Play, experiment, explore
In this video, Steve Andrew shares how and why he has the students see, feel, and play with products to develop their understandings in materials.
About this resource
Steve Andrew lets the students see, feel, and play with products to develop their understandings in materials. He brings products to the class and discusses them with the students, and then the students start doing this too.
Play, experiment, explore
The structure of technology in the NZC
Steve talks about strands and components within the technology curriculum. Follow the links below to read more about these aspects of technology.
View a diagram showing the structure of the strands and components within technology:
Read more about the strands and components Steve has been focusing on:
- The technological practice strand
- The technological knowledge strand
- The technological products component
Indicators of progression and teacher guidance
The indicators of progression provide detailed information about what students need to know and do in relation to the achievement objectives for technology. Teacher guidance for each component is given with the indicators.
Read the teacher guidance for levels one to three of the technological products component:
What opportunities do I give students to play with materials to discover their performance properties?
How do I build in opportunities for my students to feel, touch, and play with things?
Do I regularly bring along items of technological interest to discuss, and do I encourage my students to do the same?
Steve says that every existing product tells the students a story. How can I model for my students ways of “reading” these stories?
Are my students familiar with the vocabulary of the technological products component? How can I support them to relate this vocabulary to the materials they work with?
Related resources
Accidental Plastics, Connected level 4, 2013: This article in Connected provides a great context for looking at what properties of plastics can be measured subjectively and measured objectively.