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Examples of Developing a Technology
Education Curriculum in Primary and
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Example 32
Technology Education Curriculum in ABC Secondary School (A) Planning: School Level
Aims of Technology Education (TE) in School
The school aims at nurturing students’ creativity and innovation through TE. TE curriculum is designed to:
be broad and balanced
be offered to all students at Secondary 1 to Secondary 3 levels
develop students’ independent learning ability through : project learning, reading to learn and information technology for self-directed learning
develop competencies in Technology:
- Computer Literacy (CL), e.g. information processing and presentation skills - Design &Technology (D&T), e.g. materials and structure, systems and control,
and operations and manufacturing
- Home Economics (HEc), e.g. healthy living habits
include a variety of learning experiences to cater for learners’ diversity Assessment
The use of a variety of assessment modes are encouraged to assess student learning:
Assessment of practical work
Assessment of project work with checkpoints set up at different stages
Portfolio-building demonstrating students’ progress
Results of all assessment count towards final results
Using a profile to display the assessment results (B) Planning: Form level
Considerations for Planning
To develop a broad and balanced knowledge base of technology
To develop exploratory skills in technology
To integrate knowledge learned in the three subjects when attempting design activities
To enhance students’ knowledge and interests of technology through extended learning activities and learning experiences outside the classroom
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Programme Structure Rationale
The TE curriculum over the three years should draw together the essential contents in the existing TE subjects in order to provide a broad and balanced knowledge context for student learning.
The TE curriculum will be arranged in modules to allow flexibility in sequencing and regular updating of content. The school is considering adopting a modular instructional approach in a range of areas.
The TE content should be organised in such a way that students can make reference to their experiences of family life and social life.
Modules
The school will offer the following modules at each level from Secondary 1 to Secondary 3:
Technology modules:
- core learning elements modules to be studied by all students
- focus on developing the understanding of knowledge and application of skills in different TE subjects (i.e. CL, D&T and HEc)
Project modules:
- each student chooses a project theme on D&T, HEc or CL or integrated areas of the three subjects
- focus on developing the design capability of students in different areas
Application modules:
- optional modules to be selected by students to cater for their diverse needs, interests and abilities
- focus on extending knowledge and skills in different areas (e.g. control, home living, computer graphics, etc.)
Extended Activities:
- learning outside timetabled lessons
- additional and follow-up work (e.g. out-of-school activities, etc.)
- technology week (e.g. exhibition of students’ design work and portfolio, etc.) - technology club
- workplace experiences (e.g. visits to technology sites and attachments, etc.) - integrated learning with other Key Learning Areas (KLAs) (e.g. the study of “A
Healthy Body” and “Making Use of Electricity” in Science etc.) - internal and external competitions
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(C) Programme Content Secondary 1
Technology modules (50% TE curriculum time)
Project modules (17 % TE curriculum time)
Application modules (33% TE curriculum time) HEc – Food (12.5% TE
curriculum time)
Food & Nutrition - hygienic & safe
practices, food groups &
eating habits
Food Preparation &
Processing - simple food preparation & processing skills
Home Management and Technology – impact of processed food in daily life
Family Living
Project themes: e.g.
Desktop tidy
Snack design
Sustainable products
HEc – Food
Food & Nutrition – dietary goals and meal planning
HEc – Fashion (4.5% TE curriculum time)
Fashion and Dress Sense – fashion trend and development
HEc – Fashion
Fabric and Clothing Construction – pattern and garment construction D&T (16.5% TE curriculum
time)
Materials & resources – single medium
Tools & equipment – simple hand tools and machine tools (e.g.
drilling machines)
Design & applications - 2D CAD
D&T
Structures &
Mechanisms: 4-leg walking toy
CL (16.5% TE curriculum time)
Information &
Communication – basic computer operations;
using the Internet; using common information processing tools
CL
Components of computer systems
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(D) Progression
Learning and Teaching: It is expected that there will be an increase in student exploration and less teacher control in learning and teaching from Secondary 1 to Secondary 3.
Context: From personal (Secondary 1) to family (Secondary 2) to community (Secondary 3)
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Example 33 Technology Education Curriculum in LCM Secondary School
Positioning of Technology Education (TE) in the School Curriculum
The provision of a broad and balanced curriculum with a strong inclination towards technology for all students throughout their schooling is deemed desirable, thus about 15% of the curriculum time in junior secondary is allocated to TE.
Through studying various TE subjects, students develop their generic skills, values and attitudes, thus enhancing their ability and attitude for life-wide and lifelong learning.
Students learn knowledge and skills applicable to resolve issues in authentic environment.
The learning experience in TE prepares students for further studies and multiple career pathways.
(A) Planning: School Level Aims of TE in School
The TE curriculum at the junior secondary level aims at:
helping students to explore their interests, aptitudes and abilities so as to prepare them for further studies and work;
providing students with a variety of subjects to nurture their technological literacy as well as their generic skills, values and attitudes;
providing students with authentic hands-on learning experiences, developing their knowledge and skills to cope with new emerging technologies in society, making them aware of the impact of technology and developing their critical thinking ability;
enabling students to make their own choices in life according to their interests, aptitudes and abilities.
Details
The Panel should observe the following directives in designing the TE Curriculum at the junior secondary level:
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Time Allocation
6 periods per five-day week for 15 weeks Learning Elements
the curriculum includes all core learning elements in Information and Communication Technology, Materials and Structures, Operations and Manufacturing, Strategies and Management, Systems and Control as well as Technology and Living with some extension modules
Role of the Panel
School administrators mobilise adequate resources, such as timetable arrangements, facilities, equipment and human resources.
The Panel ensures that the curriculum content, timetable organisation, strategies in planning students’ learning experiences, assessment policy, etc. are in line with the school policy;
The Panel is responsible for planning, organising, implementing and evaluating the programme so as to provide the desired learning experiences for students;
students are provided with learning experiences in authentic contexts, obtaining hands-on experiences of exploring and apply ideas to solve practical problems or challenges in life;
Students apply knowledge, skills and experience in using resources to create products or systems to satisfy the basic needs in their daily life;
Opportunities are provided for students to acquire life-wide learning experiences via participating in activities such as visits to various organisations, the sharing of ideas through inter-school competitions and community activities.
Programme
The learning of existing TE subjects is moving away from subject-based teaching towards theme-based teaching for a coherent and balanced development of capability, understanding and awareness of technology.
The programme is implemented in the second term of Secondary 3 or whenever desirable to ensure that it is working in the best interests of the students.
Commencing in the first term of Secondary 3, the students will be informed of the theme-based learning in the second term for better preparation. The learning experiences for the theme, including activities such as research study, classroom teaching, workshop sessions, small group activities, reading assignments and projects, last for the entire second term, should be conducted in a co-ordinated manner with full collaboration of teachers from the four disciplines. The learning activities involved should incorporate the aforesaid learning topics with the following characteristics. They should:
- be coherent and progressive in nature
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- integrate the different knowledge contexts of TE
- nurture students’ basic skills, attitudes and an ability for learning in TE
- ensure basic competence in core elements and encourage the pursuit of excellence in specialised fields
- be aware of the needs of sustainable development in the community Assessment
The Panel observes the following directives in designing TE assessment at the junior secondary level:
The use of a variety of assessment modes, such as practical work, observation, presentation, quizzes and peer assessment, is encouraged. The results of all assessments count towards final results.
A profile for individual students will be used to display their assessment results.
Assessment of projects should include the management of time and resources, in searching for information and in presentation.
(B) Planning: Form Level Form Level: Secondary 3
Theme: Planning for an Activation of a Historical Architecture in Your Community Time Allocation: 90 periods (6 periods per five-day week for 15 weeks)
Teachers involved in the form level planning and implementation: 6 teachers in the Technology Education panel specialising in the following disciplines: Business, Computer Education, Design and Technology, and Technology and Living.
Objectives
To enable students to:
know more about their community and enhance their sense of belonging.
understand how technology is used to improve the quality of life.
engage in authentic, hands on problem solving learning activities to nurture their transferable skills.
develop their critical thinking ability by appraising solutions suggested by peers, and learn how to respect the ideas of other people.
recognise that different stakeholders in the community may have different needs and to know how to work out a solution to suit their needs.
acquire knowledge and concepts related to redevelopment, conservation, revitalisation and rehabilitation.
explore how to activate the use of historical architectures for sustainable development of the community
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integrate their technological knowledge with that of other Key Learning Areas (KLAs) such as Personal, Social and Humanities Education (PSHE), Arts and Science through engaging with issues in community planning, heritage conservation and the construction of new buildings.
acquire life-wide learning experience by interacting with various stakeholders in the community.
(C)Programme Content
The Technology Education panel should plan stages of learning and organise the content according to the interest and abilities of the students. The allocation of tasks among teachers should be made in accordance with their own expertise.
Stages Learning Elements Learning Activities 1. Knowing the
community (2 weeks)
Technology and Society
Business Environments:
economic, technological, social and cultural, physical, political and legal
Family Living
Safety and Health
Information Processing and Presentation
Searching for information
Reading to learn
Group discussions
Lecturing
Visits and participation in the activities related to the community development
2. Planning to activate the use of historical architecture (3 weeks)
Information Processing and Presentation
Resources Management
Design and Applications
Technology and Society
Safety and Health
Business Environment
Searching for information
Information analysis
Reading to learn
Group discussions
Teaching
Visits and participation in activities related to the community development
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3. Model building (8 weeks)
Design and Applications
Material and Resources
Information Processing and Presentation
Material Processing
Structure and Mechanism
Control and Automation
Project Management
Safety and Health
Technology and Society
Business Environment
Marketing
Reading to learn
Group discussions
Teaching
Designing
Workshop practice
4. Presentation and Evaluation (2 weeks)
Consolidation of the above TE contents
Presentation and Discussions
Self-reflection
Peer assessment
(D)Assessment
Assessment should be planned to motivate students and provide feedback.
Assessment Assessor
Project portfolio as an accumulation of progress of work in different stages
Self, teachers
Observation on students’ progress Teachers
Final Product
- artefacts such as models, computer graphics, sketches to show the design ideas
- reports/portfolios to describe the purposes of the designs, problems encountered, areas for improvement, etc.
Self, peers, teachers, parents and stakeholders of the community
Oral presentation Self, peers, teachers, etc.
Written test/examination on the related knowledge as appropriate
Teachers
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Example 34
Technology Education Curriculum in DEF Primary School (A) Planning: School Level
Aims
Technology Education (TE) is currently embedded in General Studies (GS) at the primary level. It aims at:
providing students with the knowledge of technology required to recognise some of the technologies being used around them;
developing students' curiosity in technology, so that they become aware of why and how it is used and of safety issues;
providing students with simple hands-on learning experiences for exploring and experiencing how technology works, and developing their interests and confidence in tackling simple technology problems; and
nurturing students' creativity and innovation through TE.
Resources
The school has one GS room and one computer room.
The GS panel comprises 21 teachers and most of them have received basic training in implementing TE in the GS curriculum.
Time allocation: 6 periods per week.
Assessment
Different modes of assessment are used to suit the purposes and the process of learning which include:
- projects - observation - portfolios
- tests and examinations, etc
The final grading for students is based on the results of the above.
A profile for individual students will be used to display their assessment results.
(B) Planning: Class Level Key Stage: 2
Theme: Pinhole camera Time allocation: 3 hours
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Teachers involved in the class level planning and implementation: 5 teachers from the GS panel
Objectives
To enable students to:
understand that light travels in straight lines by applying the principle of image formation of a pinhole camera to project an inverted image;
take into account various factors, such as size of the pinhole and distance between the outer and inner boxes, to find the best solution;
tackle the problem, see the impact of changing the pinhole size on brightness of the image, as well as that of changing the distance between the outer and inner boxes on size of the image;
integrate through technological activity the knowledge, skills and attitudes of various Key Learning Areas (KLAs) such as Technology, Science, Mathematics, Arts and Languages;
investigate through the design cycle the optimal distance and pinhole size for projecting the sharpest inverted image.
(C) Programme
In the context of making a pinhole camera, the GS panel takes into consideration students’
interest to organise the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes regarding how light works.
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Examples of Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities
35 A Multimedia Presentation for Promoting “Discover Hong Kong” 175 36 Case Study: 3G – Green Design, Green Technology and Green Enterprise 178 37 From Tough to Tender – Methods of Tenderising Meat 182
38 Building a Tower 185
39 Meal Planning 188
40 Project Work Assessment – Design Challenge – Mobile Device 195
41 Theme-based learning: Sustainable Architecture 197
42 Cater for Learner Diversity in Health Management and Social Care 203 43 Self-directed Learning in Health Management and Social Care 205 44 Project-based Learning: Business Venture – From Theory into Practice 210 45 Use of Information Technology in Teaching Accounting 216 46 Developing Integrative Learning Capabilities through Project Learning 219 47 Cross-curricular Project Learning for STEM Education 222 48 Developing Students’ Coding Capability : Simulation Package for the Cat
to Find the Mouse
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49 Learning Technology Through Project Learning at the Primary Level 230
50 Fostering Deep Learning in Technology Education 231
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Example 35
A Multimedia Presentation for Promoting “Discover Hong Kong”
Key Stage: 3 (A) Key Features
In this learning activity, students are expected to:
understand the basic concept of marketing and the simple tools used in market research;
identify the needs of a target audience when giving a multimedia presentation;
demonstrate awareness of the cultural background of a target audience and how this might affect the choice of information to present;
understand and apply the basic rules and techniques of communication and presentation so that the multimedia information can be presented to the audience in an effective way;
implement, manage and evaluate a multimedia project.
(B) Task Definition
In this activity, students participate actively in planning and developing a multimedia presentation with the aim of exploring the new attractions of Hong Kong in order to attract potential overseas tourists. Students are divided into groups and work collaboratively. The teacher stimulates students to think and solve problems.
(C) Integrated Dimensions of Technology
In developing this learning activity, teachers will incorporate the following learning elements:
Information Processing and Presentation
Design and Applications
Marketing
Technology and Society
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(D) Intended Learning Objectives
Knowledge Contexts Process Impact
Students should be able to:
understand the
underlying concepts and principles of effective communication and presentation
understand the strategies, process and procedures used in the production, communication and evaluation of a multimedia project
understand the basic concept of marketing and the simple tools used in market research
Students should be able to:
identify the needs of target audience/potential customers
produce the proposed multimedia presentation using the appropriate knowledge, skills and resources
use the language in multimedia technology for effective
communication and documentation
evaluate whether the finished product meets the requirement
Students should be able to:
be aware of the beliefs, values and ethics of a target audience and of how this might affect the choice of information to be presented
(E) Lesson Sequence
1. Teacher and students discuss the significant contribution of the tourism industry to local Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the need to promote the image of Hong Kong to potential overseas tourists.
2. Students investigate and identify Hong Kong’s new attractions for overseas tourists.
During the investigation, students take into account the cultural backgrounds of different target groups. Useful information can be collected from sources such as websites, magazines and also from interviewing tourists.
3. Students list the design and development plan for the multimedia presentation promoting Hong Kong.
4. Students are divided into groups to collect, select and organise multimedia resources.
Students are encouraged to explore the use of different hardware and software to meet their needs. For example, students can collect information by downloading them from the Internet, by using digital cameras, video recorders, scanners, or other digital devices etc, as well as by creating the content in video/animation format.
5. Students develop their multimedia presentation according to the initial design and planning. Each group should make a schedule and divide the tasks among group members.
6. Students evaluate the solution continuously during the process in the light of the requirements identified.
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7. Each group prepares a presentation of its work to the class at the end of the project.
8. Teacher gives feedback to each group and supports the students throughout the process.
(F) Evaluation
At the beginning of the project, the teacher can evaluate the students' initial understanding of the needs and requirements of the project through asking questions or brainstorming.
During the project, the students' language and manipulative skills can be assessed by observing what they say and do.
Understanding of the concepts and principles involved in a project can be evaluated through using a structured assessment task, such as presentation of a product or a written test.
Students’ problem solving skills, communication skills and collaboration skills can be evaluated through teacher observation of student performance, together with an examination of students’ pieces of work kept in their portfolio.
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Example 36
Case Study: 3G - Green Design, Green Technology and Green Enterprise Key Stage: 3
(A) Key Features
In this learning activity, students are expected to:
have a sense of global economy regarding the environmental issue;
understand the detrimental effect of electronic products to the environment;
understand what the green design concept;
understand what Green technologies are being used and developed;
what policies are being adopted by “Green Enterprise” in response to environmental conscious consumers;
consider the economical factor in green policy;
propose a sustainable green policy for the school or propose a conceptual design of a green electronic gadget;
develop their communication and organisation skills by implementing their plan.
(B) Task Definition
In this case study, students will apply their knowledge to propose a sustainable green policy for their school. It will be conducted in form of a competition. Each group needs to make a presentation of their plan. The winning group will put their plan into action in their campus with other group members as their partners.
Suggested Student Tasks:
1. Interview the school stakeholders to collect information about the way of promoting sustainable green policy in school.
2. Propose a plan on sustainable green policy for the school.
3. List the green design features to be adopted in a selected new product.
4. Design a promotion poster for a selected new product with focus on the green design features.
(C) Integrated Dimensions of Technology
In developing this learning activity, students will incorporate the following learning elements:
Technology & Society - environmental issues, green design, green technology and green enterprise
Design and Applications - design consideration, product design