The new NSW Science Curriculum:
How the Library can help
The roll out of the new K-12 Science Curriculum in NSW schools provides rich opportunities for collaboration between the school library and Science / classroom teachers. With a greater focus on inquiry, data analysis and sorting information from misinformation, this session will highlight the areas of the K-12 Science Syllabus where teacher librarians can strengthen student learning and scientific thinking.
Presenters Amanda Johnstone and Merryn Whitfield will provide examples of library collaborations with Science and classroom teachers in both primary and secondary school contexts, in support of the new Syllabus. Tessa Zwar will focus on the opportunities within the K-12 Syllabus.
This Meet-Up is relevant for primary and secondary Library staff, and primary classroom teachers and secondary Science faculty.
About Amanda Johnstone
Amanda Johnstone is a Teacher Librarian and the Head of Library and Information Services at Kincoppal-Rose Bay School. Amanda works in both the Junior and Senior School Libraries. Prior to completing her Teacher Librarian qualification Amanda worked as an English, History and Studies of Religion teacher, and she still teaches Studies of Religion in addition to her library lessons. Amanda collaborates with teachers from various faculties to design and deliver lessons that develop information and digital literacy skills. Amanda has been involved in developing school guidelines for the ethical and effective use of AI in student assessment and is particularly interested in working with teachers to create units of work or forms of assessment that require students to think critically about the information they are using and how it is produced.
About Merryn Whitfield
Merryn Whitfield is a primary school teacher with over 30 years experience. She is currently employed as a substantive Assistant Principal Curriculum and Instruction at Peakhurst Public School. Before that she was an Instructional Leader in literacy and STEM. Merryn has also worked with the Communication and Learning Innovation Centre and more recently, the University of Wollongong and their LIFT program, developing teacher resources to support the implementation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in primary school classrooms. Over the past 25 years, Merryn has published a number of teacher resource materials, including the award-winning Targeting Writing Across the Curriculum series and Targeting HASS workbooks. In her spare time, she loves to read, walk her dog and travel with her family. She is also known as Parttimepleb in online sharing forums.
About Tessa Zwar
Tessa Zwar has been the Head of Library and Research Services K-12 at Pymble Ladies’ College in Sydney since 2021. She feels privileged to work across the Junior and Secondary campuses, working with students to build a love of reading and develop their curiosity and information literacy. A passionate Teacher Librarian and Head of Learning, Tessa enjoys collaborating with fellow teachers on research in the classroom and co-designing inquiry tasks to develop critical thinking, especially in this AI age. Her experience as a former History teacher and HSC marker, provides her with a firm understanding of the busy curriculum and how the library can best support classroom teachers.
Suggested Standards addressed by this Online Meet-up
2.1.2 Apply knowledge of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area to develop engaging teaching activities.
2.5.2 Apply knowledge and understanding of effective teaching strategies to support students’ literacy and numeracy achievement.
5.1.2 Develop, select and use informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative assessment strategies to assess student learning.
6.2.2 Participate in learning to update knowledge and practice targeted to professional needs and school and/or system priorities.
7.4.2 Participate in professional and community networks and forums to broaden knowledge and improve practice.
Certificate of participation available via request to: info@slansw.net.au
About SLANSW Online Meet-Ups
The one-hour meet-ups take place in SLANSW's Zoom Conference Room and include a presentation from a guest speaker, with facilitated discussion between participants. We aim to include Q&A time as a wrap-up of each online meetup.
A maximum of 100 places are available for each meet-up, so get your registrations in ASAP.
Participation in SLANSW online meet-ups is at no cost to members. Non-members may access the meet-ups for $45 per session.
The one-hour meet-up takes place in SLANSW's Zoom conference room.
Those who register for this event will receive an email within 24 hours before the event, with details to access this online session.