2. LEARNING AREAS
The Melbourne Declaration identifies eight learning areas
including:
Technologies
Mathematics
English
Science
Languages
The Arts
The Humanities
Health and Physical Education
3. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PHASES
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Health and
English Geography Physical
Education
Design and
Mathematics Languages
Technology &
Digital
Technologies
Science The Arts
Economics, Busi
ness, Civics and
Citizenship
History
4. CONSULTATION TIMELINE
June 2012 –
30 April December 2013
2012, 8.30am-
10.30am Curriculum
development
14 March – 3 June CEO Technologies process followed
2012 ACARA National Feedback Breakfast by consultation on
consultation period meeting, Siena the curriculum and
Newman Centre,, 33 final publication
Williamstown
14 March 2012 Road, DOUBLEVIEW
Draft Shape of Australian - Room 2.01 September 2012
Curriculum: Technologies 3 May 2012 Scope and
Sequence
available The School
Curriculum and
Standards Authority
of WA Technologies
Forum.
5. DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN
CURRICULUM
The Australian Curriculum developed by ACARA:
is being written for F-10 and Years 11-12
is described in Bands- F-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12
has content descriptions not outcomes
6. PURPOSE OF THE DRAFT SHAPE PAPER
The draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies
provides broad direction on the purpose, structure and
organisation of the Technologies curriculum
will guide the writing of the Australian Curriculum:
Technologies from F-12
7. TECHNOLOGIES LEARNING AREA
“Technologies” adopted to reflect the range of technologies
addressed in schools
Australian Curriculum:
2 strands F-8 and 2 subjects Years 9-12
Design and Technologies
Digital Technologies
8. BACKGROUND
Design and Technologies – students learn to develop and apply
technologies knowledge, process and production skills
to design, produce and evaluate solutions using
traditional, contemporary and emerging technologies for
real-world needs, opportunities, end users, clients or
consumers in a range of technologies contexts.
Digital Technologies – students learn to develop and apply technical
knowledge, process and computational thinking
skills, including algorithmic logic and abstraction, to
transform data into information solutions for real-world
needs, opportunities, end users, clients or consumers in a
range of technologies contexts.
9. AIMS OF TECHNOLOGIES CURRICULUM
The Australian Curriculum: Technologies will aim to develop students who:
• are creative, innovative and enterprising when using
traditional, contemporary and emerging technologies
• effectively and responsibly select and use appropriate
technologies, materials, information, systems, tools and equipment when
designing and creating socially, economically and environmentally sustainable
products, services or environments
• critique, evaluate and apply thinking skills and technologies processes that
people use to shape their world, and to transfer that learning to other technology
situations
• individually and collaboratively plan, manage, create and produce
solutions to purposeful technology projects for personal, local, national and
global settings
• engage confidently with and make informed, ethical decisions about
technologies for personal wellbeing, recreation, everyday life, the world of work
and preferred futures.
10. STRUCTURE OF THE AUSTRALIAN
CURRICULUM: TECHNOLOGIES
The Australian Curriculum: Technologies comprises two strands:
Design and technologies & Digital technologies.
All students will study both Design and technologies and Digital
technologies from Foundation to the end of Year 8.
Schools may choose to integrate the strands in teaching and
learning programs F-8.
In Years 9–12, students will be able to choose from a range
of subjects developed by ACARA and states and territories. In
WA this will involve the existing elective subjects in the
Technologies Curriculum.
11. OVERARCHING IDEA
Engaging in Creating Preferred Futures
A focus on preferred futures provides the methodology for identifying
and moving towards sustainable patterns of living.
Students will engage in predicting outcomes and impacts of
technological decisions for current and future generations;
considering probable futures; and identifying the futures they would
prefer, taking into account economic, environmental and social
sustainability.
Over time they will reconstruct and review their visions for preferred
futures through research, experience, dialogue, discussion and the
exchange of ideas.
This overarching idea is common to Design and technologies and
Digital technologies, as both are concerned with technology, culture
and society; economic, environmental and social sustainability; and
creativity, innovation and enterprise.
12. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SUB-
STRANDS
Design and technologies Digital technologies
2 complementary sub-strands
Knowledge and Understanding
Processes and Production
13. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SUB-
STRANDS
Design and technologies:
Knowledge and understanding:
focuses on materials, information, systems, tools and
equipment; and technologies and society. The content is
dependent on the technologies context.
Processes and Production:
focuses on designing - identifying, exploring and critiquing a
need or opportunity; generating, researching and developing
ideas; and planning, producing and evaluating solutions that
utilise process and production skills, creativity, innovation and
enterprise to promote the development of sustainable
patterns of living.
14. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SUB-
STRANDS
Digital technologies:
Knowledge and understanding:
focuses on digital information, digital systems and
technologies, and digital technologies and society.
Processes and Production:
focuses on formulating and investigating problems; analysing
and creating digital solutions; representing, constructing and
evaluating solutions; and utilising skills of creativity, innovation
and enterprise for sustainable patterns of living.
15. GENERAL CAPABILITIES
Information and
communication
Critical and creative Ethical behaviour technology (ICT)
thinking capability
Literacy
Intercultural Personal and social
Numeracy
understanding capability
Refer to pages 17 to 19 of the Shaping Paper for aspects of
each of the seven general capabilities to be embedded in the
content descriptions and/or elaborations where appropriate to
enrich and deepen student learning.
16. CROSS-CURRICULUM PRIORITIES
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and
cultures
Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
Sustainability
17. CROSS-CURRICULUM PRIORITIES
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
have a:
longstanding tradition of developing and utilising a
range of technologies that support sustainable
practices for local conditions.
capacity for innovation include solutions for food
or medicinal preparation, building and
architecture, and the use of digital technologies to
enhance communication.
Refer to page 19 to 21 of the Shaping Paper
Read pages 19 to 21 and dot down some way you
might include the Cross Curriculum Priorities in
your Technologies program.
18. ORGANISATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN
CURRICULUM: TECHNOLOGIES
The technologies curriculum is organised in the following
bands:
Foundation to Year 2
Years 3-4
Years 5-6
Years 7-8
Years 9-10
Senior secondary (Years 11 and 12)
19.
20. TIME ALLOCATION
The time allocation for Design and technologies and Digital
technologies combined are:
• 60 hours across Years F–2
• 80 hours across Years 3–4
• 120 hours across Years 5–6
• 160 hours across Years 7–8
• 80 hours each across Years 9–10
• 200 to 240 hours of learning across Years 11–12 for each of
Design and technologies and Digital technologies.
Allocation of time for teaching the Technologies learning
area will be a school authority or school-based decision.
21. SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
The proposed knowledge, understanding and skills are cumulative in nature.
They build on the depth of students’ understanding and the sophistication of
their skills in the ways they think about and work with technologies.
3 part breakdown:
Technologies Curriculum (in general)
Design and technologies (subject/strand specific outcomes)
Digital technologies (subject/strand specific outcomes)
Each address the following groupings:
Foundation – Year 2
Years 3-6
Years 7-10
Senior Secondary
22. THE TECHNOLOGIES CURRICULUM
ACROSS THE YEARS OF SCHOOLING
Foundation to Year 2 (typically 5–8 years of age)
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) has a specific focus
on play-based learning and recognises children’s rights to be
active participants in all matters affecting their lives.
focus on personal forms and use of technologies in children’s
immediate environments that are relevant to them, such as at
home, in the backyard/farmyard, and in the classroom.
23. THE TECHNOLOGIES CURRICULUM
ACROSS THE YEARS OF SCHOOLING
Years 3 – 6 (typically 8 -12 years of age)
Students progressively engage with more abstract ideas.
Students become more concerned with the social and
environmental use of technologies.
Students broaden scope of investigations to consider safe and
ethical use of technologies.
24. THE TECHNOLOGIES CURRICULUM
ACROSS THE YEARS OF SCHOOLING
Years 7 – 10 (typically 12 - 16 years of age)
Develop increasing independence in thinking and skill application.
Appreciate interdependence of technology
development, culture, environment, developer and user.
Flexibility for students to undertake more specialised learning
pathways in a range of learning areas. (Years 9–10)
25. THE TECHNOLOGIES CURRICULUM
ACROSS THE YEARS OF SCHOOLING
Senior secondary (typically 16 - 18 years of age)
A range of specialised courses with explicit pathways allowing
depth of study, multi-disciplinary approaches, sophistication of
engagement and can lead to tertiary study, vocational training or
employment.
Australian Curriculum – 2 subjects:
Design and technologies
Digital technologies
Additional subjects as currently offered by the states and
territories.
26. DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGIES ACROSS
THE YEARS OF SCHOOLING
Addresses each of the Stages.
Specific examples of content description
Continuum of learning:
exposure to increasingly complex range of
tools, materials, equipment, information and systems
using increasingly sophisticated range of skills and
processes, recognising risks and adopting safe work practices
for increasingly complex problems
Addresses specialised technologies contexts such as
agriculture, architecture, manufacturing, media design, digital
design, engineering, food technology, industrial design and
textiles in Years 9-10
27. DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ACROSS THE
YEARS OF SCHOOLING
Addresses each of the Stages.
Specific examples of student outcomes
Continuum of learning:
Students will develop increasingly sophisticated knowledge
and understanding, drawn from both contemporary and
historical sources
Students will develop increasingly sophisticated skills in digital
technologies processes and production through applying
computational thinking to create digital information
products, systems or software instructions to address digital
problems.
28. KEY QUESTIONS FOR EVALUATING
THE DRAFT SHAPE OF THE
AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM:
TECHNOLOGIES
Does the Draft Shape
Does the scope and
Paper provide sufficient Is the 2 strand/subject
sequence provide a
direction and clarity for structure appropriate?
logical progression of
the development of
learning from F-12?
Technologies curriculum
Does the Draft Shape Do the two
Paper cater for future Can the content be
covered within the strands/subjects
options for students provide an appropriate
structure and the time
and provide balance of Technologies
frame?
specialisation? education?
29. CONSULTATION ON THE DRAFT SHAPE OF
THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM:
TECHNOLOGIES
Access a printable version of the Draft Shape Paper and the
ACARA online survey:
http://www.acara.edu.au/technologies.html
Provide feedback via email at:
carey.peter@cathednet.wa.edu.au
Editor's Notes
Welcome to the consultation for the Draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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?
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?
The next 4 slides look at the Technologies curriculum in general and the focus of student learning in broad bands.
Subject/strand specific overview of the proposed continuum of learning in Design and technologies.
Subject/strand specific overview of the proposed continuum of learning in Digital technologies.
These are suggested key questions that may assist in evaluating the Draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies.
