Making connections-more about the Curriculum Planning and Programming materials

December 2005NSW Board of Studies

NSW Primary CurriculumFoundation Statements

• provide a basis for assessing, reporting and discussing student progress (p. 2)

• C:\Documents and Settings\avanwestenbrugge\Desktop\FoundationCover.jpg

December 2005NSW Department ofEducation and Training

Getting the balance right

The department’s response to Time to Teach, Time to Learn

…support (for) teachers inprogramming, assessing andreporting (p.2)

http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/timetoteach/index.htm

December 2005NSW Department of Educationand Training

Curriculum Planning, Programming, Assessing and Reporting to parents K-12

The curriculum planning and programming framework provides three levels of support:

Level 1: A curriculum planning framework of connected outcomes groups organises outcomes from four KLAs connected by a common focus. (This also includes a poster of all English and Mathematics outcomes)

Level 2: Descriptions of the connected outcome groups which explain the

connection for each KLA in the group, identifies relevant syllabus content and lists or links to readily-available resources.

Level 3: Units of work, one for each connected outcome group, translate the framework into programming support. The units of work contain teaching and learning activities with literacy and numeracy links included, and planned assessment.

NSW Department of Education and TrainingCurriculum K-12 http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/timetoteach

Level 1 - Curriculum planning framework

Level 1 - Curriculum planning framework:

• displays the primary curriculum (all outcomes in two documents for easy reference )

• gives primacy to English and Mathematics• shows all outcomes are written in full once only (the outcome

code is written when outcomes are revisited) • organises Science and Technology, Human Society and Its

Environment, Creative Arts and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education into Connected Outcomes Groups (COGs)  

• shows eight groups per stage (approx. one Connected Outcome Group per term - six smaller groups in Early Stage 1). Physical education is a separate group to ensure all students participate in 120 minutes of planned physical activity each week.

Curriculum planning framework – Connected Outcomes Groups (COGs):

• naturally connect through similar content, processes or skills (allowing the curriculum to be taught more efficiently and connect ideas for students to maximise their learning )

• ensure there is adequate repetition of outcomes• revisit outcomes in different contexts• show how not all KLAs are addressed in each connected

outcomes group but are covered across a stage• are tracked across stages in ‘strings’ (eg. A = Our place

ES1, Local Places S1, Local Environments S2 and Living Land S3) to support programming for multi-stage classes

Curriculum planning framework

How can the framework be used?• trial the framework • match this framework to your current

scope and sequence (to ensure all outcomes and syllabus content for each KLA is addressed)

Example - if you already have a scope and sequence HSIE with Sci Tech, you may connect the outcomes for Creative Arts and PDHPE

Level 2 - Connected Outcomes Groups (COGS) description pages

Level 2 - Connected Outcomes Groups (COGS) description pages :

• are organised around a big idea or connection focus• describe how the outcomes for each KLA connect• show how several outcomes can be addressed at the

one time• identify the content related to each KLA • provide examples of literacy and numeracy connections • link existing resources provided to schools by DET and

Board of Studies (including links to websites)

Connected Outcomes Groups (COGS) description pages

How can the COG description pages be used?

• to write a school based unit of work (e.g. gathering resources listed and local resources to develop learning experiences)

• to write a multi-staged unit of work (e.g. use and adapt COG description pages from stages in a ‘string’)

• as an introduction to the unit where teachers use the description overview to highlight key ideas and list teaching ideas and learning experiences

Exploring COG connections:10 minutes

1. Choose a connection description to read

2. Use these questions to plan 5 to 10 possible learning experiences or a rich task:

• What do I want the students to learn?• What do I want them to produce?• How well do I expect them to do it?• Why does the learning matter?

3. Record ideas

4. Share

Level 3 - Units of work

Making connections – units of work

Level 3 - Units of workThe units are detailed examples of learning experiences that havebeen developed from the COG Description Pages. They have beenwritten by classroom teachers in collaboration with curriculumofficers from Curriculum K-12 Directorate.The units of work show:• a sequence of lessons that address outcomes based around the

connection focus • the depth of knowledge required to address the outcomes for

each key learning area • assessment that is planned and linked to learning experiences • the content from each key learning area contributing to the

overall focus

Level 3 - Units of workFor each unit there is:• a cover page that details the connection focus, how content

from each key learning area contributes to the connection focus, sample learning experiences and examples of planned assessment

• a planning page to assist with organisation such as resources, excursions and student work. The term planner can be used to plan the weekly sequence of lessons.

• a sequence of teaching/learning activities including:- outcomes with points to clarify the purpose of each lesson- sample assessment strategies and criteria that link

assessment with teaching and learning- literacy and numeracy links to support English and

Mathematics programming - links to resources and websites

Units of work

How can the units of work be used?Teachers can:- trial and adapt the units to suit the needs

of their students and school community- use the content in the units to select

activities for students in multistage classes

Exploring units of work:

1. Read the unit of work and explore how the learning experiences connect

2. Look at the unit in light of quality teaching:

Focus on: deep knowledge, deep understanding, explicit quality criteria, knowledge integration and connectedness

3. Record ideas

4. Share

“COGs make links between curriculum areas and build

on prior knowledge (for students) to gain deepunderstandings of the concepts. The COGs unitheavily cut down content from other KLAs otherthan English and Maths, giving more time to

engagedeeply with concepts and ideas within a unit. “

Stage 1 teacher, Wirreanda Public School

Sample Timetables

• reflect policy advice that 50% of available teaching time be allocated to English and Mathematics

• 40% of teaching time is allocated to the other KLAs and the mandatory two hours of physical activity (includes 60 minutes of sport in years 3-6)

• 10% is additional time to be used to meet school priorities (p.4 Getting the balance right)

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

9:00 – 11:00

English English

English Sport

English English

COG COG

11:00 – 11:20

Recess

11:20 – 1:00

PEMaths

PE PEMaths

Maths Maths Maths

COG COGCOG COG

1:00 – 1:55

Lunch

1:55 – 3:00

COG COG COG COG

Making connections: English, Mathematics and COGs

• COGs may inform English and MathematicsExamples:

- Reshaping the media (creating a persuasive text: advertisement) p.6 Identity

- A typical Australia (using data to develop understanding of decimals and percentages) p. 4 Identity

• English and Mathematics may inform COGsExamples:

- Australian identity (analysing structures and features of poetry and ballads) p.9 Identity

- The media and me (teaching features of a graph to construct a graph of major forms of media) p. 5 Identity

Programming for English and Mathematics

• The English block will identify systematic and explicit strategies for teaching talking and listening, reading and writing

• The Mathematics block will provide a sequential learning program that builds on strategies that students are currently using to solve problems

Making connections: COGs in the classroom

“Many of us at Ryde East feel COGS is the greatest timesaverpresented to teachers for a very long time – it gives scope andstructure and practical ideas, particularly for those dance anddrama strands that often get lost in the busy curriculum”

Mark Thompson, Ryde East Public School

Making connections: COGs in the classroom“As a beginning teacher COGs are heaven sent!"

“COGs is a framework to be used to engage students and develop QT

principles."

“When we trialled the units we worked with STL, Library, Community

Languages, ESL and Computer Teachers. When students left the classroom

to go to another class they undertook activities that related to the COG.

This gave students an holistic learning experience where they were able

to link learning experiences together.”

Evaluations from Harrington St Public School

Where to from here? Plans for 2006

• Material available:- NSW Primary Curriculum Foundation Statements- Getting the balance right- ‘Curriculum Planning, Programming, Assessing and Reporting

to parents K-12 ‘ website

• Assessment and reporting• Further trialling with schools

• Curriculum Planning and Programming Frameworks - English and Mathematics

English Programming Frameworks

Including:• overview of literacy connections within COGs

material

• reference list of texts to support COGs units

• sample programs and case studies

• links to English and literacy support materials and strategies

Mathematics Programming Frameworks

Including:

• expanding key ideas to include a sequence of teaching activities with links to available resources

• providing advice on making connections within

the strands e.g. linking fractions with division and the concept of equal sharing.

Stage Key Idea Outcome Teaching and learning activities Resources Links to COGs

ES1 Identify and describe theattribute of length

Compare lengthsdirectly by placingobjects side-by-side andaligning the ends

Record comparisonsinformally

MES1.1 Full lesson plans and lesson ideas are

found in the resource TeachingMeasurement.These lesson ideas relate to themeasurement framework

Make direct comparisons of length Have students choose what they

will measure and the unit they will use e.g. a peg to measure the length of their desk. Have students estimate the number of units they will use and record how many units were used.

Order two or more lengths bydirect comparison Have students cut out paper

lengths and order them from tallest to shortest. Use length words to label the diagrams.

TeachingMeasurementEarly Stage 1and Stage 1

Length 1.1 Lesson ideasLength 1.1 Lesson planLonger than,shorter than ourstring

Length 1.2 Lesson ideasLength 1.2 Lesson planOrder the group

Me (B)Direct comparison of

lengths e.g. students line up in order of height.

Moving (F)Use comparative

language to describe movement such as rolling an object, throwing a ball

Some feedback from teachers:“As a beginning teacher COGs are heaven sent!"

“COGs is a framework to be used to engage students and develop QT

principles."

“When we trialled the units we worked with STL, Library, Community

Languages, ESL and Computer Teachers. When students left the classroom

to go to another class they undertook activities that related to the COG.

This gave students an holistic learning experience where they were able

to link learning experiences together.”

Evaluations from Harrington St Public School

Where to from here? Making further connections

• Updated materials available on the website:

http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/timetoteach/

• Trial, give feedback, work samples, ideas… Contact us by email:

cogs@det.nsw.edu.au