A new Year 4 unit, ‘Magnetic Moves’, is currently being trialled in more than 30 schools across Australia with very positive initial feedback. This is the first of a number of new resources being developed in response to teacher requests for alternatives to existing popular units, providing greater choice and also more flexibility when teaching combination/multi-age classes.
The development of new interactive teacher resources designed for interactive whiteboards and other devices is well advanced. The first of these resources will be available in October–November, and their publication will usher in a new phase for Primary Connections as the program’s first truly digital resource, supporting and extending the capability of its very successful print units.
The Professional Learning team visited 11 schools to deliver Introduction to Primary Connections, resulting in 345 teachers trained. The team also delivered six Curriculum Leader training workshops with a total of 138 teachers trained.
NSW Syllabus to Success—Analysing the NSW Science and Technology Syllabus K–6, and Primary Connections workshops, have been very successful, with five to date and a further four to be delivered this year. A total of 175 NSW teachers attended the first five events.
Continuing Professional Development workshops will soon commence in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales. This program gives trained Primary Connections teachers the opportunity to continue their primary science professional development.
A three-day August workshop in Sydney trained new presenters to support the expansion of the Primary Connections Professional Learning program and the delivery of Australian Government-funded professional learning for teachers in remote, regional and rural schools and for pre-service teachers.
Primary Connections attended the annual national science teachers’ conference, CONASTA 2014, from 6 to 9 July. Professional Learning Manager, Sophia McLean, presented a workshop, ‘Primary Connections: learning a science concept and representing understanding’. Many teachers expressed an interest in the program.
Primary Connections has sent educational resources to schools in need in Vanuatu. The donated resources are for children from foundation to year 7 and include books and DVDs teaching a range of scientific concepts.
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