Curriculum Studies - Science and Technology, Five Standards of Authentic Instruction - Essay Example

Curriculum Studies: Science and technology Name University Introduction Assessment tasks are considered to be ‘rich’ if they provide assessment information across a wide range of course outcomes within a single task while optimizingstudents’ expression of their learning. Assessment tasks encompass both summative and formative norms. If the elements of rich design are considered for constructing tasks they provide useful information for grading. Rich assessment tasks can then be described as; those tasks that explicitly engage the learner, describe the task expectations to the learner, connect with what has been taught naturally, engaging the learner and provide them with opportunities, focus on the vital areas of learning, and enable teachers to identify areas that student, or students are lacking. In order to ensure that an authentic assessment exists a teacher needs to gather information in order to ascertain that students are learning what they need to be taught. In order to effectively ascertain the elements of rich assessment the teacher will examine what is taught and learnt in a unified work, telling students what needs to be taught, matching the tasks to the assessment criteria, communicating the assessments to the students, and accommodating the varying needs of all students in order to gain the entire range of students' performance. The models for rich assessment of sciences are based on subject based materials. The provision of scientifically based assessments is based on existing syllabuses. Some of the tasks are derived from current assessment techniques and enriched by involving elements of effective assessments. This study will examine the rich assessment tasks, it will evaluate the outcomes of the assessment and implementation of assessments through authentic instructions. Outcomes The identification of outcomes and indicators for the rich science based assessment tasks that incorporate information technology will encompass identifying outcomes based on the following levels; values and attitudes, skills, and knowledge and understanding. This article will focus on the outcome of stage two students. Values and attitudes The outcome for this criteria will involve students developing an appreciation of the contribution that science has on developing solutions to individual, social and global issues that is applicable to the students’ lives today and in the future. The students will develop a willingness to use logic, reason and evidence in engaging, and responding to scientific and technological ideas that are relevant and informing to their lives (studies, 2013). Students will be required to recognize the importance of technology and science in their everyday lives, and also develop interest, attitudes, and positive informed towards science and technology. The students in stage two will need to show and indicate interest and a strong desire towards science and technology, and respond curiously to the need, want and perceived opportunities that will be created (studies, 2013) The students will have to demonstrate their willingness to engage curiously, and responsibly when dealing with local, and global issues that relate to science and technology, which are relevant to their lives. Students in stage two will be required to develop a positive attitude towards the current and future use and influence that science and technology will wield. Skills Students will be required to demonstrate knowledge, understand and the technical ability to apply and use science and technology. Here, the students will be required to be able to analyse data in order to be able to investigate questions and predictions, come up with suggestions for their outcomes, and reflect and communicate on the process that they have undertaken (Appleton, 2003). The student will also be required to design the process, utilize a wide range of tools and equipment’s, techniques and material to produce measures that produce solutions that address the particular design criteria. Knowledge and understanding In this area the student will be required to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the various they way science and technology enable people to understand and affect their course of actions on the external environment, which relates to their lives. Students will be required to understand and demonstrate how people interact within the created environments, and factors to consider when design and constructing their environment. At the end of the study students will be required to demonstrate how the relationship between earth, sun and other planets interact, and cause regular changes in the earth’s atmosphere (Paechter, 2000). The student will be required to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of how science and technology interact and cause meaningful changes to people. Students will demonstrate how man made and built environment. Students in this stage would be required to identify and demonstrate how heat is transferred from one object to another, which result from the contact ad non-contact objects, or surfaces. Students will also be required to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the impact of their actions to the survival of other animals and organisms on the earth. The contents of the science and technology assessment is organized based on the content strands based on the outcomes, skills, values, knowledge and understanding. The contents will highlight the learnings that students will use in order for them to achieve the outcomes (Curriculum, 2013). This will strike the balance between the measures that students will use to acquire knowledge, and the learning in science and technology. The knowledge, skills, values and understanding are utilized in order to provide students with a strong foundation in order for them to move to the next stage of learning process. The teacher will make informed decisions relying on the sequence of the learning process, and the reliance that will be placed on a certain content, which is based on student needs. The content strands will be based on the following; Scientifically; here, students will be asked to identify and ask questions about their world and surroundings. They will be required to conduct first hand investigations about how they will utilize and apply their skills scientifically, through the use and applicability of scientific inquiry to create and build their knowledge and understanding about science (Van Driel, 1998). Technologically; students will recognize problems and respond to opportunities, wants and needs in their immediate environment to which solutions are designed and produced. Students explore and design tasks, create and develop ideas, come up with solutions to problems, and evaluate design processes. The design processes will be based on the findings that students establish from their investigations. The sub strands include the material world, man-made world, living world, information and natural environments. Living World; through this studentdevelops their understanding of living things, which includes plants, animals and other organisms. Material World; through this student develop their knowledge and understanding of properties of material (Van Driel, 1998). They develop knowledge and understanding of the way they change, behave and the changes they undergo through in their change process. Information; student build their knowledge and understanding of information and its uses in conveying messages. Students learn about information technology and communication and its use of human beings. The article will take an instrumental and theoretical approach in teaching students about science and technology. The instrumental approach will encompass teaching students on the use of technology and information communication technology (Appleton, 2003). The use of instrumental approach will enable the teacher to demonstrate to students how technological equipment’s are used in classrooms. The teacher will use lots of examples about how they can use technologies, and this will enable them to be able to identify, learn, and understand how to use the technologies. The theoretical approach in the assessment of student will enable students to be able to examine critically the how technology is utilized, and enables them to be able to keep track with the rapid changes in technology. The theoretical approach will enable students to understand why the society is demanding technology to be used in their classrooms (studies, 2013). The use of both approaches in student assessment is vital because it will enable students to keep track of the technological changes locally and globally. The study of science and technology will enable students to develop knowledge and skills, which will enhance their capabilities. Combining both approaches will enrich students with skills of cooperation, risk taking, prowess, and self-control in handling technology. The key learning areas (KLA) in primary schools include areas such as mathematics, English, science and technology, personal development, and creative and practical. English is one of the six core learning areas for students in primary. The learning and development of English for student in their initial stages is imperative so that they can create and build the literacy reading and writing skills (studies, 2013). The learning of English is developed and done through strands, which includes; talking, listening, reading and writing. The assessment of English is examined through the strands and it is developed through a wide range of factual texts and literacy (Curriculum, 2013). Mathematics; this is the study of relationships and patterns, which provides methods of communication. The strands that are used in the teaching and development of mathematics in schools includes; measurement, numbers and space. The learning and development of mathematics require skills such as representation, documentation, observation, comparison and the relationship of physical and social phenomena (Koch, 2013). The creative and personal arts in the key area of learning that involves impacting students with knowledge and skills of drama, arts, visual arts and music. Students develop key abilities and capabilities to contribute to, and be a part of, the creative art, or arts in the society. The personal development, health and physical education is a part of education that uses the following strands to teach students about key aspects of life. The strands include; games and sports, movement exploration, lifestyle and fitness, growth and development, dance, and personal health choices (studies, 2013). Each of the key learning areas develop a distinctive quality and skills that are imperative for the learning and development of students. As teacher plan for their areas of teaching, they come to recognize the links in the key learning areas, and particular aspects that are unique and distinct to each key learning area. Five standards of Authentic Instruction (Newman & Wehlage’s 5 Standards) This is a framework that provides students with the chance and opportunity to improve their performance through proper implementation of innovative measures and approaches. Authentic instruction relies on three criteria’s in the proposal of restructuring movements (Curriculum, 2013). The first criteria, is the construction of meaning by students to produce knowledge. The second criteria, is used of disciplined inquiry to construct meaning, and finally, students aim their work towards construction and production of discourse, products and performance that create meaning and value beyond school premises. The authentic instruction measures are not tied to any specific activity in order to improve the performance of students. This approach uses all available approaches whether innovative, traditional or modern methods of teaching students to examine and evaluate whether the approach being used engages students to utilize their minds properly (studies, 2013). In order to improve the standards of education in schools, or learning environment authentic instructions formulated standards of performance that seek to improve the engagement of students’ minds in learning. Each standard that was constructed was based on a continuous approach that increased students’ engagement from less to more (Van Driel, 1998). Each category of the standards was examined using a five point scale, and for each category the scale initially compares the high score and low score lessons. The ratters consider the number of students and the time taken to teach during which it applies. The five standards include the following; High order thinking This standard or scale measure the level at which student uses higher order thinking. Higher order thinking requires students to demonstrate their ability of manipulating information in a manner that changes their meaning and implications, such that the students can be able to combine the facts and ideas in order to generalize, provide answers to, explain, or come up with some interpretation or conclusion (Koch, 2013). Manipulation of information through this process allows students to come up with new ideas, understandings and meanings. An element of uncertainty is introduced through this method leading to instructional outcomes not always been predictable. Low order thinking occurs when students are told to recite actual information, or use rules through repetitive routines, in this criteria, students are given that given simple information and then they are slowly developing into more complex ones. Student I at this stage recite information that were given before when answering questions that need them to recall (Koch, 2013). The criteria for the application of the high and low order thinking will encompass the following; 1. Students that engage primarily in lower order questions, will have at least in significant higher order questions, for which they will perform HOT operations. 2. During the occasion that students engage in one substantial activity during the lessons. They will be given some activities that they will be required to utilizehigher order activities. Depth of knowledge This scale will examine the students’ depth of understanding and knowledge. This criteria examine that ability of students to understand information and the depth of knowledge and skills. When knowledge does not handle or deal with a substantial concept then it is shallow or superficial. For example, when a studentpossesses a surface understanding of the concepts, or when students possess minor understanding of the concepts (Curriculum, 2013). Superficial understanding can be caused strategies that encompass coverage of a large area that have fragmented information. The knowledge and understanding can be deeper if it encompasses thick understanding of the information or concepts. In this case, students can develop a deep understanding if they are able to come up with clear distinctions, develop arguments, build explanations, solve issues or problems, and work with complex information. The deep understanding of information and knowledge is generated by covering fewer topics in a systematic and connected manner. The criteria of depth of knowledge include the following; 1. When knowledge is regarded as superficial, while some vital aspects are covered, only a superficial trivial understanding of theses sophisticated ideas is evident (Van Driel, 1998). 2. Knowledge is never treated evenly during teaching or instruction, by this it means that in depth understanding is a factor that is countered by a superficial understanding of knowledge. During instruction, at least, an idea may be presented deeply and its ideas understood, but generally there is no consistency in the focus. Connectedness of the world This standard measures the extent to which student in class value the meaning and understanding beyond teaching and instruction. With students that do not value meaning beyond class, instructions and understanding of concepts are only deemed valuable in school (Van Driel, 1998). The work of students in such a manner has no value, and it is only carried out to comply with teachers’ instructions or norms. In students whose learning and understanding gains more connection within the social context of the school where students live, than the study and understanding has gained more connections (Paechter, 2000). Teaching can show some level of connectedness if students are able to address problems that exists in the real world, and when students can involve their own personal experiences in the context of understanding their knowledge. The criteria for connectedness includes the following; 1. The teacher has no reason for doing his work well, if the lesson and understanding do not go beyond school premises. 2. When students explore the connection taught in school through their personal experiences, they then demonstrate their ability to connect their instructions with their experiences beyond the school premises. Then the teacher is carrying out his or her instructions well because the students can try and connect the teachers’ instructions by trying to solve social problems (Koch, 2013). Substantive conversation This standard and scale indicates the students’ ability to learn and understand the sustenance of the subject. An instruction that demonstrates no substantive understanding, the instructor or teacher recites the lecture and take little or no time to teach about the substance of the subject and questions. A teacher who lists questions and facts to students, and do not follow up, makes the learning and discourse irregular and lacks cohesion (Appleton, 2003). The learning of students is then equivalent to fill the blank or short answer questions. In order for learning and instruction to indicate a high level of substantive conversation it must show the following; 1. There exists significant interactions about the subjects and topics. 2. Students are able to share ideas without being controlled by the teacher (Koch, 2013). 3. Facilitating dialogue among students enables students to understand and facilitates coherent in their learning. The criteria for substantive conversation includes the following; 1. Sharing of collective ideas and understanding happens freely and involves two successive interchanges. 2. The feature of successive interchanges happens, with at least an example being used in the sustained conversation, and many students take part in the conversation (studies, 2013). Social support for students This standard examines the high expectations, inclusion and admiration of students in the learning process. During instruction, the social support is low if the teacher does not encourage, participation, effort, or willingness of students to take part in expressing their own views (studies, 2013). Social support can also occur when there is a negative atmosphere in class, which does not support students’ participation. Thereexists a high social support when the teacher conveys high expectations among students, harnessing their ability to take risks, and building their ability to master subjects and academic work. A climate of mutual respect is enhanced in the class, and this will enable students to speak up freely without being criticized. The criteria for social support includes; 1. There exists a mixed social support, where both negative and positive comments are followed. 2. There exists a strong social support. The class is challenging by strong expectations, effort, challenging work, and mutual respect among all students in the class (Koch, 2013). The framework can be used to observe instruction and improve the assessment of students in classrooms. The five standards are used to examine the level of authentic instruction in schools, regardless of the approach used in teaching students. In the assessment of students there exists desired outcomes that the teacher intends to achieve. Theses outcomes are the results that are used to measure the extent and level to which students are able to learn and understand their subject. This paper established and pointed out the desired learning outcomes for students who are level two. These outcomes will be intended to be achieved throughauthentic instructions. These instructions are used to ensure that students learn and achieve their intended outcomes in school. This paper provided the criteria through which the intended outcome can be implemented and attained. It provides a framework for ensuring that students understand and learn appropriately and in a manner where they will understand effectively. The assessment of student will be effective in teacher implemented and followed the frameworks highlighted in authentic instructions. References Appleton, K. (2003). How do beginning primary school teachers cope with science? Toward an understanding of science teaching practice. Research in science education, 33(1), 1-25. Curriculum, A. (2013, October 10). Science. Retrieved from Australian curriculum: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Rationale Koch, J. (2013). Science stories: Science Methods for Elementary and Middle School Teachers (5th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Paechter, C. (2000). . Introduction: Studying curriculum change, changing school subjects: Power gender and curriculum. Buckingham: Open University Press. Studies, N. S. (2013, October 10). Science K–10 (incorporating Science and Technology K– 6). Retrieved from NSW Syllabuses for the Australian curriculum: http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/science/science-k10/ Van Driel, J. H., Verloop, N., & de Vos, W. (1998). Developing science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. Journal of research in Science Teaching, 35(6), 673-695. Read More