Hutchins embraces the Australian Curriculum
Following on from last year’s series on our school and its response to the Australian Curriculum previous editions of the Communique have outlined the nature of the Australian Curriculum and the opportunity it provides; its impact on our assessment and reporting practices; the deliberate and planned structural changes in the management of curriculum at Hutchins and the use of ATLAS software to design rich learning experiences to better deliver a quality teaching and learning program for your son.
21st Century Learning with the General Capabilities
Students at Hutchins bring different world views, experiences and abilities to their learning. ‘Specialised’ subject knowledge and skills are detailed in the learning areas, such as English, History, Mathematics and Science. The general capabilities, however, bridge the subject boundaries – they comprise an integrated and interconnected set of knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that students develop and use across the learning experiences we offer at school – in the formal subject curriculum and in co-curricular programs – and in their lives outside school.
The intention and the range of general capabilities are best represented on the website.
The following descriptors are taken from the online advice to schools and the community provided by ACARA:
Literacy is about developing the knowledge, skills and dispositions to interpret and use language confidently for learning and communicating in and out of school and for participating effectively in society.
Numeracy is about developing the knowledge and skills to use Mathematics confidently across all learning areas at school and in their lives more broadly.
The ICT capability is about using ICT effectively and appropriately to access, create and communicate information and ideas, solve problems and work collaboratively in all learning areas at school, and in their lives beyond school.
Critical and creative thinking is about learning to generate and evaluate knowledge, clarify concepts and ideas, seek possibilities, consider alternatives and solve problems.
Personal and social capability is about learning to understand themselves and others, and manage their relationships, lives, work and learning more effectively.
Ethical behaviour is about students building a strong personal and socially oriented outlook that helps them to manage context, conflict and uncertainty and to develop an awareness of the influence that their values and behaviour have on others.
Intercultural connectedness involves students learning about and engaging with diverse cultures in ways that recognise commonalities and differences, create connections with others and cultivate mutual respect.
If you would like to know more about the Australian Curriculum visit the Australian Curriculum website.
Peter Symons
Director of Teaching and Learning