Techlink :: Latest News :: March 2008 update

Latest News – March, 2008

Introduction

These pages are updated monthly to keep you informed of communication activities, key initiatives and technology education articles in the media.

New Additions to Techlink

New Beacon Practice case studies
Street Luge, Year 11 Materials Technology, St John's and Morrinsville Colleges
Flying High, Year 9 Textiles Technology, St Kentigern College

New Student Showcases
Victorian-style outfit, Carly Hitchcock, Year 13 Technology
Rugby practice target, Gwilym Jones, Year 11 Technology
Healthy tuck shop food, Bernadette, Taleesha, Paw Wah, Year 13 Food Technology
Toilet bag, Jessica Fitzjohn, Year 8 Materials Technology

New edition of t-news, Technology Education New Zealand's (TENZ) electronic newsletter.

Updated Parents Section
Techlink have recently updated the information for parents section. Additions to this section include a new introduction, a section on why technology education is important to NZ, brief descriptions of what students learn at each level, and a number of parent quotes.
Still to be added is a section on the generic skills employers look for in a new employee and how those skills relate to technology education. A key point's flyer will also soon be available for download and a new brochure will also be available in the future.
Some teachers have noted that providing a link to Techlink's parent section in electronic school newsletters has been a useful way of promoting technology to parents and caregivers. Such action can heighten understanding of what goes on in the classroom and why technology skills are increasingly important in modern society.
http://www.techlink.org.nz/info-for-parents/index.htm

Presentation
TENZ Branch presentation 27/3/08
Nick ran a Techlink workshop at a Canterbury College of Education computer lab.
Attended by approximately 15 teachers, the workshop was a hands-on opportunity to guide attendees through Techlink and promote the resources available.
The session began with the curriculum support resources, which tied in well with topics raised by Cliff Harwood in the session beforehand. The new additions to the parents section were highly popular with many attendees noting that the information will be very useful.

Media
Kevin Heung, fridge door alarm – TVNZ One Network News
Colmar Brunton projected audience 550,000.

Miscellaneous
600 copies of the technology brochure have been sent for inclusion in the HETTANZ Conference folders.