ICT
Digital Literacy | Design & Technology | Digital Technology!
Hi, I’m Sally Ericksen, the Technologies Teacher at St Joseph the Worker for 2025.
Some of you know me from teaching SLA previously. In 2025, I’m focusing on teaching the Technologies and Digital Literacy curriculum across our school. Our students are learning to become safer global digital citizens while learning fundamental digital literacy skills which will serve them for life. Along the way, students enjoy exploring hands on learning opportunities while exercising an inquiring mind to problem solve and find real world solutions with technologies.
At St Joseph the Worker, students have the opportunity to learn about digital literacy, design and technology and digital technology. They also experience these skills supported by our well-resourced collection of Sphero robotic devices, codable Lego, Makey Makey circuits, Make-do cardboard construction creatives and a range of freely accessible online applications for digital technology learning such as scratch, pixel art animation, video, stop motion, green screens, Canva and the suite of Microsoft applications for publishing and producing work.
Thanks to the generosity of SJW Parents & Friends fundraising, students have access to hands on resources for use across the F-6 curriculum. This is appreciated by all teachers and students. Thank you.
Before further mention, let’s clarify some fundamental terms.
Digital Literacy involves students critically identifying and appropriately selecting and using digital devices or systems. They learn about making the most of the technologies available to them at any point in time. Students adapt to new ways of learning and creating as technologies evolve each year. They continue to learn to protect the safety of themselves and others in digital environments.
In Design and Technologies, students use design thinking methods and technology resources to generate and produce designed solutions such as improving a sustainable, engineering or health solution.
In Digital Technologies, students use computational thinking and information systems to analyse, design and develop digital solutions such as a digital application for a robotic or other codable device.
Last year, our Level 1 / 2 were introduced to Scratch block coding, making simple animated stories using sound and movement blocks. Level 3-6 students became Tesla computer engineers and learned to block code the sphero robotic device, controlling them remotely with block code, creating defined routes to follow which simulates the function of a smart car.
Furthermore, 5/6 were introduced to the ‘Makey Makey’ a peripheral codable device used to create a game controller which they connected successfully to a scratch game to play. Students used conductive materials and connected alligator wires to their game controller to create a closed circuit as seen below.
In Discovery, Rosa extended learning by integrating Sphero robotic coding with mathematical measurement concepts! Students loved the applied mathematical learning. Students recorded data including time, distance and speed to write successful code and achieve set goals.
Early in Term 1 2025 - so far!
Level 1/2 have had their first of a series of online digital safety immersion incursions meeting the e safety commissioners pet friends and finding out about how to actively stay safe online and take responsibility for their behaviour using technology in day-to-day life and learning at school. Look at the images in the 1/2 newsletter update.
Level 3/4 have been introduced to their devices formally and learned about their functionality, applications they can use, features of their device and protocols around using their devices to be safe. They also are encouraged to use touch typing applications suggested by their teacher to learn to “type at the speed of thought!”
3/4 and 5/6 are participating this week in the e-safety commissioners online safety webinar series. You can find out more about these webinars by visiting the e-safety commissioners website.
Foundation will begin to participate in Technologies learning. We are letting them settle in first! A buddy activity with Spheros in in the pipeline for them.
Finally, lunchtimes on Friday give students the opportunity to ‘Tinker with Tech’. If your child would like to learn something in particular or simply play to learn more about school digital technologies, please encourage them to visit Sally in the library on Friday.
Technology resources used at SJW include the following.
- Makedo is used for creative construction
- Littlebits – Prototyping circuit kit to create and innnovate
- Makey Makey - Invention kit
- Sphero Robotic – Block and javascript codable spherical robotic device
- Lego Spike Prime- Codable lego to create innovative solutions
- Scratch – A coding language with a simple visual interface that allows young people to create digital stories, games, and animations.
I hope you have enjoyed some of the insights into Teaching and Learning with Technologies at SJW in 2025.
Any questions, just email sally.ericksen@sjwreservoirnth.catholic.edu.au
Sally Ericksen
Technologies Teacher