Integrating technology and literacy - A recipe book
This resource describes how a kaiako of technology integrated technology and literacy using the production of a recipe book as a context.
About this resource
In this resource, kaiako Pip Jepson from Waitaki Valley School details how a recipe book was a perfect fit as a context for supporting the integration of technology and literacy learning.
Pip knew that many students were interested in recipes but needed a lot of support to read and follow them. Pip’s class had students from a range of cultural backgrounds including Māori, New Zealand European, South African, Filipino, Dutch, and Cook Island Māori. So, she was keen to develop a project that celebrated their cultural diversity.
Case study: Integrating technology and literacy - A recipe book
Class level: Year 7–8
Curriculum level: 2, 3
Learning phase: Years 7–8
Technological strands: Technological practice
Technological objectives: Brief development, outcome development and evaluation
School: Waitaki Valley School
Teacher: Pip Jepson
Connecting to ākonga lives and community means that ākonga are likely to be more excited and engaged, and able to see the relevance of their learning to the world around them.
Pip added a fundraising dimension to the recipe book project. Ākonga would sell the book to raise funds for their end of year celebration.
This meant ākonga organised for it to be commercially printed and consulted with whānau about what recipes would be popular.
Pip notes her role was very much that of a facilitator. Ākonga organised and carried out the multiple tasks associated with the project, including:
- contacting and securing the sponsors
- liaising with whānau to determine family favourite recipes
- contacting celebrities and asking them to contribute a favourite recipe.
As the project progressed, ākonga confidence in interacting with stakeholders grew. Many of the reflective comments in their final evaluations included remarks that they would do more of this and do it earlier in their next project.
Technology - Level 3 brief development
The technology learning area focus was level 3 brief development.
The class agreed on the style and format attributes of the recipe book by researching and comparing existing recipes.
Ākonga decided that recipes that were family favourites would be ideal because the target market for the recipe book was mainly whānau in their community. Ākonga then had to identify and trial one of the recipes with whānau at home during the holidays.
Ākonga worked in groups to write the final recipes. Once the recipe book content was created, each group chose and trialled another group’s recipe from the book. All of the recipes produced successful products.
Literacy: Level 4 writing
The literacy focus was level 4 writing.
Developing and writing a recipe book provided lots of opportunities for ākonga to practice writing. With several iterations of their pages going back to the printer, they also became expert editors. One student comment was: “Can I be picky? There’s a gap there that shouldn’t be there.”
Throughout the project, ākonga emailed sponsors and celebrities and set up surveys. Pip observes that, “There was certainly a lot of writing without students even realising that it was writing!”
Designing and printing
The design of the front page of the book was a competition. The class voted down to five options and then three. Ākonga were then allowed to revise their designs and a final design was selected from the final three.
Ākonga worked with a commercial printing company in Oamaru to develop the printed recipe book. The printers sent back the draft formatting of the students’ recipes. Pip put these up on Chromecast and ākonga responses were scanned and sent back to the printer.
Ākonga were really engaged in this process: “Have you heard back from Pete the printer?” was a common greeting from them.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship for the cost of printing the booklet was sought by the class and ākonga successfully secured 15 sponsors and $1530 worth of sponsorship.
Setting a price
After discussing recipe book prices with other technologists, and carrying out a survey with staff on the look and cost of the recipe book, the students settled on a price of $12. They considered the workload for publishing this type of book was more than that of the $10 booklet Waitaki Writes, a publication of student written stories that the school publishes and sells annually.
Selling
Ākonga had to communicate with the principal about when Waitaki Writes was due out so that their publication did not clash. Selling these at the end of term 4 meant that they were ideal for Christmas presents. 200 books were produced and each student took five home, which all sold easily. Ākonga agreed that they had pitched the price correctly.
Pip says her understanding of the technology learning area and how to integrate this with literacy has grown her teaching practice.
Ākonga in year 7–8 will still have specialist teachers for technology programmes, but they will also have the technology learning area integrated as part of their regular classroom programme.
Given the huge success of this project for all ākonga with its focus on an authentic real world context, Pip says next year’s project could be students contributing to a school playground development project.