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e-Newsletter for TAS/Technology teachers Years 7-12
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
TE
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CHtalktalk
Welcome to the TAS/Technologies
e -Newslet ter The TECHTalk e-Newsletter is designed to support teachers of all TAS/Technology subjects Years 7—12.
Term 1, 2015
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Inside this issueInside this issue
New Anaphylaxis Procedures 3
Anaphylaxis training 4
Safety Alerts 5, 6
Minor Amendment to Stage 6 D&T Examination Specifications 7
Professional Development in Wagga Wagga 8
ESIS and CSIS Webinars 9
Community and Family Studies (CAFS) update 10
Archibull Prizes 2014 11
Landcare in Your School 12
Animals in Schools 13
Churchill Fellowship 14
Young ICT Explorers 15
Computational Thinking Challenge 16
NAP ICT Literacy 17
Term 1, 2015!
Welcome to another year! Hope you are all well rested after the holidays and ready for the challenges
that will inevitably arise in 2015.
The Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management within the Curriculum P-12 Procedures have been published
for immediate implementation. This means we need to be vigilant and ensure we are not using peanuts,
nuts or nut products in any curricular or extracurricular activities. I am planning some professional
learning to support the new procedures, so please send me any questions or concerns so I can make
sure we cover everything.
Make sure you note the Minor Amendment to Examination Specifications for Stage 6 Design and
Technology. While the amendment is minimal, it may change the way we prepare students for
answering Section III of the written examination.
STEM is still high on the agenda. We will be running a STEM project in Term 2 so keep your eyes open
for the Expression of Interest.
Transition programs to bridge the gap between Stage 3 and Stage 4 are another area we are working
on to support teachers and students. We will run a pilot program for Science and Technology (Stage 3)
into Technology (Stage 4) and Science (Stage 4) this term. Hopefully we will develop some great
resources to share.
Enjoy the term! Sandra McKee
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
New Anaphylaxis ProceduresNew Anaphylaxis Procedures
The Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management within the Curriculum P-12 Procedures
were published in SchoolBiz on 5 December 2014 for immediate implementation. These procedures are mandatory for all NSW government schools and preschools and apply to all subjects in all KLAs. The main message of the new procedures is:
The procedures are designed to assist all teachers when planning activities which may involve students in the preparation and/or sharing of food, to protect the health and safety of students and to support the Anaphylaxis Procedures for Schools. Schools should review all curriculum materials to make sure that peanuts, tree nuts and nut products are eliminated. This does not include ingredients or products labelled as ‘may contain traces of nuts’. Schools should not claim to be peanut or nut free. The procedures do not ban peanuts or tree nuts from schools as this would be difficult to enforce and may produce a false sense of security for students diagnosed at risk of anaphylaxis. We can ask our communities not to send foods containing nuts, but we can never guarantee that this request is adhered to. We can, however, ensure that as part of our duty of care we do not provide peanuts, tree nuts and nut products to be used in any curriculum or extra curricular activity.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Anaphylaxis trainingAnaphylaxis training
The Department's new Anaphylaxis e-learning (APTSs) module was launched in October
2014. This e-safety module replaces the ASCIA e-training and is mandatory every 2 years for all
permanent, temporary and casual school based employees.
The e-learning modules have been developed to provide all staff
working in NSW Department of Education and Communities with
essential information about recognising symptoms and providing an
emergency response to anaphylaxis, a life threatening condition,
together with information about key departmental policies and
strategies to manage and support students diagnosed as being at
risk of anaphylaxis.
Specialist Anaphylaxis Training (face to face) The NSW Anaphylaxis Education Training Program is the training provider for specialist
(face to face) anaphylaxis training. The training is a mandatory requirement for all
schools with a student(s) diagnosed at risk of anaphylaxis. Requests for training need to
be made using the application form and submitted to the Children’s Hospital,
Westmead.
Anaphylaxis FAQs Anaphylaxis FAQs
I have already had questions from teachers seeking clarification about the Allergy and
Anaphylaxis Management within the Curriculum P-12 Procedures. Professional
learning in the form of recorded Adobe Connect to unpack the procedures, a video
conference to allow interaction and questions and development of Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs) will take place in the coming months.
The most common questions so far are about existing nut trees in agriculture plots and
whether coconut and nutmeg are classified as tree nuts. Please send through any queries
or concerns that the new procedures have caused and I’ll make sure we use the
appropriate expert advice when answering them.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management within Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management within
the Curriculum Pthe Curriculum P--12 Procedures12 Procedures
Please read the two Safety Alerts relating to Anaphylaxis have been issued by the Work Health and Safety
Directorate this year. Safety Alert 53 refers to the Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management within the Cur-
riculum P-12 Procedures and Safety Alert 54 refers to changes to the ASCIA Action Plans. All other Safety
alerts may be found here.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plans ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plans
ASCIA (Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy) has updated the ASCIA Action Plan
for Anaphylaxis. These latest 2015 versions are available at http://www.allergy.org.au/health-
professionals/anaphylaxis-resources/ascia-action-plan-for-anaphylaxis.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Stage 6 Design and TechnologyStage 6 Design and Technology
Minor Amendment to Examination SpecificationsMinor Amendment to Examination Specifications
The examination specifications for the Stage 6 Design and Technology have been slightly amended.
Implementation of the amended examination specifications will commence for the 2015 HSC and beyond.
The amendments to the examination specifications are:
Section III will consist of one extended response question worth 15 marks (instead of being a structured extended response)
The question will have an expected length of response of around four pages of an examination writing booklet (approximately 600 words) in total. (This part of the specification has not changed).
The amended examination specifications are available to download from the HSC syllabus page of the BOSTES website.
For more information, contact: Peter Thompson Inspector, Technology Education [email protected] (02) 9367 8454 or Helen Bristow Manager, Examining and Testing [email protected] (02) 9367 8095
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Professional Development in Wagga Wagga Professional Development in Wagga Wagga
An HSC Marking workshop covering Stage 6 TAS subjects that have both a practical and
written examination component will be held at Kildare Catholic College, Wagga Wagga on 26
March 2015. The workshop is a cross-sectoral collaborative venture of the Catholic Schools
Office, Wagga Wagga (CSO), the Department of Education and Communities (DEC), BOSTES,
the Association of Independent schools (AIS) and the Institute of Industrial Arts and Technolo-
gy Educators. Details of the workshop and how to register will be advertised in SchoolBiz.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
ESIS and CSIS WebinarsESIS and CSIS Webinars
In November 2014, a series of professional learning webinars focusing on ESIS (Equipment Safety in Schools) and CSIS (Chemical Safety in Schools), were presented by Alan Smith and Barry Ledsam from Assets Management.
The sessions were recorded on Adobe Connect. Below are the links to the recording.
These resources are recommended for professional learning within your faculty, and may be
particularly useful for early career teachers.
Session 1: ESIS (Equipment Safety in Schools) – using the database, user groups, usage controls, machine controls, instruction, supervision, PPE
Session 2: CSIS (Chemical safety in Schools) – review 2014, Curriculum Support Documents Volume 2 Section 3.3 Technological and Applied Studies (TAS)
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Community and Family Studies Community and Family Studies
(CAFS) update(CAFS) update
While Community and Family Studies (CAFS) is not a TAS subject (it sits within PDHPE) it is still frequently taught by TAS teachers. The following information, provided by the PDHPE Advisor 7-12, is included for those of you teaching Stage 6 CAFS.
HSC ONLINE - COMMUNITY AND FAMILY STUDIES (CAFS)
The Community and Family Studies - HSC Online module has been updated to reflect syllabus amendments for the 2015 HSC cohort. The materials for Groups in Context and Parenting and Car-ing have now been published at http://hsc.csu.edu.au/cafs/
ReminderReminder
The Stage 6 Community and Family Studies Syllabus has been amended.
Implementation of the amended syllabus commenced in 2014 for the Preliminary course, with the first Higher School Certificate (HSC) examination in 2015.
The Department of Education and Communities has developed a series of presentations and fact sheets to provide more information for teachers planning for syllabus implementation in 2014 and beyond. These can be used individually or by faculties or networks.
HSC Community and Family Studies syllabus amendments
Preliminary Community and Family Studies syllabus amendments
Overview of Stage 6 Community and Family Studies syllabus amendments
For more information visit Stage 6 CAFS on PDHPE page on Curriculum Support.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Archibull Prizes 2014Archibull Prizes 2014
The annual Archibull Prize is an innovative and engaging in-school program that traverses the boundaries between rural providers and city consumers. The program is an agricultural and environmentally themed art competition for primary and secondary student groups aimed at bringing the farm into the classroom.
It provides students with opportunities to meet young farmers and to gain knowledge and skills about the production of the food they eat, the fibres they produce and use and the environment in which they work and live. It creates an opportunity for students to work together to create an amazing artwork that tells the story of farming as they understand it. It raises awareness of exciting career pathways. It pro-motes change and fosters two-way conversations. It builds relationships between schools, industry, business and the community as students progress through the different elements associated with the Archibull Prize program.
Students from 40 participating schools from across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria were invited to decorate life-size, fibreglass cows to showcase the grain, cattle and sheep, wool, cotton or dairy industries. Organiser Lynne Strong called the works “extraordinary and inspired – a feast of colour and creativity”.
On Friday 14 November at Sydney Olympic Park Hurlstone, Agricultural College was announced as the overall 2014 winner with its dairy industry-inspired artwork ‘Ni Cow’. Their entry celebrated the newly-forged connections between the Australian and Chinese dairy industries.
To learn more about Art4Agriculture and programs like the Archibull Prize please visit www.art4agriculture.com.au or contact: Lynne Strong [email protected]
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Landcare in Your SchoolLandcare in Your School
Landcare in the Curriculum, produced by the Primary Industries Education Foundation (PIEF) and
Landcare Australia, was recently launched in time for the 2015 school year. The curriculum
resources include full lessons comprising engaging and easy-to-understand teaching and learning
sequences. Though initially aimed at primary schools, many of the teaching and learning ideas are
scalable for secondary classes.
Former governor-general, the national Advocate for Soil Health, and Landcare Australia Patron,
General Jeffery — who would like to see every school have a food garden — launched the
curriculum resources at Beauty Point Public School in Sydney. “It’s up to us to link the dots and
excite the younger generation about things that sustain us all, such as soil health and science – it
can be fun!” General Jeffery said.
Renowned chef and restaurateur Matt Moran, who was a keynote speaker at the 2014 National
Landcare Conference, said: “There’s a growing interest in food and where it comes from. Food is
not only a great source of pleasure but a great conversation starter too and through gardens and
dining experiences it’s a great way of building communities.”
“I think educating kids about food and its journey from the farm to the kitchen is a really positive
thing – getting kids to think about how we can sustainably grow and enjoy the produce we all rely
on and will continue to rely on into the future is an educational and really rewarding experience.”
The Landcare in Your School Teachers Resource Guide is an excellent resource, providing practical
ideas for adapting to individual school contexts. Real case studies of how other schools have used
incorporated Landcare activities into their curriculum are provided. Landcare and the High School
Curriculum (page 21) provides a series of lesson plans focused on Sustainable Agriculture that
cover a range Stage 5 Agricultural Technology Syllabus Outcomes using practical activities and well
developed worksheets.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Animals in SchoolsAnimals in Schools
As of 2015 there will be a new Animals in schools website.
What does this mean for NSW teachers who use animals for educational purposes?
It means:
There are some changes to the categories of activities. These are limited and hopefully are more consistent and up to date with animal husbandry practices.
There are no longer hard copy guidelines. All of the information that was once in the guide-lines is now integrated into the new website.
The notes for each species now include standards and guidelines. The standards are present-ed in a box at the beginning of each species section, and must be met by schools, in accord-ance with the requirements of the Animal Research Act. The guidelines are the desirable practices to achieve best practice.
The species notes have been expanded. This will hopefully provide more information and ref-erences to assist teachers to not be compliant but achieve best practice in animal welfare.
On-line application form submission. All application forms must be completed on-line and will be automatically submitted via email.
The inclusion of a Latest Info facility. This will take the form of a moderated blog allowing teachers to post relevant current information that can be screened and made available to all users of the site.
A more attractive and engaging website. The site includes many images, diagrams and videos that may be used as a teaching resource.
The new address is: http://nswschoolanimals.com/
There will be redirect placed on the old site so that you will automatically be sent to the new site.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Churchill FellowshipChurchill Fellowship
The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust is a company limited by guarantee that was estab-
lished in 1965 after the death of Sir Winston Churchill.
A Churchill Fellowship offers talented individuals the opportunity to travel to the far edges of
the globe to conduct valuable research in their field and bring back knowledge, experience,
ideas and innovation for the betterment of their industry and Australia.
Applications opened on 3 November and close on 16 February 2015 for travel between
1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016.
Download the Fellowship Application Package and apply online through the website at
www.churchilltrust.com.au/apply.
Congratulations to Alesha Bleakley! In 2014, Alesha Bleakley, Cherrybrook Technology High School, was awarded the Northern
Districts Education Centre (Sydney) Churchill Fellowship to study the dichotomy in technology
education of the future, the role of hand skills and the role of CAD/CAM technology in the
production of designed solutions - USA, UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Finland.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Young ICT ExplorersYoung ICT Explorers
Young ICT Explorers is a non-profit competition,
which aims to encourage school students to create
their best Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) related projects.
The competition’s alignment with the school
curriculum enables students to apply what they
learn in their ICT classroom to develop a technology
related project of their choice.
At the judging event, students have the opportunity
to present their project to a judging panel of
academia, industry partners and ICT professionals.
Each project is assessed on the criteria of creativity, uniqueness, quality, level of difficulty and
project documentation.
In 2015 the NSW Competition will be held at the University of New South Wales in Kensington
at the Scientia conference centre.
You can register your school from the 2nd of February 2015 with an approximate number of
teams using our on-line registration tool. Please note the last day for registration is the
26th June 2015.
Once your school is registered, teachers can then nominate their school teams,
upload their project details and any attachments up until submission deadline – 24th July 2015.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
Computational Thinking ChallengeComputational Thinking Challenge
Bebras is an international initiative whose goal is to promote
computational thinking for students in Year 3 - Year 12.
Bebras
is aligned with
and supports the new
Australian Curriculum
Digital Technologies . The
challenge is run by NICTA
under the Digital Careers
program, funded by the
Australian Government.
The challenges are made of a set of short questions called Bebras tasks and are
delivered via the cloud. The tasks can be answered without prior knowledge about
computational thinking, but are clearly related to computational thinking concepts.
To solve the tasks, students are required to think in
and about information, discrete structures,
computation, data processing, and algorithmic
concepts. Each Bebras task can both demonstrate an
aspect of computational thinking and test the talent of
the participant.
Tasks are pitched at Stage levels. View sample tasks
here. See Information for Teachers here.
The Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge will be held from 16 - 27 March 2015 Register at www.bebras.edu.au
Don’t miss out!
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
NAP ICT LiteracyNAP ICT Literacy
Between 13 October and 14 November 2014 approximately 12,000 students from in
Year 6 and Year 10 representing 653 schools across Australia, participated in the fourth
cycle of the National Assessment Program - ICT literacy (NAP-ICTL)
sample assessment.
NAP-ICTL was delivered in schools via online modules comprising purpose-built
software applications carefully designed to reflect 'real world' ICT contexts that are
familiar to students. The value of students becoming ICT-literate, global citizens who
are creative and productive users of ICT forms the basis of the NAP-ICTL assessment
domain and the development process.
ACARA have produced a short video explaining the purpose of the NAP-ICTL sample as-
sessment.
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© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, 2015
TAS/Technologies curriculum contact:
Sandra McKee TAS Advisor Years 7-12 Secondary Education Directorate Learning and Leadership Portfolio Level 3, 1 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, 2010, NSW T: (02) 9266 8514
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