Website: Food Forum
Resource Review
Description
This educational website aimed at Food Technology teachers, students and parents was founded by a teacher and is based on the UK curriculum.
Content
The site is divided into nine sections:
- The f files: Educational materials – case studies/guidance notes on the food industry, aimed at 14-19 year olds, and case studies to support A Level Food Technology (UK);
- Curriculum matters – guidance notes, templates, resources and exemplars, based on the UK curriculum;
- At home with food – guidance notes/activities for parents working with 7-11 year olds;
- Hot Potatoes – opinions on issues/controversies relating to food;
- In the know – list of events, conferences, etc., relevant to UK teachers;
- Food in-sites – food websites evaluated by teachers;
- Ask the expert – questions/answers about food in relation to the UK curriculum;
- Glossary – Food Technology terms/vocabulary (UK); and
- Resources – books, organisations, software, videos, etc.
Curriculum Links
Because this is a UK website aimed at teachers working within the UK curriculum, some sections are not relevant for the New Zealand classroom; for example, the glossary lists items which differ from Food Technology terminology commonly used here.
However, some teachers have found other sections of the site useful as extra resources. Gill Hedworth, charged with introducing Food Technology into Rangitoto College when she moved here from the UK, says she showed the exemplars to her students as additional examples of how to approach their Food Technology projects.
Gill says information on topics such as food science, testing, and developing a product, is useful for anyone new to teaching Food Technology, especially those establishing the subject at Level 3. She says that the downloadable worksheets on various topics, such as 'Bread and the development process', are very good and that she used them with some international students who had limited English.
Ease of Use
The site is easy to navigate and information/resources are clearly laid out.
Rating
Gill says she found the contents relevant and easy to use, noting that some material could be used 'as is' or easily adapted for a New Zealand or a particular classroom context. "I would recommend it for anyone trying to raise achievement levels at Level 3, which is mainly what I used it for, and to indicate examples of good work through Levels 1-3 – even though they don't fit the New Zealand curriculum, it's helpful for students to see some excellent pieces of work".
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