>Providing A Foundation For Learning

In 2020, DigiTech was introduced as part of the 'Tech and Arts' rotation at my school that covers six weeks. I used these lessons as the main programme for both Y7 and Y8.

In 2021, these sessions have developed as a foundation for all of the students to follow their own passion throughout the curriculum areas. The lessons on offer are one hour in duration. The Year 7 students at my school completed a ten-week programme in Term 1. The Year 8 students have had the option to develop their learning for the year based on their prior knowledge. Details of this can be found in 'Looking Back At 2021?'

How DTHM fits in with the Technology learning area in the New Zealand Curriculum

Digital Technologies is now an established subject and is part of the revised technology learning area, not a separate area.

There are five areas within the Technology learning area. These are:

• Computational thinking for digital technologies
• Designing and developing digital outcomes
• Designing and developing materials outcomes
• Designing and developing processed outcomes
• Design and visual communication

http://technology.tki.org.nz/Technology-in-the-NZC/Digital-technologies-support/DT-questions-and-answers

Two of the five areas of the Technology curriculum, Computational Thinking (CT) and Designing and Developing Digital Outcomes (DDDO), focus on developing the students’ capability to create digital technologies for specific purposes. It is intended that these two areas significantly contribute to the students developing the knowledge and skills they need as digital citizens and as users of digital technologies across the curriculum. They also provide opportunities to further develop their own key competencies.