OLSC Hot off the Press

Learning and Teaching

NAPLAN

Well done to all our Year 3 and Year 5 students who completed their NAPLAN tests over the past fortnight. 

Please remember that it is only one form of data, taken as a snapshot in time and that the work students complete on a day to day basis with a variety of staff is what we as a school use to inform our practice.

Victorian Curriculum 2.0

This year brings some changes to our curriculum. In particular the English and Maths curriculums in Victoria have been updated. Staff are in the process of learning about the new curriculum and exploring the changes.

 

We use the Victorian Curriculum (both version 1.0 and 2.0) to plan, assess and report on student learning. The Victorian Curriculum is on a public website and can be accessed here: https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/ 

 

Mathematics Version 2.0: What has changed and the benefits

  • The resequencing and realignment of content ideas to more effectively embed the proficiencies for Mathematics and facilitate more effective development of key big ideas in Mathematics.
  • Content framed by play and exploration-based learning for Levels F-2 responds to contemporary research in how children learn effectively, and provides alignment with the Victorian Early Years and Development Framework (VEYLDF).
  • The Probability strand commences in Level 3, giving students a better opportunity to consolidate their learning in foundational skills.
  • Refined and consolidated content descriptions with clear links to achievement standards, assisting teachers to map curriculum content through learning and assessment, and resulting in 26 fewer content descriptions than the current Victorian Curriculum F–10 Mathematics. 

 

English Version 2.0: What has changed and the benefits

  • English Version 2.0 is clearer and easier to implement, with revised and refined content descriptions.
  • The revised curriculum is organised by strands only (Language, Literature, Literacy), which provides more fluidity between content descriptions and language modes.
  • The language modes, as an organising structure, have been removed from the content descriptions. All sub-strands now clearly present a progression of skills across levels.
  • The achievement standards remain organised by language modes. Teachers will see no change to the way they have mapped student achievement, assessment and reporting. The achievement standards have been ordered through the use of uniform sentence stems and refined by applying a stable sequence of skills drawn from and anchored to the relevant content descriptions at every level.
  • The Learning in English section includes graphic organisers that illustrate the links between the content descriptions and the achievement standards.
  • The revisions build important connections between the language modes and identify key skill sets:
    • Speaking and Listening – ‘When interacting with others’ and ‘When speaking to an audience’
    • Reading and Viewing – ‘When reading and viewing texts’ and ‘When demonstrating understanding of texts’
    • Writing – ‘When creating texts’
  • English Version 2.0 is a more flexible curriculum and invites skills to be transferred across language modes and contexts.
  • The revised curriculum provides a clear continuum of learning through content descriptions and skills, and an easy-to-see progression of learning. Content descriptions have been mapped into the achievement standards, supporting assessment of student understanding and skill development.

 

 

Bec Tardrew

Learning and Teaching Leader.