Yulunga – Traditional Indigenous Games

The HPE Australian Curriculum requires students to participate in, examine and investigate games and activities from their own and other cultures (see content descriptors below). A great resource to support the teaching of these is the Yulunga – Traditional Indigenous Games PDF. The document is 262 pages and provides a wide variety of Indigenous games. Use the link above to take you to the SPORTAUS/AIS website which allows you to download the whole document or search by bands of learning for example K-3.

Each game description provides information about the traditional version of the game and suggestions for using modern sporting equipment in place of traditional equipment. Game variations, safety and teaching points are also provided.

This document is also useful to support teaching and learning related to the Cross Curriculum Priority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.

HPE Content Descriptors – games, physical activity and cultures

Reception – Participate in games with and without equipment (ACPMP009)

Year 1/2 – Create and participate in games with and without equipment (ACPMP027

Year 3/4 – Participate in physical activities from their own and other cultures (ACPMP108)

Year 5/6 – Participate in physical activities from their own and others’ cultures, and examine how involvement creates community connections and intercultural understanding (ACPMP066)

Year 7/8 – Participate in and investigate cultural and historical significance of a range of physical activities (ACPMP085)

Year 9/10 – Examine the role physical activity, outdoor recreation and sport play in the lives of Australians and investigate how this has changed over time (ACPMP104)

Programming with drones

In 2018 Paul spent considerable time developing his knowledge and understanding of how block coding worked and used this with his 5/6 class to program Sphero robots. In 2019 he has continued to extend and develop his knowledge of programming, using the Parrot Mambo drones with his class.

This Digital Technologies unit involved students extending their knowledge of block coding, learning about drone safety, how to manually fly the drones, understanding and using the Tynker app, and programming the drones through an obstacle course. Students also had to use a variety of interpersonal skills to successfully work with a partner during the program.

As with most technologies being used for the first time the drones required a significant amount of persistence and problem solving. In preparation Paul did taught himself how to use the drones ensuring he knew some of the issues students would face when working with the drones. The students demonstrated considerable problem solving skills and a good understanding of block coding to achieve the end goal of moving their drones through a series of obstacles.

Comments made by the students included:

  • “We had to make sure we put in the correct information to make the drones work, things like height, distance and time”.
  • “I really liked making the drones flip and do 360 degree turns, being able to program the drone was fun”.
  • “It was fun working with a partner to program the drones. I enjoyed interacting with the drone rather than just sitting at a computer”.
  • “We had some problems connecting to the drones sometimes but most of the time they worked well”.
  • “It was fun flying the drones but it was a challenge to program them correctly”.

Links to the 5/6 Digital Technologies Australian Curriculum

Achievement Standard: Students plan, design, test, modify and create digital solutions that meet intended purposes including user interfaces and a visual program.

Content Descriptor: Implement digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching, iteration (repetition), and user input (ACTDIP020).

Elaboration: Programming a robot to operate independently through an obstacle course.

Students program drones to move through an obstacle course

Primary PE – Games and The Australian Curriculum

Games are a great way for teachers to address aspects of the HPE Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards. Students love playing games and they can be useful when assessing student learning in HPE.

Considerations when using games to assess aspects of the HPE Achievement Standards:

  • Is there a purpose for playing the game? What aspect of the Achievement Standard is being assessed?
  • Do the students know what is being assessed? How is the learning intention communicated to the students?
  • Is there an assessment tool to record student learning? Video evidence, observational notes, a tick box rubric etc.
  • Is there an opportunity for questioning students about the game? How can we be more effective at the game? What strategies do you use? Can we modify rules/equipment to make it more enjoyable, increase participation, make it safer?
  • Is there an opportunity for feedback about the learning? Is time provided to apply feedback?

Aspects of the R-6 Achievement Standards relevant to playing games

Games can be used with R – 6 students to demonstrate:

  • fundamental movement skills (catching, throwing, jumping, hopping, dodging, skipping etc)
  • safe play
  • knowledge of body reactions to movement like increased breathing and heart rate, sweating, and tiredness
  • positive interactions with others (personal and social skills)
  • the ability to adapt and change to solve movement challenges.

Foundation (Reception)

Year 1/2

Year 3/4

Year 5/6

Resources (click on the images below)

Australian Curriculum Lessons – Website

The Australian Curriculum Lessons website has been around for a few years now and has built up a wide range of free lessons and programs for teachers which are linked to the Australian Curriculum. This is a great resource particularly if you have limited experience in a subject or want to refresh an old program with new ideas.

Teacher resources can range from one off lesson plans to complete 6 week programs with detailed lesson notes. All resources needed for each lesson/program are provided at the bottom of the lesson/program outline.

Check out these examples and explore the website to find lessons and programs from your subject area.

100m Sprint Analysis – A PE Lesson Based on Usain Bolt! (Yr 7-10)

Global Systems Impacting Our Planet – A 15-Page Science Resource For Year 10

Introduction to Programming via Bee Bots (F/ 1/2) Lesson Plan

 

Procedural Writing with Digital Technology Unit: George’s Marvellous Medicine (Year 2 5-6 week program)

 

Changing Nations (The Population Shift) – A Geography Lesson for Year 8/9

 

We’re Going On a Bear Hunt – Music Lesson Plan for F-2

 

Paper Houses – 3D Shapes, Area and Volume Yr 5-7 Maths

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All images from the Australian Curriculum Lessons website.

Gardens, Chooks and Worms

Garden Programs

Kitchen and food gardens are an increasingly popular way for schools to promote environmental and sustainability learning and connect students with healthy food and lifestyles. Kitchen Gardens

Program Ideas

Kitchen Gardens – From the NSW Education Department

Lesson ideas to use in your school garden for STEM

Gardening 4 Kids blog

 

Want to build a worm farm or a chook shed?

 

Grow your own veggies and native plants

 

Making a garden for kids

PBAS STEM 6 – DECD STEM Learning Strategy 2017 to 2020

DECD have just released their STEM strategy for the next three years. Below are some of the key points from the document.
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  1. “We know that 75% of the fastest growing occupations now require STEM skills and knowledge.” Hon Susan Close MP, Minister for Education and Child Development
  2. “It is imperative that South Australian STEM education provides every student with the chance to develop the capabilities they will need, as our future innovators and problem-solvers.” Hon Susan Close MP Minister for Education and Child Development
  3. The economic case for STEM is clear. Between 2006 and 2011 in Australia, the number of people in positions requiring STEM qualifications grew 1.5 times faster than all other occupation groups.
  4. There is a growing need for the broad skills that are fostered through STEM education: “critical thinking and problem-solving, analytic capabilities, curiosity and imagination have all been identified as critical ‘survival skills’ in the workplace of the future.”
  5. The South Australian Government has invested $250m to provide new infrastructure for 139 schools to improve STEM learning in modern, flexible spaces.
  6. All South Australians, regardless of where they live, should have access to the opportunities of the future.
  7. By 2020 there will be 500 primary teachers with a STEM specialisation.
  8. Preschool leaders and teachers will have access to new STEM teaching resources from 2017.
  9. South Australian teachers will use a new approach to learning design, assessment and moderation for STEM education from 2017.
  10. Professional learning resources will be available from 2017.
  11. A ‘STEM play’ initiative will be established within all DECD preschools from 2017 to 2020.
  12. All schools with secondary enrolments will have a STEM career strategy, linked to local primary schools and supported by links with business and industry as appropriate.
  13. All schools and preschools will have a STEM learning focus.
  14. 5% increase in the number of students who participate in SACE Stage 1 and Stage 2 STEM subjects.
  15. All schools with year 1 to 10 enrolments use the new Standard of Educational Achievement (SEA) to measure STEM subject achievement and inform practice.

This is only a selection of the points made in the DECD strategy paper. To read the full document click here.

Where is PBAS heading for the remainder of this year and into 2017?

  1. Joelene and Allan are attending a STEM conference this term run by the South Australian Science Teachers Association.
  2. I am attending the Area Schools Conference which will have a STEM focus including school visits on Monday week 6 this term.
  3. Kelly, Sarah and Tresia are attending “Little Bang Discovery Club” training this term with the aim of running STEM based activities for preschool aged children.
  4. Major redevelopment of existing spaces to support the teaching of STEM will continue in 2017. Current proposals have been put on hold to allow for further research and a deeper understanding of how we can best provide for our students.
  5. The Digital Technologies Australian Curriculum achievement standards and content descriptors are being matched with supporting technologies that will help teachers address the achievement standard. This document will be shared with relevant staff before the end of term 4.
  6. In 2017 teachers will be expected to develop STEM based projects in their classrooms.
  7. While we are looking to improve the delivery of STEM at PBAS there are plenty of activities that we currently do that support STEM. The following are some examples of what I have seen happening:
    1. Year 6 students participated in the primary science challenge in Port Pirie coming equal first.
    2. Year 7/8 English students using an iPad, iMovie and green screen technology to create a 60 Minutes interview.
    3. Year 5/6 students creating solar powered vehicles in design technologies.
    4. Year 1/2 students programming Bee Bots to solve simple problems.
    5. Year 3/4 students undertaking a maths and the Olympics project.
    6. The Reception Year 1 class have propagated their own vegetable garden.
It is important that we begin to consider how we will further support learning and engagement in the sciences, math and technology based subjects. What will our contribution be?

PBAS STEM 5 – VicSTEM

It is important to watch and learn from what others are doing. The Victorian Government have a VicStem page which provides some great resources including:

  1. digital curriculum resources page for teachers. The main part of this page has icons linking to topics which include “Why digital technologies?”, “Where to start”, “Designing the learning”, “Teaching and learning resources”, “Assessment” and “Find out more”. The right hand side of the page has all the links found within these larger icons. The teaching and learning resources provide content descriptors, lesson ideas, online resources, videos, ideas to try and units of work. Covers Foundation to Year 10.

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2. The digital curriculum resources page includes links to six school case studies.

3. Victoria has six Science and maths specialist centres. This page provides information about each of the six centres – Bio Lab (sport and human performance), Earth Ed (earth sciences), Ecolinc (environmental teaching and learning), GTAC (Gene Technology Access Centre – life sciences), Quantum Victoria (physical sciences and maths) and VSSEC (space science engineering centre). Making connections outside of our school environment is an important part of the STEM approach. What industries and organisations do we have in South Australia that can support the teaching of STEM?

There are more links and information on the VicSTEM page including VET and higher education, mentoring and career pathways and partnerships with other organisations.

The VicSTEM page provides a useful resource for schools and partnerships looking to develop and move their own STEM programs forward.

PBAS STEM 3 – Technologies

In PBAS STEM 1 – What is STEM and what does it look like?  it is clear that while STEM projects can be enhanced by expensive high-level technologies STEM does not have to rely on these technologies to be successful (see the Year 2 STEM project video). The focus of STEM should always be on making connections between STEM subjects, challenging students, testing ideas and creating innovative solutions to real and complex problems. The idea of purchasing a range of expensive technologies and then assuming these make a good STEM program is a mistake. It is important to consider and understand how each piece of technology can support STEM at PBAS. How can it foster curiosity, problem-solving, creativity, trial and error and innovation?

PBAS already has a range of technologies including iPads, MacBooks, CAD, computer suites, robotics, Bee Bots, tech machinery and tools and standard science and maths technologies that have always supported our programs. I have put together a selection of videos that show a range of technologies for us to:

  1. consider developing further, for example, Lego robotics and Bee Bots and
  2. consider purchasing as new technologies to PBAS.

Raspberry Pi

 Raspberry Pi School Projects

Pakuranga College using UPBox 3D Printers 

Roland Stika Printer 

PicoBoards and Scratch 

Creating a gaming console with Picoboard and Scratch

Lego Mindstorm Robotics 

How to create a program – Lego Mindstorm 

Awesome Lego Machines

Using Bee Bots for Numeracy 

Weather Station Kit

Green Screen Kit

Educational Drone Kit

Little Bits Electronics 

Create Chain Reactions 

PBAS Stem 2 – Redeveloping the use of IT spaces

The previous STEM post (12th September) discussed what STEM was and how it could look at a classroom level. You can read this post here. In this STEM post I want to discuss the IT spaces in our school.

A range of discussions have occurred during this year specifically about redefining the spaces we have dedicated to IT. This has mostly occurred at leadership and within the Teaching and Learning SIP group. What is needed now is the input of all staff who have a stake in using these spaces and ideas about how they could service the learning needs of our students more effectivley.

The ideas in this post are just that, ideas. Nothing is final and everything is up for discussion. Including the obvious one (as you will see below) – do we need a canteen?

Below is a plan that shows the current Year 12 room, Computer Suite 1 and the canteen. The plan includes the following redevelopments:

Computer Suite 1

  1. The wall between computer suite 1 and the canteen is removed creating better use of the hallway (dead space). This would allow for two robotics tables to be included in the work space (one 3×1.6m and one 3x1m)
  2. Storage can be created below the robotics tables to keep robotics equipment. This equipment is currently kept in tubs on the floor of the tech room.
  3. Two LED screens (strategically placed) that show what is on the main teaching screen. This supports students who are the furthest away from the main screen allowing them to clearly see what is being discussed or shown to the class.
  4. Whiteboard walls. To the right of the main screen create a whiteboard wall that is a 3.5m long for use by the teacher or groups of students as a planning space to share ideas.

Year 12 Room

  1. The year 12 room becomes computer suite 2. This helps to centralise our computing facilities while providing an extra space (storeroom attached) for the storage of IT equipment including printer cartridges, materials for 3D printers and decal machines, paper, maker space materials and computing components used for building and designing and Bee Bots. This storage room while not in a brilliant position alleviates the need to have storage taking up space in the IT teaching areas.
  2. The wall between the two suites would have a 3-5m window installed allowing students and teachers to be visible (mostly) regardless of which room they were in. It would also provide a feeling of a more open space. This window may also have the ability to be opened (sliding panels).
  3. A new entrance door for this room would mean that classes would not need to enter the new suite 2 via suite 1.

Canteen

  1. Remove all internal walls and relocate the switchboard (currently on one of the centre walls in the canteen). This would create an 8x5m classroom space.
  2. A classroom that has a flexible furniture arrangement. The tables shown in the image have 4 height adjustments so potentially all year levels could access the room, the tables can also be manipulated to change the seating configurations depending on group sizes and task requirements (each table has 2 castors for easy movement). One or two flip tables may also be considered as a way of creating more floor space when not needed but available to be used if a bigger class needed the space.
  3. This classroom could be a Maker Space. Like the current primary wet area is used for students to build and create this maker space could be a place where students can come together to use, and learn to use materials as well as develop creative projects. The important idea is that it is a place that can be used for a range of activities with changing and flexible educational goals and creative purposes. Typically the space will; 1. Foster play, exploration and group learning, 2. Encourage collaborative learning where educators and students pool their skills and knowledge and share in the tasks of teaching and learning, 3. Develop a culture of creating as opposed to consuming. Two immediate examples of learning that come to mind are the school’s Bee Bots and PicoBoards (used with Scratch programming software). Many great kits and resources are available now to help schools develop effective maker spaces.
  4. Whiteboard walls. Depending on what was most suitable creating whiteboard walls would allow for student planning, explaining and discussion of ideas.
  5. Green screen technologies on the MacBooks and iPads provide students with opportunities to produce great videos. Paint a wall in this room green (floor to ceiling). Create a moveable green floor panel that could be stored elsewhere but brought in when students required it.
  6. This classroom could potentially be home to some new technologies the school is considering. These technologies include 3D printers , a decal printer and laser cutter. There is an alcove in the bottom right of the canteen space which could house the decal printer and 3D printers. Depending on our technologies and the space available it is possible that the 3D printers could be placed in suite 1.

 

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The x’s on the plan indicate a computer.

It would be great to have staff voice their opinion in the comments section to help generate discussion which will help this process move forward. A chance to discuss this in a staff meeting will also occur.

PBAS STEM 1 – What is STEM and what does it look like?

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) is a focus for DECD, see DECD STEM Works and the Federal Government, see Restoring the focus on STEM in schools initiative and Federal government unveils boost for maths and science in schools. It is an area we need to be prepared to develop and inspire our students in.

This is the first in a series of posts that will help us to have discussions about STEM and how we can develop this area at Port Broughton Area School. By the end of 2016 I hope every teacher involved in STEM based subjects R-10 can not only answer the following question but feels confident and supported to implement their answer.

In 2017 what STEM project will I undertake with my students?

So what is STEM?

  • The STEM approach to teaching and learning gives students the opportunity to work on challenging problems and projects.
  • It makes students aware of the connections between science, technology, engineering and maths and the importance of each to successfully solving problems in the real world.
  • It’s about a range of staff collaborating to show students the connections, for example a Year 5/6 STEM project could involve Paul contributing perspectives from maths and science while Tim provides expertise to support students with design and digital technologies.
  • Students experiment, use old and new technologies, test ideas and make and create innovative solutions to real and complex problems.
  • Real depth is given to STEM projects when partnerships are formed with local industries within the community.
  • STEM will look different across every class at every school.
  • Students identify needs and opportunities, visualise and generate ideas, plan and develop solutions and evaluate products and processes.

Information about what STEM is was provided by Jim Goodall, Maitland Area School.

What can STEM look like in the classroom?

Year 2 STEM Project

2015 ACARA STEM Connections Merici College, Canberra

Kings School Student Project

Bee Bot Art Project – This is an adult project but it does not take much imagination to see how this could be applied to a Year 1/2, 3/4 or 5/6 class. Design a piece of art created by Bee Bots!