Reflection

Integrating Curriculum Priorities

Dion Kingi EDC1002, Section 1, Section 2, Section 6 27 July, 202529 July, 202521st Century Learners, ACARA, Business Studies, CCP's, Citizenship, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Cross-Curriculum Priorities, Design, Design & Technologies, EDC1002, EDC1002 Topic 5, Engaged, GC's, General Capabilities, Growth Mindset, inquiry-based learning, Integrating Curriculum Priorities, Maths, Pedagogy, Project-Based Learning, Reflection, Shark Tank 0 Comment

Bridging Priorities with Practice: Integrating Curriculum for Meaningful Learning

This module helped me better understand how curriculum integration can create engaging, relevant and responsive learning experiences.
At first, I found the numerous requirements of cross-curriculum priorities (CCPs), general capabilities (GC’s) and learning areas to be overwhelming but the tutorial activity and curriculum documents helped me see how these priorities are not competing demands, but interwoven threads that support holistic education.

ACARA Cross Curriculum Priorities Infographic

Engaging with Diverse Learners

Dion Kingi EDC1002, Section 1, Section 2 27 July, 202529 July, 202521st Century Learners, 8 Ways, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, Aboriginal pedagogical framework, ACARA, APST 1.3, APST 1.4, APST 2.4, APST 3.5, APST 6.2, APST 7.4, CCP's, Citizenship, Collaboration, Communication, Country, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Cross-Curriculum Priorities, Diverse Learners, EDC1002, EDC1002 Topic 3, Engaged, GC's, General Capabilities, Growth Mindset, Integrated Curriculum, Pedagogy, Reflection, Yarning 0 Comment

Culturally Responsive Pedagogies for First Nations Learners

🖋️ Learning Through Reflection

In today’s classrooms, cultural responsiveness is not optional but is essential. First Nations students bring rich cultural traditions, languages and deep connections to Country. However, these strengths are often undervalued or misunderstood in mainstream schooling. Reflecting on Topic 3 and the Australian Curriculum’s cross-curriculum priority on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, I now see that embedding these perspectives is not just about content, but about rethinking pedagogy, relationships and worldview (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2025a).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures Cross Curriculum Priorities graphic (ACARA, 2025b)

Contributing to Sustainable Futures

Dion Kingi EDC1002, Section 1, Section 2, Section 6 27 July, 202529 July, 202521st Century Learners, ACARA, APST 1.2, APST 2.1, APST 2.2, APST 2.3, APST 3.3, APST 3.4, APST 6.2, APST 7.4, CCP's, Citizenship, Critical Thinking, Cross-Curriculum Priorities, EDC1002, EDC1002 Topic 4, Engaged, GC's, General Capabilities, Pedagogy, Reflection, Sustainability, Sustainable Futures, Technologies, VUCA 0 Comment

Reimagining Education for a Sustainable Future

The urgency of addressing global challenges such as climate change, inequality and technological disruption cannot be overstated.

They shape the world my students will live in and influence the kind of education I must provide to prepare them for a VUCA future, one that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.

The concept of VUCA, first used by the U.S. military and now widely applied in education, emphasises the need to prepare learners for unpredictability and change across social, technological and environmental domains.

In such a world, it is essential to develop competencies like adaptability, collaborative problem-solving, and systems thinking so that learners are equipped to understand interconnections, make informed decisions and act with foresight in complex situations (Mihaela Minciu et al., 2025).

Detailed explanation of VUCA can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/MqQh9t-VLIY

VUCA infographic. (Modified) (Mecalux, 2025)

General Capabilities and Cross Curriculum Priorities

Dion Kingi EDC1002, Section 1, Section 2, Section 5, Section 6 27 July, 202529 July, 202521st Century Learners, APST 1.3, APST 1.4, APST 2.4, APST 3.5, APST 6.2, APST 7.4, CCP's, Citizenship, Cross-Curriculum Priorities, EDC1002, EDC1002 Topic 1, Engaged, GC's, General Capabilities, Pedagogy, Reflection 0 Comment

Reflection on GCs and CCPs in My Schooling

Reflecting on my own schooling experience, It became obvious how little focus there was on what we now understand as General Capabilities (GCs) and Cross-Curriculum Priorities (CCPs).

Learning was mostly content-heavy and teacher-led, with minimal connection to culture, identity or global citizenship.
To emphasise this, in my home country of New Zealand with the indigenous language being Maori, the only language subject available while I was at High School was French!

Revisiting this now, through the lens of a future-focused educator, highlights the importance of shifting from that traditional model to one where learners are active, empowered and engaged citizens.

General Capabilities Infographic highlighting Critical thinking, Intercvultural understanding and Ethical Understanding

Through this topic’s activities, I gained a deeper understanding of the intention behind GCs and CCPs.

They are not additional tasks or optional content but are foundational.

As Henderson (2020) notes, when taught authentically, these priorities help students make sense of the world and become change agents within it.

Graphic created by Dion Kingi. Logos from ACARA (2025)

Observe and Reflect.

Dion Kingi Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5 4 March, 20245 June, 2024APST 1.1, APST 1.3, APST 1.5, APST 2.1, APST 2.2, APST 2.3, APST 2.6, APST 3.1, APST 3.2, APST 3.3, APST 3.4, APST 3.5, APST 4.1, APST 4.2, APST 4.3, APST 5.4, APST 6.3, APST 7.1, APST 7.2, Assessment, Observation, PEX, Prac, Practicum, Reflection, Year 11, Year 12, Year 9 0 Comment

4 March, 2024

EDS2401 Professional Experience

This semester, my 3-week Pex/Prac was at my Internship Host school as per Trade 2 Teach guidelines.
The main difference was that I was at the school full-time and got to observe more classes. I also could ease my way into micro lessons and, eventually, full lessons. The internship helped with this process immensely, as I already knew the school, the students and how the school does things, so I could concentrate on developing my knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy techniques and strategies.
During my practicum, I joined the supervising teacher in marking and moderating assessments/ marks. This was a great experience, as I saw the full lifecycle of a subject, which, in turn, helped me modify my teaching practices.

Reflecting on my first micro lesson

Dion Kingi Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 6 6 February, 20245 June, 2024APST 1.1, APST 2.2, APST 3.1, APST 3.2, APST 3.3, APST 4.1, APST 5.1, APST 6.2, Furnishing Pathways, Lesson Plans, Reflection, Year 11 0 Comment

6 February, 2024

YR11 Furnishing Pathways Theory Class

Context: Yr 11 Theory Class.

I shared my construction and project management history and then explained how the skills they are learning in the Furnishing Pathways subject will give them many employment and career opportunities in the future.