In Australia, the ICT Capabilities were released prior to the Digital Technologies curriculum. Many teachers are confused by the purpose of the Digital Technologies subject area and how it differs to the ICT Capabilities. In this blog entry, I will discuss the aims of both and what makes them different. The ICT Capabilities
Some content descriptors explicitly identify the inclusion of technology as essential, as can be seen in the Year 2 English example below. Other content descriptors identify the role of ICT as a potential way to enrich the content descriptor. An example of this is the example from Year 5 Science. Additionally, ICT presents a natural partner in the collection and representation of data in Mathematics. An example of this is also pictured below. The Digital Technologies
The DifferenceDigital Technologies is the natural home for the ICT Capability BUT it is important to understand that the content area deals with the deeper concepts of technology. The ICT Capabilities are about using and working with technology, while the Digital Technologies is about understanding technology and developing a particular way of thinking. The common misconception is that the Digital Technologies curriculum replaces the need for teachers to try and integrate technology into their classrooms. I would argue that it in fact will drive the role of technology in the classroom to new heights as our students become increasingly skilled and knowledgeable. The Digital Technologies Hub is a fantastic resource for teachers getting started with the Digital Technologies subject. They have produced an excellent poster (shown below), which you can download here. It provides a clear comparison of the ICT Capabilities and the Digital Technologies subject area.
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