Introduction

The ability to design and make, acquire skills as needed, and apply technologies is important in the world today and a key aspect of educating citizens for the future.

The Applied Skills learning area has been re-envisioned as a K–12 program and renamed. The new Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST) curriculum is an experiential, hands-on program of learning through design and creation that includes skills and concepts from traditional and First Peoples practice; from the existing disciplines of Business Education, Home Economics, Information Technology, and Technology Education; and from new and emerging fields. It envisions a K–12 continuum fostering the development of the skills and knowledge that will allow students to create practical and innovative responses to everyday needs and problems.

Business Education builds an understanding of business skills and concepts in the context of current technology, ethical standards, and an increasingly global economy, empowering students with economic, financial, consumer, and communication skills for lifelong participation in local and global contexts.

Home Economics focuses on fundamental needs and practical concerns of individuals and families in a changing and challenging world, It integrates knowledge, processes, and practical skills from multiple areas, including foods, textiles, and family studies, and provides opportunities for creative applications and critical examination from global citizenship perspectives.

Information Technology encompasses evolving processes, systems, and tools for creating, storing, retrieving, and modifying information. As students design, share, and adapt knowledge in critical, ethical, purposeful, and innovative ways, they gain perspective on the long-term implications of life in a digital, connected world and develop literacies to responsibly take ownership of such technologies to augment learning and benefit society.

Technology Education involves students in the design and fabrication of objects using a variety of materials, methods, technologies, and tools in order to develop their ability to shape and change the physical world to meet human needs. It may include woodwork, metalwork, electronics, drafting, automotive technology, power mechanics, and robotics.

Using creative and critical thinking, students can work collaboratively to problem find and solve by exploring materials, using tools and equipment, designing and building, developing processes, and communicating the merits of their work. They can learn to critically evaluate the appropriateness of the products they develop and those developed by others. As they explore the role of culture, including local Aboriginal cultures, in the development of practical and innovative solutions to human needs, they can develop a sense of personal and social responsibility for the products they use and develop, and their effects on individuals, communities, and the environment, now and in the future.

Learning in Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies provides firm foundations for lifelong learning and, for some, specialized study and a diverse range of careers. It develops well-rounded citizens who are informed creators and consumers. It fosters the development of future problem solvers, innovators, and skilled tradespeople who can contribute to solving problems not yet anticipated with processes and technologies not yet imagined in order to improve their lives, the lives of others, and the environment.

Goals

The BC Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies curriculum contributes to students’ development as educated citizens through the achievement of the following goals. Students are expected to

• acquire practical skills and knowledge that they can use to bring their ideas from conception to fruition
• develop a sense of efficacy and personal agency about their ability to participate as inventors, innovators, and agents of change to solve practical problems in a rapidly changing world
• explore how the values and beliefs of cultures, including local Aboriginal cultures, affect the development of products, services, and processes
• understand the environmental implications of the products they are designing and constructing
• investigate and actively explore a variety of areas, including aspects of Business Education, Home Economics, Information Technology, and Technology Education, and new and emerging fields, in order to develop practical hands-on skills and make informed decisions about pursuing specialized interests for personal enjoyment or careers
• develop a lifelong interest in designing, making, and evaluating products, services, and processes, and contributing through informed citizenship, volunteer work, or their careers, to finding and solving practical problems

We have a wide variety of books, curriculum and DVDs that cover this topic.

Curriculum Examples

• Stepping into STEM
• Project Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-directed Learners
• Critical Thinking
• STEAM Kids: 50+ Science/Technology/Engineering
• What color is my world?
• The Thinking Toolbox
• Maker Projects for kids who love animation
• Dash Robot
• Micro: bit
• And more!

Search Terms

Use the following keywords to search for resources:

• Maker education
• Project based learning
• Inquiry based learning
• Inventions

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