millers Point and the CBD. The programs aim to integrate environmental and sustainability education. Some programs closely related to Science and Technology are:

• Taking Care of Our Place (ES1-1) • Caring for Critters (Years 1-2) • Creature Feature (Years 3-4) • Big Build Up (Years 5-6) • Transporting Sydney (Years 5-6)

Browse the website for a list of primary programs or phone 9247 73 21 for bookings. http://observatoryhilleec.nsw.edu.au/

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2014

The CSIRO is Australia’s national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world. They offer a range of education resources and services to assist teachers to engage students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and their applications! Below is a list of current programs that may complement a Science and Technology unit at your school. To stay informed go to www.csiro.au/education Sustainable Futures Scientists and Mathematicians in Schools Indigenous STEM education program CREST BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards CSIRO Discovery

New Animals in Schools Website

There is a new Animals in Schools website. The purpose of this website is to assist schools to satisfy the requirements of the Animal Research Act 1985 (NSW) and the Australian code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes. There is information on each species and includes many images, diagrams and videos.

Object Australian Design Centre has moved - Dedicated to curiosity and exploring the transformative power of design, their new home is at 101-115 William St, Darlinghurst which will be a place to turn ideas into reality. A creative hub for you to visit an exhibition, drop in on a talk, or take part in a workshop. Explore their Design Emergency information and opportunities.

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2014

Working Technologically

What is a quality design task? The most significant decision a science and technology teacher makes in a design project is what design task and why. We should select tasks which will most engage our students and recognise student interests and backgrounds. The Science and Technology Syllabus gives teachers the flexibility to do this. The following points outlined below are considerations for the teacher in choosing a quality design task.

For teachers a quality design task will:

• allow the teaching of programmed syllabus outcomes and content • provide a vehicle for engaging students and demonstrating quality teaching practices • be sufficiently open-ended to allow curriculum differentiation to meet the needs of

different learners in the class • provide an opportunity to collect evidence of significant student learning, for

assessment and reporting purposes • be manageable and sufficiently focused to allow student depth of understanding and

success.

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2014

Helicopter Design

Making a model

For students a quality design task will be a rich context for technology learning that:

• is ‘real’ or authentic, providing clear benefits to someone in their community • is engaging because it builds on areas of interest or relevance in students’ lives • enables deep understandings and skill development because it builds on existing student

knowledge or allows substantial time to develop background knowledge • allows the student to gain feedback from the user that informs the development of the

student’s design ideas • requires students to use an authentic process of design and production that is relevant and is

used beyond the classroom.

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2014

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The non-DEC products and events listed in this e-Newsletter are to be used at the reader’s discretion. The inclusion of product and event information is not an endorsement by the DEC

tanya.coli@det.nsw.edu.au

erica.pizzolato1@det.nsw.edu.au

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2014