Key values | Concepts | Life.Long.Learning | Cross.Curriculum.Priorities | Learners.and.Learning | Equity | Key.Learning.Area.Outcomes | SOSE.Inquiries | For Strands of Key Learning Areas and Level Outcomes See Curriculum.Outcomes Key Values The development of awareness and understanding related to all four key values of Studies of Society and Environment are developed within this unit: These values are: democratic process social justice ecological and economic sustainability peace In particular students will learn from this study how certain values issues have been concerns for people across cultures, space and time and will remain important issues in their own futures. This is reflected throughout the whole course, from the introduction to a history of Information Technology in Module 1 through to the development of a values based vision for a future society in Module 4.Con Concepts The concepts that underpin this learning area are : Methods of inquiry. For example, concepts related investigation of evidence and the centrality of environments are fundamental to this exploration. Creating. Particularly, visualisation and lateral thought. Participating. Includes concepts of negotiation, tolerance, respect - a need for which is generated in the use of group process, and advocacy, reflected in Module 3 and 4 in which students are asked to develop (respectively) a poster and an oral or multimedia report. Communicating. Especially interpretation and consideration of audience and argument, while reflecting includes concepts of introspection, metacognition and visioning. Other concepts reflected in this study in this study and associated with the key values of Studies of Society and Environment include: Concepts related to the value of democratic process including constitutional government and human rights Concepts related to social justice including equity, and social sustainability. Ecological and economic sustainability including concepts of interdependence and stewardship. Peace including concepts such as belonging, hope, optimism, and cooperation. Contribution to Life Long Learning Contribution to Life Long Learning The learning outcomes of the modules in this study contains elements common to all key learning areas. The valued attributes that are developed from these modules can be collectively described as: deepening understanding developing complexity of thought encouraging creativity illustrating the benefits of active investigation demonstrating the value of communication associating participation as a construct of an interdependent world valuing reflection and self-directed learning. Cross Curriculum Priorities This study incorporates the cross-curricular priorities of literacy, numeracy, life skills and a futures perspective. Literacy is promoted through the requirement for an ability to apply language skills in a range reporting tasks. Students develop literacy skills through reading, writing, speaking, viewing and listening. Students are required to critically appraise information, make choices and acquire a degree of independence in learning. Students are encouraged to undertake criticism of written texts, to view texts from a variety of perspectives and to interpret various levels of meaning. Critical literacy is encouraged via tasks that require analysis of aspects in texts such as stereotyping, cultural bias, authors intention, hidden agendas and an understanding of the possibility of who may have been marginalised by authors. Students construct their own texts with a critical perspective. Numeracy skills are developed as students learners develop and use numeracy skills to solve problems related to their social, built and natural environments. In particular, students are involved in collecting, organising, analysing, critiquing and synthesising data, and using numerical language and reference systems. Life Skills Lifeskills learning takes place in two overlapping dimensions: personal development skills are encouraged via the requirement of group process and an investigative task of immediate meaning to students. social skills of relating to other people are similarly encouraged in this process self-management skills are required in the nature of modules that require students to develop work independently and then to incorporate that work into a group project. This course encourages students development of lifeskills by applying the processes of investigating, creating, communicating, participating and reflecting. Futures Perspective Futures perspective is assisted through the development of insights and knowledge about the past and present, leading to consideration of the consequences of both personal and collective actions. The promotion of a futures perspective is encouraged via the requirement in Module 4 for students to identify possible, probable and preferred individual and communal futures. Skills are developed through a learner-centred approach supportive of critical and creative thinking, problem solving, decision making and strategic planning. These processes are formalised through student requirement of group process to create a report regarding a vision of preferred future. In this study, students investigate past and present interactions between social and environmental systems and consider their own rights and responsibilities to optimistically develop strategies to realise preferred individual and collective futures. Learners and learning The following assumptions about learners and learning are made in this study program: Learners Learners are unique individuals with divergent views about the world. Learners have a broad range of knowledge and experience shaped by their gender, socio-economic status and geographical location, and by other aspects of their backgrounds, which form part of their learning environment. This prior knowledge and experience then influences the meaning they make of any new learning experience. Learners learn in different ways, in different settings and at different rates. Learners grow and develop at different rates. Learning Learning is a lifelong process. Learning occurs within particular social and cultural contexts. Learning is most effective when it involves active partnerships focusing on students, with collaboration and negotiation with parents and carers, peers, teachers, school and community members. Learning contexts should acknowledge social justice principles by being inclusive and supportive and by celebrating diversity. Learning requires active construction of meaning and is most effective when it is developed in meaningful contexts and accommodates, acknowledges and builds on prior knowledge. Investigative and learner-centred strategies are most effective in enabling learners to make informed choices and take actions that support their own, and others, wellbeing. Learning is enhanced by the use of a range of technologies. Thinking and performance can be demonstrated in a variety of ways. Learner-centred approach This study attempts to support the concepts of learner-centred approaches to learning and teaching by providing opportunities for students to practise critical and creative thinking, problem solving and decision making. These involve the use of skills and processes such as recall, application, analysis, synthesis, prediction and evaluation, all of which contribute to the development and enhancement of conceptual understandings. This Studies of Society and Environment course promotes a learner-centred approach by using problem-solving and decision-making techniques of various traditions of inquiry as follows: students need to identify central issues students frame a focus question students must identify possible relevant evidence collect and organise that evidence analyse and evaluate that evidence; synthesise and report their conclusions Evidence will be of a variety of types and will be tested for its reliability and its representativeness. The inquirer must consciously create interpretations based mainly on the evidence but also on empathy and logical deduction. Inquiries are not confined by one model since there are various inquiry models that suit different purposes. Reflective inquiry is encouraged by allowing students to revisit familiar contexts (eg: the application of technology in their own lives) in order to develop more sophisticated understandings. Equity The issue of equity is a difficult one. This unit is developed din such a way that it 'favours' people with current IT literacy. However this is primarily through the emphasis on Internet research. The course could be structured so as to provide alternative resources and in time I will add to the resources listed here to provide this. At this stage principles of equity are evident in the study in so far as the study: allows the full range of students equal opportunity to show what they know and can do encourages students to demonstrate an understanding of human rights in local and global contexts and, to the extent of their ability to do so, participate actively in the enhancement of human rights enables students, teachers and the broader school community to be critically informed about privilege and injustice and enabled to effect change through participatory and consultative processes allows educators to promote opportunities for students to take informed and justifiable risks. Students develop the ability to critically analyse social structures that unjustly disadvantage some individuals or groups. Key Learning Area Outcomes Each Module has a unique set of Key Learning Area Outcomes. For Module 1 they are: understand past ideas, events and actions to: explain the causes and effects of changes and continuities use various sources of evidence value the contribution of people and the importance of diverse heritages For Module 2 they are: understand human experiences in various economic, business, ecological, legal, political and government systems to: analyse the interactions between ecological and other systems evaluate the operation of business and economic systems with reference to work, productivity and management participate in decision-making processes that highlight active and informed citizenship reflect on issues related to access to power and resources For Module 3 they are: understand the ways people form groups and develop material and non-material aspects of cultures to: recognise, promote and celebrate cultural diversity identify cultural perceptions and the processes involved in cultural change analyse the construction of identities and the sense of belonging to multiple groups For Module 4 they are: understand social, natural and built environments to: evaluate humanenvironment relationships recognise processes linked to environments and the spatial patterns inherent in environments value and promote stewardship and the significance of places Social and Environmental Inquiry Social and Environmental Inquiry mechanisms are taken directly from the SOSE syllabus. This study utilises elements that include all aspects of the identified inquiry mechanisms. They include: Investigating Investigating requires that students clarify questions and formulate problems, gather and analyse relevant information, and draw relevant conclusions supported by evidence. This involves: framing important questions in ways that give clear guidance to an inquiry recognising significant issues and perspectives in an area of investigation identifying sources of information relevant to questions gathering and recording information from a range of primary and secondary sources interpreting the meaning and significance of information and arguments analysing evidence by selecting, comparing and categorising information testing data, interpretations, conclusions and arguments for accuracy and validity drawing conclusions that are supported by the evidence investigating possibilities. Creating requires that students are enterprising and can think laterally, visualise, anticipate, transfer knowledge and skills from one situation to another and reorganise information and perceptions into new patterns and representations. This involves: responding resourcefully, and with initiative, to unexpected problems valuing diversity and recognising the tentative nature of conclusions challenging conventional practices applying curiosity and insight to a range of investigations developing a product applying and creating various recording techniques anticipating and predicting designing and developing strategies, plans and products Participating requires that students relate to, and work constructively with, others to solve problems, make decisions, and negotiate and enact plans for action. This involves: acting on the basis of conclusions drawn in an investigation using a variety of group work strategies engaging in democratic decision making resolving conflict relating to others in peaceful, tolerant and non-discriminatory ways promoting non-sexist, non-racist and non-violent group relations contributing to community service, charity and environmental projects in schools and communities relating to environments in sustainable ways and promoting sustainable practices in families, schools and communities using structured decision-making processes developing a sense of belonging to a range of groups monitoring their own and others contributions collaboratively developing strategies consulting a wide variety of groups sharing informed points of view; responding empathetically Communicating Communicating requires that students read, listen, interpret, translate and express ideas and information in the course of an inquiry. This involves: reading, listening and viewing effectively gathering information from a range of media and styles distinguishing relevant from irrelevant information describing, comparing and contrasting evidence, events, features and patterns suggesting links between elements, describing cause-effect relationships, explaining consequences and expressing predictions critiquing information sources expressing points of view and checking conclusions against the perspectives of others justifying conclusions and producing corroborated arguments selecting media and styles appropriate to a purpose and audience to present information, arguments and conclusions communicating through group and interpersonal forms, such as persuading, clarifying, debating, negotiating, establishing consensus and mediating conflict. Reflecting requires that students demonstrate a willingness to reconsider and recognise that introspection and metacognition are inherent and crucial components of investigative strategies. This involves: identifying, clarifying and using specific criteria, such as those deriving from the four key values of this key learning area, to critique and evaluate information and their own preconceptions, values and methodologies reviewing an interpretation from different perspectives clarifying preferred futures as a guide to present actions making judgments about the balance to be struck between their own needs and those of others clarifying their own identities assessing the extent to which goals have been achieved recognising that feelings and intuition can sometimes guide investigations.
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