Lockdown - Take 2

 We are in the second lockdown and teaching from home. As part of our department planning we have just had to fill in what changes we have made to our lesson planning to cope with the teaching from home situation and what we intend to do when we get back to being onsite.

Here is my section from that document. There are more specific details under the table.

Ferguson Year 13 - Based on what I learnt from the previous lockdown, I will focus on materials research and existing product analysis  for my Year 13 students during the next two weeks. This work can be done completely online. I only had 3 / 4 of my Y13 students come online last time so this research work can be done without me.  When we are back onsite, I will focus on the design development work that has already been started for my learners.  Year 12 - Based on what I learnt from the previous lockdown, I will focus on materials research and existing product analysis for my Year 12 students during the next two weeks This work can be done completely online. I only had 1 of my Y12 students come online last time so this research work can be done without me.  When we are back onsite, I will focus on the design development work that has already been started for my learners. Year 11 - Based on what I learnt from the previous lockdown, I will focus on materials research for my Year 11 students during the next two weeks. I had 3 regulars last time so this work can be done without me.. When we are back onsite, I will focus on getting the laser cutter fixed so they can finish their first project and they can continue development work for the designs for their second project. for my learners.  Year 10 - Based on what I learnt from the previous lockdown, I will focus on Tinkercad skills, so they can use these skills for their design ideas when we start the project,  for my Year 10 students during the next two weeks.  When we are back onsite, I will focus on starting ideas for the product design project for my learners.  Year 9 - Based on what I learnt from the previous lockdown, I will focus on coming up with ways that they can continue with the plan online,  for my Year 9 students during the next two weeks.  When we are back onsite, I will focus on starting design ideas based on their work in SOS and Health,  for my learners.  Year 7 and 8 - Based on what I learnt from the previous lockdown, I will focus on short activities that can be completed in a half short timeslot, for my Year 7 and 8 students during the next two weeks.  When we are back onsite, I will focus on starting the new work for the new rotation,  for my learners.

The details of this are as follows.

Year 12 and Year 13

The Year 12 and Year 13 class have been working on materials research in the class as part of their design development work. We have started reading about different materials together and I put a few examples of different materials on the class site so they could read in their own time too. Link here

When we went on lockdown again, I shared this template with them to collect their information onto. We also chatted individually about their designs so we could look for specific material suggestions online. These were then added to the materials research page.

These students also need to look at existing products as part of their design development work. I shared a variety of templates with them, all based on SOLO taxonomy. 

Product Analysis
Describe ........  Describe Self Assessment
Analyse Map ........  Analyse Map Self Assessment

I have tried to offer work to them that can be done without my input so they can get on with it even if they can not come to the scheduled meets.

Year 11

The Year 11 class have just started looking at materials that can be used in their seating design development work. We have been reading about materials together in the class and I have given them the link to the same site page as the Y12 and Y13 students about materials, so they can read and watch at their own pace.

With the students who came online, we have been looking at how different materials can be applied to the specification points they made in their design brief. Example that I worked through online here. I now have this example to give them as well as the information collection template to work through in their own time if they can't come to the scheduled meets.

Year 10

My Year 10 class have just started their new Technology rotation so we had not made a start on the project when we went into lockdown. I have given them the link to the Tinkercad skills instructions on the class site. Link here. They can work through the skills and exercises here and they can then use these skills when we get back into the class and start the product design project. This work can be done in their own time and if they come to the meets they can ask questions and watch me show how to do specific things they need to know.

Year 9

My Year 9 class have just started their new Technology rotation. We had made a start on the project before we went into lockdown so I have been focusing on putting work on the class site that can be completed online but is still definitely part of the project and provides useful skills.

Link here to class site page

Intermediates

My Design class have work that was already set up from the last lockdown and we will be using that again with this new group. Link here The skills they learn here will be used in their product design project when we get back to the classroom.

The coding class can learn the basics of using blocks to code with and can play some of the coding games I have set up on my site. Link here

Adding more reading into project planning

 A couple of weeks ago, we had a "Secondary Connect" PD opportunity (blog post here). The focus was on English and Literacy. When Dr Aaron Wilson was presenting, he was discussing T shaped literacy. 

When I was thinking about this afterward, I realised that I don't actively plan to include reading for my students. All they really do in my lesson is read instructions and some research.

I have my new Year 9 class this week on their new Technology rotation and we are doing a new project based on Graphic Novels. I have decided that this is the perfect opportunity to start planning to include reading.

As of writing this blog post, the class site has two activities on it for these students and I have found readings for them to do and put them on clickable buttons on the project activity pages.

Graphic novel page - Types of Graphic Novel page - Three Act Story page

I will keep this format as I continue to plan for this project. It needs to become the new normal. I can then plan for the "depth" part of the T.

Cluster Create Workshops 2020

 We have just had our second Manaiakalani Cluster Create workshops where the whole cluster comes together to talk about the "create" part of Learn, Create, Share.

The first workshop I went to was Greg's on Pencil Code. This is a great online app for drawing with code.

Here are his resources to teach us some basics.

Coding shapes challenges

Coding angles challenges

I presented for the second round of workshops. Russel and I were showing our team how to code mBots to follow a black line.

Here are my resources for the day. I also included a couple of extra activities at the end just in case.

As you can see, we did well with getting the robots to race round the track.

AS91627 - Starting Concepts - Prep for students

Planning for AS91627 - Producing concept sketches for their chosen product design.
We are moving onto concept ideas. This can be done as drawings on paper or the iPad (Procreate) or as 3M sketch models to help them to visualise their ideas.

We are focussing on the form of their concept ideas first so there is not much colour or details yet.

Resources

Link to blog post planning - Pattern and Texture
Link to blog post planning - Form
Link to blog post planning - Colour and Shape

Link to blog post - Form Development

Link to class site

Link to help page on the class site - includes worked examples and screencasts of explanations

Learning Outcomes

• To produce a wide range of different design concepts that could fulfil the design brief they have written.
• Use a wider variety of media to create their work and rely less on the standard use of drawing pencil and coloured pencil.
• Create 2D and 3D sketches or models to explore different ideas.
• To be able to use the information from the design brief and the needs of the client to guide them in their ideas.

Materials and Equipment

Drawing pencils - only to be used in a support role, not as the main media for the work
Black outliner pens
White pencils

Brown graphics marker pens
White paper, brown paper, coloured sugar papers

Clear acetate for tracing.

Card , glue and scissors

Plasticine and 3D modelling tools

iPads and stylus's with Procreate installed


Form drawings and models in pencil and various media.

Form development drawings and models.
Look at these drawings as a base to find forms to use in the design concepts.

Examples

Initial concepts. A photograph of my hand was traced to provide the ergonome for the drawing.

We are using quite a monochrome approach to the concepts so we can focus on just the form to start with.

This is brown paper, brown marker pen and white pencil.

To see what kind of shapes can be held easily in the hand and how big they could be, I made some sketch models in plasticine and photographed them being held in my hand.

Some of the students have started using the iPads, with an app called Procreate.

This small example is going over a few of the key elements we have been looking at on the app. Using the airbrush pen, the smudger and the eraser. Using the colour picker and layers.

The notes that will go with these concepts will explain how they relate to the design brief. The students then need to take these back to their client to get feedback. The direction they take their design developments will depend on what the client says about their concepts.