Do you use quizzes as end points, or just the beginning?

Often we use a quiz, topic test or even an assessment task as an end point. How much have the students learnt? Have the students understood the content? We then quickly move on to the next dot point or the next unit. To compound this, students get their quiz back, see their mark and then make judgments about themselves as people "I did really well" "I'm good at this" or "I'm no good at school" rather than focus on the learning.
Consider the impact that we can have on our student's learning if we can challenge students to assess their own progress. After completing a quiz or test, consider giving no marks to the student, but just feedback. What if the students answer questions such as those below:

• After completing the quiz, how confident are you about the content in the unit?
• How hard did you find the quiz? Very easy / easy / hard / very hard
• Which parts of the content do you think you are still a little rusty on?
• Which parts do you feel as though you have sufficiently mastered?
• How prepared did you feel for the quiz?
• What are some specific questions that you have about the content?
• Is there anything that you'd like to investigate further?

We can use many assessment for learning tools to get quick feedback in the process of teaching, whether it be mini-whiteboards, getting student to write a big answer on their iPad and hold it up, putting a post-it on the board when they leave the room or use digital tools such as Formative or Kahoot.  But, consider how we can reform the summative assessment to focus on learning and progress.

As Year 12 commence their Trial HSC Examinations, consider and disucss with colleagues how you will hand back the papers to your students to get the biggest impact from the significant amount of work by students and teachers that goes in to preparing, sitting for and then marking the Trials.

Looking for a new assessment for learning tool? Consider Answer Pad.

More information on Assessment for Learning tools can be found on the Commonsensemedia Graphite blog - https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/the-best-formative-assessment-tools-tips-and-lessons

How would you go on the new Literacy and Numeracy Test for minimum requirements for the HSC?

Here is the test on the BOSTES Concerto Platform. What do you think of it? Leave your comments below.

http://hscliteracynumeracy.bostes.nsw.edu.au/

Asia, Women and Aboriginals - that's what the new HSC is all about if you believe the @SMH

The SMH reports below that 'thousands of schools' will be impacted. YES! Everyone school in NSW teaching the BOSTES courses for the HSC will be affected by the changes. There is no need to sensationalise it with the 'thousands' impacted.

Thousands of NSW school students will have a greater focus on the environment, Asia, and the role of women and Aboriginal leaders in shaping modern Australian history under a suite of proposed electives to be introduced by the NSW Board of Studies on Thursday. (SMH)

Regardless, if you read the SMH headlines, you may start to believe that the new HSC is about an agenda push into Asia, Woman and Aboriginals. Yes, there will be increasing parts of content that relate to these ideas, but isn't that just a recognition that over the past two decades we have more trade with Asia, we have given land back to and said sorry to Aboriginals and been (hopefully) less discriminatory towards women. The curriculum documents still include reference to more traditional such as Nazi Germany.

Let's not get too concerned too quickly at this review stage where BOSTES is seeking feedback from stakeholders. Let's take time to digest the content and consider how it may be taught in schools and how it will positively or negatively impact student outcomes. Will it assist them in their life more than the current content?

Adrian Piccoli sums up the main HSC reforms that are upon us

My HSC: A guide to HSC reforms for students

Big changes to the English Syllabus - jury is still out!

The English curriculum is undergoing a massive change, back to pre-2000 days moving away from feminism, nihilism and post-modernism to a close study of original texts, grammar and language.

Whilst many English teachers love this more theoretical content (and opposition from the English Teachers' Association if likely), BOSTES has taken the position that it is not the best thing for the students.

The modules on belonging and journeys have been scrapped, which will be well supported by the student population who were broadly negative in attitude towards these units.

As BOSTES tried to reduce stress, the @SMH incorrectly says changes will increase pressure on 14 year olds!

The SMH in this article on Tuesday reported that:

The move is expected to heap pressure on students as young as 14...

(SMH)


With a Band 8 or better being awarded to most students above national minimum standard, this is a low benchmark (not high as BOSTES argues). By the time students, three years later, finish Year 12, they should not be labeled as "as minimum standard" for a Year 9 student. If this is the case, we have failed as educators or the student most definately should not be awarded the credential of HSC (not an automatic entitlement!)

Students will have the opportunity to sit online literacy and numeracy tests at various points to show that they have met the standard. the Band 8 at Year 9 is jut the first opportunity that students have to demonstrate this. It may have the impact of Year 9 students taking NAPLAN more seriously and hence achieving better results - which I'm sure the NSW government would love to see when being bench-marked against other states.

"This is about motivating students in junior high school particularly," Mr Piccoli said.

(SMH)

If you want more details on what a Band 8 actually is, visit the NAP website: http://nap.edu.au/results-and-reports/how-to-interpret 

BOSTES says farewell to some great Mathematics content

It is probable not surprising and something that I had anticipated that the thorough investigation of the parabola, locus problems and eventually conics have been removed. It is disappointing, given some of great problem-solving skills that this develops in our students.

Circle Geometry has now moved completely to Extension 2 Mathematics, which represents the overall reduction in Coordinate Geometry.

So long curve sketching. Whilst functions remain a significant part of the 2 unit course and there is still a focus on Trig graphs in Extension 1, the more complex analysis of graphing has been diminished.

Motion seems to have been moved completely from Extension 1 Mathematics to Extension 2 Mathematics (despite being kept in the glossary of terms for Extension 1 - maybe an attention to detail thing??)

Volumes only seem to be investigated superficially in Extension 1, with no harder problems in Extension 2, although this could come into the integration parts of the course.

There are of course additions to the courses. Namely, Statistics in the calculus courses and Matrices (vectors) being introduced to Extension 2 Mathematics.

BOSTES Draft Mathematics Syllabus includes sweeping changes for the HSC Examination

Mathematics General 1

This course seems to have been elevated with the inclusion of an HSC Examination.

Multiple Choice
There are two proposals being put forward for HSC Examinations, which considers:

1. Continued inclusion of Objective response (multiple choice), with a reduction in General 2 Mathematics to 10 questions
2. Removal of objective response questions.

It was a curious change to include (cost-saving) multiple choice questions to the Mathematics courses a few years back. Given the feedback that must have been received, there seems to be a sensible consideration of the removal of Multiple Choice questions to again focus on thinking, understanding and process (which is what Mathematics is about) as opposed to just considering the final result.

Common Questions

There will be 30% of marks common between General 1 Mathematics and General 2 Mathematics.

There will be 30% of marks common between General 2 Mathematics and Mathematics.

There will be 25% of marks common between Mathematics and Mathematics Extension 1. Extension students will no longer sit the Mathematics Exam!

Extension 2 students will also sit the Extension 1 exam.

Internal Assessment

All calculus courses now require one x 20% - 30% task as an investigation style task.

Content changes

It will be interesting to see what content has changed as we dive on in! I'm looking forward to seeing the statistics sections in the calculus courses.

Extension 1 Mathematics is now essentially 3 strands - Trig Functions (also Functions in Y11), Calculus and Statistical Analysis. Looks like a lot has been removed, but will need to dive deeper into the content to see the changes proposed.

Extension 2 has Proof, Complex Numbers, Mechanics and Vectors and Calculus.

The 'modernised' HSC - a timeline of events

The following timeline has been produced by BOSTES to show the important markers for the HSC and is available from: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/stronger-hsc-standards/ 

If you'd like more details on where we've come from with the HSC over 54 years - vist this site: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/news-media/hsc-media-guide/hsc-timeline.html

The 'New' New HSC - Everything you need to know

Past developments

At the turn of the century the "New" HSC was launched with some modifications and some subjects not changing very much (eg

Mathematics, my own subject area). Some subjects saw considerable change, such as the reduction of '3 Unit' options in many subjects and a shift away from the mathematical basis in some sciences to a more philosophical approach, which the aim of increasing the participation of girls in the sciences. Students were given the freedom to select from the broad range of subjects, with English being the only compulsory subject and not the humanities / sciences split that there was previously.

Adrian Piccoli, NSW Education Minister, notes that this last review was before smartphones, google and social media. A lot has changed in the landscape!

Current Changes

BOSTES has consulted with many educational organisations regarding current pressures in the HSC to try and improve what is already regarded as a strong, positive credential - the HSC. Below is a snapshot of the key changes:

Impacts Year 9 2017

1. Minimum Standard

There will be a minimum standard in Literacy and Numeracy, which can be gained as a Band 8 at Year 9 in NAPLAN or by completing an online test after Year 9. (This may include a unit of literacy or numeracy in Stage 6 if not proficient). 

Impacts Year 10 2017 (Year 9 2016)

2. Syllabus Review (Curriculum)

New syllabus (incorporating Australian Curriculum) for English, Mathematics, Science and History (to be taught in Y11 2018)

Regularly review syllabus documents for Stage 6 courses on at least a 5-yearly basis. Publish the syllabus documents as online documents within the framework of syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au.

Potential new subjects of Philosophy and Psychology.

Introduction of a Science Extension course (HSC from 2019)

Review of Extension courses to focus on complex thinking (particularly English, I suggest)

3. Assessment

New guidelines and rules around type, length style and number of tasks for internal assessments. 3 max in Y11 and 4 max in Y12 (possibility of completing one HSC task in Y11). The aim of this is to reduce stress and anxiety amongst students. It will of course increase the weighting of each task (e.g. Y11 could have 1x40%, 2x30% tasks). Time will tell if this aim is achieved.

Internal assessment tasks will have to be in varied form (eg speeches, presentations, projects, in-class problem solving, etc) which has been encouraged in the past, but may be more prescriptive in nature. This is trying to change the practice common in schools of using internal assessment tasks to practice for 'the real thing' of the HSC Examination in Term 4. Given that scaling of internal marks will (as far as I can see) still be linked to HSC Examinations, this will not remove the incentive for schools to try and continue this practice.

Redesign of HSC examination questions to focus on depth and reduce the opportunity for pre-prepared or plagiarised answers (not sure how they hope to achieve this)

Research ongoing about the incorporation of online assessment.

Apply a common scale for comparing the Mathematics courses, to reduce the incentive for students to maximise their ATAR by selecting General Mathematics 2, when they would be better suited to a calculus-based course.