Task Description:

You will draw on professional knowledge and research to respond to the needs of students within their educational context. 

Teachers: 

• know the content of their subjects and curriculum
• understand what constitutes effective, developmentally appropriate pedagogical approaches, pedagogical practices and teaching strategies and,
• use this knowledge to make the content meaningful to students.

The Australian Curriculum V9 foregrounds the following pedagogical approaches: connectionist approach, problem-based learning and inquiry-based learning. Through these approaches, there are opportunities for students to develop proficiency, acquire and apply knowledge and skills, investigate represent and interpret and think critically within an environment that fosters a positive disposition to mathematics (ACARA, 2022).

Pedagogical practices for learning include:

• Collaboration
• Making connections
• Developing language
• Metacognition and reflecting
• Engaging the feedback
• Practicing
• Explicit instruction
• Questioning
• Learning Goals
• Releasing Responsibility

Task details:

You are to develop a short sequence (one week) of tasks and lessons, and report on the professional knowledge and research that informed your planning process. The tasks and lesson MUST be designed by you and be informed by the Australian Curriculum (Learning Area: Mathematics and General Capability: Numeracy Progressions).

To complete the task, you will need to use the planning process mapping resources to create a short sequence that develops a conceptual understanding, connects strands and foregrounds the proficiencies.

Develop the sequence into a series of lessons and tasks that have the following features:

• Curriculum aligned learning objectives (learning intent)
• Clear descriptions of how students will show evidence of mastery (success criteria) e.g. formative checks, targeted observation and an explanation of how you would use the evidence to make judgements about progress
• Articulation of the progression of learning relevant to the topic and sequence 
• Identification of the critical understanding (comprehension of mathematical concepts, operations and relations, and the connections amongst them – the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’) that student must have constructed to make sense of the topic
• Expectations of teacher and student communication in the process of learning (discourse: explanations of ideas, expected vocabulary used)
• Specific examples of pedagogical practices, selected to maximise learning, embedded in the lesson structure.

This is to be articulated for the collection of lessons, which demonstrate the development of a concept, with additional detail for each lesson in the sequence. Each lesson will have a common structure (learning goals, learning hook, explore, summary and reflection).

Justify pedagogical approaches, pedagogical practices and teaching strategies to demonstrate understanding of the relevant concepts, substance and structure of the curriculum.

Your final submission should be in the form of a written report with the following sections:

• Introduction – brief outline of the context and key considerations for planning appropriate to the curriculum, the learning and the learners. (approx. 400 words)
• Discussion on the research on pedagogical approaches and pedagogical practices appropriate to Mathematics teaching. (approx. 400 words)
• Discussion on the research of common neuromyths that are related to mathematics education and the impact of their perpetuation. (approx. 400 words)
• Justification of the variety of teaching strategies that were used, specifically to motivate students’ interests, use a range of representation of learning and providing multiple means of action and expression. (approx. 500 words).
• Lesson plans and activities.  You MUST annotate your lesson with detail of the practices and strategies employed, explaining ‘why’ the practices and strategies have been selected and ‘how’ they will be enacted in the lesson. Lesson plans can be presented as a table but should not exceed 3 A4 pages (minimum 10pt font, Arial or Times New Roman, single-spaced).
• References (not counted in word limit)

You must submit:

• Your report
• Your annotated lesson plans

WORD COUNT for written assignments: The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.

Word count: 2000 words maximum

Your task may be penalised for not adhering to the word count.

The use of Gen AI agents is as follows: 

AI tool scale level: Level 2 - You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Please note: The 72-Hour grace period applies to Assessment Task 1.

If you need longer than 72 hours, you'll still need to use the normal Assessment Extension System process.

Assessment will be marked against the following criteria:

• Use curriculum knowledge and knowledge of student learning and effective teaching strategies to organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence using structured lesson plans (2.2, 2.3, 3.2)
• Plan for the use of pedagogical approaches, practices and strategies to teach a sequence of lessons and routines, using knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn, critical analysis of common neuromyths in mathematics education and the implications for teaching (1.2, 3.3, 3.4)
• Plan high-quality instruction to positively impact achievement, engagement and motivation using inclusive/differentiated teaching (5.1, 6.2)
• Justify pedagogical approaches, pedagogical practices and teaching strategies to demonstrate understanding of the relevant concepts, substance and structure of the curriculum (2.1, 2.5, 3.6)
• Communication, presentation and referencing

This task will require you to analytically engage with curriculum, reflect on your development as a teacher using selected focus area of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, and apply research on The Brain and Learning. *A full copy of the AITSL Professional Standards for Australian Teachers is available at: http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers

Choosing appropriate pedagogical approaches and practices that align with curriculum intent, current literature and research-based best practice in teaching and learning is a professional responsibility and integral to preparation for teaching. 

Your personal plan for professional learning will be in response to personal reflection related to the online quizzes and the learning materials of this unit outlining both short term and long term goals, and will identify the professional learning resources you plan to draw on to support your acquisition of the mathematical knowledge, understanding and skills required for the effective teaching of mathematical ideas and monitoring of concepts that support student’s numeracy development.

Task details:

Note: You MUST complete both parts of the task, and you MUST achieve a pass standard in this task to be eligible to pass this unit.

To complete the task, you will need to:

A. Complete the weekly quiz in weeks 7 – 11 

• You have 30 minutes to complete each quiz.
• During each quiz you will take photos or screenshots of 1 - 3 questions that you found interesting/challenging. Some of these questions will become a ‘hook’ for you to explore in your Personal Learning Plan. A total of four of the questions will be interrogated in your task response.
• Each weekly quiz will be open for 6 days of the week only (i.e. Vacation Week quiz will be open from Monday of Week 7 through to Saturday of Week 7)
• Once you complete the quiz and submit, only your overall score will be available. Solutions will be released on Sunday once the quiz has closed for that week. You are not able to go back in and re-attempt the quiz.
• AI use is not permitted during the weekly quizzes. You must complete quiz questions independently within the allotted time.

B. You are to write a summary of the process and findings of investigating four selected questions.

To complete the summary, you should:

• Determine which part of the curriculum the question is representative of in both the - 
  a)   Mathematics Learning Area (Year level and Content Description) and 

b)   General Capabilities: Numeracy (element, sub-element and progression level). 

Use evidence in the form of elaboration statements (learning area) and indicators (progressions) to inform your identification.

• Consider, using knowledge of other learning areas (Science, HASS, Technologies, H.P.E., etc), to describe an authentic learning context where the Mathematical modelling process could be applied using the content of the question that you have identified in step 1.
• Write an alternate question/task or questions/tasks that would engage and motivate students to construct or refine the required understanding of the content. The problem posed will require critical and creative thinking and will have scope for students to ask questions, interpret evidence and communicate findings as appropriate to their Year level and the context.
   

Sullivan and Lilburn (2015) state that ‘good’ questions are those which:

1. require more than remembering a fact or reproducing a skill
2. students can learn by answering the questions, and the teacher learns about each student from the attempt
3. there may be several acceptable answers.

Tasks should be differentiated in ways that respond to diverse needs and contexts.

Considerations would include:

• How are pedagogical approaches, practices and teaching strategies appropriate to the curriculum embedded?
• What was considered with regards to the nature of the learner (age, development, stage of schooling, diversity) and the context/content (structural curriculum elements) of the task?

Your responses will reflect your learning in this unit with reference to these considerations; explaining and justifying your questions/tasks relevant to curriculum aligned pedagogical approaches. 

This will contribute towards demonstration of short-term learning goals in your personal numeracy learning plan. Seek feedback from your peers and/or teacher colleagues in response to Part B: short term learning (collaborate to moderate). Record responses.

To demonstrate longer term learning intention, also include in your learning plan the (S.M.A.R.T.) goals and strategies planned to upscale your personal numeracy capabilities and areas of interest in response to the unit content.

Your final submission should be in the form of a written report with the following sections:

• Introduction – brief outline of the organisational elements of the Australian Curriculum Version 9 and how they shape the scope and sequence of content and achievement standards. (approx. 300 words)
• Question analysis (four questions selected)
• Discussion on the efficacy of proactive practice in preventing misbehaviour and/or disengagement, including the role of high-quality instruction as a proactive practice. (approx. 300 words)
• Justification of pedagogical practices and strategies for the teaching of mathematics and the monitoring of student progress (knowledge and understanding, and skills). (approx. 300 words)
• Discussion of the process of knowledge acquisition through active engagement in learning (NB Connectionist approach) over time informed by sources of professional learning for teachers and collegial collaborations. (approx. 500 words)
• References (not counted in word limit) 

You must submit:

• Your personal learning plan made up of the process and outcomes of short-term learning and long-term goals, strategies and tools to measure success.

WORD COUNT for written assignments: The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.

Word count: 2000 words maximum

Your task may be penalised for not adhering to the word count.

The use of Gen AI agents is as follows: 

AI tool scale level:  Level 2 - You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

AI use is not permitted during the weekly quizzes (Level 1 - You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge. Any use of AI tools when completing the quizzes will be considered a breach of academic integrity). You must complete quiz questions independently within the allotted time.

Please note: The 72-Hour grace period applies to Assessment Task 2.

•   Part A (Weekly quizzes): Exempt from grace period (quizzes close and cannot be reopened)
•   Part B (Final written submission): Grace period applies to the stated due date/time.

If you need longer than 72 hours, you'll still need to use the normal Assessment Extension System process.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The weekly quizzes in Part A are exempt from the 72-hour submission grace period because each quiz closes at the published close time and cannot be re-opened. The 72-hour grace period applies only to the final Assessment Task 2 written submission due on the stated date/time.

Assessment will be marked against the following criteria:

• Evidence-based analysis of quiz questions including curriculum mapping of Australian Curriculum V9. Design and justification of alternative tasks. (2.1, 3.3)
• Engagement with standards frameworks, appropriate sources of professional learning and application of relevant information to prepare for practice. Documentation of peer/colleague feedback. (6.2)
• Reflection on the learning process of moving from ‘novice’ to ‘expert’ and the implications for planning learning. Quality of SMART goals and feasibility of learning strategies. (6.1)
• Professional engagement with research, specifically knowledge of how students learn, to improve student learning outcomes. (6.4)
• Communication, presentation and referencing.