Primary D and T

Primary D and T

By Simon

I was reminded just how good the Nuffield Primary Design and Technology website is when I visited it today. It contains examples of pupils work, resources and free to download classroom materials. Each unit breaks down the QCA units for D&T into really well thought out, structured and manageable pupil activities.

Electronics in Wiltshire Schools

 Regional EISS Hub Centre setup. -  (Winter 2007) 

In partnership with Wessex SETpoint a support HUB Centre is being set up to provide a focus for the teaching of electonics and control. The centre will ;

*  organise group sessions for teachers to share and develop good practice and resources

* encourage on line communications between schools and teachers

* organise further training and development for teachers in the region. 

Electronics in Schools Scheme - EISS

Work has been developing in 8 Wiltshire schools through the Electronics in Schools Scheme EISS which began in November 2006.

The scheme is focussed on creating exciting ways to develop teaching and learning in electronics and control. After two days of intensive, high quality, training provided by Torben Steeg (for EIISS) teachers set off to create their own PIC based electonic and control for their schemes of work. This work has been submitted to EISS and is now availble throught the different links listed below.

We are now planning to build on this excellent beginning by:

1) Setting up a regions EISS ‘Hub’, in partnership with the Weesex SETPOINT at Bath University, to support the sharing of good practice and to provide future INSET for schools in the region.

2) Running ‘Going Further’  in electonics and control INSET for the  8 Wiltshire schools

3) Running ‘Getting Started’in electonics and control INSET other interested schools

Check out work from some Wiltshire schools

Bradon Forest:

http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupHomepage.asp?GroupID=91732

This link will get you to the photographs of Year 9 Electronic Products projects

Menu on left side of page has range of pupil help sheets.

 St Augustine’s Catholic College

This elcetronics work has also been selected for inclusion to the QCA materials on their website 

http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/curriculum-in-action/casestudieslibrary/case-studies/Engaging_electronics.aspx

http://www.st-augustines.wilts.sch.uk/departments/?cid=67

http://www.mrwalsh.co.uk/

Electonincs in Schools Website

Contains brilliant examples and case studies,  more resources than you could ever use from schools who have undertaken curiculum developments through the EISS initiative nationally.

http://www.electronicsinschools.org/

 

Nice textiles project

Wearable MP3 Players. Quite doable now. Anyone made these already?

Here is a commercial idea but there must be 100s of variations.

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Diploma news

Jim Knight is fully behind the new diplomas and increasingly they are being seen as a very positive trend.

By 2020, estimates suggest there will only be 600,000 unskilled people left in work in this country – whereas there will be 4.6 million more highly skilled jobs to fill.

DCSF Article

Education in Britain is Strong

We don’t hear this very often but the OECD thinks that Education in Britain is strong against a range of indicators. Worth a quick look because this seems to be a properly researched piece and is unlikely to make the headlines I guess.

DCSF Article

Another unusual idea

I guess that this would be good in the right place. Another idea to spark off more thoughts about different uses for industrial scale ideas.

Grappling Hook coat hanger …

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Structures

I’ve done many ’Structures’ projects but this idea is a different aproach. I’m not sure how practical this is ’as it stands’ (forgive the pun) but may spark some ideas about structures as decorative objects.

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Nice graphics idea?

Coasters are easy enough but what makes them good is their design. This idea is a good one but what about ’Famous People’ using caricatures or designers illustrating Macintosh to Versace. What else could we thing of?

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Unusual

We always like the unusual on this blog. Look at the world a slightly different way …

How about these? Camper van egg cups?

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Ergonomic idea

This idea just started to make me think of the range of things in life that could be improved by a little ’ergonomic’ consideration. I wonder if pupils can think of others?

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