Gatsby Teacher Fellowships

2007-08 Final projects
Click here for more details

you are here: home> projects > 2007-2008: Design and Technology> project 97

Take CONTROL at Key Stage 3

	School: The Ravenscroft School
	Fellow: Catherine Atsiaris
	Email: Cat503@hotmail.com

Final report:

Introduction

“Take CONTROL at KS3” is the title of my Gatsby project, as I had recognized that teachers require an “off the shelf solution” to successfully introduce electronics and systems and control into their KS3 curriculum, being a rare and difficult commodity.

This title was adopted as an alternative to an original theme which was based around preparing young people for the engineering diploma at post 14 level. Such was the initial difficulty in finding appropriate material a joint decision with my mentor was made to choose something more tangible and appropriate.

Milestones

	A production of schemes of work for 2 projects (Push Penny (opposite, bottom) and Colour Cube(opposite, top)). The above now produced on navigable DVD format.
	Embedded lesson plans, homework tasks, differentiation and evaluation within these schemes of work.
	2 projects produced, trialled and tested.
	Personal high proficiency skills in movie making and video editing (fully conversant with Sony Movie Studio software).
	Developed VSBs (Virtual Story Boards) appropriate to the above 2 activities but also including menu driven accessibility to all content for staff and pupils providing a one off resource.
	Implementation of my teaching and learning through this VSB.
	Evaluation of VSB. Highly successful from my own and pupil perspective, particularly as there is seamless continuity in that they are familiar with the presenter on screen and environment.

Screen shots of Song Vegas Movie Studio and DVD Architect studio to make the DVDs.

Obstacles to progress:		DVD screenshot of extra features

	Time - Getting off timetable, and learning new software
	Finding an appropriate environment to capture the video
	Very independent and sometimes lonely experience (however my own choice)
	Convincing others to use this framework as a key aspect that they are familiar with presenter and environment.

Money:

I used the funding to buy resources to help in making the VSBs and purchased items including a video camera, digital camera, tripod, video editing suite, laptop, T.V. monitor to link to it, time out of school, travel, and production costs of DVD material.

Dissemination:		Year 8s watching VSB on screen

	Presentation to creative faculty.
	Already in operation for pupils.
	Further success will be for other teachers to take the idea on in classrooms.
	Approach educational publishers and other website holders such as DATA, NAAIDT, TEP, Teachers TV, Industrial Trust.

Future work:

My next steps are to develop a more challenging and engaging year 9 project for systems and control as this is the turning point for young learners in making their choices post 14.

I am keen on the idea of capturing demonstrations in this way as I am amazed with how helpful it is in the classroom. I wish to make a VSB of all demonstrations in Design and Technology, including resistant materials, graphics and electronics etc. My intention will be to disseminate this to other teachers and carry out appropriate success evaluation.

I would like to contribute to the emerging engineering diploma by capitalizing on the skills I have learned in movie making. This would hopefully include both school centred and industrial contexts.

In finally describing my Gatsby project, I hope to create a whole D&T box set for virtual teaching as this could potentially bring schemes of work and teaching aids into the 21st century.

Thank you:

I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Mr Nick Baldwin and Allen Bower of TEP for their mentoring support and for keeping me on track through hard times. It is of course appropriate for me to relay my grateful thanks to Gatsby for this opportunity and the rewards it has brought to my pupils, the school and particularly to myself.