Background
Queen Margaret College is a private girls school located in central Wellington and is an "IB World School authorised to teach the International Baccalaureate Diploma."
Technology is compulsory for Years 7-10 although year 10 students can choose their own option. Students in years 11-13 then choose between Technology -Computing or Materials as subjects.
Barbara Knight has been Head of Department of Technology at Queen Margaret College since 2005, where she has built a reputation for creating ambitious projects with a strong client-student relationship. Barbara's Year 10 technology class falls under the International Baccalaureate Diploma's Middle Year's Programme for Years 7-10. For Technology, the International Baccalaureate has a design cycle that goes through Investigation, Design, Planning, Create, Evaluation and Attitudes sections. While these different stages can be catered to fit a particular unit or teaching method, assessment always falls within these sections.
Barbara feels that the International Baccalaureate works well within the New Zealand Technology curriculum.
"It fits in because we look at different components of practice that are in the New Zealand curriculum framework for Technology such as modelling, functionality, developing a brief and evaluation."
In 2005, Barbara established a working relationship with Te Papa Store at Te Papa Tongarewa The Museum of New Zealand creating prototypes of souvenirs suitable to sell in their store – see Techlink Case Study BP601: Te Papa Souvenirs. This unit was such a success that the relationship continued in 2006 through a unit that contributed to Wellington's city-wide celebration of the Wearable Art Awards event. Working in conjunction with long-term collaborator Kylie Merrick from Wellington High School, Barbara's students created fantasy wearable art garments for a Te Papa store window display – see Techlink Case Study CP1002: Wearable Arts Collaboration.
In 2008, the Queen Margaret College Technology Department organised a charity fundraiser fashion parade that featured construction work from all year levels of Technology student projects. The proceeds of the event were gifted to the Breast Cancer Research Trust with an end-of-year fashion parade serving as a context focus.
For this event, Barbara's Year 10 students made T-shirts and then developed a screen-print graphic portraying a positive life message for the Breast Cancer Research Trust (inspired by the Glassons Breast Cancer T-shirt campaign). The project promoted student awareness of an important cause, while developing sewing construction, research, design, visual communication and promotional skills.
Although in 2008 the students had to remain within the breast cancer issue, Barbara encouraged them to show their individual take on that cause. The students designed and manufactured the T-shirts themselves and presented their outcomes in the fashion parade at the end of the year, displaying their work to the school and community.
The project was a success with students, parents and teachers, so Barbara decided to continue the T-shirt unit into 2009, though with significant changes that provided a natural progression, offered new challenges, and increased the student's knowledge and skills.
