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

TE

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CHtalktalk

Welcome to the TAS/Technologies

e -Newslet ter The TECHTalk e-Newsletter is designed to support teachers of all TAS/Technology subjects Years 7—12.

Term 4, 2013

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

Inside this issueInside this issue

Contents and Welcome 2

Australian Curriculum: Technologies update 3

BOS Memorandum to Principals 4

IEEE TISP Workshop 5

Questacon Technology Learning Centre 6

InTech Exhibition 7

Board of Studies online guide for Stage 5 and Preliminary course grades 8

Sydney Mini Maker Faire 9

Digital Technologies Curriculum Summit 10

Anaphylaxis reminder 11

National Computer Science School (NCSS) Challenge 2013 12

[CTRL][P] Objects On Demand—Student Workshops 13

Resources 14-15

Help wanted! Survey questions 16

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 op-

portunities. Please take the time to consider the questions on page 16 and drop me an email with your

suggestions.

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

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 educa-

tional authorities for their expertise in either Design and Technolo-

gies 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 con-

sidered. 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.

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

MEMORANDUM TO PRINCIPALS 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 imple-

mentation 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, be-

fore staged implementation in classrooms commences from 2014.

2. In the remaining K–10 learning areas, schools are required to continue to use ex-

isting NSW syllabuses. Any decisions about adopting the Australian curriculum, develop-

ing syllabuses, and planning subsequent implementation will be made only after thor-

ough consultation with NSW stakeholders.

3. In relation to Geography, K–10, the Board will begin the development of a new sylla-

bus in 2013.

4. In relation to senior secondary syllabuses for English, Mathematics, Science and Histo-

ry, 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 curricu-

lum for the Higher School Certificate.

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

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 dedi-

cated 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.

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© 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.

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

Bookings and enquiries:

1800 889 995

Email:

qtlc.bookings@questacon

.edu.au

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

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, Elec-

tronics, 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 incredi-

ble 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 Tim-

ber Working with Wood Show (TWWWS) at

the Dome, Homebush Showground in late July.

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

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. Understanding standards 2. Awarding grades 3. Support for grading 4. Checking grades 5. Using student work samples 6. 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 collabora-tion 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

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

An event not to miss...An event not to miss...

The Maker Movement comes to Sydney! Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to get in-

volved. 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!

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

Digital Technologies Curriculum Digital Technologies Curriculum

SummitSummit

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 administra-

tors 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: Wood:

Art, Design, Architecture 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

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

Anaphylaxis reminder...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). Ana-

phylaxis 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 ar-

ea 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 materi-

als to make sure that they do not advocate the use of peanuts, peanut butter or oth-

er 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 auto-

injector should be used first, followed by asthma reliever medication, calling an am-

bulance, 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 his-

tory of known allergies. This situation should be treated as an emergency. An adren-

aline 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, re-

sources 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.

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

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 pro-

vided 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

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© 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 Resi-

dence 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

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

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/

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

“Recycled” Resources“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 under-

standing 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 Engi-

neering 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 re-

cent collection of a contemporary Aus-

tralian designer and create a virtual ex-

hibition of textile items. Students ex-

plore the influence of culture on textiles

and develop a range of information and

communication technology skills.

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

Help wanted!Help wanted!

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

I really need your feedback about how best we can support the work of teachers in

schools. The questions below are only a guide—any suggestions about professional

learning, resources or other teacher support mechanisms would be appreciated. Just

drop me an email at the address below.

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

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 reader’s discretion. The inclusion of product and event information is not an

endorsement by the DEC.

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