Electronic Bookmarks
Level: Year 7
School: Tauranga Intermediate School
Teacher: Phil Appelman
Category: Teaching strategy
Teachers at the 2011 TENZ (Technology Education NZ) conference shared strategies for delivering the curriculum. Those attending the workshop on Electronic Bookmarks gained useful tips about developing a simple unit that allows students to add their individual input.
A pragmatic approach
Tauranga Intermediate Electronics Teacher Phil Appelman discussed why he developed the Electronic Bookmarks unit and how he teaches and assesses it. Phil takes a pragmatic approach to planning his Year 7 programme. He tries to have students develop individual outcomes but the reality, he says, is that there isn't sufficient time to achieve as much as he'd like. He teaches approximately 1,230 students during a year, with each class allocated five 80-minute sessions in each Technology rotation (Electronics, Hard Materials, Soft Materials, and Food). "Why did I design it? Because it's an effective, cheap way to get a good product made. I operate on a small budget, which doesn't allow financially for different outcomes".
Developing a new unit
Inspiration for the new Year 7 unit came when Phil was repairing the caretaker's BMW airbag sensor, which is based on a laminated circuit system. He realised that his students could work on something similar and created the Electronic Bookmarks unit – students would all develop an electronic circuit and complete it as an individual outcome at home.
And yes, they do finish their homework. Students rise to the challenge and produce some interesting outcomes; for example, cutting open the back of a teddy bear to insert the circuit so its paw lights up, sewing a circuit into a hat, or putting it in a diving glove so the light can be switched on under water. Most students don't believe that electronic circuits work under water until Phil plunges one into a bowl to demonstrate that it still lights up.
Setting up the unit
Phil first discussed his proposal with the HOD who agreed it was a practical solution to the time and financial constraints he faced. In previous years, students had developed circuits on pieces of MDF but at least half of these ended up in the rubbish bin because the copper tore off easily. Changing to copper tape, which is much harder to break, maintains student enthusiasm because their outcome is more durable. They can solder directly through the top of the laminated plastic on to the copper. Phil explains to the students how the tape is more resilient and flexible, and leads the class in to a discussion of terminology, such as "attributes" and "fit for purpose".
Phil usually gets straight in to introducing the unit but occasionally, if a class needs calming down, starts with a simple pre-test. "I tell them, here's a test you're supposed to get wrong, because I've got to teach you all these things. They say, 'But we don't know those things,' and I say, "Yes, but you will, and then you'll get 100%'. We do the test and go over the answers; within 15 minutes they've got the knowledge."
Phil engages the students with the construction details by showing them an I Can Animate presentation made by previous students. They enjoy learning through this medium and understand what they need to do straight away.
Making the bookmark
To avoid the inevitable "Mr A, I've lost my bookmark", Phil has the students work in teams of six to set up their circuits. They mark it out on a marking-out board, put a plastic sheet on top and mark out the holes, insert the copper tape, burn out the holes with the soldering iron and then put it through the laminator. The students haven't done any soldering before, so get a quick hands-on lesson before they solder on the LED and battery connection to produce a basic circuit with switch. Students came up with the idea of inserting decorative objects into the plastic before it's laminated: pictures, photos, flowers, fabric – whatever can go through the laminator.
Connected to a 9V battery, the LED light is bright enough to light up a whole page (especially useful for students reading in bed when they're supposed to be sleeping) and the pressure of the pages turns the switch off when the book is closed.
Phil stopped supplying batteries because it was so expensive and now tells students to buy a cheap battery at a dollar-type store. A workshop participant noted that although smoke alarm batteries are changed annually as a safety precaution they are often still quite good, so this can be a good source for classroom supplies.
Extending the unit
Some students extend the unit by designing their own circuit. Although time is tight, Phil tries where possible to follow student interest. Student concern about the effects of the devastating Christchurch earthquake led to an extra class project in which they rewired "houses" (breadboards) to restore "street lighting".
This provided an opportunity to teach the class how the input goes through the resistor to the LED, with the output being the light. They also learnt about series wiring and parallel wiring. The students enjoyed working on this, so Phil did it with all the classes in that rotation, whipping out the LEDs and resistors before the next class arrived.
He is arranging to get an aerial satellite photo of Christchurch and the students will make circuits showing the central business district with red lights to portray when the lighting has gone off and green lights for when a section is rebuilt.
Linking to other Technology rotations
The Technology teachers work closely as a team and everyone knows what is being taught in the other workrooms. Phil encourages the students who have Electronics in an earlier rotation to talk to the next teacher about how they could use their circuit in a different context. A student taking Soft Materials might, for example, incorporate their electronic system into an apron so that the light flashes. A Food Technology student might develop a moisture tester which lights up when put into a scone if the mixture is still damp. One student was awarded a bronze medal at the Bay of Plenty Science and Technology Fair for a simple circuit which indicated when washing on the line was very wet, quite wet, damp, or dry.
Curriculum links
The Year 7/8 programme of learning was developed by the whole Technology team, with each teacher allocated specific Components to formally assess. Phil's Year 7 programme has a major focus on Outcome Development and Evaluation and Technological Systems, with a minor focus on Brief Development and Planning for Practice.
Teachers use the same assessment template so that students are familiar with the format and concentrate on the specific Achievement Objectives they are covering in that class. Phil can refer his students to, for example, Food Technology and explain that they're doing exactly the same thing in a different context. Teachers find that they're saving time by reinforcing prior knowledge and using the same layout for paperwork. Students understand what they're being assessed on and can evaluate which level they are working at.
- Creating a programme of learning
- Reviewing a programme of learning
- Technological Practice
- Nature of Technology
- Technological Knowledge
After teaching the Electronic Bookmarks unit to all his Year 7 classes, Phil concludes that it works as intended. "It satisfies everything: planning, deciding, doing, outcome, and systems. I'm a skills-oriented, hands-on person, and I believe Technology should be teaching the technological process, assessing the process, teaching skills, teaching systems. I tell my students these are life skills, whether you're doing Technology or working on another kind of project."
Phil's 2012 students are also developing electronic bookmarks. He notes that over four almost two-hour classes his students are able to complete the bookmark, a piece of aluminium jewellery, a wrought iron rose, and all their documentation.
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