| Interactive
Primary Newsletter 29 Technological Magic, Ears & Roamer |
| Child’s play – maybe not! We recently revisited one of our library boxes containing 5-14 publications and found a bundle, published by LTS that is pithily named Primary Technology in Scottish Schools (Education for Technological Capability) and National Guidelines for Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The Primary Technology booklets contained in this bundle do show some progression and give examples of well-known projects such as model windmills and lighthouses. However, these booklets raise the question of whether we should expect, or instruct, primary children to build towers from wood and Jinks corners! The use of card triangles to make a frame is an excellent idea, but surely not a tower or lighthouse. Consider both the time and resources required. Should we be using adult tools in primary education? Are the pupils strong enough? Are their motor skills developed enough? What educational benefit is there in having a child saw a piece of square section with a junior hacksaw - a tool not designed for the purpose and a tool with which an experienced adult would have difficulty in producing a square end in wood? We know that children enjoy using tools and would happily saw and hammer all day long, but does this engender technological capability? Probably not. It would be better to wait for an apprenticeship or DIY opportunities after buying a house to achieve this! For primary technology projects, there are a multitude of non-resistive materials to work with. Modelling clay, corrugated plastic, paper and card to name but a few. The only adult tools required to work with these are a pencil, ruler and scissors. Cutting to a line, in such materials, with scissors or a craft knife gives adequate practice in producing a square end. Wood can come much later. In this way, modelling a recognisable object can become an achievable project. A simple plasticine model (‘fun’ lamp) that can incorporate some progression from early years through to P4, was shown in News 20. Other ideas for modelling in paper or plasticine are a bedside lamp, an egg holder or, as the season approaches, Easter decorations. |
