TECHtalk T2 2012

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

Term 2 2012 Volume 1 Issue 1

TechTalk NSW Curriculum eNews Technologies 7-12

Welcome to the Technologies on-line e-Newsletter – FIRST ISSUE We would like to welcome you to the first edition of TECHTalk - the e-newsletter for teachers of all Technology subjects 7—12.

Our intention is to send this publication once a term. If you do not wish to receive this, please unsubscribe here. If you have been forwarded TECHTalk by others, email us your details.

Inside this issue Upcoming Exhibition Australian Curriculum — Technologies

Upcoming Exhibition Nick Mount: Glass 8 September – 3 November 2012 A new series of work by one of Australia’s leading glass artists, Nick Mount.

Part of Object’s Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft series.

OBJECT GALLERY & COLLECT

Folio Parameters in DT and IT HSC Online Competitions Spacewise

© State of NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

Australian Curriculum: Technologies The Draft Shape Paper for Technologies was released mid-March for public consultation and feedback.

This was the first opportunity for teachers, to see the direction posed by ACARA for the development of the Australian Curriculum in Technologies.

The paper proposes that Technologies comprises two strands for Foundation-Year 8 and two subjects Years 9-12: Design and technologies and Digital technologies, with the option for specialised technologies subjects offered from Years 9-12 to be developed by the states and territories.

“NSW needs a strong voice in the development of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies to maintain the strength, depth and diversity of Technology education in our State.”

The DEC consultation process involved an on line survey, briefings across DEC directorates, a series of focus groups to help inform our response and several videoconferences which were repeated due to

teacher demand. In general, the response to the Draft Shape Paper has been divided. Many teachers expressed concern about the time allocated to the various stages for Technologies and disagreed with the proposed structure to divide Technologies into the two strands/ subjects. The response to the survey was staggering with more than 180 respondents and in excess of 150 teachers joining in the videoconferences.

The feedback gathered will become part of the NSW response to ACARA. The draft Australian Curriculum: Technologies is due for completion January 2013. There will then be a consultation period before the final curriculum which will be published by the end of 2013.

Expression of Interest ACARA is currently calling for teachers with extensive knowledge, understanding and expertise in one or more technology specialisations to register an Expression of Interest for inclusion on a register of curriculum writers. NSW needs a strong voice in the development of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies to maintain the strength, depth and diversity of Technology education in our State.

Information about how to register can be found at http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/technologies.html 2 © State of NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

HSC Online

REMINDER: FOLIO PARAMETERS IN DT AND IT The 2011 HSC cohort were the first to experience the changes from the Board of Studies restricting the number of pages students could submit for documentation of their design process in DT and IT.

following the new parameters were subject to a marking penalty and were not considered for exhibition as they were in breach of the Board of Studies rules.

So what advice can we give students – While any change is always viewed stick to the parameters, be selective in what you include to show process and with some caution, this should be real design development and foster the considered carefully particularly in use of 3D communication wherever DT, where folios were becoming inpossible in the design/testing/ creasingly longer. Some students development of projects. Material believed that they needed to probased 3D modelling or proto-typing duce more volume than the previmust be stressed as an essential comous cohort in order to achieve better munication media. To view the paramemarks. The result was frequently ters go to the Reporting and Assessing padding, and irrelevant or unneces- Document on the DT and IT BOS site under HSC Syllabuses. sary research and testing that did

Encourage your students to use NSW HSC online. http:// www.hsc.csu. edu.au/ This is a joint venture between Charles Sturt University and the Department of Education & Communities.

not contribute to meaningful design For more information, click here. modification or development. The changes were generally well received and the new rules adhered to by the majority of students. It should be noted that projects not 3 Š State of NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

Competitions

AUSTRALIAN RECYCLED CARDBOARD ARC NATIONAL SCHOOL COMPETITION

http://www.arc.org.au/?page_id=3 Entries close 14 September 2012

UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG YEAR 11 AND YEAR 12 ENGINEERING STUDIES COMPETITION

http://www.uow.edu.au/eng/highschoolcompetition/index.html Entries close 14 September 2012

UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG YEAR 11 AND YEAR 12 DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY COMPETITION www.uow.edu.au/eng/highschoolcompetition Entries close 14 September 2012

The non- DEC products and events listed in this eNews are to be used at the reader’s discretion. The inclusion of product and event information is not an endorsement by the DEC.

© State of NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

Australian Curriculum

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Board of Studies syllabus

Which one will we use?

In NSW the Education Act of 1990 states that, “Any syllabus developed or endorsed by the Board for a particular course of study is to indicate the aims, objectives and desired outcomes in terms of knowledge and skills that should be acquired by children at various levels of achievement by the end of specified stages in the course, and any practical experience that children should acquire by the end of any such stage.”

As the Australian curriculum does not state aims, objectives and outcomes, the NSW Board of Studies will produce syllabus documents for use in NSW even when there is an Australian National Curriculum.

The Board of Studies is continuing the development of the K –10 syllabus for Science (incorporating Science and Technology K-6). Reference is made throughout the draft syllabus to the Australian National Curriculum.

© State of NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

Spacewise

Better public places and spaces Learning Resource Spacewise is an online learning resource to support Built Environment Education in stage 4. The materials are tailored to support teaching that meets the requirements of the NSW Years 7 - 8 Technology (Mandatory) syllabus.

It is accompanied by a comprehensive teacher resource package For more information click here A stage 3 resource will be available in Term 3

Sandra McKee

Tanya Coli

Senior Curriculum Support Officer, Technologies K-12 NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre 3a Smalls Road Ryde, 2112 T: (02) 98867652 F: (02) 98867163 www.clic.det.nsw.edu.au

Senior Curriculum Support Officer, Technologies K– 12 NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre 3a Smalls Road Ryde, 2112 T: (02) 9886 7652 F: (02) 98867154 www.clic.det.nsw.edu.au

Š State of NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre NSW, Department of Education and Communities, 2012, NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre