This document provides an overview of teaching technology to children based on the three strands of technology in the New Zealand curriculum. It discusses defining technology and each strand, exploring how technology has impacted lives, developing teaching strategies to address the nature of technology strand, and assisting students to build a broad understanding of technology. Activities are suggested to help teachers explain technology concepts to children in fun, interactive ways like using everyday objects and going on technology walks.

1. TECHNOLOGY
P31/2012
Tutor: Raesha Ismail

2. Where are we heading?
 What is Technology?
 The Technology Curriculum
 The Three Strands Of Technology
 Teaching Technology To Children.

3. An Overview: Page 1/2
 STRAND A=KNOW HOW=The practical part of
technology the doing and making.
 STRAND B=KNOW THAT=The skills and
terminology required for technology in knowing what
methods to use and when.
 STRAND C=KNOW WHY=The history, background,
research and impact of technology in our society and
on us.

4. LEARNING INTENTION ONE
 To clearly define what
Technology is and what each
strand in the curriculum is
about so we can teach and
explain this to children.

5. How TECHNOLOGY has affected our
lives?

6. LEARNING INTENTION TWO
 To understand what the nature
of technology means in the
New Zealand curriculum.

7. LEARNING INTENTION THREE
 To develop a range of teaching
strategies at various levels
within the nature of technology
strand.

8. TEACHING STRATEGIES TRACKING
SHEET
 Use the sheet on pages three-six to fill out
useful activities and teaching tips that you
pick up during our sessions on Technology.
 Remember while all the activities are linked
to technology you can also use them in other
curriculum areas.

9. WONDERBOARD
 On the large sheet provided use the post it
notes to record what you are wondering
about Technology.
 On the second sheet provided use the post it
notes to record what you think you know
about Technology.
 Sign your name at the bottom of the post it
notes.

10. THINK ABOUT THIS…
 What is the wonder board activity an
example of?
 Why did I get you to write your names down?
 What could a teacher do with this
information?

11. TECHNOLOGY: You will need it…

12. YOUR PERSONAL DEFINITION OF
TECHNOLOGY
 On page seven record your own definition of
what you think Technology is and what you
think the nature of technology means.

13. SUMMARIZING TECHNOLOGY
 Refer to your own technology definition.
Compare it to the definitions that you have on
pages 8,9 and 10.
 Is there other things you could add to make
your own definition better?
 What do you notice about the difference
between the international and NZ definitions
of Technology?

14. TECHNOLOGY IN THE CURRICULUM
 As with many of the old curriculum documents they
are now a supporting document of the new
curriculum.
 Read and highlight the main points on pg11/12
 With a partner discuss the following questions.
 What impact does Technology have on our lives?
 Why teach Technology to our children?
 What do children gain from learning experiences in
Technology?

15. A GREAT HOOK
 You Tube is a brilliant way of grabbing
children’s attention.
 Observe the You Tube clip and think about
the message it is giving.
 What understanding of the nature of
technology does it provide?

16. THE MISCONCEPTION OF
TECHNOLOGY
 Using THINK PAIR SHARE discuss the first
thing children and adults will think of when
you ask them what Technology is.
 The answer is mostly computers, IPods cell
phones and so on.

17. THE NATURE OF TECHNOLOGY
STRAND
 The nature of technology strand has been
introduced, to address the need, for more in
depth understanding on the purpose and
characteristics of technology.

18. ADDRESSING THE KEY ISSUES USING
SIX HAT THINKING
 Refer to the activity on page 13 and 14.
 Use Six Hat Thinking to explore the quotes
from Set Research Information for
teachers/ N.O. 1, 2004 “Putting Students
at the Centre developing effective
learners in primary technology
classrooms”

19. QUOTE ONE
 “ Students perceptions of the nature of
technology are linked to the effectiveness of
their learning in technology”
BLUE HAT THINKING

20. QUOTE TWO
“When teachers do not teach about the nature
of technology, few students talk broadly or
comprehensively about it and they find it
difficult to build an overview of the subject
tending to define it in terms of the current
activity they are undertaking.”
(Continued to next page…)

21. QUOTE TWO
(Continued from last page…)
“For example, when making a timer such
students think that technology is making
timers, and when making electronic games
they think technology is making electronic
games. They have difficulty making
generalizations about technology.”
BLACK HAT THINKING

22. QUOTE THREE
 “When teachers change their teaching
practice to include repeated opportunities for
students to discuss the nature of technology,
students begin to view technology as a
purposeful designing and constructing
artifacts and systems rather than seeing
technology as the artifact they are currently
making.”
YELLOW HAT THINKING

23. QUOTE FOUR
 “Teachers may talk with students about
technology during informal unplanned
times and during planned times such as
during general class-news times and
during planned times such as at the
beginning of technology sessions.”
HOOK!!
GREEN HAT THINKING

24. QUOTE FIVE
 “The research showed that when given
these talks and opportunities students
also began to see that technology is
about the improvement of artifacts,
lifestyle, and the environment and that
different groups of people influence the
development and use of technologies.”
WHITE HAT THINKING

25. QUOTE SIX
Children’s quotes
 Edward (6 years) “It’s about making things so that they are
better.”
 Jerome (7years) “its human made. It’s learning about
trying to improve things.”
 Marcia (9 Years) “It is something made and used to make
life easier. It’s something made to do something. You can
even design for someone else to make.”
 Rachel (10 Years) “It’s about designing and making ideas
and better things for our world.”
RED HAT THINKING

26. ADDITIONAL EXTRA 
 Assisting Students To Build A Broad ,
Comprehensive Understanding Of The
Nature Of Technology Helps Them To See
Technology In The World Around Them And
To Build An Overview About The Nature Of
Technology.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN THINKING HAT

27. TEACHING STRATEGIES
 As we explore a range of activities to enable
students to explore the nature of technology
use your sheet on page 3-6 to record your
ideas
 Think about which level the activities would
suit the best.
 Also consider how could the activities be
adapted to suit junior, middle and senior
pupils

28. THE THINKING KEYS
A Great thinking tool for all areas of the curriculum.
Certain keys cater to technology perfectly
 Alternative Key
 Invention Key
 Construction Key
 Brainstorming key
 Questions key: The answer is technology
 Alphabet key
 Prediction key
 Different uses key

29. EXPLORING THE THINKING KEYS
 In groups of two or three rotate around the
room and become familiar with the keys
 Remember to fill out your teaching strategies
sheet as you go
 Be prepared to share with the whole group
how the keys help to explore the nature of
technology.

30. TECHNOLOGY IN THE ENVIRONMENT
 Using the local environment and objects
that are familiar to children can be a fun
and practical way to help them understand
the nature of technology.

31. HOME TECHNOLOGY???

32. PICTURE INTERPRETATION
 ACTIVITY 1:
o Look at the pictures provided to you in the
envelopes. Discuss how they work and what
they do.

33. HOUSEHOLD OBJECTS
 ACTIVITY 2 - Use everyday house hold
items to explore the following questions
o Why was it made?
o What did the technologist think about when
making it?

34. GO FOR A TECHNOLOGY WALK
 Go for a walk around school and identify all
the objects that are a result of technology
and those that are not
 List the characteristics that make an object a
technology
 Refer to your booklet on pg 15/16

35. Or a nap ….zzzz

36. MAKING COMPARSIONS
 Compare a normal phone to a cell phone.
What are the similarities and differences?
Refer to pg 17
 Use a Venn diagram to compare board
games verses electronic games. Refer to
page 18

37. THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY
 Choose a technological outcome such as
computers, television, cell phones and so on
 How has it helped people?
 How has it not helped people?
 PMI’s can also be a great way to record the
impact of technology. Pg 19

38. CHANGING TECHNOLOGY
 Explore how an object has changed over
time such as TV's, music players,
 Research and make a timeline of the
historical development of a technological
concept. (The Bendy Straw).
 How has communication changed over time
such as oral, written and computers?

39. OLD vs NEW TECHNOLOGY

40. REFLECTION
 Refer back to your definition of technology
and the nature of technology strand. Refer to
the new curriculum pg 32 and the A.O.s
 Fill out your modified version of each
definition.
 Fill out the first part on page 20
 Share and discuss this with a partner

41. FINAL WRAP UP!!
Have we achieved the purpose of our session?
Are you feeling more confident in using the
nature of technology strand?
 YOU TUBE clip to finish.

42. NEXT….
 Next we will explore the Technological
Knowledge Strand.
