UNPACKING THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM Looking at the big picture HEIAWA April 2017
BEFORE WE GET BOGGED DOWN LOOKING AT THE PIECES
AND TRYING TO WORK OUT HOW THEY FIT TOGETHER
PERHAPS WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE
TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE HEADED
The Australian Curriculum (AC) is a part of the BIG picture. The Western Australian Curriculum (WAC) is modified version of the Australian Curriculum.
EDUCATIONAL GOALS FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS GOAL 1: Equity and excellence for all children: engaging in schooling meeting literacy and numeracy standards excelling by international standards reducing disadvantage, especially Indigenous children successfully transitioning to work or study
EDUCATIONAL GOALS FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS GOAL 2: Supporting all young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active informed citizens.
WHAT DOES AN AUSTRALIAN CITIZEN OF THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE? Creative thinkers Critical thinkers Communicators Collaborators
WHO IS THE AUSTRALIAN CITIZEN OF THE FUTURE? They understand where Australia has come from: Indigenous histories European histories They understand where Australia is going to: Part of the global village Australasian not Austrapean They understand Australia is a part of the planet: Social impact Environmental impact They are understand they are a part of the BIG PICTURE!
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR HOME ECONOMICS? This has always been our bread & butter! How do we explicitly teach: Creative thinking? Critical thinking? Communication? Collaboration? To equip our students to be citizens of the future?
Cross-Curriculum Priorities
CROSS-CURRICULUM PRIORITIES The three cross-curriculum priorities address the contemporary issues that Australian students face in a globalised world. Teachers may find opportunities to incorporate the priorities into the teaching and learning program for Technologies. The cross-curriculum priorities are not assessed unless they are identified within the core content.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia Sustainability Easy enough for us!
General Capabilities
GENERAL CAPABILITIES The seven general capabilities encompass the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that will assist students to live and work successfully in the 21 st century. Teachers may find opportunities to incorporate the capabilities into the teaching and learning program for Technologies. The general capabilities are not assessed unless they are identified within the content.
GENERAL CAPABILITIES Literacy Numeracy Information and communication technology (ICT) capability Critical and creative thinking Personal and social capability Ethical understanding Intercultural understanding These are embedded in our learning area!
Student Diversity
All students are entitled to rigorous, relevant and engaging learning programs Teachers take account of the range of their students' current levels of learning, strengths, goals and interests and make adjustments where necessary. The three-dimensional design of the WAC provides teachers with flexibility to cater for the diverse needs of students and to personalise their learning. These include: Students with disabilities English as an additional language or dialect and Gifted and Talented students
Technologies
Technologies enrich and impact on the lives of people and societies globally. Society needs enterprising students who can make discerning decisions about the development and use of technologies, develop solutions to complex challenges and contribute to sustainable patterns of living.
In an increasingly technological and complex world, it is important to develop knowledge and skills to analyse and creatively respond to design and/or digital challenges. Through the practical application of technologies including digital technologies, students develop dexterity and coordination through experiential activities.
Technologies motivates young people and engages them in a range of learning experiences that are transferable to family and home, constructive leisure activities, community contribution and the world of work.
Technologies provides students with authentic learning challenges that foster curiosity, confidence, persistence, innovation, creativity, respect and cooperation. communicating and collaborating.
These attributes are necessary when using and developing solutions to make sense of complex ideas and relationships in all areas of learning. Technologies helps students to be regional and global citizens, capable of actively and ethically communicating and collaborating.
Where to begin?
Here is our Learning Area
The Western Australian Curriculum: Technologies describes two distinct but related subjects: Digital Technologies, in which students use computational thinking and information systems to define, design and implement solutions.
The Western Australian Curriculum: Technologies describes two distinct but related subjects: Design and Technologies, in which students use design thinking and technologies to generate and produce solutions for authentic needs and opportunities
Design and Technologies Knowledge, understandings and skills involved in the design, development and use of technologies are influenced by, and can play a role in, enriching and transforming societies and our natural, managed and constructed environments.
Design and Technologies Decision-making processes are informed by ethical, legal, aesthetic and functional factors.
Design and Technologies Students create designed solutions for identified needs and opportunities across contexts. Students consider the economic, environmental and social impacts of technological change
Design and Technologies Students manage projects from conception to realisation. They apply design and systems thinking and design processes to investigate ideas, generate and refine ideas, plan, produce evaluate designed solutions. (investigating) (designing) (production) (evaluation) They generate innovative products, services and environments.
Ways of Teaching
NB: Computational thinking: A problem-solving method that involves various techniques and strategies that can be implemented by digital systems. Techniques and strategies may include organising data logically, breaking down problems into parts, defining abstract concepts and designing and using algorithms, patterns and models. www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zp92mp3/revision
All students will study both Technologies subjects from Pre-primary to Year 8. Within Design and Technologies students have the opportunity to study at least one of the contexts. In Years 9 and 10 the study of Technologies is optional. In Design and Technologies, it is desirable that schools provide students with the opportunity to engage with all contexts across Pre-primary to Year 10.
Students have opportunities to learn about technology in society at least once in the following contexts: Engineering principles and systems; (suitable for D&T) Food and fibre production; (focus on agriculture and production) Food specialisations; (suitable for Foods) Materials and technologies specialisations. (suitable for Textiles, CFC and D&T)
What do we teach? Year & Ability levels The Syllabus Choose vertical or horizontal layout Description of each level
There is a progression of complexity through each year level. For example: Year 7: Students have opportunities to select from a range of technologies, materials, components, tools and equipment. Click on the underlined words for further clarification Year 8: Students have opportunities to investigate and select from a range of technologies, materials, systems, components, tools and equipment. Year 9 and 10: Students have opportunities to use design and technologies knowledge and understanding, processes and production skills, and design thinking, to produce solutions to identified needs or opportunities.
A Year Level Description in full:
At each level, students develop Knowledge and understanding Technologies and society Technologies contexts Processes and production skills Creating solutions by: Investigating and defining Designing Producing and implementing Evaluating Collaborating and managing Does this look familiar?
Each area is explained in further detail These points demonstrate how the General Capabilities may be embedded in the area These links may provide further clarification from the Australian Curriculum*
The Achievement Standards describe the knowledge and skills students should demonstrate for assessment and reporting
Ways of assessing Observations Group activities Videos or audio recordings Fieldwork and practical (authentic) evidence Portfolios and work samples Tests or quizzes Written work Graphic organisers Visual representations Performances or oral presentations Conferences Self-assessments and evaluations Student journals Peer assessments
Full implementation, including teaching, assessing and reporting by schools will be in place with first reporting to parents by the end of Semester 1, 2018.
What now? Print and read the following: Syllabus info for the year group Scope and sequence Achievement standards Judging standards materials
Ministerial Council on Education, Employment and Training, and Youth Affairs, Melbourne. (2008.) Melbourne Declaration on the Educational Goals for Young Australians. Retrieved 17 February, 2017, from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/national_declaration_on_the_educational_goals_for_ Young_Australians.pdf School Curriculum and Standards Authority, Government of Western Australia. (2014.) Retrieved 23 April, 2017, from http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/ School Curriculum and Standards Authority, Government of Western Australia. (2014.) Retrieved 23 April, 2017, from http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser School Curriculum and Standards Authority, Government of Western Australia. (2014.) Retrieved 23 April, 2017, from http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/technologies School Curriculum and Standards Authority, Government of Western Australia. (2014.) Retrieved 23 April, 2017, from http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculumbrowser/technologies/design-and-technologies2