It’s Written in their Code

 Caulfield Grammar School shares its vision for the digital future with The Good Weekend – Independent Schools Guide. 

Literacy is no longer just about language and numbers. For today’s students, digital literacy is also a fundamental skill. 
 
At Caulfield Grammar School, students study a mix of digital and product design technologies.

Adrian Janson , Learning Area leader of Design  & Technology, said coding is integrated in the curriculum from Years 7–12. His take on coding skills is that they are applicable to everyday life.   
 
“Coding languages change all the time, especially with rapid technology changes and AI. By teaching coding, what you’re really doing is secretly teaching a lot of soft skills like critical thinking, problem solving and being able to analyse the requirements of solutions.  It’s these agile skills students need because focusing on teaching a specific language is a bit shortsighted, the technology will change.”   
 
Adrian has helped build Caulfield Grammar School’s coding program over the last seven years so that it offers pathways for students.   
 
“It is present at every year level and is expressed in a lot of different ways, from robotics to systems engineering. In the later years it’s building on that and coding with microprocessors.”   
 
He sees his role as teaching students how to apply technology.

“Students are fantastic at knowing what technologies are out there but not necessarily great at harnessing them. That’s where we can help in terms of education and being able to guide them,” he said.   
 
“There are lots of ways that technology can teach those soft skills of being able to be a critical thinker, be a problem solver and be able to logically break problems down into steps and be able to manage that process.   
 
“We apply those skills to the technology of the day. Often students ask how many computer languages I know, it’s over 20, but once you know how to code, then you really apply it to the language of the day and what platform is in front of you.” 
 
“It sounds a little counterintuitive. I’m really pushing coding skills but I recognise it’s all about the process and getting used to that way of thinking so students can apply that to whatever comes their way in an agile fashion.  
 
“With AI, a lot of kids are familiar with it but don’t know the best way to use it. That’s where those soft skills come in. A lot of coding tools are AI integrated, but the better students – those who can think critically - can look at what AI give them and decide if that’s good code or not.”