Professional Development
As part of ACER's Improving Learning Program, ACER offers workshops to teachers on an annual basis.
Workshops for 2007
Over 130 workshops will be offered in 2007. Topics will be presented under the categories of Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS), Literacy, Numeracy, Science, Thinking Curriculum, Using Assessment Data, Curriculum Development, Languages other than English, Student Wellbeing and Behaviour Guidance, Leadership and Team work, Professional Learning in the South Western District of Victoria, Friendly Schools and Families, ACER Mini Conferences and Australian Principals Centre. For more information visit Professional Learning pages at ACER.
Workshop Objective
The main objective of the Quality Assessment in Science workshop is to improve and extend teachers' skills in assessment. They improve their ability to make consistent judgments about student learning. Teachers practice matching student activities to curriculum outcomes and increase their understanding of students' progression in learning.
Other objectives of the workshop are to increase the teachers understanding of the science demonstrated by each activity and to extend the range of science activities that teachers use in the classroom.
Benefits of the workshop methodology
The workshop provides opportunities for teachers to network and share classroom expertise in a structured setting. The methodology used throughout the workshop puts value on the skills of classroom teachers and aims to improve these skills.
The workshop structure models an inclusive pedagogy that values the ideas and input of all present. Teachers experience each activity by performing it in the same way as students would perform it. This allows them to fully judge both how students can learn from the activity and how the teacher can assess this learning.
The activities use readily available, inexpensive, everyday materials that teachers
can use in their schools. These materials also allow teachers and students to
experience the use of scientific thinking in life outside the classroom.
Benefits of the methodology in the classroom for learning
The students are actively engaged in the learning so that they retain more of the scientific content. They develop a deeper understanding of scientific principles.
The activities are multilevel in that students at different levels of understanding in the same classroom can benefit from the same activity and so progress in their learning. Teachers can adapt the activities for use in lower or higher classes.
The students see that scientific thinking can be used with everyday materials so that classroom science becomes relevant to their daily life.
Benefits of the methodology for assessment in the classroom
The assessment methodology presented in the workshop is in line with international trends in assessment. If students experience a degree of success they become more confident as learners so learn more effectively. Teachers see that they can apply this methodology in their classrooms.
A multilevel model of assessment is used so that one activity allows a teacher to judge different levels of achievement in the same classroom. The assessment is for learning (formative) showing student progression and allowing teachers to plan for further learning.