Realising the potential

How do we deal with students that join our class in year 13 - this was on a post-it note from the workshop in the holidays

I have been thinking about this for the last couple of weeks and I have been having a number of conversations with people around it.

The issue is the prior knowledge that is required.

Now, think openly about this,

Focus on a single strand of digital technologies, I am going with the programming and computer science strand. This is based on credits and resources.

Having a students turn up in year 13 having possibly done only a little bit of digi tech in year 9 is a challenge. Normally this student is thrown a course in complex techniques and struggles. 

Term One - Level one programming and computer science, have them work through the level one papers and assessment. Many students will probably turn there nose up at this, however, point out that this is the basic knowledge and this will help develop skills and understanding for the rest of the year. Also offer the knowledge computer science external, as something else to work on.

Term Two - Level two, advanced programming and computer science. Developing a better understanding of the requirements for level 3. Demonstrating knowledge of computer science for externals.

Term 3 - Programming and computer science. Doing the level 3 requirements and computer science paper.

Yes this is a large amount of work, but the resources are out there. And being year 13 students they should have the numeracy and literacy skills to be able to do these.

This develops a pathway for these students that they may not have had before.

While it is a single strand, students would get out of it, 10 credits at level one, we don't have to assess the level one credits though 10 credits at level 2, and 10 credits at level 3. But why stop there, allow them to work for endorsement. Use a technology standard as a research task AS91619, Going through the clarifications document, The expected level of understanding of how the technical area has underpinned developments increases across eras. That is, students will explain the technical ideas and developments that created the technical area (for Achievement); explain current limitations and opportunities and possible future developments (for Merit); discuss potential developments in technical areas and debate how these could be applied in fields in the future (for Excellence). 

It is a common occurrence that has been talked about at CS4HS conference as well as through my own experience. 

When students get to year 13 they find that they do not want to continue with a subject due to the amount of external's that have been pushed into the subject at the higher levels, no longer wanting to do the subject because of the amount of theory where the previous year it was practical. Wanting to experience something different because they are being told that they should take this subject because of a skills shortage.

Students change their mind, influenced by different ideas, friends, peer groups, teachers, media.

Why do we stop students from engaging with learning, I realise a lot people will talk about students that may not be self directed. But when I think of this, when has a student been allowed to be self directed? They may have been in courses that are all teacher directed, developed and content as well as assessment contexts have been given and the student has had no say. 

How can we develop students to have these skills earlier on in their learning and not leave it until their 13th year of schools to find out how to become self directed.

Need to include some information here on Managing Self, Key Competency.

Transforming Assessment Praxis

I am on a pilot of a new NZQA Best Practice Workshop model, which is around Transforming Assessment Praxis.

While it hasn't been all inspiring, as most of the work that they have been talking about over the last five weeks has been ideas that I have been working on with my students for the past couple of years. It has made me more aware of what we are trying to do at HPSS. Knowing the learner and working with contexts.

As well as looking at Naturally Occurring evidence

While watching the three hour session tonight that I missed last week, around What currently drives you current assessment practice, What students value, Future shifts, Modes of assessment and naturally occurring evidence. I have been sent two assessments to moderate by another teacher, looking at these tonight and putting the ideals that I have been working through, I have been able to make some changes to evidence statements. While it is an assessment in Digital Information, database creation, the assessment is written in such a way that it allows for a student to develop their own context, yet also offer ideas for those students that can't think of one, or it does show the students what the rigour of the assessment should be. Having the conversation with the teacher on the phone while modifying the assessment through Google Drive has allowed for some great conversations to happen about how the assessment could be delivered, and what contexts should be included to help develop students ideas around rigour.
Evidence statements have now been changed to allow for a screencast of the database working by the student to show how it would function.

But the highlight of the work was on area of the assessment that had been developed which was on to show skilfully or efficiently as required as part of the step up of the assessment. This is the masterpiece of the assessment in my opinion, without even knowing it or putting it in for assessment sake, this allows for naturally occurring evidence of the technology level 2 achievement standard around planning to be included. So a 6 credit assessment, is now a 10 credit assessment.

In the presentation I was watching tonight, was included some information on overlaps. This is something I think originally looked at when the assessments came out, however I think I was turned off at the amount of evidence required by the standards. Having a better understanding of the standards now and evidence required through my role in the subject association helps me to now develop better assessment outcomes. A feature of what we are looking at as part of the Workshop15 in the holidays. To many teachers are talking about the amount of evidence needed for assessments now. Why are we not thinking smarter and allowing the technologies that we use everyday to assist us.

I know look forward to the next two weeks where I get to put my plans for the task into action and develop an assessment resource 

Things to consider …

Prior to writing your assessment resource, you will need to consider the following:

• Your goal
• What the student voice has told me
• Student input into context
• Knowing my student
• Documents which will inform my assessment resource (Achievement Standard, Conditions of assessment, Clarifications documents)
• Modes of assessment
• Variety of ways to collect evidence

My Goal, to look at how naturally occurring evidence and authentic contexts can help develop engaging learning that can be used for overlaps of assessment.