Curriculum links: Level 5/6
The learning environment
In the planning and delivery of the Tararua Chocolates unit, the teacher:
- established an environment that encouraged and supported student innovation by:
- selecting a context centred on a fund-raising project so that an enterprise component was built into the unit from the start.
- encouraging individual students to contribute in group discussion.
- encouraging the development, trialling and focus-group testing of a range of different product concepts.
- enabling access to input from a practising food technologist to help push the boundaries of student practice.
- provided a context for students to undertake technological practice by:
- selecting a broad client-driven context: the batch production of chocolate products as a fundraiser for a local primary school.
- establishing a working relationship with the principal of the primary school which then became a credible and recognisable client/key stakeholder group.
- establishing links with a local chocolate product manufacturer, thus emphasising the need to operate within accepted codes of practice.
- supported student learning as they structured and planned activities as required to enable them to undertake their technological practice to develop an appropriate outcome, by:
- establishing initial timeline and key milestone stages at a whole-class level.
- developed templates for students to scaffold key aspects of learning and evidence gathering.
- encouraged individual review, reflection and ongoing planning.
- introduced a HACCP focus in the development of an appropriate production process.
- supported students in accessing resources, by:
- enabling them to utilise equipment and resources within both the food and material technology areas in the department.
- enabling student access to ongoing advice and guidance from a practicing food technologist.
- encouraging them to develop unfamiliar Hard Materials skills through involvement of an additional staff member.
- accessing a commercial video to promote class discussion of ongoing production considerations.
- provided opportunities for students to access key and wider community stakeholders in a safe and appropriate manner, by
- planning an initial whole-class visit to client primary school.
- planning a whole-class visit to local manufacturer of chocolate products.
- establishing a focus group from the school and planning ongoing access to this group throughout the development process.
- building the testing and trialling of product concepts into the timeline.
