Standard 3 Design and implement intellectually challenging learning experiences
Practice:
Teachers apply professional knowledge and understanding of learners, the curriculum and teaching and learning to:
-
engage students in the investigation of intellectually challenging and worthwhile topics, problems and issues that provide opportunities for examining significant ideas and concepts, discussing alternative viewpoints, formulating new knowledge and ideas, justifying opinions and presenting views to different audiences using varied forms of communication
Knowledge:
-
the central concepts, modes of inquiry and structures of the discipline areas they teach
-
techniques, such as scaffolding, for supporting students in encountering new or challenging content or tasks
How I demonstrated this standard
- How did you encourage investigation and problem solving in your teaching?
To give a specific example I created an extended environmental investigation (EEI) for a year 11 Biology class. The EEI gives students the opportunity to research a particular topic, establish a question they would like answered and establish a testable hypothesis. Students are then required to design an experiment and discuss their results and conclusion in regards to their hypothesis and scientific literature. In the assignment I created students were asked to investigate the affects that exercise has on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
- How did you arrange the environment or provide resources to implement the above?
Scaffolding was provided for the particular task by introducing students to the concept in class and providing resource links for their investigation. Students are allocated lessons to conduct their experiments and to work on writing their EEI reports. All necessary equipment is provided for them to conduct their investigations within class time.
- Did you provide activities which involve higher-order thinking skills?
Higher-order thinking skills are required for students to complete this task. Students are required to create and design their experiment, evaluate and analyse their results and discuss and compare their results with accepted scientific literature.
View the EEI task sheet below