Digital technologies / Year 5 and 6 / Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

Examine the main components of common digital systems and how they may connect together to form networks to transmit data (ACTDIK014)

Elaborations
  • describing digital systems as having internal and external components that perform different functions, for example external components for inputting data including keyboard, microphone, stylus; internal processing components including the central processing unit; external output components including speakers, projector, screen; and data and information storage components including cloud and external devices
  • explaining how data may be transmitted between two digital systems in different ways, for example that wires or cables are used in wired networks to transfer data from one digital system to another, and radio waves are used to transmit data in wireless or mobile networks
  • investigating how the internal and external components of digital systems are coordinated to handle data, for example how a keyboard, central processing unit and screen work together to accept, manipulate and present data and information
  • investigating how emerging digital systems work, for example using an augmented reality app (or blended reality) and considering how images of real-world objects can be blended with computer-generated information to produce a virtual reality
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Software,  User interfaces,  Computers,  Internet

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Mossman State School – Final report

This report provides details of Mossman State School's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project, including a Research question, criteria for success, data collection, resources, challenges, milestones and next steps.

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Newsletter – December 2020

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about schools' projects, assessment tasks, the Australian Curriculum, useful links, and resources.

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Newsletter – December 2018

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about schools projects, the Australian Curriculum, and useful resources.

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Mossman State School – Project proposal

This PDF outlines Mossman State School's proposal to participate in the Digital Technologies in Focus project.

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St James Catholic College – PL ecosystem

This document illustrates the network of people and resources that make up St James Catholic College's Professional Learning ecosystem.

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Expert webinar video: Dr Karen Joyce: Map my school

Dr Karen Joyce from STEM education provider She Maps discusses geospatial mapping and methods for teaching underpinning concepts to primary, secondary and tertiary students. Her presentation provides opportunities to think about how we might teach digital systems, data collection and interpretation to our students in context.

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Supporting the Implementation of Digital Technologies in Disadvantaged Schools: Case study of impact, outcomes and sustainability (2020)

This PDF is an extensive report on the success of the Digital Technologies in Focus (DTiF) project, with a focus on supporting the Implementation of Digital Technologies in disadvantaged schools. The evaluation gathered qualitative data to create rich case study accounts of six schools' engagement in the project and its ...

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Newsletters

This webpage features newsletters from the Digital Technologies in Focus project. The newsletters include information about schools' projects, assessment tasks, the Australian Curriculum and resources.

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Newsletter – October 2019

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about schools' projects, visual programming, the Australian Curriculum, and useful resources.

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Planning an action research project to facilitate implementation of Digital Technologies

This document includes ideas for planning and developing action research projects to facilitate implementation of digital technologies.

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Booth Sweeney review: Systems literacy

This article explores how children’s innate understanding of systems can be developed through deliberate educational programs that support systems thinking. This can happen by encouraging students to identify patterns, consequences and feedback (loops) associated with social, environmental and economic problems; and by ...

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Expert webinar video: Dr Rebecca Vivian - The CSER Digital Technologies Education Program

Dr Rebecca Vivian provides an overview of the CSER Digital Technologies Education Project from The University of Adelaide. The project includes free professional learning, a digital equipment lending library and a range of resources designed to support teachers in the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Digital ...

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Casino West Public School reflects on learning during the DTiF project

In this audio file teachers from Casino West PS share their experiences in developing a Digital Technologies program in the school, They chose to focus on creative and critical thinking.

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Newsletter – December 2019

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about schools' projects, information for parents and teachers, the Australian Curriculum, and useful resources.

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Newsletter – December 2017

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about schools' projects, the Australian Curriculum and useful resources.

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Bethany Christian School

Bethany Christian School is an independent school just north of Adelaide located in Paralowie, South Australia on the Traditional Lands of the Kaurna People. It is an F-6 school, with 543 students, and of those, approximately 48% are EAL/D. Steve Grant is the curriculum officer who works with the school to support implementation ...

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Books for exploring Digital Technologies concepts

This PDF provides a list of suggested books or similar that identify and discuss key concepts, key ideas and related ways of thinking about Digital Technologies.

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A–Z Digital Technologies vocabulary F–6

This PDF assists teachers in thinking about when and how to introduce Digital Technologies discipline-specific vocabulary.

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ICT Proficiency Teacher self-assessment matrix

These matrices allow teachers to self-assess their ICT Capability and Digital Technologies proficiency. They include a notes section for teachers to plan future professional learning.

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Curzon & Bell et al. review: Computational thinking

This article explores the concept of computational thinking within computer science learning and in relation to other learning areas. The authors assert that because of its focus on analysis, computational thinking is not only suitable for computation but also the development of systems-based on computation.