Week 1 Artefacts

Why a Teacher ? (A Personal reflection).
Why are you considering teaching as a career choice?
In short I have an inclination towards, a personality fit for the occupation. Have had encouraging feedback from students while I was teaching at University. Our young students will be our future, so here's a chance to look at it up close and personal.

What do you believe will be the most rewarding experience for you in your beginning career?
Working with young students.
Designing, developing and implementing unique exciting pedagogical techniques that assist student learning.

Identify two concerns or questions you have about the profession.

• Who is developing the professionalism of the occupation?
• Sources of further professional training.

My Teaching Goals.
Tuning my system of beliefs
[To edit]

•          I will continue to re-define my personal goals for this will energise me, renew my enthusiasm and prolong the success that has characterised my leadership, administration and teaching.

•          I will seek to building community and empower those with whom I interact.

•          I will display initiative and focus upon the development of intrinsic motivation.

Leveraging my experience

[To edit]
Dedicated to lifelong learning

[To edit]

•          I will be steadfast in my belief that quality teaching stems from undertaking curriculum development within my school, at district and at state levels.

•          I will engage in new and different ways with my school and professional communities to advance my teaching skills.

•          I will persist with developing my own student-centred learning environments to grow my understanding of ways of empowering the whole student.

•          I am committed to mentoring colleagues and actively leading them towards improved student learning outcomes.

Getting to know your Syllabus

• TAS Syllabus Specialisation: Information and Software Technology
• Rational: [Source IST Syllabus pg 8] Acquire technological competence in the rapidly evolving area of information and software technology. Develop skills to solve problems in a real life contexts, individually and collaboratively. Develop ICT skills.
• Aim: [Source IST Syllabus pg 10] The aim of the Information and Software Technology Years 7–10 Syllabus is to develop students’ knowledge and understanding, confidence and creativity in analysing, designing, developing and evaluating information and software technology solutions.
• Objectives: [Source IST Syllabus pg 11] Knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes, Students will develop:
• knowledge and understanding of a range of computer software and hardware
• problem-solving and critical thinking skills in order to design and develop creative information and software technology solutions for a variety of real-world problems
• responsible and ethical attitudes related to the use of information and software technology
• knowledge and understanding of the effects of past, current and emerging information and software technologies on the individual and society
• effective communication skills and collaborative work practices leading to information and software technology solutions for specific problems.
• Outcomes: [Source IST Syllabus pg 12-13] The outcomes are expressed as a list of objectives for the students, "Students will develop: ...", one set for Stage 4 and one for Stage 5.
• Content: [Source IST Syllabus pg 14-42] The core content (Design Produce and Evaluate, Data Handling, Hardware, Issues, Past Current and Emerging Technologies, People, and Software) is developed within the context of options (AI Simulation and Modelling, Authoring Multimedia, Database Design, Digital Media, Internet and Website development, Networking Systems, Robotics and Automated Systems, Software Development and Programming) which are implemented as projects.
• Life Skills: [Source IST Syllabus pg 43-47] Life Skills implementation (supported, varied outcomes and content) are available when outcomes and content are found to be inappropriate for the needs of students with special needs.
• Continuum of Learning K-10: [Source IST Syllabus pg 48-53] Each stage in the syllabus provides a statement summarising the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes that have been developed by students upon achieving the outcomes for that stage. These statements if read as a whole from early stage 1 through to stage 5 form a continuum of learning.
• Assessment and Reporting: [Source IST Syllabus pg 54-59, also further details found in IST Y7-10 Advice on Programming and Assessment] Assessment across the whole continuum of learning K-10 should be developed within a standards-referenced framework. This framework utilises the syllabus as a  provider of the outcomes and content to be learnt, this acts alongside descriptions of levels of achievement of that learning. Exemplar tasks and student work samples elaborate standards. The standards are formalised over a stage (2 year period). The Syllabus encourages the philosophy of Assessment for Learning. The Assessment for Learning Principles provide a guide when developing assessment materials and a mechanism to assist in making professional judgments about student achievement which can be used for reporting.