Delivery
You need to be encouraging to get what you want as the client.
Overview Delivery began with food technologist Carol Pound introducing the students to the use of planning and production tools such as Gantt and flow charts. The students met with their client and visited Sweet Foods factory to see ongoing production of chocolate products. After formulating a brief some time was spent on concept development. This involved not only developing the chocolates but designing moulds for them. After stakeholder feedback, the brief was refined and the Tararua Chocolate developed.
Weeks 1-5 introduced the class to the issues in a technology context. Carol talked with them about this in relation to the market and the consumer. This proved a user friendly way to bring in the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
(HACCP) and sensory testing, plus a simple way of getting into ongoing production. At the same time that they were learning about Gantt charts, flow charts and production flow symbols the group was building up knowledge and skills in Food Technology - personal hygiene and safe food practices. Carol discussed key factors with the students and the priority of those key factors, which they then used to make decisions during their technological practice.
If you want to do serious technology in the senior school, then this is a good project to do because it brings in ongoing production in a fairly simple way.
Weeks 6-8 saw Christine Law from Hillcrest School visiting to discuss needs and opportunities related to developing a chocolate product. A visit was made to Sweet Foods factory to see ongoing production of chocolate products in a factory setting. This led to discussion about constraints of production - moulds, chocolate, flavouring, textures, equipment, health and safety.
Week 9 involved the class considering stakeholders as they formulated a brief for the product, including factory key factors.
Food is vital to the New Zealand economy; processed foods, plus a heightened emphasis on health and obesity concerns, are increasingly part of our way of life. It is important that students understand how foods are made and all the issues that go into developing a food product.
Weeks 10-12 were committed to concept development. The students were developing knowledge and skills related to mould making and the various materials available. At the same time that they were designing moulds and labelling the class was trialling chocolate making, after consultation with the stakeholder focus group as to what, if any, flavours and textures they wanted.
Weeks 13-16 was a period of brief refinement and product development based on feedback from Hillcrest School. The students made their chocolates and presented them to to the stakeholder's focus group to test their fitness for purpose.
Week 17 the students worked on their design journals, refining to a final brief based on feedback from the school and evaluating their product against this.
