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The Highland Council 5-14
Technology programme has been drawn up by a number of colleagues from
various schools across the authority. The programme follows a common
format that will be used for the development of all 5-14 programmes.
For consistency of
approach across the authority, it is expected that schools will use the
new Technology programme within their schools or have an equivalent
programme that meets the 5-14 attainment targets.
Schools should decide on
the best way to use the programme and can customise it to suit their own
circumstances. A blank framework is also included so that schools can
develop additional topics if they wish.
The programme has been
devised as individual topics that are included under a number of themes.
There are 36 topics from levels A-E. The topics include targets from both
the knowledge and understanding and the skills strands of the revised 5-14
technology guidelines.
There are overviews for
each level that show which topics meet the various 5-14 outcomes in
knowledge and understanding, skills and informed attitudes. These
overviews also indicate further detail of the manipulative skills and
problem solving skills that are covered at each level.
Although the topics have
been written for particular levels, they could be used by composite
classes and adapted to suit the needs of pupils working at above/below the
recommended level. Teachers could also look at the themes e.g. Food and
select elements from different levels to be covered by multi-composite
classes. The programme includes pupil recording sheets for levels A-E that
could be used to differentiate responses. These record sheets are
available in Gaelic.
The programme consists of
topics that vary in length, complexity of concepts, range of strategies,
originality of solution and level of practical skills. It is not necessary
to do all topics at every level. Schools will need to decide what is
manageable for them.
The programme can be taught
discretely but schools may be able to integrate some Technology topics
into existing Environmental Studies topics.
Over a school year a
maximum of 30 hours should be allocated to Technology.
Most of the topics at
levels A and B will take approximately 2-3 hours to complete if all
activities are undertaken. (This would be the equivalent to a maximum of 2
afternoons work.)
At levels C-E the topics
would require a minimum of 4 hours work and in some cases will require
longer particularly if there are planning, investigating and constructing
tasks as well as knowledge and understanding activities. Schools would
need to decide whether the topics are taught weekly or in blocks over a
year and if there are composite classes which classes will be allocated
which topics. We have hopefully provided a range of lessons so that there
is flexibility in how schools can use them.
We are recommending that
the level A programme does not commence until primary 2.
In primary one, pupils
should be given frequent opportunities to make junk models and play with
construction kits, models etc. We would also recommend that all pupils
from primary 1 to primary 7 get opportunities to play with construction
kits and use construction/making techniques in cross-curricular areas like
Art & Design, Enterprise, Science and within Social Subjects themes.
The programme has been
developed so that it can be used as a medium term forward plan. The 5-14
targets for each strand at levels A-F have been broken down into more
specific targets for learning and teaching purposes. It is
not
proposed that individual
pupils will be assessed on each criterion. In most cases there would be no
requirement for comments to be written about average pupils who have
attained the criteria.
The section for
‘evaluation/next steps for learning and teaching’ could include:
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Comments on further work
to be undertaken
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Comments on pupils/groups
who have not met/overtaken the assessment criteria
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Comments
on how teachers may adapt teaching and learning tasks in the future
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Comments on areas to be
reviewed/reassessed
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Comments on pace of
learning.
It is suggested that
teachers highlight the areas to be taught in each topic either
electronically or on paper and/or use the overview sheets to highlight the
topics and outcomes to be used each term/year.
The overview sheets can be
used as a record sheet.
Support materials are
included for some of the topics and there are support files within the
programme. Further support materials identified in the programmes will be
issued to schools on a CD Rom. The support materials are available in
Gaelic.
There are also
opportunities for using ICT in the Technology programme in collecting and
analysing, searching and researching, controlling and modelling and
creating and presenting.
Skill in the use of ICT can
be developed through pupils:
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Investigating sources of
information from databases, encyclopaedias and the internet
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Collecting, recording and
presenting information using spreadsheets and associated charts and
graphs
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Drafting reports
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Creating images of design
solutions
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Controlling devices and
sensing or monitoring conditions.
Schools should make
reference to the 5-14 Technology guidelines for further advice.
It is anticipated that the
programme will provide Head Teachers and Class Teachers with support for
the delivery of the 5-14 Technology guidelines.
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