‘Enlivened by the Spirit’ Anzac Road Menai NSW 2234 Phone 9543 0188 Facsimile 9541 0398 [email protected]www.aquinasmenai.catholic.edu.au FROM THE PRINCIPAL AQUINAS CATHOLIC COLLEGE MENAI 1 st September, 2014 Vol.22.No.24 I recently came across this article in an educational journal relating to Media Multitasking whilst learning and thought it was worth sharing, particularly as our seniors are in the midst of a significant period of exam preparation. Do your children multitask while doing homework? Researchers tell us that students are on task only about 65% of the time when they have access to technology. Many of them cannot last even a few minutes without engaging their devices. The bad news about this is that under most conditions, the brain simply cannot do two complex tasks at the same time. When two tasks are very simple and don’t compete with each other for the same mental resources – for example, folding laundry and listening to a radio weather report – most people can multitask efficiently. But with academic work, this is not the case. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN STUDENTS MULTI-TASK? Assignments take longer to complete because of the time taken up with distractions and the time it takes to refocus after an interruption. There’s more mental fatigue from repeatedly dropping and picking up mental threads, which leads to more mistakes. Task- switching is especially tiring when students move between formal, precise language tasks and informal, colloquial banter. Learning is patchier and shallower. Students remember less well. The moment of encoding is what matters most for retention and dozens of laboratory studies have demonstrated that when our attention is divided during encoding, we remember that piece of information less well – or not at all. Students have greater difficulty understanding information and transferring learning to new contexts. Multitasking isn’t a problem if a child wants to tweet while watching television, or listen to music while playing a video game. But when students are doing serious work with their minds, they have to have focus. Texting, e-mailing, and posting on social media are mentally complex, drawing on the same brain resources (like using language and discerning meaning) as schoolwork. Much of young people’s technology use is often really about quelling anxiety – FOMO or the ‘Fear Of Missing Out’. They don’t want to be the last person to hear some news, or ‘like’ someone’s post. Constant texting, however, qualifies as compulsive behaviour that must be managed if kids are to learn and perform at their best. The biggest problem is that students don’t believe this is a problem. Many young people think they can perform two challenging tasks at once, but this is not so. What can parents do? Accept young people’s use of technology, but draw a firm line on using it while doing schoolwork, emphasising that this is a time when you concentrate on just one thing. Acknowledgment: “You’ll Never Learn! Students Can’t Resist Multitasking, and It’s Impairing Memory” by Annie Murphy Paul in Slate, May 3, 2013 Please remember to utilise the study resources found at the ELES handbook website that is available to all students and parents; www.studyskillshandbook.com.au USERNAME Aquinas PASSWORD 10success James Corcoran Principal
I recently came across this article in an educational journal relating to Media Multitasking whilst learning and thought it was worth sharing, particularly as our seniors are in the midst of a significant period of exam preparation.
Do your children multitask while doing homework? Researchers tell us that students are on task only about 65% of the time when they have access to technology. Many of them cannot last even a few minutes without engaging their devices. The bad news about this is that under most conditions, the brain simply cannot do two complex tasks at the same time. When two tasks are very simple and don’t compete with each other for the same mental resources – for example, folding laundry and listening to a radio weather report – most people can multitask efficiently. But with academic work, this is not the case. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN STUDENTS MULTI-TASK? Assignments take longer to complete because of the time taken up with distractions and the time it takes to refocus after an
interruption. There’s more mental fatigue from repeatedly dropping and picking up mental threads, which leads to more mistakes. Task-
switching is especially tiring when students move between formal, precise language tasks and informal, colloquial banter. Learning is patchier and shallower. Students remember less well. The moment of encoding is what matters most for retention and dozens of laboratory studies
have demonstrated that when our attention is divided during encoding, we remember that piece of information less well – or not at all.
Students have greater difficulty understanding information and transferring learning to new contexts. Multitasking isn’t a problem if a child wants to tweet while watching television, or listen to music while playing a video game. But when students are doing serious work with their minds, they have to have focus. Texting, e-mailing, and posting on social media are mentally complex, drawing on the same brain resources (like using language and discerning meaning) as schoolwork. Much of young people’s technology use is often really about quelling anxiety – FOMO or the ‘Fear Of Missing Out’. They don’t want to be the last person to hear some news, or ‘like’ someone’s post. Constant texting, however, qualifies as compulsive behaviour that must be managed if kids are to learn and perform at their best. The biggest problem is that students don’t believe this is a problem. Many young people think they can perform two challenging tasks at once, but this is not so. What can parents do? Accept young people’s use of technology, but draw a firm line on using it while doing schoolwork, emphasising that this is a time when you concentrate on just one thing. Acknowledgment: “You’ll Never Learn! Students Can’t Resist Multitasking, and It’s Impairing Memory” by Annie Murphy Paul in Slate, May 3, 2013 Please remember to utilise the study resources found at the ELES handbook website that is available to all students and parents;
www.studyskillshandbook.com.au
USERNAME Aquinas PASSWORD 10success James Corcoran Principal
Year 8-10 RE Assessment Tasks Year 8-10 RE assessment tasks are due this Wednesday, September 3rd, at 9pm in their Google Drive folder named ‘Religion – (full student name)’. Their electronic file must be named ‘(Year group)RE_Task3_(full student name)’. I encourage students to read their notification thoroughly, ensuring that they clarify any questions with their RE teacher. Student Survey of Religious Attitudes and Practices Students in Years 7, 9 and 11 are currently participating in a research project being coordinated by the Catholic Education Office. Within a Religious Education lesson, students will complete an anonymous survey of religious attitudes and practices, providing valuable data to the College and the Archdiocese about young people’s perception and understanding of religion, their personal spirituality and their engagement in matters which are faith-based. Our College’s participation in this research project will give us a clearer picture and deeper understanding of the religious attitudes and practices of young people at Aquinas, helping shape our approach to youth ministry and our efforts to engage our students and other young people in the life of the Church. HSC Prayer Family Program – CLOSES SEPTEMBER 5th To support our Year 12 students during their HSC exams next term, we invite you to be involved in the 2014 HSC Prayer Family program. This would involve keeping a student that you will be allocated in your prayers leading up to the beginning of the HSC on October 13th, until the conclusion of the HSC exam period on November 5th. HSC Prayer Families are also encouraged to send a written message to the student that they have been allocated, through the College office. This is a powerful and practical way to support our Year 12 students during the final stage of their educational journey at Aquinas. If you would like to participate in this program, please complete your details at: http://tinyurl.com/2014AquinasHSCPrayer by Friday September 5th 2014. Please contact me, via the College office, if you have any questions. Mrs Catherine Nolan Religious Education Coordinator
Reflection on the Gospel
In Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 16:21-27) Jesus said to his disciples that they must renounce themselves and take up their cross and follow him. We too are invited to see the burden of suffering in our lives as an opportunity to be faithful to his example. It also gives us an opportunity to be in solidarity with all those who suffer in our world. We are encouraged to see that suffering can be an opportunity to grow in love. Carrying our cross, however, is not just about bearing pain; it can also be in the sharing of our gifts and talents, our love and compassion. In every gift there is a burden. Following Christ’s example, we are called to share our gifts heroically with anyone in need.
Adapted from a reflection by Richard Leonard SJ
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Curriculum Matters This week’s Assessment Tasks
Year 9 2015 Subject Selection Forms Due Subject selection forms were due to be returned to pastoral teachers by September 1st.. Any students with outstanding forms must return them immediately, in order to place yourselves on potential class lists. Students will be notified of their electives early in Term 4. If there are any further concerns or questions, please feel free to contact me or the Year 8 Coordinator, Mr. Jon Cullerton. Any student who did not attend the evening should have seen Mr. Cullerton with a note regarding their absence and to collect a subject selection booklet. STUDY SKILLS TIP FOR SEPTEMPER – MULTI-TASKING Even though parents and teachers tell students that multi-tasking is not an effective way to work, sometimes students just don’t believe them! They think they are different, they think it is just something parents and teachers say with no evidence. So here are some academic research studies to demonstrate to students where the proof is coming from to show that multi-tasking personal activities and schoolwork just doesn’t work.
RESEARCH STUDY 1
Ellis, Y., Daniels, W. and Jauregui, A. (2010). The effect of multitasking on the grade performance of business students. Research in Higher Education Journal, 8 http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/10498.pdf.
In this study, 62 university students were taking an accounting course. During a lecture, half were allowed to text and half had their phones turned off. After the lecture there was a quiz and those students who did not text scored much higher marks than those who were texting at the same time that they were trying to listen to the lecture.
RESEARCH STUDY 2 Kraushaar, J. M. and Novak, D. C. (2010). Examining the affects of student multitasking with laptops during lecture. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21 (2), 241-251. In this study 97 students were using laptops during a 15 week management information systems course. A spyware program had been installed on all laptops to track what students did on their laptop looking at productive work versus distractive software (games, instant messages, web browsing, social media). Students who tried to listen to the lecture while using these distractive windows had significantly lower scores on homework, projects, quizzes, final exams and final course averages. The researchers also found that students under reported the extent of their multi-tasking – this means they were actually multi-tasking much more than they even realised.
Year Subject Date
9 and 10 RE In lessons this week
9 and 10 PASS In lessons this week
9 PDHPE In lessons this week
8 History 01.09.14
7 Visual Art In lessons this week
9 History 2.09.14
8 Science 2.09.14
7 French 2.09.14
8 RE 3.09.14
7 English 3.09.14
10 Italian 4.09.14
10 PDHPE 4.09.14
9 Food Technology 4.09.14
9 Visual Art 4.09.14
10 Food Technology 5.09.14
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RESEARCH STUDY 3 Bowman, L. L., Levine, L. E., Waite, B. M. and Dendron, M. (2010). Can students really multitask? An experimental study of instant messaging while reading. Computers & Education, 54, 927-931. Students in a psychology course had to read on their computer screen a 4000 word document. There were 3 groups. One used instant messaging before they started reading, one used instant messaging while they were reading, and a third group just read the document with no instant messaging. The group who did instant messaging while they were reading took between 22% to 59% longer to read the passage – and that was with the time spent messaging subtracted! RESEARCH STUDY 4 Fried, C. B. (2008). In-class laptop use and its effects on student learning. Computers and Education, 50 (3), 906-914. Students in a psychology course completed weekly surveys on their use of laptops during class. The study found that the more students used their laptops in class the lower was their performance and their understanding of the lectures. Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient and effective with your schoolwork by working through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au. You can download blocking software from the Dealing with Distractions unit. Also check out the new look of the Home Study Environment unit and let us know what you think. Our school’s access details are:
Username: Aquinas Password: 10success
Lisa Mirabello Learning and Curriculum Coordinator
Year 10 excursion to the Opera House to see Macbeth The Bell Shakespeare performance of Macbeth that we were honoured to attend on the 14th August, was a clever, modern day take on a centuries old classic that managed to thrill, shock and entertain the entire audience from start to finish. The performance consisted of eight actors making up the entire cast and I think I speak for everyone when I say that the artistic ability and professionalism of all the actors blew us away. However, the most fascinating part of the entire play was the advanced technology used, it managed to retain a comical side of a dark story, which I believe helped keep our attention ( especially for the younger audience members) Overall the performance was cleverly thought out and it was clear a lot of work went into it and the result was worth it.
Sarah Fox 10 Red
Maths Recall is included in the newsletter each week and is designed for Stage 4 and 5 or junior students. The questions may focus on Working Mathematically problems and all are intended to be done without a calculator. 1. What are the next 3 numbers in the pattern 12, 14, 16, .. ?
2. What is the formula or rule for the sequence of above numbers?
3. What are the first 3 numbers for the rule
4. What are the next 3 numbers in the pattern 1, 4, 9, …..
5. What is the formula or rule for the sequence of above numbers?
Mrs Catherine Fensom Maths Teacher
MATHS DEPARTMENT RECALL CORNER
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Over $1800 was raised between the two classes! All money went to St Vincent De Paul Society.
On Thursday 28th August, Miss Kilzi and Mrs Vukovic Year 9 Commerce students participated in Running a small Business. Our task was to select a product and sell it and make a profit. Our profit was going to Saint Vincent De Paul Society. At first it is was a stressful process of preparation and coming to agreements with the group. At the start of the 40 min we were slow, stressed, unorganised and taking caution in anything that we did. But as time went on we got the hang of it and started to have fun and enjoy it. At the end of lunch we were happy that our store was successful and that we sold almost all of our product.
We enjoyed the day and recommend commerce for an elective for other students.
Written by Michael, Bianca, Tayla and Daniel DMBT Souvlakia
Last Thursday the year 9 commerce classes held their own stalls as part of the 'running a business' topic. There were a variety of stalls on the day, including churros, pizza, souvlaki and many others. The day was a great success for all groups with over one thousand dollars raised for St Vincent De Paul. The day was a great experience where all students got to learn the process of running a business. Written by Ellen, Tamara, Aisling and Renee
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On the 28th of August Year 9 Commerce participated in holding stalls with all profits going to Saint Vincent De Paul. These stalls consisted of sweet and savoury food bought and prepared by the students. By organising the stalls ourselves, it helped us under-stand how much effort had to be put into establishing a success-ful business. This experience allowed us, as students, to take on the role of being business people and to work together as a team to achieve a common goal- to make a successful business and make a profit. As a collective $1870 was made and donated to Saint Vincent de Paul. Overall it was a memorable experience that allowed us to under-stand what it is like to run a business. By Victoria Efstathiou
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LA MIA CUCINA – ITALIAN COOKING CLASS
On Thursday, 21 August our Year 9 Italian class had an Italian experience to remember. We attended an all Italian cooking class in a house in Casula with Mrs Gulisano and Ms Rundle. The ladies who ran the cooking lesson were called Maria and Gae. We made our own pasta dough for fettuccini and cannelloni, as well as ricotta and spinach filling and a tomato, garlic and chilli sauce. We then sat down for a traditional Italian lunch with garlic bread, salad ANDDDDDD, you guessed it…… GELATO!!!! We loved this excursion which helped us develop our Italian cooking skills. The experience was incredible and we had an amazing time. GRAZIE! Here are some photos of the day:-
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LOST PROPERTY
We have a number of items in Lost Property.
If you are missing any items please come to the office to check Lost Property
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