New Zealand’s Ministry of Education has welcomed a new report by the Education Review Office (ERO) that provides a range of perspectives on the schools’ approaches to implementing the new digital technologies curriculum content.
About the Initiative
According to a recent press release, Deputy Secretary, Early Learning and Student Achievement, Ellen MacGregor-Reid explained that the report provides information that will help the Ministry plan and implement the curriculum content effectively.
This is important particularly since all schools and kura (a school where lessons are conducted in Māori) are expected to be teaching the Digital Technologies and Hangarau Matihiko curriculum content from this year.
The Ministry has commissioned for the report, which is called “On your marks…get set…go! A tale of six schools and the Digital Technologies Curriculum content”.
It contains profiling of the different stages of readiness and approaches to implementing the curriculum content.
It also highlights the enablers and barriers that the schools faced such as how leadership is critical to supporting change.
Background
The new Digital Technologies and Hangarau Matihiko learning were introduced into the national curriculum in 2017 and now is the time for students in all schools and kura to benefit from this.
On top of being literate, numerate, problem-solvers, and critical thinkers, it should be guaranteed that the young people are digitally capable when they leave school.
In today’s fast-evolving digital world, young people need to have the knowledge and skills to design and develop new digital technologies in order to achieve specific tasks or solve problems.
Students should be taught to transform from simply being users and consumers of digital technologies to building their skills and capabilities to become technology creators and design thinkers.
Steps Done
The Ministry of Education has developed a rich kete (basket or group) of professional supports for leaders and educators.
This includes the National Digital Readiness programme | Kia Takatū ā-Matihiko to ensure teachers are ready to teach the new content.
The Ministry has also utilised the findings from the ERO report to develop a new resource that provides a model process of steps for schools to follow in implementing the digital technologies curriculum content.
The Tools
The Digital Technologies Implementation Support Tool, which is the new resource for schools implementing the New Zealand Curriculum revised content is now available here.
The tool gives a model process and plans to support schools with teaching the revised technology learning area.
It was made for school leaders, school teams, clusters of schools, and boards of trustees to help with change planning.
Meanwhile, the implementation support resource for kura implementing Te Marautanga o Aotearoa revised content will be available later in the year.
Digitalisation in Education
As digitalisation continues to take the world by storm, countries recognise the need to start teaching digital technology to its citizens via education. OpenGov Asia reported on some of these initiatives.
9,941 lower primary and upper primary schools in Kerala, India had been equipped with hi-tech labs, under a project by the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE).
KITE is a government-run establishment set up to foster, promote, and implement the modernisation of educational institutions in the state.
The project is funded by the Kerala Infrastructure and Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), the apex body for monitoring all government-run projects.
Meanwhile, students from four special needs schools in Singapore are to get digital skills training.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said that the training skills programme is designed to support the learning needs of the students, who are mildly intellectually challenged and for 13 to 20-year olds with an autism spectrum disorder.
They will be taught skills such as:
- How to search for information over the internet
- Make e-payments
- Use e-mail
- Chat online in their daily lessons
