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Extra-curricular
activities in design and technology |
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School:
Uplands Junior School, Wolverhampton |
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Fellow: Carolyn Bryan |
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Email: cbryan@uplands.biblio.net |
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Final Report: |
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Aims: |
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My aim at the start of the
project was to develop a series of activities
that could be used in an extra curricular
context, extending the technology curriculum
and encouraging children to solve design problems
by way of simple challenges. I wanted to keep
the resources simple and low cost, incorporating
items used in school technology projects or
easily found in the home to take into account
primary schools limited budget. I also wanted
to makes sure the tasks were simple starting
points that could be built on and extended
as confidence developed. |
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Development of Project |
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Young Engineers Clubs are a national network
of over 1600 science, technology and engineering
clubs, run as an extra curricular in both
primary and secondary schools. As a Young
Engineers Club leader I had identified the
need for a bank of activities as a support
for teachers to access when they were short
of ideas to present to their club members.
Although not written exclusively for Young
Engineers, I recognise that the already established
club network would be the first point of dissemination.
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At the start of the project, the clubs manager
at Young Engineers came to visit our school
and observed the children taking part in one
of the activities I had planned to include.
We were able to meet later and discuss what
needed to go into the activity bank and the
best format for these. Following this I was
asked to contribute towards a handbook for
primary teachers to give guidance and suggestions
when setting up a club in school. |
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I initially planned
and trialled a series of activities
based on the theme of space and rockets.
I used this as a starting point as I
had previously visited Kennedy Space
Centre with a group of teachers from
Wolverhampton. During this visit I was
made aware of the vast resources that
NASA produce and which is all copy write
free.
Some of the activities were completed
for the Design and Technology Show in
November where the Young Engineers were
showcasing their new website. Although
the site was not live, visitors could
view the format and could see what the
activity bank would look like. It was
also a chance to meet with other teachers
and discuss their expectations from
a resource bank.
I added further activities to the rocket
pack along with diagrams and notes to
support the teacher. I then developed
some resources based on simple buggies.
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After completing these two
packs I felt there was a good base of activities
to get started with. Drawing the diagrams
was time consuming and perhaps I could have
found easier ways to present the ideas, however
once I had started in the chosen format I
felt it was easier to carry on in the same
way. |
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I moved on from the idea of
simple activities and began to think of developing
group challenges that would encourage the
children to work in teams to solve problems.
I looked at the range of challenges that Young
Engineers had set as competitions in past
years. Road safety and fire safety were two
that I thought could be adapted as a more
general challenge and could also allow the
teacher to arrange visits out of school, or
get visitors into school to help the children
research the problems.
The road safety challenge encourages the children
to consider safer and more environmentally
friendly ways of getting to school. The fire
safety challenge asks the children to design
a litterbin that will put itself out if it
catches fire from a cigarette that has not
been properly extinguished.
The fire safety challenge has proven to be
a popular choice. I have been in close contact
with members of the local fire service who
have been an excellent support and reference
for information. In school I have worked alongside
a colleague, the science coordinator, who
has advised on some tasks for the children
to undertake in their research. He has also
trialled the activities with the children.
We have arranged to take the children out
to the local fire station a visit that other
schools could easily organise, where the children
can present their designs and receive feedback
from the people who deal with these situations
on a daily basis. The local fire service is
willing to include the challenge in their
educational materials, which will ensure that
it reaches a wider audience. |
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Dissemination: |
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Young Engineers
– the new website has just gone ‘live’
at the end of April 2006. Some of the new
features include the club leader’s handbook
and the long awaited activity bank. Although
it is early days, comments from other club
leaders have been positive and three weeks
into the website over 90 activities have been
downloaded. |
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However I also want to target other teachers
who would consider setting up a technology
based club but may not know about the Young
Engineers network. I have several opportunities
to disseminate further. |
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Wolverhampton City Learning Centre
- will use the rocket pack with their summer
space camp where children are involved in
a week long program of activities. In the
autumn term they are holding a series of fire
safety days and are pleased to have a design
and technology focus to add to their activities.
They will also make all the material available
to teachers in the authority through their
own resource bank. |
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The West Midlands Fire Service
- would like to use the materials to support
their education work in school and are supplying
me with a photograph of a bin on fire that
they have agreed to set up for me and will
add to the materials. |
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Education Business Partnership
– are planning a ‘resource day’
where teachers can come to take part in workshops
based around resources that companies produce
to support the curriculum. I will have the
opportunity to present the range of materials
on the activity bank and also promote the
benefits of having a technology based club
in school. |
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UCE in Birmingham –
As part of the 10 day course for subject leaders
in June 2006 I will be talking about my role
in school and the benefits of having an extra
curricular club. I will also have the opportunity
to present at the international primary D&T
conference hosted by CRIPT at UCE in June
2007. |
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D&T show, NEC Birmingham
- I have been asked to run a workshop for
primary teachers at the show in November 2006.
Here I will be able to promote the Young Engineers
club network and share the support materials
now available to teachers. |
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Final thoughts:
The Gatsby year has allowed me the time to
develop practical materials that will benefit
and encourage other teachers. In doing so
I hope to give more children the opportunity
to develop their skills in investigation and
communication, to work as a team and together
solve problems that have a real meaning to
them. I hope some of these children will look
at engineering as a possible career path in
the future remembering these experiences as
they move through their schooling. |
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Through Gatsby, I have had the time to reflect
on the purpose of the club, what we have achieved
and how this success can be extended to other
schools. As I have become more involved with
the Young Engineers Network, my contributions
have been recognised professionally with the
many opportunities I have been given to disseminate
my work. I have been asked to be a Primary
Consultant for Young Engineers and was invited
to the Celebration of Engineering in September
where I was presented with an award for Best
Supporting Club Leader. |
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The success of the club is
reflected across school. D&T has a high
profile and was acknowledged as a strength
of the school in our recent OFSTED report.
The Gatsby fellowship has supported this raising
our profile further within the local authority
and beyond. I have had the support of the
school throughout the project and it has made
other members of staff aware that there are
opportunities available to teachers to develop
themselves professionally.
Thank you for this opportunity. |
