Discussion of the educational philosophies, cultural norms and values implicit in the Australian Digital Technologies and the UK’s Computing Curricula
“There are standards for students, standards for teachers, standards for curriculum content, standards for just about everything that moves” (Eisner, 2000, p. 344). However, from the research, I found that the educational philosophies, cultural norms and values are not explicitly stated in each curriculum. In contrast, they have been developed and supported primarily by various educational agents, such as leading schools, declarations and trusts.
Both countries utilise a holistic approach to learning, which is endorsed by the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians as …show more content…
In the case of Australian context, it should be noted that Australia represents a federation of eight States and Territories and, based on the constitution, they are eligible to design and implement their own curricula. However, in 2008, the Melbourne Declaration announced the development of the common national curriculum to be implemented in the each of the states’ curriculum frameworks (Reynolds & Chambers, 2015). Moreover, the national Australian education policy regarding digital technologies had been very much under the influence by the State Government jurisdictions, leading to the tensions occurred from time to time (White, 2014). Later, the State of Victoria, represented by Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), redeveloped the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) to become AusVELS. The State has its own clarification of the Australian National Curriculum including the subject of Digital Technologies (Reynolds & Chambers, 2015). However, the council of federal, state and territory education ministers was not clear about the latest version of the Digital Technologies curriculum; therefore, the Federal Government’s review suggested to cancel the implementation of the Digital Technologies subject completely or make it an elective subject from Year 9 only. Finally, despite political tensions, the State of Victoria …show more content…
Firstly, Digital Technologies and Computing are relatively new subjects; therefore, they do not have the pedagogic culture comparable to Maths or Science, for example (Zagami, 2015). Consequently, as I mentioned in the report earlier, teachers and educators have approached new curricula cautiously. In most cases, it is because the Government bodies did not provide them with sufficient relevant resources and help before the actual implementation time (Vaughan, 2014). Nevertheless, it is clear that the usage of technologies in schools has been completely reconsidered in the new curricula so that to eliminate the previous ICT curriculum failures when students did not use computers at school in a way they did it at home (Paula et al., 2014). I do agree with Eisner (2000) who points out that “The aim of schooling is not primarily to do well in school but to learn in school those skills, dispositions and ideas that will enrich one’s life outside school” (p.
“There are standards for students, standards for teachers, standards for curriculum content, standards for just about everything that moves” (Eisner, 2000, p. 344). However, from the research, I found that the educational philosophies, cultural norms and values are not explicitly stated in each curriculum. In contrast, they have been developed and supported primarily by various educational agents, such as leading schools, declarations and trusts.
Both countries utilise a holistic approach to learning, which is endorsed by the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians as …show more content…
In the case of Australian context, it should be noted that Australia represents a federation of eight States and Territories and, based on the constitution, they are eligible to design and implement their own curricula. However, in 2008, the Melbourne Declaration announced the development of the common national curriculum to be implemented in the each of the states’ curriculum frameworks (Reynolds & Chambers, 2015). Moreover, the national Australian education policy regarding digital technologies had been very much under the influence by the State Government jurisdictions, leading to the tensions occurred from time to time (White, 2014). Later, the State of Victoria, represented by Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), redeveloped the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) to become AusVELS. The State has its own clarification of the Australian National Curriculum including the subject of Digital Technologies (Reynolds & Chambers, 2015). However, the council of federal, state and territory education ministers was not clear about the latest version of the Digital Technologies curriculum; therefore, the Federal Government’s review suggested to cancel the implementation of the Digital Technologies subject completely or make it an elective subject from Year 9 only. Finally, despite political tensions, the State of Victoria …show more content…
Firstly, Digital Technologies and Computing are relatively new subjects; therefore, they do not have the pedagogic culture comparable to Maths or Science, for example (Zagami, 2015). Consequently, as I mentioned in the report earlier, teachers and educators have approached new curricula cautiously. In most cases, it is because the Government bodies did not provide them with sufficient relevant resources and help before the actual implementation time (Vaughan, 2014). Nevertheless, it is clear that the usage of technologies in schools has been completely reconsidered in the new curricula so that to eliminate the previous ICT curriculum failures when students did not use computers at school in a way they did it at home (Paula et al., 2014). I do agree with Eisner (2000) who points out that “The aim of schooling is not primarily to do well in school but to learn in school those skills, dispositions and ideas that will enrich one’s life outside school” (p.