Supporting Learning Environment Level 3

To support students to undertake planning for practice at level three teachers could:

• ensure that there is a brief against which planning to develop an outcome can occur
• provide students with an overview of what they will need to do during their technological practice and guide students to develop their own design process
• provide a range of resources for students to select from and guide students to select those that will be appropriate for their outcome
• guide students to review their plans at key points and reflect on progress to make informed decisions regarding earlier plans and resources

Develop a plan that identifies key stages, and resources required to produce their outcome

Identify key stages in someone else’s technological practice.

Provide students with a description (video, photos and/or incomplete flow chart) of the key stages of technological practice used to develop a technological outcome. Students to identify:

• key stages and sequence that occurred (video)
• order into sequence that would enable the technological outcome to be developed (photos)
• suggest next key stages to complete the technological outcome (incomplete flow chart)

Students explain the consequences if a particular key stage was not undertaken within the practice used to develop the technological outcome and/or if a resource was not used
Buddy chat – students talking/discussing in pairs.

Students create a flowchart of the key stages and the resources required at each stage of their own technological practice and/or that of someone else

The teacher creates the initial flowchart identifying some of the key stages and resources required, leaving space for students to add further stages and resources as they plan to undertake their own technological practice and/or to enable someone else’s practice to be completed.

Video clip(s) of the technological practice used to develop a technological outcome.

Deconstruct the practice that was used to develop the technological outcome. Identify the key stages followed and the resources that were used - record on a flow chart template.

Review photos of other student’s previous technological practice and identify the key stages they followed.

Identify the resources that were used and record these on blank cards beside the appropriate photos. Sequence the photos and resources in the order that they would have occurred within technological practice. Note: this can be used a class planning tool that is placed on the wall to inform students in their own undertaking of technological practice.

Review progress through the keys stages and resources used to date and use this to inform future planning decisions.

Students to complete a key stages timeline for the technological practice they undertook to develop a previous technological outcome.

Alongside this timeline record the practice they intend to follow to develop their next technological outcome.

Students in pairs use a dice with questions to identify what they need to consider.

Use a teacher created dice with questions that are specific to the teaching programme or get students to create their own questions for each other.
Example questions…

• What key stages have I done so far?
• What key stages do I still need to do?
• How have my key stages changed?
• How can I manage my time better?
• What changes have I made to my outcome / planning?
• What resources have I used so far?
• What resources will I need next?
• How can I manage my resources better?
• People resources; Who can help me?

Students asked to compare their previous practice used to develop a technological outcome with their current practice.

Students to focus on identifying similarities and differences (use a Venn diagram to illustrate the similarities and differences).

Students analyse the technological practice undertaken by another person (e.g. senior student). From this determine the key stages that could be used to develop their own technological outcome.

Students required to identify the practice(s) that could be used and/or refined into their own practice, and those that are additional which need to be included in order to allow them to develop their own technological outcome.

Plan, explain and record ideas for future activities to support the completion of their outcome.

Class/group brainstorm (GANTT charts) to consider next key stage and the resources necessary to complete it in terms of time, tools, materials, people etc.

Teacher provides a GANTT chart template and guides students through the process of completing it.

Students recording differences between their practice and that illustrated on a class developed GANTT chart

Using a class developed GANTT chart, students record any changes (and explain reasons for these changes) according to the technological practice they undertook to develop a technological outcome.

Group discussion/decision making session(s) to consider and agree on a way forward when developing a technological outcome.

Students to present to group/class what they have done to date and seek feedback on the best way forward in terms of the technological practice they should undertake to develop their outcome.

Identify key resources suitable to complete their outcome.

Students provided with a complete list of the resources that could be used to develop a technological outcome that addresses a need or opportunity. Students invited to remove those resources not crucial to the development of their outcome.

From the available resources students/groups choose the resources they will use (e.g. ingredients, utensils etc.) and produce an outcome that addresses the directed brief. Once outcome completed, class discusses…

• what were the key resources used to produce the outcome?
• how did those used differ between students/groups?
• how do the outcomes themselves differ between students/groups due to the different resources used?

Who needs what and how to manage it matching game

Student A writes the resources they predict they will need, on separate pieces of paper, for each key stage of the technological practice they intend to undertake to develop an outcome. The pieces of paper are then shuffled up so that they are out of order.
Student B is then required to sort the pieces of paper into the order that the resources will need to be used.