Issue 35
Term 4 2000
Resources
EQ Australia
ISSN 1320-2944
SCIS order no: 873222
4 editions annually
Subscription: individual $30.80 (1 copy per quarter), institution $74.80 (4 copies per quarter)
EQ Australia is a quarterly journal tackling issues of day-to-day importance to teachers and educators. Published by people in education for people in education, EO Australia offers in-depth discussion and broad perspectives across a wide range of topics. Each issue provides reference material that retains its usefulness long after the cover date. Areas featured in recent editions include computers in education, civics and citizenship, vocational education, assessment, leadership, literacy and numeracy, curriculum targets, information technology and
indigenous education.
A question of technology?
Dr Jamie McKenzie is well known to Australian teachers for his knowledge of information technologies in education and their potential to transform student learning, classrooms and schools. He supports student-centred engaged learning, with his approach informed by 30 years of experience as a teacher, principal and director of libraries and technology. He has created a collection of easy-to-read essays and articles, available in two volumes, to equip educators and teachers to understand the potential of learning and communication technologies implemented in classrooms. Schools have invested substantial resources in computer hardware, software and Internet connections. Jamie McKenzie proposes that this investment now needs to be balanced against two critical elements: a clear focus on program goals and the provision of extensive professional development opportunities for all teachers.
How Teachers Learn Technology Best
Jamie McKenzie EdD
$38.10
ISBN: 0967 407 818
SCIS order no: 993606
How Teachers Learn Technology Best provides successful strategies to integrate electronic tools into classroom practice to improve student learning. The first section of the book, A Question of Purpose, addresses the core issue of how to use technologies to deliver on their primary mission, effective teaching. The second section, A Matter of Strategy, outlines an approach to designing adult learning experiences applicable for schools implementing professional development programs for teachers.
Beyond Technology: Questioning, Research
and the Information Literate School
Jamie McKenzie EdD
$38.10
ISBN: 0967 407 826
SCIS order no: 1000658
Beyond Technology emphasises that a central purpose of schools is to improve the reading, writing and thinking of their students and advises against being distracted by a focus on the wires, cables, laptops and desktops associated with technology. This collection of articles examines the advantages of using communication technologies to engage learners and improve their learning through skills of critical literacy and effective information management.
The articles, presented in three sections - The Primacy of Questioning, The Research Cycle and Research Modules - provide practical steps for teachers to guide their students through questioning and analysis to achieve higher level thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
These resources are available from Curriculum Corporation, fax 03 9639 1616 or email [email protected]. $8.00 postage applies for Australian orders.
Web-based research activities - a valuable learning activity?
Introducing students to web-based research tasks is a hot topic on which there is limited practical guidance available to teachers or Teacher Librarians.
Recent additions to the Curriculum Corporation Website offer free professional development tutorials for teachers who find that their lack of experience or confidence in the use of the Internet has so far prevented them from introducing students to web based research techniques Self-paced tutorials offer examples to illustrate research principles and essential searching techniques, to explore and discuss various searching facilities available on the Internet (such as Yahoo and AltaVista) and to use them to search topics of interest. While the practical examples used are created around Studies of Asia and Science activities for year 7 and above, the tutorials themselves provide a valuable guide for any teacher with an interest in strengthening web-based research skills.
Participants in the tutorials are reminded to evaluate resources located by the web search. They are asked to suggest their own criteria for evaluating Internet sources before reading articles included in the tutorial and discussing further issues that might arise. They also consider any additional criteria when assessing sites specifically for student use.
Connect to Asia EdNet through <http://www.curriculum.edu.au/accessasia/network/tutorial/> and to the Science Australia website through <http://www.curriculum.edu.au /sciausVteachman.htm> for your free tutorial.