SCSA's WA curriculum differs slightly from ACARA's and the new Digital Technologies subject warrants examination. With a secondary focus on coding and computational thinking, this slideshow was used at WA schools to assist in unpacking these components.

1. Coding and the
Digital Technologies
Curriculum Jemima Saunders
Digital Learning Consultant
@mimasaunders

2. Session Structure
Part 1
Theory and Pedagogy
12:30 - 1:30
Part 2
Classroom Practice
1:45 - 3:30

3. Part 1: Theory and Pedagogy
● Examine Digital Technologies Curriculum
● ICT General Capability & DT Learning Area
● Three types of thinking
● Computational thinking exercise
● Planning and Assessment

4. “Digital Technologies, in which
students use computational
thinking and information systems
to define, design and implement
solutions”
SCSA, Digital Technologies Curriculum - Rationale

5. When you say ‘curriculum’...
School Curriculum &
Standards Authority
Australian Curriculum, Assessment
& Reporting Authority
SCSA
ACARA

6. Learning Area
Subject
Strand
Sub-strand

7. Full implementation required by 2018
Achievement standards displayed
sometime in Sem 2, 2016

8. What about the
ICT General
Capability? Digital Technologies has a
specific curriculum that
includes the
practical application
of the
ICT General Capability.”
(SCSA, K-10 Circular, April 2016)

11. Knowledge &
Understanding
Processes &
Production Skills
Unpacking the strands
THE CONTENT
Focuses on digital information, digital
systems and technologies and digital
technologies in society.
APPLYING THE CONTENT
Focuses on formulating and investigating
problems; analysing and creating digital
solutions; and utilising skills of digital
creativity, innovation and enterprise for
sustainable patterns of living.

12. Digital Systems Representation of Data
Knowledge &
Understanding
THE CONTENT - What are the common themes throughout the content descriptions?

13. Collecting, Managing &
Analysing Data
Digital Implementation
Processes &
Production Skills
Creating Solutions by:
(continued next slide)
APPLYING THE CONTENT - What are the common themes throughout the content descriptions?

14. Investigating & defining
Designing
Creating Solutions By:
Producing & implementing
Evaluating
Collaborating & managing

15. “Creating Solutions By”
“The set of activities undertaken by students to
address specified content,
involving understanding the nature of a problem, situation or need;
creating, designing and producing a solution to the project task
and documenting the process.
Project work has a benefit, purpose and use;
a user or audience who can provide feedback on the success of the solution;
limitations to work within;
and a real‐world technologies context influenced by social, ethical and
environmental issues.
Project management criteria are used to judge a project’s success”
SCSA, Technologies Glossary “Project”

16. PEDAGOGICAL MODEL = Project Based Learning
“The set of activities undertaken by students to
address specified content,
involving understanding the nature of a problem, situation or need;
creating, designing and producing a solution to the project task
and documenting the process.
Project work has a benefit, purpose and use;
a user or audience who can provide feedback on the success of the solution;
limitations to work within;
and a real‐world technologies context influenced by social, ethical and
environmental issues.
Project management criteria are used to judge a project’s success”
SCSA, Technologies Glossary “Project”

18. What are the possible benefits for
students learning
Digital Technologies in Yr 3-6?
(click to type your answer)

21. Design
Thinking
Computational
Thinking
Systems
Thinking

22. Design Thinking
Use of strategies for understanding design problems and opportunities, visualising and generating creative and
innovative ideas, and analysing and evaluating those ideas that best meet the criteria for success and planning.

23. Systems Thinking
A holistic approach to the identification and solving of problems, where parts and components of a system, their
interactions and interrelationships are analysed individually to see how they influence the functioning of the
whole system. This approach enables students to understand systems and work with complexity, uncertainty
and risk.

24. 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.
“Computational thinkers are the creators, designers, and developers of the technology tools
and systems that are now contributing to major advances in almost every field of human
understanding and endeavour”

25. Computational Thinking - what is it?
● Decomposition: Breaking down data, processes, or problems into smaller, manageable parts
● Pattern Recognition: Observing patterns, trends, and regularities in data
● Abstraction: Identifying the general principles that generate these patterns, remove unnecessary
information
● Algorithm Design: Developing the step by step instructions for solving this and similar problems

26. Computational Thinking - looks like...
● Confidence when dealing with complexity
● Persistence when working on difficult or open-ended problems
● Tolerance for ambiguity
● An ability to communicate and collaborate to achieve a common solution

28. Computational Thinking exercise

30. Confidence?
Communication?
Collaboration?
Perseverance?
SKILLS

31. Digital Technologies Curriculum:
Digital Technologies aims to develop the knowledge, understandings and skills to ensure that, individually and
collaboratively, students:
● use computational thinking and the key concepts of abstraction; data collection, representation and
interpretation; specification, algorithms and implementation to create digital solutions
● confidently use digital systems to efficiently and effectively transform data into information and to
creatively communicate ideas in a range of settings
● apply systems thinking to monitor, analyse, predict and shape the interactions within and between
information systems and understand the impact of these systems on individuals, societies, economies and
environments.
The Aims

32. Short break

33. Part 2: Classroom Practice
● Coding: where, why, what, how
● Hopscotch, Scratch/Jr and Coda Game exploration
● Design an activity for your class
● Share your activity
● Goal setting and Plenary

34. “Future Proof”
31:27 → 35:18

35. 50% of the Australian
workforce are in jobs
that will be affected by
automation in the next
10-15 years
More than half of Australian
workers will need to be able
to use, configure or build
digital systems in the next
2-3 years
Source
Digital Literacy

36. Coding
Coding is telling a computer what
you want it to do using
step-by-step commands.
It is programming language.

37. Coding
Creation > Consumption
Stories Animations Games

39. Coding tools
Yr 3 Yr 6

40. Hopscotch

41. Hopscotch
Video TutorialTeacher Resources

42. Hopscotch
Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6
Task:
Can you make an
object become invisible
when a loud sound
occurs?
Task:
Can you code your
sprite to draw two
squares of different
sizes on the screen?
Task:
Can you create code to
draw a rainbow?
Can you make the
rainbow sing?
Task:
Can you code a simple
game based on the
premise of rock, paper,
scissors?

43. Scratch / Jr

44. Scratch Jr (app)
Teacher Resources
Pictures of the Coding Blocks (class display posters)
Collage, Story and Game modules (lesson pdfs)
ScratchJr official guide (sneak peek)
Make a spooky forest
Make the sun set
Make characters greet each other

45. Scratch (website)
Teacher Resources:
Scratch Across the Curriculum
Work Sample ACARA - Yr 5/6 above standard
Step-by-step Scratch Tips and Tutorials
TES Resources, including this graphic →

46. Coda Game

47. Coda Game
Devote time for discovery → sharing
Build knowledge together, create
Try → adjust → re-try → improve → repeat
Formative peer feedback

48. Confidence?
Communication?
Collaboration?
Perseverance?
SKILLS

49. Coding: Lesson plan
1. Identify one content descriptor from your
Year Level that relates to coding e.g.
(transforming data, branching, algorithms,
sequencing etc).
2. Choose one coding tool. Play with it.
3. Consider a pedagogical model suitable to
your class e.g. PBL, inquiry based learning.
4. Design an activity sequence for a lesson
that caters to your nominated curriculum
content utilising a coding tool.

50. Sharing time

51. My Term 3 Goal...

53. Twitter
@mimasaunders
Sincere thanks,
saunders.jemima@cathednet.wa.edu.au
Email