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FSWD Workforce Development Project ACT
FOUNDATION SKILLS PROJECT
1. VET course
HORTICULTURE - Certificate III Landscape Construction
Unit of competency: Construct a soil profile AHCSOL302A
VET Teacher: John Ellis
FS Teacher: Noeline Little
2. General description of students doing course:

The group of students is made up of mainly apprentices aged between 17
and 20, employed day release students, although this may vary from group to
group. They are largely male; females make up only about 10%. They are fit
and well, horticulture being a vocation needing good health.

The socio economic status is variable, from all different backgrounds.

Education standard is generally year 10 – 12 with some who have identifiable
problems with numeracy and literacy.

The group is predominately of English speaking background. English as a
second language (ESL) students are rare.
3. Challenges
Educationally, the main challenges are provided by students who have problems
with numeracy and/or literacy and a small number who struggle with digital
technology.

The students who have problems with the numeracy/literacy components of
the course have largely been left behind at school and thought they would
follow a course that required different skills – only to find that a good basic
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FSWD Workforce Development Project ACT
understanding of numeracy and literacy concepts is essential to landscaping
practice.

The few students who have difficulties with digital technology are generally
older students who have had no exposure to the technology, or young
students who have had limited life opportunities. The problems in this area
are generally quickly addressed.

In the classroom situation it has proved difficult to keep the students with
good numeracy and literacy skills interested while explaining basic concepts
to the less able. Nevertheless, it is imperative that the basic concepts are
taught because the problem will only become worse if not addressed. The
danger is that the students with poor numeracy and literacy skills will drop
out of the course, which has actually happened, and the more able students
will become bored and turn off.
4. Proposal
Several possible FS units were considered before deciding on two units
a. What FS units of competency
 FSKNUM08: Identify and use whole numbers and simple fractions,
decimals and percentages for work – 24 hours
 FSKNUM09: Identify measure and estimate familiar quantities of
work – 24 hours
b. How these might be delivered
After discussion the following the following ways of delivery seem at present
to be most workable:
 embed FS units into ‘Construct a soil profile’ unit
 team teaching on specific sessions
 FS teacher to help with creating teaching resources for unit.
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FSWD Workforce Development Project ACT
Implementation stages
Students are required to do
On-entry assessment on
Orientation Day.
Vocational teacher
Gives paper based test to
students, collects completed
tests and sends to FS
teachers for marking
Provides expertise in VET
context and concepts
FS teacher
On-entry test preparation
and marking.
Embedding of Foundation
Skills units
Incorporates FS elements
into subject guide for
delivery and assessment.
Refers to Curriculum
((Sandra Duchnaj) for advice
Has checking role
Teaching
Team teaches with FS
teacher on first session of
topic on soil volumes, then
changes normal teaching
practice and reinforces and
re-states topic in form of a
worked exercise each
session for the next 5
sessions.
Provides support in team
teaching session in first week
and helps develop
contextual exercises to
reinforce topic over
following 5 sessions (no
attendance for these 5
sessions).
Practicalities - Enrolment
Students will enrol into C1VO45 Certificate I in Skills for
Vocational Pathways
FSK10213 and they’ll
partially complete this
qualification – 2 x units
achieved. These units will
come up on the student’s
transcript in the “Subjects
not used area”.
Creating teaching resources
Provides expertise in
numeracy and literacy
concepts and teaching
methods.
.
c. Timeframe
This is still to be fine-tuned and subject to time and funding constraints but
the ideal seen at present is:
 Team teaching on one session in about week 6, where the main problem
area – the topic of soil volumes - will be taught - about 1 hour.
 In addition, FS teacher to assist in development of resources to embed FS
program into VET subject delivery guide. This advisory role for the FS
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FSWD Workforce Development Project ACT
teacher to run from beginning of unit, with most work to be done preteaching of the VET subject, and thereafter as needed.
5. What you have gained
I’ve gained a better understanding of how literacy, numeracy and basic
computing skills underpin Horticulture units. Currently I’m working on the
Advanced Diploma of Adult Education and have just completed my
assignment for the subject Address language, literacy and numeracy skills
but working on the Foundation Skills project has enabled me to look more
closely at the importance of these skills in the context of the Horticulture
units and I believe it will allow me to better understand the language,
literacy and numeracy issues of the students and improve the outcomes.
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