Technology is one of the eight essential curriculum areas of learning. It has so much to offer and it is highly recommended at least one Technology subject is chosen for study at Year 9 and 10! In Technology, students learn to be innovative developers of products and systems and discerning consumers who will make a difference in the world. If you want to know more about why this is an essential area of the New Zealand Curriculum click on this link here - TECHNOLOGY NZC
Technology values critical and creative thinkers and problems solvers. Who can be sure of the world our students will be facing as adults. What issues will they face? What problems will they have to solve in their lives? Technology is about understanding problems, gathering information, using resources, creating, modifying, improving, developing, testing, analysing, evaluating and reviewing.
We develop life long learners who understand the process of making change for the better. Students learn strategies and skills in order to communicate ideas and opinions. Technology strengthens numeracy and literacy in a practical environment. Group work is used to support students learning, encourage understanding and communications and provide opportunities for students to share, explain and justify their own ideas.
Technology, as an essential learning area, has a responsibility to work with all other learning areas, to ensure the intent of the values education section of The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) is mediated into the classroom curriculum.
Technological literacy is at the heart of technology education and is both values laden and values dependent. This means that technological learning experiences can provide a natural and authentic site to embed values education, as the two are mutually enhancing. Examples of how values education intentions can be embedded within technology learning experiences are provided below. These are linked to each of the components of the technology strands.
Written by Dr Vicki Compton
Values are described in The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) as 'deeply held beliefs about what is important or desirable. They are expressed in the ways that people think and act'.
The curriculum suggests that all schools should encourage students to value:
Teachers are encouraged to develop learning experiences that provide students with opportunities to learn about values and develop value-related capabilities.
Learning about values refers to students learning about:
Developing value-related capabilities refers to students developing the ability to: