What Next?
Diana plans to ditch the Year 10 nutrition unit in 2007 and extend the Beef and Lamb into a longer unit for terms 1 and 2, with Batters in a Bottle for terms 3 and 4. The Year 10 class will still focus on basic cooking skills but emphasise the food formulation aspects and ensure better progression of technological practice within the programme.
Batters in a Bottle could be used at Year 11 (Diana has had one Year 11 student working on this unit).
Recycling of containers is something that could be extended in the unit if desired. Other packaging ideas have been discussed with the class and some students have made decisions to use other forms of packaging
The Year 9 programme will also be changed in 2007. There will be two six-month projects, with two of the four classes doing a project and then swapping with the other two. This will involve reducing teaching to four technologies, incorporating ICT into the technology area and throughout the school.
One project will involve making and presenting an ice cream product, and have a food/graphics focus. This will involve Diana, the graphics teacher, ICT teacher and possibly some electronics ICT. This is still in the planning stage (October 2006).
The other project will be a Novelty Items unit, with a materials/electronics/graphics focus, involving team teaching. This unit was successfully trialled in 2006.
Diana is conscious of the shared aim, with the Bush Primary Schools' Technology Centre, that the Year 7/8 programme should be a seamless transition to Year 9, and will work with Jacquey Neilson and chat with Carol Pound, food technologist, about what should be in the Year 9 unit.
