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1. Creating Curious Minds
Objective: to develop designing and making skills in the Foundation Stage
Course overview : leaping frogs, spinning propellers, racing roadrunners, moving monsters, amazing mazes, moving pictures and playful puppets – are just a few of the things that stimulate a child’s imagination.
This practical course will include some great technology ideas that can be made from everyday materials such as card, tubes, paper plates, plastic drinking straws and boxes.
Different ways to use paper stick axles and winding handles, elasticated treasury tags to store energy and cotton bobbins to create wheels will be demonstrated. The addition of these few simple techniques can transform re-cycled materials into working models.
Cutting, folding and joining paper; evaluating construction equipment and discussing different creative and problem solving activities; identifying opportunities to handle and talk about products; using D&T activities to develop basic skills including number, speaking and listening, descriptive vocabulary and manipulative skills.
Target Audience: teachers working with the under 5’s and special needs children.
BOOK NOW: to discover more information, dates, times and locations of the above course or to book your place on the next available Creating Curious Minds course please call or fax now on 0114 236 1648. Alternatively complete our online contact form. |
2. Creative Construction
Objective: to offer practical ideas for developing ‘Designing and Making’ skills with the under 8s.
Course overview: what is ‘Technological Literacy’? It is the ability of children to talk about, explain and control the way things work and are made.
Can I make it go faster or slower? What happens when you roll, slide or stack these shapes? Will this material stretch, stick, twist or bend? Why? These are just some of the inquisitive questions that can be used to stimulate children’s curiosity and encourage them to explore the world around them.
This practical course will cover ways of making models that really work, including using wheels and axles, wind-up toys and puppets. A range of short ‘skill builder’ activities will be used to investigate structures and their strength, to demonstrate the correct use of tools and to explore different ways of joining and finishing materials.
Creative ways of using construction kits, curriculum links and possible starting points for technology, for example - stories and rhymes, will also be covered as part of this enjoyable day.
Target Audience : Teachers and staff of children with special needs and under 8s.
BOOK NOW: to discover more information, dates, times and locations of the above course or to book your place on the next available Creative Construction course please call or fax now on 0114 236 1648. Alternatively complete our online contact form. |
3. Quick Curriculum Activities 1
Objective: to help deliver the QCA scheme of work for Key Stage 1 Design and Technology.
Course overview: this practical course will cover moving pictures, playgrounds, homes, wheels (fixed and free turning) and winding mechanisms.
You will be able to investigate ways of using product evaluations and construction kits to develop knowledge and understanding of structures and mechanisms, as well as a variety of short ‘skill builder’ activities.
The course will be based on the QCA exemplar scheme of work and the DATA ‘help sheets’. There will be time to make samples and models to use in school.
The safe and appropriate use of tools and equipment, together with activities to make teaching D&T more effective and enjoyable will also be covered.
Target Audience: D&T curriculum leaders, Key Stage 1 teachers.
BOOK NOW: to discover more information, dates, times and locations of the above course or to book your place on the next available Quick Curriculum Activities 1 course please call or fax now on 0114 236 1648. Alternatively complete our online contact form.
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4. Quick Curriculum Activities 2
Objective: to help deliver the QCA scheme of work for Key Stage 2 Design and Technology
Course overview: the themes to be investigated during the day will include levers, cams and cranks, gears and pulleys, pneumatic systems and electrical control, for example, motorised models and switches.
Background knowledge and understanding will be covered through the new ‘TEST BOX TECHNOLOGY’ equipment, which has been designed to make short focused tasks easier with a whole class or as part of group activities.
This practical course will be based on the QCA exemplar scheme of work and the DATA ‘help sheets’. There will be time to make samples and models for use in school.
The safe and appropriate use of tools and equipment, ideas for resources to make teaching D&T more effective and links with other curriculum areas will be covered during the day.
Target Audience: D&T curriculum leaders, Key Stage 2 teachers.
BOOK NOW: to discover more information, dates, times and locations of the above course or to book your place on the next available Quick Curriculum Activities 2 course please call or fax now on 0114 236 1648. Alternatively complete our online contact form.
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5. Test Box Technology
Objective: to offer a practical solution for making models that really work!
Course overview: ‘Test Box Technology’ kits have been developed to support the QCA Exemplar scheme of work for Key Stage 2.
The smaller ‘Mechanism Investigation Kits’ are designed for focused practical tasks, which develop knowledge and understanding of a specific aspect of technology. The five kits cover pneumatics, cam, gear and pulley mechanisms as well as crank axles.
‘Test Box Technology’ kits have been developed to support the QCA Exemplar scheme of work for Key Stage 2.
The smaller ‘Mechanism Investigation Kits’ are designed for focused practical tasks, which develop knowledge and understanding of a specific aspect of technology. The five kits cover pneumatics, cam, gear and pulley mechanisms as well as crank axles.
The design ideas developed through these focused tasks are then used to produce full scale working models, for example a fairground ride using pulleys to slow down the OUTPUT speed of the motor.
The large ‘Test Box’ together with its internal axle guide makes successful model making easier. The pre-punched holes allow the accurate alignment of both the horizontal and vertical axles.
Children are able to concentrate on how the mechanism works and the creative aspects of their design, rather than worrying about the strength and stability of the structure they are using.
Each course member will be given a range of sample kits and time to develop their ideas into a working model, using the large ‘Test Box’ and additional decorative resources.
The safe and appropriate use of tools and equipment, storage ideas and links with other areas of the curriculum will also be covered.
Target Audience: D&T curriculum leaders; whole school staff; NQTs; special needs and Key Stage 2 teachers .
BOOK NOW: to discover more information, dates, times and locations of the above course or to book your place on the next available Test Box Technology course please call or fax now on 0114 236 1648. Alternatively complete our online contact form. |
6. Continuity and Progression in Design and Technology Skills
Objective: to improve design and technology skills across the Key Stages
Course overview: the aim of this day will be to track the basic skills that children need to successfully undertake Design and Make Assignments, from Foundation Stage, through to the end of Key Stage 2.
This course would be ideal as a whole school curriculum day or for subject leaders wanting to look at continuity and progression across the Key Stages.
Skill builder activities, focused tasks and the basic knowledge needed to understand structures and mechanisms will be covered alongside the appropriate use of tools and equipment.
Target Audience: D&T curriculum leaders, whole school staff and NQTs
BOOK NOW: to discover more information, dates, times and locations of the above course or to book your place on the next available Continuity and Progression in Design and Technology Skills course please call or fax now on 0114 236 1648. Alternatively complete our online contact form.
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7. Design and Technology for the Terrified!!
Objective: a true beginners’ course in design and technology teaching skills
Course overview: do you find knowledge and understanding of structures and mechanism, together with all the resources and organisation needed for a D&T lesson, difficult to cope with? Then this is the course for you!
This course has been developed to put the enjoyment back into teaching D&T.
The background knowledge and understanding you need will be covered through the new ‘TEST BOX TECHNOLOGY’ equipment, which has been designed to make short focused tasks easier with a whole class or as part of group activities.
The safe and appropriate use of tools and equipment will be covered alongside the basic techniques needed to cut and join materials, create working models and to produce successful lessons.
Target Audience: whole school staff, NQTs, basic skills and family learning tutors
BOOK NOW: to discover more information, dates, times and locations of the above course or to book your place on the next available Design and Technology for the Terrified! course please call or fax now on 0114 236 1648. Alternatively complete our online contact form. |
8. Tinkering with Toys
Objective: to deliver design and technology teaching skills, ideas and techniques through familiar children’s toys.
Course overview: toys are an exciting starting point for looking at how things are made and how they work. The wide variety of materials used, from fabric to wood, plastic to paper, also make them an ideal context for exploring science and technology links.
Work involving simple circuits, stored energy, pneumatics, gears, pulleys, cams and cranks, will be included in this practical workshop. Progression across the key stages will be covered, making this a useful day for teachers involved in developing a whole school approach.
‘Skill builder’ activities, using ICT to enhance product evaluation work, wheels and axles, winding mechanisms, lever puppets and story telling are some of the other areas that are covered during this enjoyable day.
Target Audience: D&T curriculum leaders, whole school staff, special needs teachers.
BOOK NOW: to discover more information, dates, times and locations of the above course or to book your place on the next available Tinkering with Toys course please call or fax now on 0114 236 1648. Alternatively complete our online contact form. |
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