Draft Shape Paper Technologies

Editor's Notes

• #2: Welcome to the consultation for the Draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies.
• #3: Two documents guide the development of the Australian Curriculum - the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians and The Shape of the Australian Curriculum.The Melbourne Declaration defined the broad areas on what should be valued and taught in schools across Australia. It has two clear goals:Goal 1: Australian schooling promotes equity and excellenceGoal 2: All young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens.Technologies was identified in the Melbourne Declaration as one of the essential learning areas in the Australian Curriculum.
• #4: The learning areas of the Australian Curriculum will be developed in three phases.Phase 1EnglishMathematicsScience (including physics, chemistry, biology)History The first phase subjects have been published by ACARA.Phase 2GeographyThe ArtsLanguages The timeline for phase 2 is approx. 12 months behind phase 1, however the phase 2 subjects are at different stages of development. For more details - http://www.acara.edu.au/phase_2__the_australian_curriculum.htmlPhase 3Health and Physical EducationInformation and Communication Technology and Design and TechnologyEconomics, Business, Civics and Citizenship
• #5: Participating in consultation processes is an important part of the curriculum development process, both at a national level for ACARA and at a state level. Teachers of Technologies in Catholic Schools in WA are encouraged to engage in a variety of consultation processes to contribute to the WA response.
• #6: The Draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies addresses the curriculum for Foundation to Year 12, clearly stating aims and key considerationswhich shape the curriculum for F-12.
• #7: The Shape Paper will inform the direction taken by the writing team. It needs to have clarity of intent and direction and sufficient detail to allow for the development of the curriculum by the writers.
• #8: Technologies is the name chosen to address the learning area. It was selected to encompass the broad range of technologies and experiences on offer to students in schools.The proposed structure comprises two strands (Years F-8) and two subjects (Years 9-12).It is based on the assumption that all students are entitled to study both Design and technologies and Digital technologies from Foundation to the end of Year 8.In Years 9-12 students will be able to choose from a range of subjects developed by ACARA and states and territories across a number of learning areas.
• #9: These descriptions of the two subjects/strands are provided in the Background statement. Greater detail appears in the Structure of the Australian Curriculum and the Scope and sequence.
• #10: The Aims indicate desired student achievement as a result of studying Technologies.Do the aims make clear the intended learning for students in the Australian Curriculum: Technologies?Do they provide sufficient detail and direction for the writing team for both subjects/strands?
• #11: While the curriculum is presented as two discreet strands, it will not preclude schools from integrating the strands in teaching and learning programs. Integration is the central pedagogy found in early years, and a key strength for meaningful learning in the Technologies curriculum.
• #12: The overarching idea for Technologies involves students in developing technologies knowledge, understanding and skills to engage purposefully in helping to create preferred futures.It acknowledges the strong connection to the Sustainability cross-curriculum.
• #13: A complementary sub-strand structure has been developed to highlight similarities across the learning area and facilitate integrated approaches to teaching both strands in YearF-8 if desired.The intent is for teachers to select technologies-specific content from the Knowledge and understanding sub-strand and ask students to apply the content using the skills in the Processes and production sub-strand.
• #14: Knowledge and understanding sub-strand is common to both Design and technologies and Digital technologies.Processes and production has different emphasis:Design and technologies Processes and production – design, produce and evaluateDigital technologies Processes and production - create digital solutions
• #15: Knowledge and understanding sub-strand is common to both Design and technologies and Digital technologies.Processes and production has different emphasis:Design and technologies Processes and production – design, produce and evaluateDigital technologies Processes and production - create digital solutions
• #16: The Australian Curriculum General capabilities define knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that can be developed and applied across the curriculum to help students to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens. These are:Literacy –should be developed in all learning areas and involves students in listening to, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating oral, print, visual and digital texts, and using and modifying language for different purposes in a range of contexts.Numeracy –should be in all learning areas and involves students in recognising and understanding the role of mathematics in the world and having the dispositions and capacities to use mathematical knowledge and skills purposefully.ICT - required for all learning areas; includes using ICT to access, create and communicate information and ideas, solve problems and work collaboratively in all learning areas at school, and in their lives beyond school.Critical and creative thinking skills - includes problem solving, thinking critically about possibilities and alternatives, developing arguments and using evidence in support of that argument, being innovative and resourceful, generating new ideas and questioning assumptions. Ethical behaviour - involves students in building a strong personal and socially oriented ethical outlook that helps them to manage context, conflict and uncertainty, and to develop an awareness of the influence that their values and behaviour have on others.Personal and social capability – includes understanding themselves and others, managing their relationships, lives and own learning, working effectively in teams and handling challenging situations in constructive ways. Intercultural understanding - includes learning about and engaging with diverse cultures to develop an appreciation of difference and diversity, cultivate mutual respect and create connections with others.
• #17: There will be three cross-curriculum perspectives addressed in the national curriculum:The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures priority will allow all young Australians the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, their significance for Australia and the impact these have had, and continue to have, on our world.Developing a better understanding of the countries and cultures of the Asian region will enhance students’ cultural awareness and enable them to be active and informed participants in regional and global communities. Sustainability will allow young Australians to develop an appreciation of the need for more sustainable patterns of living and build a commitment to taking action to create a more sustainable future. Each of these priorities will be represented in every learning area of the Australian curriculum in ways appropriate to that area.The shape paper explicitly identifies how these perspectives link to Technologies and describes learning opportunities related to each.
• #21: For any year, the Australian Curriculum is written so that it should not take up more than 80% of the total teaching time available. The time allocated for teaching the Australian Curriculum: Technologies is a decision to be made by state and territory jurisdictions. These are indicative, minimum hours relating to the Australian Curriculum.Is the notional time allocation for Technologies F-10 appropriate?
• #22: This part of the paper provides an indication of the progression of learning.Consider the two subjects/strands:Is there sufficient detail?Is it Stage appropriate?
• #23: The next 4 slides look at the Technologies curriculum in general and the focus of student learning in broad bands.
• #27: Subject/strand specific overview of the proposed continuum of learning in Design and technologies.
• #28: Subject/strand specific overview of the proposed continuum of learning in Digital technologies.
• #29: These are suggested key questions that may assist in evaluating the Draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies.
• #30: Your opinion is important.