Monday 16 November 2015

Royal Society of NZ CREST Awards

CREST is an international awards scheme designed to encourage years 0-13 students to be innovative, creative, and to problem solve in science, technology and environmental studies.

CREST projects can also help provide the evidence for NCEA assessment and be used as entries to regional science and technology fairs and other such competitions.


To find out more go to: http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/teaching-learning/crest/

Thursday 12 November 2015

Hands on and Practical



  Lesley Pearce, My mentor and inspiration in education as well as my predecessor as Technology facilitator for the Northern region, yesterday ran a hands on practical workshop for textiles/fashion design technology teachers around new developments/techniques in fabric design.


Aim:
To develop a collaboratively practice
To share knowledge, skills of NCEA programme planning and implementation.
To bring creative practices into textile teaching e.g. thermo printing, e-textiles, designing fabric and so much more.
Lesley in Action

Using Nature as a stimuli for design ideas

Playing with mediums
Lesley's outstanding facilitation skills led us on a journey that allowed the participants to engage and explore with different mediums that were shown on the day. Two things of interest that I personally got from the session and felt I should share with the wider technology community were:

    • Thermofax
    1. Screen created using basic photocopy machine print
      Passed through this machine to create the screen
    The following video link explains the process in much more detail.
    •      Inktense - Fabric pencils/pastel blocks that are blended with water and then Ironed for colour fastness.
      Medium used to create following example

      This was the result of my playing around on the day
       Again there is a wealth of instructional videos available on youtube around how to use this medium on fabric. 

    The day was a resounding success and to finish off this post I thought I would share a student case study from Lesley's school.

    Case Study

    "Caitlin, year 13, Rangitoto college student, created this design in minky fabric, (amazingly soft velour type fabric).

    Her issue was around mental health issues in teenagers. After much research she wanted to create a weighted blanket that helps people to ground themselves.
    Her design came from drawings of a deer’s head. This was scanned to create a jpeg file that allowed her to manipulate colours and backgrounds in photoshop. This was then taken into Spoonflower, an online fabric printing company, where she created the repeat pattern.
     http://www.spoonflower.com/tags/new%20zealand

    A weighted blanket: The bed cover is filled with plastic poly pellets similar to those used in Beanie Babies for a heavier feel that creates a natural calming effect in some teenagers and younger children."
     
     

    Thursday 22 October 2015

    2 be or not 2 be, that is the question!

    No, I am not talking Shakespeare

    but in fact more about the practicalities of implementing change in curriculum design & delivery in order to align with 21st Century learning theories.



    First and foremost I would like to ask you this question.

     " What is the value for your students in changing the course design? And what evidence do you have to support your reasoning."
     I think it is a fundamental step to unpack potential pathways/transitions to further education or industry employment but it needs to be strategic in meeting student/community needs. There is potential value to both pathways Skills and academic or a joint pathway within one course and in reflecting on the above question you could develop a stronger model/theory sitting behind curriculum design.
    I have to many times heard this statement  "students struggle with the academic rigour of achievement standards, especially in technology " I would like to challenge these thought by saying this shouldn't be the case, Achievement standards are designed to collect naturally occurring evidence that falls out of sound technological practice. I think this statement needs to be unpacked a little more as to determine the underlying reasons that form this belief.  Each school is different and there would be no particular reason for this but here are some of the barriers I have come across in some schools.

    • Is it teacher understanding of what the evidence should look like? (expectation's around volume and content)
    • Is it because the students do not see the value in writing or producing the written component?
    • Is it that students are not transitioning from a robust junior programme that has developed the holistic technology skills that students need to succeed in NCEA?
    • Is the Literacy component (Vocab capability and writing skills) a barrier or is it knowledge?
    • Is it teacher knowledge and/or their underlying value of the literacy requirements what is restricting success?
    All of these barriers can be minimised and should not be the reason sitting behind a change to curriculum design as the redesign would not be sustainable. I have come across a reading recently that goes into some detail around success and barriers to implementing  integrated learning programmes.

    I will leave you to ponder but will move on to possible solutions:

    Trades/Vocational courses – Run through ITO (Competenz or skills 4work) and aligned with a partnership at tertiary level. MIT is the tertiary provider most commonly used for mechanical engineering, hospitality and logistics in many schools, however they are located in south Auckland and this could be a barrier. Carpentry/building/construction and electrical engineering could be either with Unitec or MIT.  Can I suggest looking at Tai poutini Polytechnic as a possible option as they are nationwide.

    In terms of also running a more academic A/S based course as well as trades or instead of. I have come across and been involved with a few schools redesigning how technology is delivered in junior and senior schools. The trend is now to go for 'Product Design' courses which incorporate standards from DVC, Digital, Specialist materials as well as lit/numeracy standards into a big project.
    for example:
    Level 1 Product design (Metal)
    A/S91059 (Literacy based) – Basic concepts used in to make products from resistant materials (4)
    A/S9068 – Working Drawings through graphic practice (6)
    A/S91046 – Conceptual Design (4)
    A/S 91030 (Numeracy) – Applying measurement in solving problems (4)

    This is enough credits for a year long course if they are doing a minimum of 5 subjects with 16/18 credits available. The only issue is there is not an external that would limit students ability to gain subject endorsement. But is this a requirement? If so you could possibly add in AS91053 (1.10) Design Elements worth (3).

    The next bit of advice I can offer is around 'Context' which leads to engagement. There is evidence to support students 'especially pasifika and Maori students' when they are learning something that incorporates or values their cultural capital. Links to prior knowledge and interest/hobbies that the students have and in some cases the teachers adds value to the students learning experiences and raises engagement which also has a knock on effect with achievement.

    I am going to leave you with a big picture question that has been causing quite a bit of discussion around the office.

     "Is there a difference between 21st century learning theories and just good effective teaching pedagogy, and if so what?".

    Tuesday 6 October 2015

    Imagination - Envisioning the impossible


    I was very fortunate on my last visit to wellington
    Wellington harbour at Night
    to be part of Weta Workshops' first ever school holiday programme. The deal was that I had to have a small person to get in, so my son (Master 9) got a once in a lifetime opportunity to take part in a workshop along with 25 other budding creative minds.

    The Weta Cave situated down the road from the workshop space
    The course was titled Illustration and Design with a theme on ‘Hero’s & Villains’

    I thought that I would share the experience that we had with the wider technology community, as there is a profound link between the growing industry in New Zealand and the Technology Curriculum.

    Content & Links to Conceptual design, modelling and brief development. So actual Technological practice in industry.

    The course was organized and run by 3 Weta staff with interesting stories of their journey’s into their positions that in themselves lend them as individuals to be inspirational role models for the youth of New Zealand.

    Santi – Illustrator/Designer (Props and costume)

    Completed a BA in fine Arts from Whanganui polytechnic, specializing in printmaking.
    Kimmie – Weta Designer

    Completed a BA in Animation
    Iona – Illustrator/ Technician

    Self taught illustrator from Norway who backpacked all the way here to get the chance to work at Weta.

    The stories behind the people are one of the reasons the workshop is so interesting, that and the hands on practice of illustrating guided by the experience of these professionals.

    The first part of the session was a based on showing the kids the intricacies behind what Weta workshop does. This was split into four areas by workstation and we moved around viewing and having interaction with the areas while discussing with the staff what/how things are made. Because of copyright I am unable to share pictures from within the workshop area or go into huge detail about how things are created.The pictures on this blog entry were taken in the foyer area during our visit.

    The doorway into the workshop!

    They key areas covered:

    Props – 3d printing and mold making
    Digital design
    Prosthetics
    Costume
    Animatronics

    Key messages that I picked up observing the interactions between the wannabe designers and their mentors for the day:

    ·      Setting the context is the most important facet of successful design. Often the designers only get the script of the movie that they are working on which sets the scene but does not give much detail as to the look of the object they are designing.
          Teachers consider how setting a brief could be restrictive to students!

    ·      Conceptual design in industry is the ability to work from your own reference point and adapt into something new. (This links to both creativity and innovation.)
    Start with something you know and add to it (Picture by Santi)
    ·      Research is important, to gather as many reference points as possible to build on. NEVER under estimate the power of research. If you can’t find what you want them create your own reference point from scratch.

    For example if you were trying to create the flow of a cape on a superhero, then photograph someone standing in the wind with the cape flying behind.”

    ·      Draw, Draw and Draw the amount of sketches that a designer goes through is incredible. But from each one they grow and develop further. In terms of how they get to a final design, often they will submit a multitude of designs on the same product to which the producer has the final say

    “This often involves them then totally redesigning what it will look like based on elements from all of the designs presented”.
    Think about proportion, angle and pose (Picture by Santi)
    This is the ultimate in stakeholder feedback and utilizing this with students could enable them to see the value of stakeholder feedback being more than just asking their friends what they think.

    ·      Practice, in order to develop your illustration skills.  Think about pose or angle, proportion. Start with light sketching and build up layer by layer. (Design Elements)
    Start lightly and then build up layer by layer (Picture by Santi)
    “Draw cartoons, draw from life but keep doing it. Improvement comes with years of practice. It is a real skill to be able to step away from drawing something that exists into creating a new thing, but the only way to do it is develop your skill with something you know. Each time you draw that cartoon character change something little about it.”

    ·      Teachers when supporting students to design, ask those probing questions. Remember that if it is their own chosen context then they are the experts of their imagination and what they see in their minds eye. The question is then how you draw this out of them in a way to collect evidence for assessment.
    My Sons design based on an 'Anti-Hero' someone who is not a hero or a villian but somewhere in between. His refernce point was a Ninja/Assasin

    The session was a success and I would have to say that it is now going on my list of favorite things to do in New Zealand from a New Zealander. My son was testament to the workshop hitting the target market needs, as he now wants to be a designer as well as a stunt car driver. But from a protective mothers perspective maybe I will steer him towards designing stunt cars!

    Weta offer workshops to groups (Including school trips) and hopefully will be running school holiday programmes again in the future.

    AS91053 or 1.10 NCEA level 1 Technology - Design Elements explained

    Wednesday 23 September 2015

    Fads in Fashion

    If you could measure success of a blog by people sharing resources with me that I can then pass on to share with others, then I believe I may have made it. I am now overwhelmed with the support of my colleagues and the willingness to share and be part of this online community. 

    I have decided that this blog be dedicated as a sharing space and don't be fooled by the title its about more than just fashion.

    The Next Black (The future of clothing)
     
     Thanks to Neville Meyers my colleague in the south Island who came across this amazing resource.

    There are particular sections of this very long but informative film that particularly piqued my interest. Biocouture - Growing fabric.... and wearable technology to monitor sports performance of athletes.

    Biocoture - http://www.aeg.co.uk/Plan--Design/thenextblack/Biocouture/ 

    Wearable technology - http://www.aeg.co.uk/Plan--Design/thenextblack/adidas/ 


    For those die-hard fashionista's out there, here is an inspiring video that reflects on 100 years of fashion.
    100 styles in 2mins@mode.com
    Resource link shared by Robyn Headifin Maths facilitator and blogging buddy. Please share the link to Robyn's blog to all of the maths teachers that you know....http://nzl123.blogspot.co.nz/

    New Zealand's own 'Smith & Caughey's queen street store got together three top designers to produce a window display on edible coture. If you looking for relevance and engagement of a context for your students, then look at this.

     http://theregister.co.nz/checkout/2015/09/let-them-eat-cake-and-wear-it

    Don't forget this coming week is more than the begining of the school holidays but also wellington is hosting our annual WOW (World of Wearable arts) show.  Have a look at 2014 highlights and be inspired.


    Ka Kite Ano
    Nicole

    Sunday 20 September 2015

    A Bite at Conceptual design?

    "What does conceptual design really look like in food technology? It is not trailing recipes so what do teachers teach? Food sketching?? Sensory analysis?" 


    This is a question that was posed to me by my colleague and mentor 'Lesley Pearce' as a potential topic to discuss within my blog. To be honest it was a justified question that often comes up, as unlike the other technological disciplines, in Food technology it is a little harder to collect evidence of conceptual design.

    Explanatory Note 4:

        A conceptual design clearly communicates a proposed technological outcome that has the potential to address the brief.  It is a detailed description of how the outcome would look and function.  Conceptual designs can be presented using a variety of techniques which may include but are not limited to – freehand sketches; diagrams; technical drawings; scale models; computer simulations; written descriptions; details of materials, components and/or assembly instructions.


    So like I do with many of my previous blogs I asked teachers what they thought. I have enclosed a response that I got from Ritu Sehji, HOD food technology at Westlake boys high school, Auckland and some student work of what evidence could look like from Louise Clouston from Westlake Girls, Auckland.

                     
        Conceptual Design in Food Technology

    My take on it, by Ritu Sehji, Westlake Boys High School 



     
    Concept design is subset within product development. Initial ideas must be screened before trialling and testing so resources are not wasted.



    The first step is to really understand the definitions and differences between:

    1.     Concept

    2.     Conceptual development

    3.      Design concept

    4.      Conceptual design


    Concept is:

    -       An abstract idea
    -       A plan or intention
    -       An idea or invention to help sell a commodity

    Concept development is a process driven by-
    a set of customer needs and
    target product specifications, which are then converted into
    a set of conceptual designs and
    potential technological solutions


    A design concept is the idea behind a design.
    It's how you plan on solving the design problem in front of you.
    the underlying logic, thinking, and reasoning for how you'll design a product. Your concept will lead to your choices in ingredients and cooking methods etc.

    In order to come up with conceptual design the following questions must be answered or investigated

     
    Conceptual design is the very first phase of design, in which drawings or solid models are the dominant tools and products.
     [ Solid models in food technology would be - Disassembling existing products, Analysing material/ingredients, Trialling and testing] 

    I googled images for concept design in food and food concept designs but all I found was design sketches for restaurants, appliances, kitchen tools and gadgets.


    Technical and Aesthetic- how the product will perform can be explored by trialling and testing
      Constructional- Production plans, flow diagrams



    CREATING NEW FOODS
    THE PRODUCT DEVELOPER'S GUIDE
    Description: http://www.nzifst.org.nz/creatingnewfoods/images/transparent.gif
    Mary D. Earle and Richard L. Earle



    So in summary after doing some research and trying to make sense of it all, this is what I think conceptual design in food technology.
    Product idea concept is developed from:
    market and consumer research
    technical aspects considered
    product idea/concept research leads to a more detailed description of the product ideas
    Idea screening
    consumer focus group (30-60) Groups of 6-8 people
    Needs and opportunities/wants identified
    Benefits for customers/stakeholders such as basic product benefits, use benefits, psychological benefits)


     When writing product idea concepts for use in further consumer panels or consumer surveys a consumer focus group is given the product idea description which is developed into a product idea concept. Be brief and present a picture of the product, use simple language, pinpoint the kind of product, do not exaggerate, describe the product’s reason and show that it has a useful and needed advantage over existing products.



    vanseodesign.com/web-design/design-concept-thoughts/
    www.ata-e.com/services/conceptual
    support.ptc.com/WCMS/files/43559/en/CD2069_v4.pdf

    Evidence what should it look like?

    Level 1/ AS91046 or 1.3
    EN2: Use design ideas to produce a conceptual design for an outcome to address a brief involves:
    ·      generating design ideas
    ·      testing design ideas through functional modelling
    ·      using stakeholder feedback to inform decision making
    ·      using findings from functional modelling to select design ideas
    ·      producing a conceptual design for an outcome
    ·      determining the outcome’s potential fitness for purpose.

    Use informed design ideas to produce a conceptual design for an outcome to address a brief involves:
    ·      creating design ideas informed by research and analysis of existing    outcomes
    ·      evaluating findings from functional modelling and stakeholder feedback to justify the selected design ideas.

    Use refined design ideas to produce a conceptual design for an outcome to address a brief involves:
    ·      testing, refining and evaluating design ideas through functional modelling and ongoing research
    ·      justifying the potential fitness for purpose of the outcome.

    So, in answer to the initial question, Testing and trialling is acceptable evidence as long as it is combined with the above examples.
     
    Karen Huo, Year 11 WGHS

    Alice Taylor, Year 11, WGHS

            EN6: Functional modelling is used to explore and evaluate developing design ideas.  It is undertaken to gather evidence on all aspects of the outcome including its likely technical feasibility and social acceptability.

    Sketching food designs as part of a discussion around acceptability of meeting the brief is good solid evidence but only part of a portfolio of evidence.

    At level 3: AS91610
    EN4       The brief used for this standard must allow judgement of an outcome’s fitness for purpose in the broadest sense.  Fitness for purpose in the broadest sense relates to the outcome described by the conceptual design, as well as the practices used to develop the conceptual design.  Judgements about fitness for purpose may include:
    ·      considerations of the outcome’s technical and social acceptability
    ·      sustainability of resources used
    ·      ethical nature of testing practices
    ·      cultural appropriateness of trialling procedures
    ·      determination of life cycle, maintenance, ultimate disposal
    ·      health and safety.
    The brief may be provided by the teacher or developed by the student. 

    In the following piece of work, the teacher set the task for students to explore ethical issues, report it through a media presentation while also producing an example of how to get around the ethical dilemma.

    Sarah Leaf, Year 13, 2013, MHS


     Obviously this piece of work was part of a much bigger portfolio that collected evidence from trialling, testing, stakeholder feedback and more. However it is a good example of what a conceptual design could look like. Not sure I would want to prepare the recipe after reading the first two pages of work, but perhaps that was the point?

    Does anyone else have some examples they would like to share? Please send them through to me at n.price@auckland.ac.nz