In a short episode in a busy week/term, Pete (@mr_van_w) and John (@jfcatto) discuss the new depth studies that have been added to the Stage 6 syllabus in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Pete (@mr_van_w) wonders over the sheer volume of assessment tasks we expect HSC student to juggle. All the time taking day to day lesson seriously and maintaining a love of learning for the sake of learning.
John (@jfcatto) looks at two articles in the news this week. The ATAR and current format of HSC has outlived its usefulness and some believe is on it's way out. Fresh hope: Professor Geoff Masters may be the one to burn it all to the ground and build it better.
Pete: The Educational Grind - Pete Whiting
https://mrvanw.com/2018/08/22/the-educational-grind/
John: ATAR gone in 10 years and 'dire' HSC unfit for future: CEOs, Educator - Pallavi Singhal
Rebuilding the wall: what the major NSW curriculum review will at - Pallavi Singhal
https://www.smh.com.au/education/wall-nsw-curriculum-review-masters-stokes-20180817-p4zy2v.html
Pete (@mr_van_w) wonders over the sheer volume of assessment tasks we expect HSC student to juggle. All the time taking day to day lesson seriously and maintaining a love of learning for the sake of learning.
John (@jfcatto) looks at two articles in the news this week. The ATAR and current format of HSC has outlived its usefulness and some believe is on it's way out. Fresh hope: Professor Geoff Masters may be the one to burn it all to the ground and build it better.
Pete: The Educational Grind - Pete Whiting
https://mrvanw.com/2018/08/22/the-educational-grind/
John: ATAR gone in 10 years and 'dire' HSC unfit for future: CEOs, Educator - Pallavi Singhal
Rebuilding the wall: what the major NSW curriculum review will at - Pallavi Singhal
https://www.smh.com.au/education/wall-nsw-curriculum-review-masters-stokes-20180817-p4zy2v.html
This week John (@jfcatto) brings his sultry best to dispel this week's misrepresentation regarding ATAR entrance scores for teaching degrees. Something Birmo seems unable to do.
Pete (@mr_van_w) highlights the increase in students who parents identify them as "No religion" and hopes this may mean an end to scripture classes in public schools.
John: Students with low ATAR scores accepted for teaching degrees
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/08/12/15/04/alarming-atar-teaching-university-low-scores
Pete: Religion in Decline in Australian Schools - Pallavi Singhal
https://www.smh.com.au/education/religion-in-decline-in-australian-schools-20180806-p4zvtb.html
A return to form for Pete (@mr_van_w) and John (@jfcatto).
Pete highlights another one of his blog posts based on his experiences at CONASTA. He considers the seemingly misfitted keynotes for the audience and the value of "outsiders" on the education conversation.
John discusses ways to train students to effectively use technology for taking notes within the classroom.
Pete: Education to feed the economic machine - Mr Van W
https://mrvanw.com/2018/08/06/education-to-feed-the-industrial-machine/
John: Note Taking With Technology - Beth Holland
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/the-4ss-of-note-taking-beth-holland
In this barely-an-episode-filler John (@jfcatto) introduces the idea of conducting an Action Research to demonstrate standards of teaching. Something we may be hearing him bang on a bit more over the next year or so.
Pete (@mr_van_w) checks the TTT mailbox (teacherstalkingteaching@gmail.com) and answers some questions from Early Career Teacher Uten.