Figure 1.--This boy in this wood workshp in producing a fine piece of wood furniture. Mot all the boys become craftsmen, but the skills learned prove invaluable to many.
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Figure 1.--This boy in this wood workshp in producing a fine piece of wood furniture. Mot all the boys become craftsmen, but the skills learned prove invaluable to many. |
Technology has an important place in the New Zealand curriculum. New Zealand schools have highly regarded technology programs. All students are required to take introductory technology courses in intermediate school. Secondary schools have excellent work shops in which students can take specialized courses to pursue interests or for vocational education. Normally the technical courses include mechanical drawing, wood working, metal working, and electronics. Therecare of course different levels of these basic subjects. The larger schools may have more specialized courses, depending on the facilities and the specialties of the instructors.
Technology has an important place in the New Zealand curriculum. The Ministry of Education offers this overview of the technology curriculum, "Technology involves knowing and doing. Learning and teaching approaches should address both of these areas. Technology is derived from a variety of knowledge bases, values, processes, and skills. These are used both to create and to evaluate designs, products, systems, and environments critically. There should be flexible, open, collaborative approaches to classroom teaching which accommodate all students' perspectives, interests, aspirations, and learning styles.
Students' technological capability will be enhanced through engagement in purposeful and comprehensive activities. An appropriate technological activity will require thoughtful planning and negotiation between students and teachers.
Technological activities often involve students working as a team and undertaking a variety of roles and tasks. The successful management of knowledge, skills, and resources is crucial to group activities in technology.
Teachers, too, will often work collaboratively to plan and deliver the curriculum. In particular, teachers with special knowledge and skills in different and existing disciplines will have important roles in working with their colleagues to achieve the successful implementation of a school's technology curriculum. This technology curriculum will need teachers who can contribute expertise in using a wide range of materials; in food technology and processing; in information and communication, such as keyboarding, computing, and language; in electronic, mechanical and biotechnologies; and in drawing and graphics."
The technology program differs from school to school. There are general introductory courses offered in the intermediate schools which all of the children take. Most of the technology program is presented in the secondary schools. Here the course are elective.
The technology program varies from school to school, but there are general similarities.
Normally the technical courses include mechanical drawing, wood working, metal working, and electronics. Therecare of course different levels of these basic subjects. The larger schools may have more specialized courses, depending on the facilities and the specialties of the instructors. Many of these courses are offered as part of a vocational program, althogh some students take then because of personal interests. The mechanical drawing courses attract some students prrsuing more acacamic programs because of the utility of rafting in a range of professions like architecture.
