LINK TO THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM

All activities that you complete in Minecraft Education can be linked to the Australian Curriculum.

There is much information on the Minecraft Education website that demonstrates how the existing lessons on there are already linked.

If you are creating your own unit of work, there are many ways that it can be aligned to the Curriculum. Firstly, determine if the task at hand fits into a holistic school teaching program or if it fits into a a single unit. This will be dependent on numerous factors, such as the type of school you work at (primary or high school), if its a stage or faculty based task, if there is school 'buy-in' of Minecraft Education and the cohort of students that you are working with.

For many schools implementing innovative technologies, gamification and (STEM) resources, a learning trajectory is an essential consideration.

K-12 ICT Learning Trajectory

This is essentially the pathway for how schools will introduce and use technology for their students. if your school doesn't have an ICT Trajectory, it is best to work with your ICT Committee or executive team to develop on that best suits your school. There is no 'one-fit' model that works for all schools. When developing a trajectory, it is easiest to backward map from where students need to be at the completion of a stage and then determine what skills they need to attain that. Using the ICT Capabilities is the best tool to use to achieve this. It is also highly recommended that you begin with the existing pedagogy and find the technology that supports learning outcomes, and not have technology lead the direction of pedagogy.

Here is an example of an ICT Learning Trajectory that has been implemented in a NSW DoE primary and high school:

These ICT Learning Trajectories take into consideration your cohort of students and their ICT skills, literacy levels and overall cognitive abilities.

It also uses the ICT General Capability (from the Australian Curriculum) as a basis for planning.

It can be tricky to embed the capabilities into our teaching practices, particularly when we are outcome driven and many school-based focuses and priorities that also need to be included into our teaching programs. Fortunately Minecraft Education enables you (the teacher) to set any task with confidence that it is being attained.

There are 5 organising elements in the ICT Capability:

Applying social and ethical protocols and practices when using ICT

Investigating with ICT

Creating with ICT

Communicating with ICT
Managing and Operating ICT

Each of these organising elements can be aligned to your unit topic/teaching programs (as seen below).

More information about the ICT General Capability can be found on the Australian Curriculum website.

How does Minecraft Education link to the ICT Capability by KLA?

[click on your subject area for the ICT Capability technology alignment, Minecraft Education alignment and alignment per organising element]

In the Australian Curriculum: English. Students use ICT when they interpret and create print, visual and multimodal texts. They use communication technologies when they conduct research online, and collaborate and communicate with others electronically. In particular, they use ICT to access, analyse, modify and create hybrid, digital and multimodal texts, using digital publishing.

As students interpret and create digital texts, they develop their capability in ICT including word processing programs and other software, navigating and following research trails and selecting and evaluating information found online.

In Minecraft Education:

It permits the interpretation and creation of print, visual and multimodal texts
Students can collaborate and communicate with others electronically
It permits the development of using ICT software and navigating within it

In the Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences, students develop ICT capability as they learn how to build discipline-specific knowledge about history, geography, civics and citizenship, and economics and business. Students use a wide range of ICT, independently and collaboratively, to pose questions, research, analyse, evaluate and communicate information, concepts and ideas about people, places and processes of the past, present and future.

To locate, process, analyse and communicate information about people, places, events and phenomena, students use their ICT capability to access and manage a range of digital sources of information. They critically analyse evidence and historical events, developments, perspectives, trends and issues of the past, present and future. They organise, present and communicate information and findings digitally using multimodal elements, for a variety of reasons and audiences; and collaborate, discuss and debate with others to co-construct their knowledge.

Students develop ICT capability when they locate, select, evaluate, communicate and share geographical information using digital technologies and learn to use spatial technologies, exploring the effects of technologies on places, on the location of economic activities and on people’s lives. They also access and use digital technologies as an investigative and creative tool to locate, evaluate, research, plan, share and display economics and business data, information and ideas. Students learn about and have opportunities to use social media to collaborate, communicate, share information and build consensus on political, legal and social issues, reflecting on safety awareness and ethical protocols for ICT use.

Through humanities and social science studies, students come to understand the geographical, environmental, social and economic changes produced by the increasing use of technology.

In Minecraft Education:

It permits the interpretation and creation of print, visual and multimodal texts
Students can collaborate and communicate with others electronically
It permits the development of using ICT software and navigating within it

In the Australian Curriculum: Science, students develop ICT capability when they research science concepts and applications, investigate scientific phenomena and communicate their scientific understandings. In particular, they use their ICT capability to access information; collect, analyse and represent data; model and interpret concepts and relationships; and communicate science ideas, processes and information.

Technology can be used to access information beyond our senses capability and to represent scientific phenomena in ways that improve students’ understanding of concepts, ideas and information. Digital aids such as animations and simulations provide opportunities to view phenomena and test predictions that cannot be investigated through practical experiments in the classroom and may enhance students’ understanding and engagement with science.

In Minecraft Education:

Students can model and interpret concepts and relationships
Students can communicate science ideas, processes and information
Students can use the chemistry lab to conduct experiments.

In the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, students develop ICT capability when they investigate, create and communicate mathematical ideas and concepts using fast, automated, interactive and multimodal technologies. They use their ICT capability to perform calculations; draw graphs; collect, manage, analyse and interpret data; share and exchange information and ideas; and investigate and model concepts and relationships.

Digital technologies, such as spreadsheets, dynamic geometry software and computer algebra software, can engage students and promote understanding of key concepts.

In Minecraft Education:

Students can perform calculations
Students can manage, analyse and interpret data
Students can share and exchange information and ideas
Students can investigate and model concepts and relationships
It acts as a dynamic geometry software and computer algebra software
It can engage students and promote understanding of key concepts

In the Australian Curriculum: The Arts, ICT capability enables students to engage with digital and virtual technologies when making and responding to artworks. Students can, for example, use interactive multimedia platforms, communication and editing software, and virtual tools and environments, to design, create and share their artworks.

Students learn to apply social and ethical protocols and practices in a digital environment, particularly in relation to the appropriate acknowledgment of intellectual property and the safeguarding of personal security when using ICT. They use digital technologies to locate, access, select and evaluate information, work collaboratively, share and exchange information, and communicate with a variety of audiences.

In Minecraft Education:

This is recognised as a Virtual tool and environment
It permits the design, creation and sharing of work
Students can apply social and ethical protocols and practices
students can locate, access, select and evaluate information/data, work collaboratively, share and exchange information as well as communicate.

In the Australian Curriculum: History, students develop ICT capability when they locate, process, analyse and communicate historical information. They use their ICT capability to access a range of digital sources of information; critically analyse evidence and historical trends; communicate, present and represent their learning; and collaborate, discuss and debate to co-construct their knowledge.

In Minecraft Education:

Students can perform calculations
Students can manage, analyse and interpret data
Students can share and exchange information and ideas
Students can investigate and model concepts and relationships
It acts as a dynamic geometry software and computer algebra software
It can engage students and promote understanding of key concepts

In the Australian Curriculum: Geography, students develop ICT capability when they locate, select, evaluate, communicate and share geographical information using digital technologies and learn to use spatial technologies.

They enhance their ICT capability by exploring the effects of technologies on places, on the location of economic activities and on people’s lives. They understand the geographical changes produced by the increasing use of technology.

In Minecraft Education:

Students can locate, select, evaluate, communicate and share geographical information
Students can learn to about space
They can see a direct effect on places, location of economic activities and on people’s lives
It permits them to understand the geographical changes produced by the increasing use of technology

The Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education enhances ICT learning by helping students to effectively and safely access online health and physical activity information and services to manage their own health and wellbeing. Students further develop their understanding of the role ICT plays in the lives and relationships of children and young people. They explore the nature of ICT and the implications for establishing and managing relationships in the twenty-first century. Students develop an understanding of ethical online behaviour, including protocols and practices for using ICT for respectful communication. Students use ICT as key tools for communicating, collaborating, creating content, seeking help, accessing information and analysing performance in the health and physical education field. Students become confident and critical consumers of a multitude of wellbeing apps that can assist them to seek help, relax, be mindful, report bullying, and so on.

They use a range of ICT to analyse, measure and enhance movement performances and to access and critically evaluate health information, products and services. They also use ICT to develop personalised plans for nutrition, physical activity participation and wellbeing.

In Minecraft Education:

Students can develop an understanding of ethical online behaviour
Students learn protocols and practices for using ICT with respectful communication
Students can communicate, collaborate, and create content
It permits students to to analyse, measure and enhance movement performances

In the Australian Curriculum: Economics and Business, students develop ICT capability when they access and use digital technologies as an investigative and creative tool. They locate, evaluate, research, plan, share and display data and/or information. Using digital technologies, students create, communicate and present economics and business data and information for a variety of reasons and audiences.

In Minecraft Education:

Students can locate, evaluate, research, plan, share and display data and/or information
Students can create, communicate and present economics and business data and information

In the Australian Curriculum: Languages is enhanced through the use of multimodal resources, digital environments and technologies in the target language. Accessing live target language environments and texts via digital media contributes to the development of information and communication technology capabilities as well as linguistic and cultural knowledge. Accessing different real-time contexts extends the boundaries of the classroom.

In Minecraft Education:

Students can access language environments and texts
Students can experience linguistic and cultural knowledge
Students can create, communicate and present economics and business data and information