Learning Area Biology 1

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the HDisability Liaison Unit websiteH: Hhttp://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/H

A combined science component, shared with the other science methods, has a focus on the design and management of the general science curriculum and teaching in years 7-10. This is taught partly with pupils in small groups in school classrooms, special topic workshops, and excursions. Teacher candidates will be introduced in practice to the use of research on children’s naïve conceptions in various science topics, principles of constructivist teaching, socially situated and peer-based learning, lesson planning, laboratory and classroom management and laboratory safety.

On completion of this subject, teacher candidates will be able to:

• Show theoretical frameworks and practical ability to produce effective learning for a wide range of school students, including in junior science;
• Display a solid knowledge of the biological sciences, and educational contexts and how they interact in effective pedagogy;
• Understand the links between effective planning teaching and evaluation in biology;
• Use a variety of technologies in the classroom to assist learning in biology classes;
• Apply biological understandings to familiar and new contexts;
• Analyse issues and implications relating to scientific and technological developments and analyse and evaluate the reliability of information and opinions presented in the public domain.

There are 2 assessment tasks for this subject.

• Lesson plans for Biology (2700 words) due end of semester, with individual components due throughout the semester (66%)
• EITHER a unit box on junior science OR a set of workshop productions (equivalent to 1300 words) due end of semester (34%)

NOTE: Teacher candidates doing one LAS Science subject will do one of these tasks. Teacher candidates doing 2 LAS Science subjects will do both, one in each of their LAS subjects.

• VCAA( 2006) VCE Biology Study Design.
• VCAA( 2006) Victorian Essential Learning Standards
• A collection of readings

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify their practices as knowledgeable agents of change
• Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to learn.
• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence.
• Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation.
• Be independent of mind, responsible, resilient, self-regulating
• Have a conscious personal and social values base.