Tag: curriculum

Getting to ethical grips with AI

Our ethics lessons are an opportunity for students to engage in meaningful discussions of real-life issues. These discussions are not just academic – they’re about equipping young minds with skills in critical thinking, ethical reasoning and respectful discussion that will help them navigate the complexities of the world they’re growing up into.

Practical ethics isn’t a static subject. Since our curriculum was first developed, we’ve seen some pretty significant changes in the sorts of technologies students engage with on a day-to-day basis. Technologies that bring with them a whole host of new (and sometimes old) ethical dilemmas.

Is it okay to use artificial intelligence to help with schoolwork?

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies like chatbots, search engines and personalised recommendations become ever-present in students’ lives, it’s important for them to reflect on how they engage with such technologies. So we’ve developed an exciting new topic on AI for Stage 3 (Years 5-6). Some of the big questions students consider in this topic include: How is AI different from and similar to human intelligence? Is it okay to use artificial intelligence to help with schoolwork? To what extent can we trust AI and how do we know when not to trust it? Can we be friends with a chatbot? Is it bad to be cruel to artificial intelligence?

This new addition to our curriculum is not just about keeping pace with technological trends. It’s about preparing students for a future where they can confidently and ethically navigate the digital landscape. By fostering a deep, nuanced understanding of these issues, we’re helping shape a generation of informed, ethical digital citizens.

Freewheeling and provocative – the joys of teaching high school ethics

Rose-Anne Manns on the joys of teaching high school ethics.

‘Should we always apologise for hurting someone accidentally?’ I ask my Year 7 students at Lindfield Learning Village.

‘Yes’, says one boy. ‘Saying sorry will make them feel better – it’s kind. It’s a good life skill.’

‘Well, it depends’, says his classmate. ‘If it was just some random dude I hurt, then sure. But my mates and I never apologise to each other – we just laugh it off.’

‘But some of your friends might hold a grudge if you never say sorry’, a girl responds. ‘What if everyone did that? We’d all end up killing each other.’

I sit back and say nothing for a full minute or so. There is no need to anchor – they are all answering the question. There is no need to ask for reasons – they’re providing them. There is no need to open to others – they are taking turns engaging with each other, sometimes building on a classmate’s idea, sometimes explaining why they disagree.

Such is the joy of teaching my high school ethics class. Most of the time, I simply wind them up and let them go.

I have been a Primary Ethics teacher for 10 years, covering all primary stages, and this year I finally had the opportunity to teach at a high school. It’s the most fun I have all week.

The younger kids sometimes need coaxing to reveal their opinions, and often need a fair amount of structure to reveal them logically. Not so with my high school students – they are well practiced in articulating their views, especially those who experienced ethics lessons in primary school.

It’s not that I’m a passive facilitator. I always have my trusty facilitation skills flowchart on hand, checking that the group is raising a variety of views and that individuals are considering those different views. I throw in plenty of encouraging feedback when someone responds directly to what a peer is saying. I praise anyone who comes up with examples and counter-examples to make their points.

Although I facilitate the discussion with a relatively light touch, I nevertheless keep a tight rein on classroom management. Adolescence is a time when some young people feel emboldened about challenging authority figures, ethics teachers included. I have to remind a couple of them that the ‘no putdowns’ guideline applies to their teacher too, when I catch them rolling their eyes at me or mimicking me disrespectfully. Others need repeated assertive directions about not rocking back on chairs or keeping their hands to themselves.

They soon settle down and engage enthusiastically with the content, which creates another challenge for me. Because they are so eager to express their ideas, the conversation can feel somewhat freewheeling, even when we’re on script. For example, there were peals of laughter when, earlier in the year, they presented sometimes provocative beliefs on how old people should be before they’re allowed to vote, leave school, drive a car, buy alcohol (Topic 1: You’re not the boss of me). Weeks later, they had an extremely energetic debate over how far lockdowns should go during a crisis (Topic 2: Life under Covid-19).

Because the conversation was so animated, I wondered whether I was losing control, so I put out a call to the Primary Ethics classroom support team to ask whether I should intervene to create a more serious vibe. A helpful chat reassured me that if the class is on topic and behaving well, then I should just relax and enjoy it as much as the students clearly are.

And so I do. Happily.

The Diversity Project for Primary Ethics

Primary Ethics has embarked on a project to ensure that our curriculum is inclusive of the diversity in our target audience – NSW school students.

In order to make sound, best-practice adjustments, we are undertaking a project with the following phases:

Phase 1 Research best-practice and scope the diversity review.
This phase is now complete.

Phase 2 Review lesson materials to gain a full understanding of current state of curriculum.
This phase is now underway and we’re asking for assistance.

Phase 3 Determine appropriate changes and update lesson materials.
This will commence when Phase 2 has been completed.

We want to incorporate best-practice inclusion and representation into our lessons and we plan to achieve this by modifying existing lessons where required, altering the characters and stories to provide positive diverse representation both within each topic and across the full curriculum.

A review of academic literature as part of Phase 1 shows that it is appropriate to consider Primary Ethics curriculum as children’s literature in the context of child development. It also shows the curriculum to be a legitimate and appropriate mechanism through which to represent diversity to primary school-aged children.The report states:

The positive outcomes of a diversified curriculum on child development are two-fold. First, children with minority identities can see themselves represented in their standard school day, which encourages a sense of belonging and improves both school performance and mental health (Montgomery 2001). Second, children with majority identity are presented with a representation of the world that reflects the diverse reality, which establishes a solid foundation for tolerance and respect of difference later in life (Montgomery 2001; Ramsey 2004).

Research shows the importance to child development of establishing a classroom setting that is welcoming of difference, and how this fosters an attitude of awareness and acceptance of diversity that extends to the entire community and lasts throughout the child’s life (Towbin et al. 2004; Montgomery 2001; Sciame-Giesecke et al. 2009; Ramsey 2008). Montgomery (2001) specifically cites cross-cultural literature and traditional stories that authentically depict diversity, along with co-operative learning groups and informal group discussions as important components that help children feel welcomed and valued. Marsh and Hart (2011) advocate the use of stories as a powerful tool in multicultural education, while Potter et al. (2009) tells us that children’s literature is not limited to formal books that are read to or by children, but rather encompasses a wide range of materials through which children glean a view of the world. Thus, it is appropriate for this review to consider the Primary Ethics curriculum as children’s’ literature in the context of child development and a legitimate and appropriate mechanism through which to represent diversity to primary school-aged children.1

A diversified curriculum would also enhance the experience of the community of inquiry structure on which ethics classes are modelled. In ethics classes, students are encouraged to voice their opinions and ideas, listen to others, engage with opinions that may be different from their own, develop empathy and understanding and build on each others’ ideas. Optimising the characters, stories and scenarios for inclusion also helps to support participation in ethics classes by children from all backgrounds.

By diversifying the stories and characters that are used and presenting them in a way that positively reflects those being represented, Primary Ethics is also directly facilitating the objectives of several NSW Department of Education policies.

There are many compelling reasons for undertaking this project and we are indebted to Macquarie University PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) internship program participant Susan Barnes and supervisor Rebecca Sheehan, Program Director Gender Studies for their generous support of the research phase for which Susan was awarded the Judyth Sachs PACE Prize.

The dimensions of diversity identified for inclusion within the curriculum update are:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content
  • Caring unit structure
  • Disability
  • Gender
  • Race, religion and cultural background

The resistance of stereotypes and inclusion of intersectional representation, where characters experience more than one dimension of diversity, have been put forward as recommendations for implementation.

For now, we are seeking assistance from individuals with a few hours each week to volunteer to assist with the Diversity Review.

Content analysers will work from their own home, at their own pace, and in the timeslots that suit their personal circumstances.

Group meetings may be held, either face-to-face or online, for training or quality assurance purposes. Training and ongoing support will be provided. Read more about the role.

1 Curriculum Update Scope Report by Susan Barnes