7–8Technology 7–8 Syllabus

The organisation of outcomes and content for Technology 7–8 illustrates the important role of practical experiences and design and production processes in the development of technological knowledge, understanding and skills.

Outcomes and content are organised under focus areas.

Figure 1 shows the organisation of Technology 7–8.

Image long description: The 4 focus areas are identified in the centre of the diagram. They are Digital and communication technologies, Engineering technologies and systems, Food and agricultural practices, and Materials and production processes. A figure-eight loop intersecting the focus areas at the centre is labelled Practical experiences on the left and Design and production processes on the right. A single continuous line is labelled Develop technological knowledge, understanding and skills through design projects, and it encircles all content.

Students with disability can access the syllabus outcomes and content in a range of ways. Decisions regarding curriculum options should be made in the context of collaborative curriculum planning.

Some students with intellectual disability may find the Years 7–10 Life Skills outcomes and content the most appropriate option to follow in Stage 4 and/or Stage 5. Before determining whether a student is eligible to undertake a course based on Life Skills outcomes and content, consideration should be given to other ways of assisting the student to engage with the Stage 4 and/or Stage 5 outcomes, or prior stage outcomes if appropriate. This assistance may include a range of adjustments to teaching, learning and assessment activities.

Life Skills outcomes cannot be taught in combination with other outcomes from the same subject. Teachers select specific Life Skills outcomes to teach based on the needs, strengths, goals, interests and prior learning of each student. Students are required to demonstrate achievement of one or more Life Skills outcomes.

NESA is committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal Communities and supporting teachers, schools and schooling sectors to improve educational outcomes for young people.

It is important to respect appropriate ways of interacting with Aboriginal Communities and Cultural material when teachers plan, program and implement Technology learning experiences that focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Priorities.

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) protocols need to be followed. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ICIP protocols include Cultural Knowledges, Cultural Expression and Cultural Property and documentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Identities and lived experiences. It is important to recognise the diversity and complexity of different Cultural groups in NSW, as protocols may differ between local Aboriginal Communities.

Teachers should work in partnership with Elders, parents, Community members, Cultural Knowledge Holders, or a local, regional or state Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. It is important to respect Elders and the roles of men and women. Local Aboriginal Peoples should be invited to share their Cultural Knowledges with students and staff when engaging with Aboriginal histories and Cultural Practices.

The development of the Technology 7–8 Syllabus follows Recommendation 2: ‘Clarify and strengthen writing content in syllabus documents’ from Teaching writing: report of the thematic review of writing (NESA 2018).

Creating written texts facilitates learning as it promotes explicitness, encourages the integration of ideas, supports reflection, fosters personal engagement and aids learners to think about the significance and implication of ideas. Each subject has particular and specific writing demands relevant for communicating within and about the discipline. Writing about content enhances understanding across subjects and stages.

The secondary curriculum includes:

• systematic development of expectations for creating written texts which align with the English K–10 Syllabus (2022)
• explicit writing content to support students to become fluent creators of texts and to deepen their understanding of the subject area
• opportunities to practise the process of creating written texts to develop and communicate knowledge, understanding and ideas
• a focus on development of word consciousness and precise use of subject-specific terminology.

Creating written texts refers to the act of composing and constructing a text for a particular purpose, audience and context.

Various methods of transcription may be employed, and a student’s preferred communication form(s) should be considered when teaching.

The content groups describe the knowledge and skills students develop to become creative, safe and responsible users of technologies. The practical application of knowledge and skills is embedded in the outcomes and content to support the foundation for learning in technologies through projects.

The amount of content associated with a given outcome is not necessarily indicative of the amount of time spent engaging with the respective outcome. Teachers use formative and summative assessment to determine instructional priorities and the time needed for students to demonstrate expected outcomes.

The content groups describe in more detail how the outcomes are to be interpreted and demonstrated, and the intended learning appropriate for the stage. Teachers may make decisions about the sequence and emphasis to be given to groups of content based on the needs and abilities of their students. Projects may include content points from multiple focus areas or within one focus area.