DT&L 102086, 2016 Ali Hasna, 17730554

PART A

1st Focus Area, 2.3.1, (Curriculum, assessment and reporting)

Direct reference to the curriculum has been made in the selected lesson plan via plainly stating the
learning-outcome numbers and descriptions. The curriculum, a nationally established document revised
by BOSTES for NSW, gives importance to and determines what content needs to be taught by teachers.
In-turn, curricula provides direction and teaching goals ensuring lessons are relevant and in accordance
with established high quality teaching standards. Successful application of the curriculum ensures
lessons at all times are measurable and transparent, necessary when audited by higher authorities as
well as parents. Additionally the incorporation of prescribed readings and resources allocated by
curricula provides secondary assistance to taught content, enabling students with further
understandings. Thus the curriculum has been successfully applied to provide the rationale and learning
sequence of the lesson.

2nd Focus Area, 2.1.1, (Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area)

As per each KLA, there are a range of key terms which are representative of various concepts. According
to the Focus area of 2.1.1, it is the responsibility of teachers to apply relevant pedagogies that clearly
communicate fundamental concepts, allowing students to gain understanding. The chosen lesson plan
reflects such, via being structured around key lingual terms that guides the strategy of delivering
content to pupils. Thus through the teacher providing factual evidence on the effects of smoking,
students are learning about the anatomy and physiology. This allows individuals to progressively attain a
greater understating of key terms/concepts abroad gained through the structure of content.

3rd Focus Area, 3.2.1, (Plan, structure and sequence learning programs)

The chosen lesson plan has been segmented into four different stages. Such planning coincides to the
mental thought process of students. The first section provides overview of the class via elaborating on
previously taught content necessary to engage and refresh students memory. Readings and discussions
then occur which adds-to previous knowledge, followed by note taking whereby students summaries
new information and then finally pupils must compile notes to sum-up the main ideas of the lesson
(take-home items). Thus the sequence of learning activities demonstrates effective teaching strategies
to ensure students, who each attain knowledge at different paces, are continuously being given
opportunities to help comprehend new content.

4th Focus Area, 1.2.1, (Understand how students learn)

The practicing teacher has been provided with the option of either enabling students to complete the
specified task individually or in groups. The decision of such would reflect on the learning style which
better meets the needs of that particular cohort. In context, if a class was to consist of diverse learners
with differing needs to the majority of students, individual task-completion would be discouraged as
group work will allow peers to discuss content in a manner which may be better understood by such

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pupils. Thus teachers must reassess their pedagogys based on their own knowledge and understanding
of how students best learn (as per the focus area).

PART B, Section 1

1st Focus Area, 2.3.1, (Curriculum, assessment and reporting)

This focus area highlights how curricula are to be employed throughout a lesson, thus determining the
classroom content and atmosphere. Marsh, Clarke and Pittaway (2014) report how students are
becoming more culturally and academically diverse. In-turn it is the teachers responsibility to
acknowledge and cater for such students, in order to promote equity and maximize their learning
potential. With direct reference to a particular pupil group, students whom English is an Additional
Language or Dialect (EAL/D), tend to experience difficulty in understanding class structure and
information due to their developing linguistic abilities. In context, the curriculum has stated that
students are to learn of the effects of smoking. However what has not been considered is how to
portray this same message but in a different learning style which best meets the needs of EAL/D
learners. Additionally such individuals may derive from cultures were smoking is favored and thus do not
see the harm in the habit or even lack the dialect skills to comfortably voice their opinion for/against
smoking in classroom discussions. As Marsh, Clarke and Pittaway (2014) have highlighted the practicing
teacher must be aware of such and focus on applying the curriculum in an altered manner to cater for
EAL/D pupils, i.e. parts of the lesson may be structured in a language other than English encouraging
their participation.

2nd Focus Area, 2.1.1, (Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area)

This standard iterates that it is the teachers primary function to deliver knowledge to students in the
form of class content. Due to students differing in demographics, i.e. age, culture, SES background etc,
each gain understanding distinctively and an active teacher must consider such (Marsh, Clarke and
Pittaway 2014), thus influencing their applied pedagogy. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
are an example of a pupil group whom continue to experience immense learning difficulties and
inequalities due to teachers failing to employ techniques that account for their needs. Marsh, Clarke and
Pittaway (2014) support this claim whereby teachers need to directly eliminate cultural prejudice,
commonly found in learning resources (textbooks), and deconstruct societal stereotypes against such
pupils through employing a critical pedagogy to prompt understanding in Indigenous students.
Additionally this population group generally lack English proficiency and are strong in cultural values.
With reference to the chosen lesson plan (whilst applying this focus area), anatomy and physiology are
ironically a big part of Indigenous beliefs. Hence learning barriers can be eliminated via incorporating
native dialects and greater cultural aspects into the teaching approach of educators, demonstrating
sufficient teacher knowledge.

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3rd Focus Area, 3.2.1, (Plan, structure and sequence learning programs)

Diverse students attain a range of perspectives on various issues which may make for a constructive
classroom environment. Thus the structure and sequence of a lesson, as per the 3.2.1 focus area, may
be used to add-to/take-away from a students understanding. This is evident in the attached PDHPE
lesson plan, whereby the class has been subdivided into four stages. However, the general assumption is
that all pupils have uniformed leaning needs and by the end of the period, students would have grasped
content. Marsh, Clarke and Pittaway (2014) ague such a claim on the basis of diverse learners and
reinforce the need to produce personalized programs. This can be achieved via teachers structuring
lesson plans on the view whereby no two students will comprehend and interpret information in the
same manner. As a consequence educators may present numerous interpretations of theory allowing
students choose a perspective which makes most sense to them, thus applying a differentiated
classrooms practice. Furthermore effective lesson structure can address the requirements of most
culturally diverse, EAL/D and Indigenous students cohorts, through constructing modified classes that
celebrate (and not exasperate) the differences of such students, adding to their learning. Marsh, Clarke
and Pittaway (2014) provide additional rationale for the group elements within the plan, linking it to
Vygotskys socio-cultural theory of learning. Social interactions between teachers and students allows
for scaffolding, hence increasing a students knowledge as pupils learn best amongst one another.

4th Focus Area, 1.2.1, (Understand how students learn)

Marsh, Clarke and Pittaway (2014) define effective teachers as those who recognize and value the
individual backgrounds, experiences, abilities and interests of students. Such corresponds to this
particular focus area, whereby an understanding of how pupils best learn is necessary amongst quality
teachers. The multiple intelligence theory aims to explain the thought process behind both EAL/D and
Indigenous learners through considering students holistically. Hence individuals may experience success
in learning areas (i.e. music, kinesthetic learning etc) that differ from traditional literacy and numeracy
focused subjects (Marsh, Clarke and Pittaway 2014). Furthermore this teaching standard allows
educators to successfully cater for diverse learners through creating awareness on how to effectively
identify the different learning abilities and potentials of various students. Doing such would allow
individuals to feel valued and not alienated, creating engagement in their learning. A teacher with
depended understanding of their students capabilities allows them to vary in expectations according to
the learners aptitude. Therefore its critical diverse students are not to be assessed against a
standardized criterion, instead progress is measured according to their individual context and efforts.

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PART B, Section 2

Overall peer feedback was positive and appreciated. The points below place attained views into the
specific questions (as per the feedback sheet).

1. All peer members identified a relevant link between the lesson plan and chosen standards. One
suggestion was for the 2.2.1 standard to focus on aspects other than language. This has been
addressed via placing emphasis on the need for teachers to focus on concepts abroad and not
just the specified key terms.
2. Each peer identified different standards as most appropriate to the lesson plan. One mentioned
how standard 1.2.1 let the teacher address diverse needs. The other noted how standard 3.2.1
segmented the class as per Vygotskys theory. Whilst the third suggested to replace the
professional knowledge standard 2.2.1 with a professional practice standard (3.2.1). I disagree
in-that a teacher needs a sufficient understanding of content (2.2.1) prior to achieving
professional practice (3.2.1), thus they need to know what teach before knowing how to teach
it.
3. All group members agreed that annotations were clearly highlighted with appropriate evidence
within the lesson plan.
4. Once again peers answered yes to the question in that all four focus areas were logically
connected to how teachers can impact on/cater for diverse students learning needs.

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