We are a network of Technologies teacher educators from universities around Australia. We are passionate about developing pre-service and in-service teachers’ capacities to support their students in a digital world.
The Australian Technologies Teacher Educators Network (ATTEN) was formed in 2019 as a result of the ever-increasing necessity for teacher educators to remain current in the Technologies areas, especially as a result of the demands driven through the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies, as well as those from industry and government to develop pre-service and in-service teacher capacity and improve the quality of technologies education received by students in Australian schools. In such a rapidly evolving and high stakes domain, it is critical that Technologies’ teacher educators from universities across Australia work together to optimise pre-service teacher preparation in initial teacher education (ITE) programs in the Digital Technologies and Design & Technologies areas.
The Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE) and 43 Deans of Education/Heads of School strongly supported the formation of ATTEN by nominating existing expert Technologies educators on staff in their respective Schools of Education in their institutions around Australia. ATTEN will focus on addressing the need for greater communication across institutions for the implementation of Technologies education between pre-service teacher educators. The acceptance of these expert Technologies teacher educators established the commitment and dedication of Technologies to be the inaugural members of the ATTEN.
ATTEN’s network comprises 73 Technologies teacher educators, the result of an the initial symposium meeting hosted by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) at their Head Office in Sydney on the 9th of December 2019. Heads of School professional and financial support is acknowledged in encouraging specialist Technologies staff to develop strategies and resources building a solid foundation in the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of pedagogy related to the teaching of Australian Curriculum: Technologies. The ongoing commitment and dedication of the Network will also provide Technologies educators with opportunities to advance research in this area along with practical applications of the knowledge, understandings and skills necessary to skill our pre-service teachers in the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies. While it was identified that many of the ATTEN members are also responsible for teaching ICT integration across all curriculum areas (educational technology), the initial focus of ATTEN is on the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies (i.e. Digital Technologies as well as Design & Technologies). At its inaugural meeting it was decided by members that ATTEN formalise their operations by creating a term of reference, as well as establishing financial proprietary and associated governance oversight. In noting Deans ongoing support for ATTEN, arrangements will be formalised through ACDE to update the ACDE Board on ATTEN activities on a six-monthly or as required basis.
Australian Technologies Teacher Educators Network 