2.+Curriculum

Curriculum This planning guide aligns with a number of curriculum documents including:
 * 1) Information and Communication Technologies Cross-curriculum priority by the end of year 9. (QSA, 2007a).
 * 2) Technology Essential Learnings by the end of year 9. (QSA, 2007b).
 * 3) English Essential Learnings by the end of year 9. (QSA, 2007c).

1. QSA's **Information and Communication Technologies Cross-curriculim prioty by the end of year 9** states in the **Learning and Assessment Focus** that students live in a technological world where information and communication technologies **(ICTs) are integral to everyday situations**. Students autonomously and routinely use a range of ICT functions and applications. They develop the knowledge, skills and capacity to select and use ICTs to **inquire, develop new understandings, transform information** and **construct new knowledge** for a specific purpose or context. They **communicate** with others in an ethical, safe and responsible manner. They develop understandings of the impact of ICTs on society. Applying ICTs as a tool for learning assists students to become more competent, discriminating, creative and productive users of ICTs. ICTs can be integrated in a variety of ways within and across **all key learning areas** to support thinking, learning, collaboration and communication (QSA, 2007a, 1). 2. QSA's **Technology Essential Learnings by the end of year 9** states in the **Learning and Assessment Focus** that students use their **imagination and creativity** to develop design solutions and make design and production decisions that demonstrate consideration of the context, specifications, constraints and management requirements. When thinking and working technologically, they individually and collaboratively **select tools** and **implement techniques** to **manipulate** and **process**, and **control** and **manage information and materials**. Students select and use a range of **tools and technologies**, including information and communication technologies. They routinely demonstrate an autonomous and purposeful use of ICTs to **inquire, create** and **communicate** within technology contexts. 3. QSA's **English Essential Learnings by the end of year 9** states in the **Learning and Assessment Focus** that students use their imagination and creativity to **interpret and construct English texts** that share their ideas, persuade audiences and address issues and events. They individually and collaboratively interpret and construct texts by **understanding** and **manipulating language elements** to position the audience and suit their subject matter and purpose. They develop an understanding of the interconnectedness between speaking, listening, reading, viewing, writing and designing, and how they see themselves as users of English. In the '**Student Space**' students are required to create a **word cloud using Wordle**, a **flow chart using Gliffy** and **comment on a class blog page using Blogger**. For each of these tasks, the students are in the **development stage**. In class, students have begun to use these ICT tools and are now required to demonstrate their understanding and continue to develop their learning. Each of the **student tasks** outlined in the student space **align appropriately with each of these documents**. For instance, the **first student task**, which requires students to develop their understanding of vivid language by creating a 'word cloud' using 'Wordle', aligns with the **Cross Curriculum Priority document's Creating with ICTs component**, as it will allow students to creatively and effectively document and present their thinking and learning, using a combination of media (QSA, 2007a, 2). It also aligns with the **Technology Essential Learnings document's Ways of Working** as students are able to make products to meet detailed specifications by manipulating or processing resources (QSA, 2007b, 2). The **English Essential Learnings document's Language Elements component** involves students in constructing texts by manipulating vocabulary, audio and visual elements, in print-based and electronic modes (QSA, 2007c, 4). The **second student** task aims to develop students understanding of narrative structure by creating a flow chart using 'Gliffy'. This learning activity involves students in classifying, organising, analysing and interpreting data and information from a variety of sources to respond to inquiries, and therefore aligns with the **Cross Curriculum Priority document's Inquiring with ICTs component** (QSA, 2007a, 1). The **Ways of Working component of the Technology Essential Learnings** document also aligns with this learning activity as it allows students to select resources, techniques and tools to make products that meet detailed specifications (QSA, 2007b, 2). The **English Essential Learnings document's Ways of Working component** states that students are able to identify main ideas and the sequence of events, make inferences and draw conclusions based on their understanding of the reliability of ideas and information across texts (QSA, 2007c, 2). The **third student task** requires students to create a simile and, after creating a blog account using blogger, post it as a comment on the class blog site. This aligns with the **Cross Curriculum Priority document's communicating with ICTs component**, as through this learning activity students will collaborate, exchange ideas, distribute information, present critical opinions, problem solve and interpret messages (QSA, 2007, 2a). The **Technology Essential Learnings document's Ways of Working** component states that students are able to generate and evaluate design ideas and communicate research (QSA, 2007b, 2). The **English Essential Learnings document's Writing and Designing component** states that words and phrases, symbols, images and audio affect meaning to influence an audience (QSA, 2007, 3).