Technology Expo
Class: Years 7 and 8
Teachers: Christine Elder, Simon Kay
School: Balclutha Technology Education Centre
Categories: Industry Links/Community links/Promotion of Technology
Passionate about lifting the profile of technology education in their area, Balclutha Technology Education Centre Assistant Teachers Christine Elder and Simon Kay organised their students and the community to create a Technology Expo at the Balclutha War Memorial Hall during September, 2007.
The Balclutha Technology Education Centre teaches 270 Year 7 and 8 students from nine schools around the Clutha district.
Christine and Simon decided on the Technology Expo because they wanted the community to know about the exciting and innovative things their students were doing in their classes.
They also saw the Expo as a great opportunity for students to learn about the application of Technological Practice to the task of displaying and promoting their Technology outcomes.
The students were brought in on the planning and design of the event right from the start. They mapped out what they wanted to achieve using the brainstorming software Inspiration 8 .
"All classes decided on the key factors for the Expo," said Christine. "This was recorded and shown on the data projector which we used frequently over the eight weeks to monitor how we were getting on. Each week students worked half of their Technology classes on the Expo organising what they would like to present and putting it together."
The community was invited to attend and interact with students displaying class work. Innovations from local technologists were also on display, including Paul Goatley, of Goatley Technology Developments Ltd, who has developed a new automotive gearbox attracting international interest, and Tammy Illing, inventor of the 'Hooked On U' portable electric fence transporting system, which won an award at the Mystery Creek Field Days 2007. "The support that we got from our innovative Technologists was great," Christine says. "They all set up very good displays around the hall adding to our vision of what technology education is."
A local radio station was happy to promote the Expo and, on arrival, attendees were given an informative Technology Education flyer. The guests then worked their way through the many interactive stalls where they talked with students about their projects on topics including healthy living and nutrition, the anatomy of timber, mosaics, fashion, alternative house heating options, and the strength of various differing concrete mixtures.
The event was an unqualified success with costs being covered by a voluntary gold coin donation for entry.
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