A lively debate to change D&T…

Bren Hellier
May 16th, 2013

A big thank you to all of you who followed up on my last email encouraging you to have your say on the proposed DfE’s draft D&T programmes of study for key stages 1-3.

We’ve had lots of response from you thanking us for bringing the process to your attention. Many of you have shared your response with us, expressing your concerns over the proposed content.

Since the end of the consultation period, it’s been a lively debate to follow  including, discussions in a House of Commons debate on Design and Technology with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Elizabeth Truss).

A flavour of the discussions…

 ‘Following the national curriculum consultation period, which closed on 16 April, we are considering the responses received. We have been engaging with leading figures in industry, such as Dick Olver and Sir James Dyson, schools and academia to ensure that we have world-class design and technology education. We are also committed to providing a curriculum that ensures children receive high-quality cookery teaching and understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle.’ (Elizabeth Truss)

 ‘I congratulate my hon. Friend on the thoughtful and intelligent way she has engaged with the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Design and Technology Association, and with Dick Olver, Sir James Dyson and others, in considering the new design and technology curriculum. May I encourage her to bring forward a curriculum for the 21st century that inspires young people, particularly girls, to understand the role of science, technology and engineering in solving the real problems of the modern world, environmental, social and economic? (Peter Luff)

 Click here for the full debate – Design and Technology is under point 10.

Our understanding from the Design and Technology Association (DATA) who have been active in campaigning for the future of the subject, is that there’s an increased air of optimism around the future content.

 ‘with the help of our members and supporters we have convinced the Government of the fundamental problems with their original draft Design and Technology programme of study and the need for a world-class alternative.’ DATA May ’13

 So watch this space..we’ll keep you updated with any progress that we hear of.

 Follow me on twitter for quicker updates @BrenHellier.

Pick up ideas at an ASE Teachmeet

Julie Brown
May 13th, 2013

I recently attended an ASE Teachmeet at the Think Tank .  It got me thinking, where else would you find out how to:

• find an interactive periodic table from the  Royal Society of Chemistry
• Paint a huge diagram of a heart on a big sheet to use as a teaching aid
• make a small revision book out of a piece of paper http://bit.ly/ZfLQbo
• join a network that review research in education methodologies, @bio_joe
• run a floating garden challenge to teach science in a global context
• use ipads to provide interesting learning experiences @syded06
• connect with STEM ambassadors
• Get support on teaching microbiology using UV light

…all in a couple of hours?

Teachmeets are great, informal occasion where you can meet like-minded enthusiastic teachers and pick up great ideas to integrate into your teaching .   You also get a nice up of tea and chocolate biscuits  :-). They occur in 12 different regions around the country. To find the one closest to you go the ASE website or contact your local ASE field officer.  For the West Midlands Teachmeet contact Gaynor Sharp gaynorsharp@ase.org.uk .

Follow #tmase to keep in touch  :-)

Heart painted on large sheet to be used as a teaching aid

Technophobe gets to grips with webinar

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
May 1st, 2013

My friends and work colleagues would tell you that I ‘m just not that good with technology.  I got a new phone recently and when I posted the photo to the right on my facebook account (which I have to say I am proud that I know how to do!) the comments would confirm that.

Me and technology

So when I was asked by Think Global to present a webinar for them on ‘Integrating global learning into STEM’ I must admit my initial reaction was – what me? Really? As well as being flattered to be asked of course. The very lovely (and I have to say much younger, which i am convinced must have something to do with her less technophobic nature) Amy West convinced me it would all be fine so I took a deep breath and went for it!

I have to admit it was not as difficult as I originally thought to set up, although that may have been because Amy did most of the work!  When the day finally came I just took a deep breath, followed instructions and off we went.  To my delight it all worked well.  In fact, more than that I got a real buzz from being part of something new. OK, so the sound quality wasn’t brilliant, but it worked and enabled me to talk to teachers I wouldn’t normally have been able to reach.  Something my friends and family will also tell you is I just love talking about Practical Action and our education work so anything that gives me a platform to do that is good by me.

It didn’t end there however. After the event there was another technology challenge…how to share the webinar presentation with others.  There was a lot of info on the presentation I thought others might be interested in and I wanted to share it.  So with the help of colleagues here at Practical Action I learnt how to change a presentation into a YouTube video – how cool is that!

So, I am feeling really pleased with myself for trying out new technological things and actually getting to grips with them.  Hope you enjoy the resulting video below.

On my bike with Ricky…

Bren Hellier
April 22nd, 2013

Easter hols are over…and I’ve a nagging feeling that with less than 50 days until Ricky and I take to the streets of London for a 100km night ride…I need to step up my training.

I’ve started in the past two days biking to work..it’s only a 8 mile journey…a comparable distance to the journey made by women and children on a daily basis to collect water in Northern Kenya.

I’m feeling a little daunted by the prospect of cycling 100km through London at night with Ricky (the puppet above)…but keep reminding myself it’s a small price to pay to make a difference to the lives of people who Practical Action work with.

• £250 could pay for early warning systems’ equipment, such as hand operated sirens and megaphones, needed for a community to give people sufficient warning to move their families and livestock to safety.
• £1540 could pay for the construction of a shallow well.
• £2000 could pay for a putting a solar pump into action.

Please donate as much as you can – I promise it will go to a great cause.

Any training tips are welcome…and better still if anyone would like to join us…we’re signed up to leave from Alexendra Palace at 23.00 on the 8th June.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Best wishes,

Bren and Ricky x

PS. Ricky has been kindly donated to us from Millgate House Education..find out more about what Ricky’s been up to with Practical Action on his blog.

David Cameron talks to students about Practical Action project

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
April 15th, 2013

Students show David Cameron their ideas of how science and technology can be used to improve lives of the poor at the Big Bang Fair 2013

David Cameron talks to students about their Practical Action  CREST project

Students at Ursuline Academy had an experience of a lifetime at the Big Bang fair in March. The Science Angels were one of just two teams interviewed by David Cameron when he visited the Big Bang Fair.  In his speech  captured in the video clip below the Prime Minister  said that ‘ it is important that students make that connection between what they study in the classroom and real lives…the problem you want to solve in the developing world’.

Watch David Cameron at The Big Bang Fair 2013.

I joined the students on the second day of the fair where they won and the UKFT Textile edge prize and another group of students from the same school  won the Shell Prize for sustainability  in the National Science and Engineering competition. They were presented with their prestigious awards from the Big Bang at the Award ceremony.  Both groups were also proud to achieve their silver CREST awards.

Both teams used Practical Action’s Global CREST challenges materials as inspiration for their projects.  The material provides students with support in using real life problems in the developing world to work on for  their CREST awards . It gives students starting points for projects and links to Practical Action’s technical briefs as support material.  The Sustainables were looking at materials suitable for housing in Bangladesh whilst the Science Angels focused on solutions to help grow crops in Kenya.

As well as an amazing achievement for Ursuline Academy I think it is great recognition of Practical Action’s Global CREST challenges which were launched just over a year ago.

The Sustainables, winners of the UKFT Textiles Edge prize proudly showing their CREST silver certificates

The Science Angels, Ursuline Academy, winners of the Shell award for Sustainability

Just back from the Geography Association Conference…

Bren Hellier
April 8th, 2013

We’ve just spent three days at the GA conference at Derby University and are feeling inspired!

It’s the first time since we’ve added a Geography section to our schools website that Practical Action has exhibited at the conference and we’ll definitely be going again.

We’ve been impressed by the enthusiasm of teachers, lecturers and HMI who came to the conference during their Easter holiday to attend workshops and the exhibition to update themselves on the future of Geography.

We were there to launch our new EuropAfrica education materials…offering a broad range of activities for 11-16 year old students on small scale family farming systems in Africa. Lots of teachers we met seemed enthused by the case studies and and in particular the Shamba Shape Up activities with an opportunity to develop a TV script based on a real life TV series.

We’re looking forward to hearing from schools over the next year about how the materials have been used.

Our new Floating Garden Challenge based on climate change and flooding was really well received too.

We’re looking forward to a new chapter of keeping Geographers updated with developments at Practical Action.

Have your say in DfE plans for the D&T curriculum…

Bren Hellier
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
March 19th, 2013

At Practical Action, we’re concerned about the DfE’s proposed content for the key stage 1-3 programme of study for Design and Technology, and are urging you all to take part in the consultation over the future of the subject.

We’ve seen at first hand pupils engaged with contextualised designing and developing products, debating the impacts of their choice of technologies on people and the environment – all in pursuit of meeting real human needs.

At a time, when as we face huge global challenges of climate change and economic crisis…it seems ironic that the proposed Design and Technology curriculum seems more fitting to life in the 1950s, covering home maintenance and horticulture.

I’ve recently commented on design proposals from a student developing her ideas for emergency shelters for post disaster contexts in earthquake prone regions. Her specifications were fantastic reflecting consideration about the cultural and environmental appropriateness of her choice of materials.

I can’t help but feeling that we’ll deny future generations a chance to feel they can make a real difference to the world if we adopt Gove’s proposals.

If you’re as passionate about the future of the subject – please read the proposed D&T programme of study in the National Curriculum Framework pages 156-160 and make your response by the 16^th April 2013.

You can download a consultation response form or respond on line here.

Thank you.

#ASEconf13…the place to be

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
January 8th, 2013

I love the ASE conference.  Every year before I have time to get stuck back into my ’real’  job after Christmas I am lucky enough to spend a few days chatting to enthusiastic teachers and others involved in science education about Practical Action’s  Education work.  I also get the chance to find out what else is going on in science education.

This year we were promoting our new STEM challenge. The Floating Garden Challenge is based on our work in Bangladesh where we show communities how to build huge rafts to grow their crops on.  Students have to think about the problem themselves first…that farmers crops get ruined by floods… then design and build a model solution.  Teachers and other educators were quick to see the value of the science behind the challenge as well as all the other great cross curricular links, including how it could lead to some great outdoor activities that there seems to be a move towards this year.

For me there is nothing more motivating than when colleagues tell you how teachers and students really enjoyed using your material and Liz Lister from Graphic Science ( aka @scarycurlgirl) got the prize for being the most enthusiastic!!  

‘I  really really love the squashed tomato challenge’

Was the first thing she said to me as she rushed over.  I had to promise to send her a pile of our floating garden posters before she would leave the stand!!

Renewing and deepening relationships is also a real bonus of the conference.  I know some people have been coming for years and real friendships have developed as a result.  For me one of the highlights of the conference was getting back in touch with friends from Millgate House.  By the end of the conference we had hatched a plan to work together on some resources for a new project called ‘Make the Link’, which aims to embed issues around  Technology Justice in Science and  D & T teaching in Europe. The staff at Millgate House even trusted me enough to give me a member of their team to look after.  Ricky is a bit of an adventurer and we are hoping to arrange a trip to Kenya for him to visit some of Practical Action’s great projects there this year.  

As it is the ASE’s 50^th anniversary this year they will be holding an extra ASE conference in the summer on 27^th and 28^th June as a summer celebration .  I have already got our place booked and can only recommend you do the same…hope to see you there.

A new challenge!

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
December 7th, 2012

If you are a teacher and have used any of our STEM challenges before we are sure you will love  our new one……The Floating Garden Challenge  designed for ages 7-19.

Give your students a global problem and ask them to solve it.

The problem: In Bangladesh land is frequently flooded as a result of climate change, ruining crops grown for food.  The result is that families go hungry

The Challenge: To design and make a model solution to the problem that will enable farmers to grow crops even when the land is flooded.

Students  test their models to see which one holds the most weight when floated in water then look at how Practical Action has worked with communities in Bangladesh to build floating gardens out of local, sustainable material…. an example of technology justice in action.

Perfect for STEM and science clubs, NSEW,  collapsed curriculum timetable days  as well as for enhancing a lesson on forces.

Resources to help you deliver the challenge are free and include a PowerPoint, teacher’s notes, student worksheets, certificates and a beautiful  A2 poster which you can request free.  All materials are available in English and Welsh.

Go to practicalaction.org/floatinggardenchallenge 

London Underground Flooded – the alternative tube map

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
November 15th, 2012

In Bangladesh people are already suffering the effects of increased flooding due to climate change.  If we don’t act soon our future could go the same way.  At Practical Action we have put together a tube map showing the possible effects of climate change on the London underground in 2100 if we don’t tackle climate change.

Download our map to use as a novel teaching resource http://bit.ly/SYULgT

A great resource to help make climate change more real for your students the map is being used to promote our #adaptnow campaign.

Find out more about our campaign  and please do encourage your students to join  http://bit.ly/T2X1nk