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Macksville High School

Macksville High School

Respect - Honesty - Pride - Teamwork

Telephone02 6568 1066

Emailmacksville-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Quicksmart Job


QUICKSMART INSTRUCTOR

MACKSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

 

A position is available to deliver the Quicksmart numeracy programme in 2011. Applicants must have a demonstrated interest in numeracy, basic computing skills and enjoy working with young people. Training in the programme will be provided.

A one page application outlining your qualifications and experience should be forwarded to the school by 3rd March 2011. Further details can be provided by contacting Paul Holding or Moyra Mendham on 6568 1066 during office hours.

It is an offence for a person convicted of a serious sex offence to apply for this position. Relevant screening tests will be conducted for recommended applicants.

 

 


 

Instructional Program

The Aim of instruction in the QuickSmart program is to improve accuracy and speed

 

of recall for basic knowledge and facts that students already understand but cannot yet

 

automatically recall.

 

Significance

The Rationale for our instructional intervention is that students are better able to successfully engage with higher order tasks such as problem solving, when the limited capacity of their working memory is available to solve these tasks, rather than using the working memory to re-discover known basic number facts.

The Goal of QuickSmart instruction is to improve speed of recall and accuracy in basic numeracy areas. Our assessment procedures highlight specific knowledge domains in which progress towards higher order functioning is blocked by obstacles related to poor recall or lack of automaticity. QuickSmart instructional interventions are then designed to address these identified obstacles by supporting the students to automatize their existing knowledge and understandings.

The Objective of each intervention lesson is to ensure that students have sufficient understanding in a ‘blocked' domain and then to increase speed of recall and accuracy in a particular sub-set of that domain.

Instructional Methods used in the QuickSmart program focus on a variety of practice and recall strategies. Initially the instructor will informally assess each student's knowledge and understanding. At times it will be necessary to spend some instructional time developing knowledge and understanding to the point where the student can begin to automatize their knowledge. Once understanding is established each lesson will involve a number of guided practice activities featuring overt self talk, discussion of memory and retrieval strategies, games and worksheet activities followed by timed independent practise activities.

Assessment will occur at the conclusion of each intervention lesson using QuickSmart's CAAS (Computer-based Academic Assessment System) which measures improvements in accuracy and recall times and provides instant feedback to the student and the instructor. Students will record their results onto a graph and discuss goals for the next lesson. The results of each assessment will be used to inform further teaching and learning.