Outcomes
Barbara Knight:
"What surprised me was how cool it looked. It really blew me away when I saw it all together. Once you get the display up, the lighting and the backdrop – wow – suddenly it becomes an exhibition. As we were setting it up on the day people watched and took photographs."
"The biggest learning opportunity for all of us was working with an authentic client. Te Papa staff weren't mucking around, there was a fixed deadline and a reputation to uphold. It wasn't like producing something for Mum who might say 'Give it to me next week when you've finished' or 'Oh it looks alright' when it doesn't. Te Papa wasn't able to change anything to accommodate us and the work wasn't going into the window if it wasn't good enough."
Barbara had known her students for five years and had a good relationship with them. "This particular class was a star group; high flyers who have excelled in Technology and achieved high grades. We had a lot of fun together and enjoyed working with each other – that kind of class is what makes me love teaching. I'd been their form teacher and knew them really well and I guess they trusted me. We had a few melt-down moments but I think they trusted me and knew it would be okay. I never let on to the girls that I had concerns about whether we'd be able to pull it off."
Barbara points out that the project was a professional risk for Colin and Jan; she appreciates that they went ahead and were very supportive. At times they may have been concerned with progress but after seeing Sarah and Eloise's workbooks had a greater understanding of how and why things are done, and that a lot of practical work doesn't happen until mid Term 2. Next time Barbara will ensure the clients understand the analysis and documentation required at Year 13 right from the beginning.
The display was in the windows for four weeks and gave a high profile to the school and to Technology education in general. There were plaques in the windows with photos of Eloise and Sarah in their uniforms, their names and the school log. There was also a paragraph about the work, explaining it was a school Technology project and what the girls were asked to do.
Student reflections:
"Technology is as challenging as any of our other subjects, if not more, and takes time and dedication."
"There are so many tiny little components to cover to get that higher mark; the detail is so important."
"Time management and planning ability are huge."
The school's senior management was very supportive, though they didn't know very much about the project until the end, when Barbara could confirm that the window display had received client approval to go ahead. Barbara had a Plan B in case Te Papa said that the work wasn't good enough to go in the windows.
Public reaction to the display was enthusiastic; the school received emails, phone calls and comments from visitors about the display. Sarah and Eloise's client told them that store sales had increased compared to the same time last year, due in part because the window was drawing people inside.
