The e-STEAM Academy - a selective academic talent development programme
– is designed as an individually paced and enriched inter-disciplinary
programme for extending gifted and talented students in Middle School. General capabilities are at the core of its
curriculum and teachers and students work in partnership with the community for
21st century learning. Program objectives:
FASTRACK e-STEAM Academy is intended to nurture the academic talents
of students by -
- upskilling students using 21st century (P21) skills
- recognising giftedness and talent
- inspiring to innovate for social good
- teaching using blended learning and developing global citizens who
can embed Social Enterprise Learning (SEL) in Science, Technology, Engineering,
Arts and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M. )
Core Components:
FASTRACK e-STEAM
Academy is committed to personalised learning through the following core
components:
- Innovative
Entrepreneurial Projects
- Critical Reflective
Journal
- Engagement &
Service Learning
Curriculum:
The Shape of Australian
Curriculum (ACARA) acknowledges that gifted and talented students are students
of diversity.
e-STEAM students will engage
in an interdisciplinary problem-based learning approach and the core of its
curriculum is general capabilities to expose them to “rigorous, relevant and
engaging learning opportunities drawn from the Australian Curriculum and
aligned with their individual learning needs, strengths, interests and goals.” (ACARA,
2016 v.8.2)
Learning area content
will be derived from different levels, across varied curriculum priorities, and
general capabilities to personalise learning experiences for gifted and
talented students. The Australian Curriculum will be
used flexibly to meet the individual learning needs of gifted and talented
students.'
Selection
e-STEAM Academy is offered to Year 7 – 9 students who to the upper 10% of the cohort in STEAM subjects. They are profiled through a selective identification process using -
- Longitudinal data of academic ability in S.T.E.A.M. subjects
- Other relevant psychometric or cognitive assessment reports relevant to the gifted program
- Other qualitative feedback relevant to the criteria
- Parent and/or teacher nomination
Places are limited and are suitable to gifted and talented students who are independent learners. e-STEAM students must also have high standards of Approaches to Learning which include high motivation and high volition. They should also possess excellent behaviour, including care for self and others.
Twice-exceptionality
e-STEAM students who are twice-exceptional (2e) are identified as gifted and talented and are also identified with one or more disability or condition. They are profiled using the same selective identification process and an Individual Curriculum Plan (ICP) that personalises a strategic educational plan needs to be developed and progress tracked and monitored.
ST-GE collaborates with Support Teacher Inclusive Education (ST-IE) in the development of the ICP.
Reporting
Reporting achievement for e-STEAM students is reported against the achievement standard for the year level
they are taught. It should clearly indicate the year level of the curriculum content and the achievement standards against which judgments about student achievement have been made. (ACARA, 2016 v.8.2, p 20-22)
Alignment of student project deliverables to other interdisciplinary units of work may get credits subject to classroom teacher judgment (CTJ) of demonstrated learning in presented folio of work.
References:
https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/student-diversity/gifted-and-talented-students
https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/aust_curric/ac_stud_diversity_fs.pdf