TA4 Flagship strategies introduced in Victoria to improve the quality of teaching and learning
Powerpoint (1.3 MB)
Pam Toose, Senior Education Officer, Loddon Mallee Region, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, VictoriaPam has broad, but deep experience in teaching and learning as teacher, faculty leader, assessor, curriculum coordinator and now has a senior regional position directly related to building quality in teaching and learning. Pam has made important contributions to professional learning over a long period, particularly in the Business Studies area.
Optimising student learning outcomes and teacher effectiveness in the 21st century will be the focus of this session where, in the context of the Loddon Mallee Region of Victoria, Pam will discuss strategies used in implementing the Department of Education and Early Childhood Blueprint initiatives. The discussion will include classroom and leadership perspectives and will reference real strategies used in the region across 170 schools.
TB3 Teaching business and surviving
Powerpoint (824 KB)Lloyd Gutteridge, Auckland Grammar School, New ZealandThe boom in Business Studies in schools over the past decade and more has challenged the more traditional Economics, Accounting and Legal Studies subjects and many of those teachers who are so often asked to ‘take’ Business Studies/Management classes to top up their allotments. There is no doubt that the ‘new’ Business Studies subjects have hooked the students giving rise to the dichotomy of positive student engagement and under-prepared teachers. With declining numbers of Economics students, Economics teachers seem especially vulnerable.
A very experienced teacher of Economics and Business, Lloyd offers reassurance, good advice and support (including resources) for teachers who might be less comfortable with teaching ‘Business’ than other areas in which their background is stronger.
TB4 The panorama of Legal Studies
Powerpoint (1.2 MB)Brian Elliott, Manager, Human Society and Its Environment, Department of Education and Training, NSW.Legal Studies is about knowledge of the law and legal processes. But it is much more. In this session, Brian considers the importance of developing skills to evaluate the effectiveness of the legal system in a wide variety of contexts and an appreciation of contemporary social justice issues. In doing this, he will look at the rationale for Legal Studies in schools and explore how it is implemented in practice.
TB5 The 24/7 classroom: itís here, now!
Powerpoint (2.8 MB)Sasha Mildenhall, Assistant Principal, Taylors Lakes Secondary College, Victoria; Cindy Twyford, Brighton Secondary College, VictoriaThe implementation of ICT pedagogy is challenging and exciting – and more sporadic than we might think. Once the platitudes about what we might do with ICT (its potential) to transform teaching and learning (the practice) have settled, the 'how' becomes critical. And this is where it gets hard not only from the hardware aspect but from the aspect of up-skilling teachers so that they embed ICT as a seamless process. This, together with the need to audit student ICT knowledge and skills, and getting some alignment between teacher and student capabilities, is challenging.
Sasha and Cindy have set some new benchmarks for transforming their teaching practice to reflect the opportunities of the 24/7 classroom and planned this session to showcase an associated range of ICT principles and applications. This is potential translated into action!
FA3 Teaching innovation
Powerpoint (1.5 MB)Alan Wharton, Head of Commerce, Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill, VictoriaTeachers are often encouraged to be innovative and creative in implementing pedagogy that will ‘engage, enthuse and stimulate’ student learning. But what about teaching students to be innovative? How is that done? Alan Wharton, highly regarded as an innovator in teaching Business Studies, takes the opportunity in this session to share his own views and experience in this area and also uses the BEA DVD resource on teaching students to be innovative to illustrate opportunities for your own teaching. Participants will walk away with ideas, teaching activities they can use straight away in their own lessons.
FA5 Adopt-a Business: a case study integration model
Word (1.5 MB)Stephen Chapman, Consultant, New South WalesStephen, with 25 years experience as a classroom teacher and coordinator, describes his experience of Adopt-a-Business: A Case Study Integration Model in his senior Business Studies classes as providing a method of immersing, engaging and enthusing students of all ability levels. The approach of this model provides the opportunity for students to collate their own case study resources while developing a deeper understanding of the main Business Management/Studies concepts and appreciating the dynamic nature of business. A 15-page template provides the structure for this very successful model.
FB1 ESSI Money: a game that really adds up
Powerpoint (1 MB)Katrina Birch, National Development Manager, Financial Basics FoundationESSI Money is an online financial literacy teaching resource that allows participants to achieve an understanding of the basic concepts surrounding financial management, in the areas of Earning, Saving, Spending, and Investing – ESSI! The game is designed to aid students in developing and improving their financial literacy levels. Students experience some of the day-to-day issues that most people must cope with in their financial life.
Like any classroom learning experience, the way that ESSI Money is used will vary from teacher to teacher. There are a variety of possible strategies for using the game in the classroom and teachers can incorporate a number of approaches in their unit planning. The session will be an introduction to ESSI Money and a discussion about its application in the classroom.
FB2 Free online data for your business class
Word (2.6 MB)Gai Mooney, Manager Education Services, Australian Bureau of StatisticsThe Australian Bureau of Statistics provides large amounts of economic and social data and finding out what you want can be a challenge. In this hands-on session Gai will point you in the right direction for finding up-to-date and relevant data for use in your classroom. A great opportunity to learn how to efficiently get the most from the amazing resource that is the ABS.
FB3 The richness of middle years pedagogy
Powerpoint (2.6 MB)Sasha Mildenhall, Assistant Principal, Taylors Lakes Secondary College, VictoriaSasha Mildenhall has wide and creative experience of transforming middle years pedagogy to develop engaged, thinking students who increasingly take more responsibility for their learning and achieve more in their learning. She will reference some successful experiences using DeBono's Hats, Fertile Questions and Habits of Minds, among a suite of strategies that have transformed her practice and thinking in relation to building success for middle years students. Sasha also poses the question 'Is there a place for middle years strategies in later years learning?' Then she answers it with reference to work she has undertaken.
FC2 Deeper thinking for students in Years 9 and 10
Powerpoint (2 MB)Kathy Ambatzis, Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College, Victoria: Martin Gibbs, Lowther Hall, VictoriaMartin and Kathy will emphasis how to encourage students to learn through tasks that strive to engage them in critical and deeper thinking in order to understand how factors affect society and the environment as a whole. Using a variety of resources from case studies to ICT based activities they can allow students a high degree of flexibility and creativity in their approach to learning at the Years 9 and 10 levels. Through challenging but achievable rich tasks students can go beyond the expected levels to broaden and develop their thinking.