vaahe.org.au

Program description: 

Each year, the program will consist of three components. These are:

1.      The development of “hands-on” units of work related to sustainable agricultural and horticultural practices and their delivery through one day work shops to enable teachers to easily incorporate these units into the classroom. 

Each unit of work will consist of an integrated learning module using worksheets that will direct students to develop their own learning focus, a collection of teacher resources, assessment sheets for students and teachers, a VELS matrix for reporting purposes, and a survey sheet for both students and teachers to report back on the modules.

The modules will be published on the Ultranet and Knowledge Bank as well as the Victorian Association of Agricultural and Horticultural Educators (VAAHE) website. 

Each year, the program will allow four (4) teachers to work together for four (4) days to develop a complete set of resources for one or two units of work for each year.

The program will also allow four (4) teachers to run a Professional Development day to introduce the units to other Agricultural and Horticultural teachers and allow them to become proficient in the delivery of the unit to students.

The program will also allow for the collation of the surveys from students and teachers at the completion of the delivered units together with suggestions for improvements.

2.      The running of a one day workshop focussing on the establishment of small animals into the classroom environment incorporating health and welfare issues and basic animal husbandry tasks.

Many primary and secondary teachers do not have the experience or skills to set up small animal programs.

This program will provide a one-day workshop, each year, for the hands-on demonstrations by livestock experts to teach teachers how to set up small animal programs at their schools. Topics covered will include: selection of appropriate livestock, suitable housing, feeding regimes, animal husbandry tasks, safe handling techniques, welfare issues, student safety and the ethical use of animals in schools.

Teachers will learn how to involve students in their own hands-on learning about small animals such as rabbits, fish (aquaculture), aviary birds, poultry and sheep.

The one day workshop will also cover strategies for teachers to incorporate small animals into an integrated learning module. The program will also include a collection of teacher resources, assessment sheets for students and teachers, a VELS matrix for reporting purposes, and a survey sheet for both students and teachers to report back on student learning outcomes. The resources developed will be published on the Ultranet and Knowledge Bank as well as the Victorian Association of Agricultural and Horticultural Educators (VAAHE) website. 

3.      The development of basic horticultural skills by teachers with a focus on native plant propagation and the creation of low water use gardens.

This program will seek to improve the skill levels of primary and secondary teachers in basic plant propagation techniques.  A major focus will be on native plant propagation including seed collection, seed removal, seed storage, germination techniques and planting out. Native plant cuttings will also be included. The skills developed will also be applicable to propagation of vegetables, flowers and other exotics. An emphasis on the selection of plants for drought tolerance and how they can be incorporated into the garden will also be covered. 

The program will provide for three (3) regional-rural one-day workshops each year. The workshops will involve practical hands-on experiences with industry and/or community experts demonstrating their fields to teachers at morning sessions. The afternoon sessions will involve teachers sharing their skills with other teachers during practical classroom sessions on methods of integrating horticultural activities into school programs.

Information will also be given on how to make links with local Landcare, Bushcare and Catchment Management Authority groups and how the school students can actively participate in the planning, propagation and planting of natives for revegetation programs in their local communities.

The one day workshops will also cover strategies for teachers to incorporate horticultural activities into an integrated learning module. The program will also include a collection of teacher resources, assessment sheets for students and teachers, a VELS matrix for reporting purposes, and a survey sheet for both students and teachers to report back on student learning outcomes. The resources developed will be published on the Ultranet and Knowledge Bank as well as the Victorian Association of Agricultural and Horticultural Educators (VAAHE) website.