Hi everyone

 

It is with great excitement I write that on Friday, 18th September, 2015, the Education Council endorsed the Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum: Technologies, “where students can learn important skills in problem solving and technical skills such as coding, right from their early years” (see full report here).

 

For those who have yet to familiarise themselves with the new Technologies Curriculum, you can find the Rationale and further details here.  From this page you will see that the Australian Curriculum: Technologies includes two distinct but related subjects:

• Design and Technologies, in which students use design thinking and technologies to generate and produce designed solutions for authentic needs and opportunities, and
• Digital Technologies, in which students use computational thinking and information systems to define, design and implement digital solutions.

I recommend you look at the comprehensive Scope and Sequence for each subject that can be found in the navigation bar on the left of the respective pages. These outline a cohesive progression of study that should prepare our students well for their future.  Those who have had the opportunity to examine the new curriculum agree it will ensure that all Australian students have the opportunity to explore the full Technology experience throughout their schooling.  That is, in addition to learning to simply use ICT (as required by the General Capability already embedded in the Australian Curriculum), they will be creating and producing with technology.

 

So what does this mean for the average classroom teacher?  Well, it depends on the state in which you teach (curriculum is ultimately a state-based decision).  Victoria made their intention clear to move ahead with this new Technologies Curriculum last week by launching a new webpage. Similarly, other States and Territories have also begun implementation plans. However, for those teaching in NSW, the path is less clear. As I noted in an earlier piece (NSW and the Australian Curriculum: What is all the fuss about?) we may have to work with the current subjects for a while yet.  If NSW doesn’t want to to be left behind, NSW teachers, parents and students need to make our concerns known.  Write to BOSTES about your desire to have NSW adopt the new Technologies Curriculum, especially in the Secondary School where a review of technology-related subjects has not been undertaken for quite some time.

 

Watch this space and hopefully we will be able to bring your more good news in the near future.

 

Leanne Cameron

President, NSW Educators NSW