Describe one learning cycle activity you would use in a Biology lesson. Give reasons why you chose this for your particular syllabus point.
8.2:A Local Ecosystem
I will be looking specifically into 8.3.2.2.8 which states identify and describe in detail adaptations of a plant and an animal from the local ecosystem. One learning cycle from Kolbe's learning styles (experiencing, reflecting, theorising and experimenting) I would like to implement on this syllabus outcome is experimenting by using the method of PCK. The experimenting phase would be associated with PCK's deconstruct and construct steps which would allow students to firstly engage in a deconsructing activity as a pair or in groups and then construct the concepts in an individual manner. An example would be giving out a set local environment ie hot and arid environment and getting students to work in pairs or in groups, determine what type of adaptations would occur in animals and plants and getting students to draw and describe these adaptations for the individual animal and plant. The constructng aspect of this activity would be to get students to individually reflect on what they have just done in pairs or in groups and then focus on one animal and plant and give detail reasons (cause and an effect) to why these adaptations have occured and their significance for the animal and plant.
I shpse this for my particular syllabus point becuase there are some syllabus points that do not maximise the use of a learning cycle activity or PCK, but this syllabus point allowed students to be able to truly experiement what they are learning in groups or pairs and individually.
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Saturday, 18 August 2012
Week 3: Stage 6 - 9.3 (Blue Print of Life)
Analyse and assess one aspect of programming by UBD (Understanding by design)
By applying UBD, there is an emphasis and focus on teaching for understanding and not a regimented and regulated program. In order for UBD to be a successful tool for teaching, major goals and big ideas must be the focus points which allows the concepts being taught to tie each part of the UBD programming together. In Blue Print of Life (9.3) the major goals and big ideas would be understanding how evolution fits in with the current student's life, understanding the importance of genetics and knowledge of inheritance which icludes chromosomal and DNA structure and current genetic and reporductive engineering which would potentially alter the path of natural evolution. Out of all these major ideas, I will be focusing more so on the basic understandings of evolution and relating these ideas to the student's current life and their society in which they live in. To use UBD as a teaching method, asking open ended questions such as 'how and when do we consider a human being to be called a human being? (looking at human evolution rather than bioethics)' or 'how do we know that there was life on earth before human beings existed?' These open ended focus questions will be answered as students understand, acquire and learn content, knowledge and skills throughout the UBD program. If the beginning of the UBD program is set in position properly and with enough depth for students to genuinely want to know the answers to the big ideas then the rest of the UBD program (assessment and learning) will run smoothly. Therefore the quality of the UBD program really does begin with necessary essentil questions to allow the teacher and students to tie the whole unit of work together whilst the units are bieng learnt and taught.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_by_Design
By applying UBD, there is an emphasis and focus on teaching for understanding and not a regimented and regulated program. In order for UBD to be a successful tool for teaching, major goals and big ideas must be the focus points which allows the concepts being taught to tie each part of the UBD programming together. In Blue Print of Life (9.3) the major goals and big ideas would be understanding how evolution fits in with the current student's life, understanding the importance of genetics and knowledge of inheritance which icludes chromosomal and DNA structure and current genetic and reporductive engineering which would potentially alter the path of natural evolution. Out of all these major ideas, I will be focusing more so on the basic understandings of evolution and relating these ideas to the student's current life and their society in which they live in. To use UBD as a teaching method, asking open ended questions such as 'how and when do we consider a human being to be called a human being? (looking at human evolution rather than bioethics)' or 'how do we know that there was life on earth before human beings existed?' These open ended focus questions will be answered as students understand, acquire and learn content, knowledge and skills throughout the UBD program. If the beginning of the UBD program is set in position properly and with enough depth for students to genuinely want to know the answers to the big ideas then the rest of the UBD program (assessment and learning) will run smoothly. Therefore the quality of the UBD program really does begin with necessary essentil questions to allow the teacher and students to tie the whole unit of work together whilst the units are bieng learnt and taught.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_by_Design
Saturday, 11 August 2012
Week 2 Blog
Describe an opportunity to develop students' values of responsibility and integrity in Stage 6: 9.2 (Maintaining a Balance).
An opportunity in stage 6: 9.2 -Maintaining a Balance to develop students' values of responsibility and intergrity would be in 9.2.2.3.5 where the syllabus wants students to analyse and present information from secondary sources to report on progress in the production of artificial blood and use available evidence to propose reasons why such research is needed. This syllabus point would be good to develop students' understandings of what responsibility and integrity society has on developing and using artificial blood because discussions of the advantages and disadvantages of the production of artificial blood (without imposing the teacher's opinion and providing a safe environment for every student's contribution to this discussion topic) referring back to the responsibility and integrity we have for life (the power of a substance to move itself) can be raised.
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/biology-st6-syl-from2010.pdf
An opportunity in stage 6: 9.2 -Maintaining a Balance to develop students' values of responsibility and intergrity would be in 9.2.2.3.5 where the syllabus wants students to analyse and present information from secondary sources to report on progress in the production of artificial blood and use available evidence to propose reasons why such research is needed. This syllabus point would be good to develop students' understandings of what responsibility and integrity society has on developing and using artificial blood because discussions of the advantages and disadvantages of the production of artificial blood (without imposing the teacher's opinion and providing a safe environment for every student's contribution to this discussion topic) referring back to the responsibility and integrity we have for life (the power of a substance to move itself) can be raised.
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/biology-st6-syl-from2010.pdf
Saturday, 4 August 2012
Week One- Syllabus 8.5 Evolution to Australian Biota
Contrast the rationale, aims and objectives in the Biology Stage 6 Syllabus to the current Stage 4/5 Syllabus.
8.5 Evolution to Australian Biota:
The rationale, aims and objectives are different from stage 4/5 and stage 6 syllabus because the stage 6 syllabus is specific to biology and aims at fostering and developing the knowledge and skills learnt from science stage 4/5. Example aims from stage 4/5 is about acquiring and developing knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to science, whereas aims from stage 6 is acquire, progress and develop knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to biology.
8.5 Evolution to Australian Biota, stage 6 syllabus looks at bringing all the acquired knowledge and skills from stage 4/5 (5.8.1b, 5.8.3a, b and 5.9.2a) and further developing and progressing knowledge of data and skills learnt to increase the student's understanding of specific skills and knowledge acquired from stage 4/5 to bringing all the information into one and understanding the individual concepts into one big picture (context). Examples are in stage 5, students are to discuss evidence that suggests crustal plates move over time, whereas in stage 6 students are to provide evidence for the rearrangement of crustal plates and continental drift indicates that Australia was once part of an ancient super continent whih include solving problems, identifying and describing concepts and contents and etc.
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/biology-st6-syl-from2010.pdf
8.5 Evolution to Australian Biota:
The rationale, aims and objectives are different from stage 4/5 and stage 6 syllabus because the stage 6 syllabus is specific to biology and aims at fostering and developing the knowledge and skills learnt from science stage 4/5. Example aims from stage 4/5 is about acquiring and developing knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to science, whereas aims from stage 6 is acquire, progress and develop knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to biology.
8.5 Evolution to Australian Biota, stage 6 syllabus looks at bringing all the acquired knowledge and skills from stage 4/5 (5.8.1b, 5.8.3a, b and 5.9.2a) and further developing and progressing knowledge of data and skills learnt to increase the student's understanding of specific skills and knowledge acquired from stage 4/5 to bringing all the information into one and understanding the individual concepts into one big picture (context). Examples are in stage 5, students are to discuss evidence that suggests crustal plates move over time, whereas in stage 6 students are to provide evidence for the rearrangement of crustal plates and continental drift indicates that Australia was once part of an ancient super continent whih include solving problems, identifying and describing concepts and contents and etc.
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/biology-st6-syl-from2010.pdf
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