Welcome to Religion and Life
15 October 2007
191664v5
Agenda
8:15 Coffee and Registration
8:30
8:50 10:30 11:00
Introduction
Course orientation Morning Tea Session II: Introduction
11:25 11:55 12:05
1.00 1:45 1:50 2:10
Scope and sequence of unit content Marking and grading Examinations and grades
Lunch Session III: Introduction Assessment Sample support materials
3:00 3.15
Next steps Close
Session One: What is Religion and Life?
Rationale
By studying Religion and Life students will develop an informed and critical understanding of: • what religions offer individuals and their communities • how people discover and express religious beliefs • the interplay between religion, individuals and societies • one or more religions • particular religious worldviews
• the role religion has played in human affairs • the challenges and opportunities religions face • why and how religions respond to human experiences • skills and methods useful for Australian and global citizenship
(Refer to pages 3)
Religion and Life
1. What is new or different about this course for you? 2. What is familiar? 3. What are some areas of the content where you think you might need some further support or resources to help you understand better the content?
4. Based on the rationale, outcomes and course content what looks interesting about this course? 5. What might you or your students find challenging in this course? 4
Task
Write a paragraph about religion and life for your school’s year 11 subject selection handbook.
Morning Tea
Session Two: What is Required?
Introduction
• Student pathways • Scope and sequence of unit content
• Marking assessments • Examinations • Grades
Course syllabuses
• Syllabus – defines content and assessment • Stages – meet varied needs of students
• Units – notional 55hrs; flexible delivery • Pathways – appropriate curriculum access for all students
Reference Paper: Key points about senior school reform Introduction of new courses
Course Units
• This section of the course document: • provides a brief summary of all the units
• is something that would be referred to when initially thinking about what units you might offer • provides an overview; when planning teachers would look at the specific details of a particular unit
(Refer to pages 6 – 7 of course document)
Scope and sequence of content
As you read this document complete the following: • Highlight in one colour any unfamiliar language that is used • In another colour, highlight areas of new content where you feel you may need some additional support
Assessment Policy
1. How do we mark? 2. How are grades determined?
Marking, Ranking, Grading
1. Develop an assessment task, with a suitable marking key
2. Students complete the task 3. Work is marked and marks recorded 4. At the end of each unit marks for each student are added up for all assessments completed
5. The class is then ranked according to their aggregated totals
6. Using grade descriptors, grade cut-offs are determined 7. Grades are allocated to individual students based on their ranked position, above or below a particular grade cut-off
School-based assessment Assigning grades
Teaching Program (with activities and assessment tasks)
Task 1 Marking Key 1 Marking Key 2
100
Developmental Continuum (DC)
Unit Syllabus
Unit Assessment Outline
Outlines what will be assessed and when and how a teacher will gather evidence in relation to the assessment types
Marks Book
Contains the results of all rassessments
Weightings are applied and final marks out of 100 determined
A
80
Defines: -content and contexts -section of DC that unit covers
Task 2
B
60
C
40
Task 3
Marking Key 3
Marking Key 4
D
20
E
Task 4
0
WACE examinations
• WACE exams 2008 • Stage 2 and 3 WACE exams from 2009
• Exams will assess syllabus content • Student exemption from exams
Reference Paper:
Key points about senior school reform
Grade Descriptors
• Describe overall achievement (A-E) • Relate to unit content
• Referenced to work samples • Used to determine cut-offs at end of unit • Not used to mark individual assessments
Reference Paper: Using grade descriptors
Religion and Life grades package
• Have been developed for stages one – three • The package contains grade A – E for each stage
• In addition to grade descriptors an exemplar, an annotated sample of a student’s work for each grade will be provided
• In this package a sample of a C grade at stage one has been provided to illustrate one of these exemplars • As suitable samples of student work are collected, this grades package will be further developed and refined
Session Two Summary
Lunch
Session Three: Getting started
School-based assessment
• Managed by the school – based on assessment requirements in syllabus • Assessment table – assessment types and weightings • Unit assessment outlines – teacher’s plan for assessment in the unit • Assessing concurrent units – separate or integrated assessment outlines
Reference Paper: School-based assessment
Syllabus assessment table
Refer to page 9 of course document
Weightings (All Stages)
Types of assessment Investigation
25–40%
plan, conduct and communicate the results of an inquiry. Response (exposition)
25–40%
exploring ideas and controlling the processes required to manage the quality of reasoned arguments presented in the form of explanation and/or exposition. Response (analysis)
25–40%
Application of skills and understandings in analysing and responding to sources.
Religion and life units
Assessment Outline: outlines how each type will be assessed in the unit Unit Outline: describes how and when learning will occur and be assessed
Outcome progressions: aligns what is Content: what students learn in this unit learnt with what should be learnt Outcomes: what will students be able to know, understand and be able to do by completing this unit
Focus: situates the learning and provides a choice of contexts that bring direction and purpose to the unit
Sample unit outlines and assessments
• Are samples only • Provide examples of teaching, learning and assessments have been provided • Aim to illustrate what might be given to students
Sample Unit Outlines
Complete a PMI of your sample unit: 1. What do you see as the positive features of this sample outline? 2. What do you see as the negative features of this sample outline? 3. What do find interesting about this sample?
4. What changes might you make to this outline and/or how might you do things differently?
Planning a unit
Range of variables to consider: • Course requirements (both its spirit and intent)
• Particulars of the unit (e.g. focus, context, content) • Previous experience and practice • The needs of your students • Your school context and resources
Syllabus implementation
• Development and accreditation – formal syllabus committees • Implementation - Starting point for teachers is what works already • Syllabus review – formal processes for minor and major review
Future Professional Development
Conclusion and evaluation
Thank you for your input and participation.
Please complete and return the evaluation form before you leave.