Megan Hooper Assignment 1

Assignment Coversheet
Family Name/Surname: HOOPER First Names: MEGAN

Student Number (must commence with 00): 0061021386

Postal Address: PO BOX 36

City/Suburb: QUILPIE
Post Code: 4480

State: QLD
Country: Australia

Faculty of Education
University of Southern Queensland

Course Number: EDP4130 Course Name: Technology Curriculum and

Pedagogy
Assignment Description/Number: ASSIGNMENT 1
Faculty: Education
Date Uploaded: 16.10.17 Assignment Due Date: 16.10.17
Have you sent this assignment any other way (e.g. mail, email, fax): No
Declaration: By submitting this assignment I declare that:
No part of this assignment has been copied from any other persons work except where
due acknowledgement is made in the text, and
No part of this assignment has been written for me by any other person except where such
collaboration has been authorised by the examiner concerned.
I hold a copy of this assignment which I can produce if the original is lost or damaged.

Name: Megan Hooper Date: 16.10.17

N.B.
An examiner has and may exercise the right not to mark this assignment without the
above declaration.
If the above declaration is found to be false, action will be taken in accordance with USQ
regulations.
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Megan Hooper Assignment 1

Assignment 1
Digital solution, reviews, & report
Megan Hooper
University of Southern Queensland

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Megan Hooper Assignment 1

Adaptation

Digital solution link:

http://mhooperdigitalsolution.weebly.com

Sample adaptation link:

Adapted from TeachersPayTeachers (2017) but placed onto my digital solution
Access here: https://mhooperdigitalsolution.weebly.com/assignment.html

I have chosen to adapt the digital solution Code-a-pillar (2016) to be used within the Design
Technologies process and production skills Learning Area of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies. The
following information will endeavour to explain how this resource would be deemed suitable and how it would
be delivered to Follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to
solve simple problems (ACTDIP004) (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA],
2017) through experimenting with very simple, step-by-step procedures to explore programmable devices, for
example providing instructions to physical or virtual objects or robotic devices to move in an intended manner,
such as following a path around the classroom (ACARA, 2017).
As a whole class students in the Year 2 classroom have decided that they want to utilise the Code-a-
pillar to extend their problem-solving skills, develop sequence planning, directional language and extend their
ability to critically think. They believe that utilising the digital solution they will be independently helping to
develop their mathematical skills. This is because students have just started to make the link between
coding/programming and maths equations. Students would utilise their basic maths knowledge and will apply it
to the Code-a-pillar to design a mathematical rotation activity where the Code-a-pillar would need to be
programmed by the students and would follow simple step-by-step codes/directions to reach the next group
where students would need to answer a mathematical question before being able to program the Code-a-pillar
again and it being instructed onto the next group.

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Evidence of Peer Reviews

Peer review 1: Sam Forbes

What a great interactive, functional, engaging Wix website you have created. In alignment with the
task, you have chosen resources that all look appropriate and applicable to the task. Furthermore, you have
provided the viewer with a very functional, user-friendly site. This has been achieved in a number of ways. For
example, the hyperlinking of these images to the resources primary sources. This allows the viewer to simply
click on the image and they are taken directly there. I utilised this tool on the Year three/four page on the
design and technology activity when looking at the Egg drop challenge. Also, the layout throughout has two
clear distinct columns where the curriculum headings are appropriately allocated. Further to this, it is a
testament to you for incorporating a little blurb about each particular year level and their Technology
Curriculum Level Descriptions (ACARA, 2017). This allows the viewer to clearly understand why particular
resources were selected. The only two polishers or suggestions that I can put forward is to perhaps reference
where you have sourced your primary resources from and if you endeavoured to seek further professional
networking by using a comment box, contact page or blog. By incorporating this type of communication, you
may be able to promote your peer engagement and professional networking through pedagogical ideas,
resources and interests being shared (Standard 7.4) (AITSL, 2011). Well done on your vigilance towards this
task, your digital solution will be surely deemed to be valuable towards your future teaching resources.

Peer review 2: Tracie Morrison

The digital solution you have created is fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed viewing it. The choice of
resources highly aligns with the task, where applicable digital sources have been chosen and utilised. The
resources you have chosen are age appropriate and organised well throughout your page. This demonstrates
that you are following the Standard 2.2 (AITSL, 2017), particularly in the foundation year, where all resources
are age appropriate and will be highly user friendly for the students. In conjunction with your attention to detail,
you have taken into consideration the primary sources of each image, allowing the viewer to simply click and
be taken to the resource, this is a highly commendable addition. It is also noteworthy that you have put aside
considerable time and effort to the layout, the blurbs and reviews provided for each resource. Not only does
this provide the viewer with a quick understanding of each resource, it allows them to decide whether it is
applicable to the curriculum area being taught at the time. Further to this, you have also applied and included
the content descriptors (ACARA, 2017) and how you believe each resource aligns with the Australia
Curriculum: Technology strand. I also would like to briefly touch on how you have engaged and incorporated
Standard 7 with the inclusion of a forum and blog section (AITSL, 2017). The only polisher I feel like I can
provide is to put a Home page link on each page or in your header. I personally found myself looking to

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return to your Home page and I was not able to do this. Well done this digital solution shows your diligence to
detail.

Peer review 3: Jessica Smith

Similar to others on this forum I had never heard of Padlet before and was apprehensive about what I
would find. Despite this, I was pleasantly surprised by the layout, functionality and how you have embraced
and utilised this digital solution quite well. I particularly liked the functionality of it; one page with all the
information throughout. It is noteworthy that you have gone to such efforts to include a variety of Australian
Curriculum Technology aspects (ACARA, 2017) throughout your entire digital solution. I would also like to
bring your attention to the fact you have taken into consideration Standard 4, particular 4.4 and 4.5 (AITSL,
2017). This I feel is up most important when teaching students about technology. There is an extremely large
virtual world out there and you have utilised your time in finding resources that take into consideration this
standard of teaching. Well done, your digital solution is highly commendable and shows that it can be and will
be used to utilise additional Australian Curriculum teaching strands in a professional manner now and into your
future teaching (Standard 7) (ACARA, 2017) (AITSL, 2017).

Peer review 4: Karen Davis

When becoming an educator, I believe it is vital to be professional, fun and interactive. By viewing and
interacting with your digital solution is anything to go by, I believe you are going to make an educator who is
very organised, visually proactive and in control of the content in which you are teaching. Karen, your digital
solution is great! Declaring the intent of your digital solution upfront, allowed the viewer to initiate where the
content would be directed. Additionally, to navigate throughout your site was an absolute breeze, headings
were substantial in sizing, clear and organised appropriately. Furthermore, I have no doubt in my mind that
your chosen digital solution platform will continue to benefit you now and into the future when downloading,
adding and catering for future Australian Curriculum content, resources, and storage (ACARA, 2017).
Furthermore, I particularly liked how you have included and incorporated Standard 7 of Australian Institute for
Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) through incorporating an interactive forum on your page. This shows
that you are willing to learn and incorporate others upon a professional level, which will not only benefit you but
also others with the utilising of resources and information. The only polisher I can suggest is that at the time of
providing my review your forum page would not work. I suggest you maybe look at this before submitting your
assignment. In other respects, well done on creating a great digital solution.

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Peer review 5: Brooke Theobald

Brooke, thank you for letting me review your digital solution. I highly commend you firstly for thinking
outside of the box and utilising a digital solution that I already utilise all the time. Pinterest is one of my first go
to websites when looking for help or teaching a new idea. I think it was a great idea to utilise it, well done! I
particular like when using this program people like myself and other educators have the option to follow, pin or
comment on your boards. This shows your initiative to engage in professional discussions, aimed at
developing ones professional knowledge and practice (Standard 6.3) (AITSL, 2017). Furthermore, by
engaging in such discussions and interactions you are showing that you understand the importance of
collaborating with external professionals to improve teaching and learning (Standard 7.4) (AITSL, 2017).
My only polisher I can suggest or perhaps my concern is the possible copyright of the true primary
holders of the resources. How do you overcome making sure that these people resources have been
referenced in the right way? I know you are taken directly to their page when you click. However, is this
enough? Once again, it is highly commendable that you have thought out of the square and used Pinterest as
your digital solution. Thank you for letting me review it.

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Megan Hooper Assignment 1

The report

Over the last semester, myself and a number of other students have created a digital solution that helps cater
for the continuous advancing and changing Australian Curriculum. Students in EDP4130 were required to
create an interactive resource that was adapted for use with the two distinct Australian Curriculum: Technology
subjects. The two technology related subjects are: Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies. The
purpose of the resource is for it to act as an interactive storage site where technology curriculum ideas could
be sourced and act as a pedagogical tool for the students future teaching occupations.
For the purpose of this report, my digital solution was created using Weebly. Weebly (2017) is a free
website generated on the Internet. By utilising this source, I was able to create a digital solution, that was
simplistic, functional, user-friendly, provides flexible access for storing and an educational tool that would help
not only me, but my fellow peers now and into our future teaching degrees to access technology curriculum
resources with just a simple click of a button.
When developing this resource tool for educators substantial time was put aside to make sure that the
best possible technology devices and resources were being chosen and utilised. So, not only would this save
time for the educators ever-increasing workload, but ultimately provide students within the classroom with the
best possible opportunities to use technologies that create innovative solutions, through independent and
collaborative learning that help develop knowledge, understanding and skills to respond creatively to current
and future needs of the ever changing 21st century technologies. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and
Reporting Authority (ACARA) support this approach by stating all young Australians should develop a capacity
for action and a critical appreciation of the processes through which technologies are developed and how
technologies can contribute to societies (ACARA, 2017). The resources provided on the digital solution give
students opportunities to consider the use and impact of technological solutions on equity, ethics, personal
and social values (ACARA, 2017). Furthermore, they let students create solutions, as well as responding to the
designed world, they consider desirable sustainable patterns of living, and contribute to preferred futures for
themselves and others. Inarguably the digital solution created aligns with the Australian Curriculum:
Technologies, and has provided an interactive, authentic learning tool for teachers and extensive learning
opportunities for students (ACARA, 2017).
By being involved in this project I have been able to deepen my technology curriculum knowledge,
obtain professional experience in a number of ways and ultimately develop a pedagogical tool. Since
technology is one of the newest additions to the Australian curriculum it was pivotal that preservice teachers
began engaging with it now, instead of when in the classroom for the first time. Through the course content, a
number of activities were created to promote involvement and better understanding about the technology
curriculum, in particular, the peer review activity. By incorporating and learning through peer reviews, the

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Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) acknowledges that pre-service teachers are
beginning to participate with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, especially, Standard 6:
Engage in professional learning, and Standard 7: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and
the community (AITSL, 2017). EDP4130 students were not only acknowledging these standards, they were
also able to use and engage with these standards, by applying them to their peer reviews and digital solutions.
The reviews conducted by fellow peers acknowledged where another student had utilised these standards,
applied relevant information, sourced appropriate resources and provided further assistance; be it a format of
a blog, contact details or so forth, all of which were all conducted in a professional manner via the study desk
forum.
In my reviews, it was obvious that other students also agreed that I had resourced appropriate
resources to help teach Australian Curriculum: Technologies. However, in a professional manner, the same
students provided me with excellent suggestions on how to improve my website. Such example of
improvement was put forward by Tracie Morrison (2017) who recommended that I should consider including
an approval process for content posted by others. Whilst, Samantha Forbes (2017) encouragingly commented
that my digital solution was easily accessible from many platforms and allows for an aesthetically pleasing
browse through the resources chosen. This type of professional engagement with others allowed me to reflect
on my design making adjustments where required, revisit the course content and learnings and ultimately
enhancing my ability to locate beneficial, educational resources to teach a particular content through the help
and guidance of professional, educational peer reviews.
This project also professionally developed my key understandings about the Australian Curriculum:
Technologies and how by promoting learning environments that incorporate technology-rich lessons and
resources our classrooms and students will develop creativity, innovativeness, and capability for self-directed
lifelong learning (Moyle, 2010). All of which, are promoting students who are becoming active agents in the
construction of their own knowledge, rather than passive recipients of that knowledge from teachers (Moyle,
2010).
In conclusion, this project extended my own teaching practices, professional engagement and how to
actively network on a professional level with peers. At the same time developing fundamental links between
my knowledge about innovative technology resources and learning how to provide opportunities for
educational practices to be reconceptualised to cater for the use with Australian curriculum: Technologies in
an ever-changing, technology advancing 21st century (Moyle, 2010). Where classrooms and teachers are
ultimately helping teach students to become creative, productive, resourceful users of technology.

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