Background
Annie McCreary is co-HOD Technology at Nayland College, Nelson. She has a Diploma in Home Science from Otago University, and a Diploma in Teaching from Christchurch Teachers College. Annie spent several years teaching in Japan, and, when her family was young, spent and three-and-a-half years working as a kitchen designer, which, she says, gave her a good appreciation for the needs for stakeholders and understanding of the manufacturing process. Annie has taught at Nayland College since 2000, where her main teaching area is Materials Technology. Nayland College is a decile 7, co-ed secondary school (Years 9-13), with a roll of about 1500 students.
Jo Calt is HOD Technology at Garin College, Nelson. Jo has a Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Home Economics from Manchester Metropolitan University (1993) and taught Technology in the UK before coming to New Zealand in 2001. She has been at Garin College for six years and her primary teaching area is Food Technology. Garin College is a decile 8, co-ed secondary school (Years 9-13), with a roll of about 400 students.
Traditionally, Year 11 students at Garin have had two full years of Technology, which has included experiences in a range of areas. Up until 2007, Technology was compulsory at Year 11. At Nayland College, Technology is compulsory at Year 9 and 80% opt to continue in Year 10. The focus in the department has been on 'getting it right' at Year 9 and ensuring the students have had an opportunity to progress rather than merely having a range of similar level experiences.
The two teachers often met to talk through developments and issues effecting Technology Education, establishing a professional learning relationship that supported and challenged each other to improve their programmes. For 2007, the teachers decided to collaborate to develop a generic unit that focussed on good technological practice and was equally successful in both a Materials and a Food Technology context.
