The first opportunity

At the school I currently work at the teaching and learning of digital technologies is the shared - all teachers are responsible for delivering various aspects. Until 2022 we did not have a guide aside from the Vic Curriculum documents to help us work out who does what and where. Thus we had the opportunity to create a document that did not lock in who was doing what, rather by the end of each stage what a students should be able to to do. This became our digital skills continuum and as staff read up and down they could see where students had come from and where they were going in terms of digital competencies and literacies.  This then informed the professional learning and support we provided to staff to enable our young people to be well equipped for their future.  

Snapshot of the continuum divided into essential skills and expected competencies according to Year level.  

The next opportunity

When exploring this many teachers realised that whilst they may be coding in their classes ( a mandate for all classes at the school) and using devices, perhaps they were not using technology creatively or in a way that taught some of the skills students were expected to have. Thus the creative curriculum project started. Working with primary Year level teams we worked with staff to enrich the curriculum with technology that challenged how knowledge was being shown.  This collaboration with classroom teachers in the position of experts - of both the curriculum and the class dynamics and the elearning staff as the innovators and enablers for growth and exploration using digital technology proved to be a highly successful opportunity to change the way we work.  See some samples below of how this change looked for students. 

Year 2 Tinkercad activities used to connect Maths, Reading and General Studies units - led by Year 5 experts trained in Tinkercad and 3D printing over a series of lunchtimes to help support staff onsite 

Year 1 Tinkercad activity accessed using QR codes arranged around the learning space that when visited activate the next stage of the learning through videos like this one 

Year 10 PE elective - based on the Respectful Relationships curriculum, this coding activity uses Scratch to discuss changes in time to gender roles in sport