Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2013

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Future–focused digital agility

ARTICLE

MR BRENDON THOMAS, CO–DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY STUDIES FACULTY

AUTHOR

AS THE BORDERLESS DIGITAL economy expands exponentially, teachers must deliver information and communication technology education for our students’ future careers. Keeping a firm grasp on their learning needs requires ongoing strategic thinking and collaboration with business to imagine future professions far beyond a linear classroom textbook. In February this year the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) released the latest Technologies draft curriculum for Foundation to Year 10. The rationale mentions Australia’s need for enterprising individuals who can make discerning decisions about the development and use of technologies (ACARA, 2013). Integrating enterprise into the curriculum goes far beyond teaching technology fundamentals, challenging teachers to explore and implement innovative future thinking and learning processes for students. So how can we teach enterprise through the development and use of technologies? One strategy is to network and connect closely with business role models who deal with constant structural and borderless digital economic change. For several years the Technology Studies Faculty has utilised and integrated streams of lecture series from professionals to invigorate and authenticate technology enterprise in classroom learning. Inviting professionals, and also tertiary scholars, into the learning environment allows teachers and students a far greater insight into understanding the systems thinking, project management and, most importantly, creative processes that business

go through daily in order to compete globally in a digitised world. With the advent of mobile devices comes the need to be responsive to changes in how we approach the teaching of design theory for associated technology contexts, such as website design. The Information Technology Systems course of study for Year 11 focuses on five main technology contexts: a client marketing campaign, graphic design theory for website design, website design and development, motion graphics, and mobile applications. During Term I Year 11 students studying Graphic Design Theory for Website Design investigated principles and methods employed for design intended for devices other than just a PC screen, such as tablets, smart phones and gaming consoles. Working with real business clients, Year 11 students carry out an authentic website design and development process, including establishing an internet domain name, registration, hosting and management, search engine optimisation and providing online analytics. To reaffirm the need to be responsive to the current state of the World Wide Web, Belinda Vesey-Brown, managing director of Brio Group, presented a guest lecture to Year 11 technology students in Term I, outlining her career challenges and highlights in building an integrated design and communications agency in Brisbane over the last eleven years. Ms Vesey-Brown discussed the rapid changes in how different generations are communicating with each other, and led an interesting discussion on

creative design and digital thinking processes associated with delivering print and online communication. The School’s interest in networking and connecting with industry professionals provides opportunities for students to move from creative insight and directed interest through to consolidated knowledge, understanding and skills.

REFERENCES Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2013, February). Draft Australian curriculum: Technologies . Retrieved from http://www. acara.edu.au/technologies.html

IMAGE

Year 11 ITS students (L–R): Britney Nash and Marayka Chen (alumnae 2010).

GRAMMAR GAZETTE