Aims and Overview of the Technology & Design Department
Department Philosophy
Technology and Design we believe, has an important role to play in both school and society. This subject reinforces the work of other curriculum areas by laying a practical and useful foundation for both school and post-school activities. In addition to the obvious educational aims of developing skills and expanding knowledge, T&D also aims to develop the student’s confidence and to be better prepared in coping with changing situations in an ever increasing technological world.
The Aims of Technology & Design
Technology and Design enables students:
- To develop creativity and problem solving skills in response to design challenges that will help students become effective and independent learners.
- To develop decision-making skills through individual and collaborative working.
- To investigate the design and manufacture of products in order to help develop practical solutions to needs, wants and recognising their impact on quality of life.
- To evaluate cultural trends to identify needs and opportunities of new products and Technologies.
- To investigate the various impacts which changes in technology have on ethical issues in our lives.
Technology and Design develops pupils as contributors to the economy and environment by :
- Enabling pupils to develop skills relating specifically to design, manufacture and testing within an engineering environment;
- Developing skills valued by employers such as: analysis of problems, research from various sources, analysis of information, problem solving, practical skills including use of new technology, communication and ICT skills;
- Analysing a wide variety of products from local and global companies;
Investigating environmental issues in the world today and seeking design solutions which are most suited to taking account of those issues.
Staffing
Ms S Flanagan (Head of Department)
Mr D Beckington
Mr A Graham
Mr S Patterson
Technician
Mr I Heaney
Facilities
The Technology and Design department in the school is in the enviable position of having a new purpose built suite of workshops, planning areas and systems/design rooms.
The suite comprises of:
4 multi-material manufacturing areas
2 systems rooms
4 planning areas
The suite is spacious and the glazed partitions allow a clear line of sight between rooms.
Systems and Planning Rooms
Each room is laid out for both group and individual work. The systems/planning areas are provided with regularly updated computers connected to the C2K network. The systems rooms are equipped with 11 computers each and the planning rooms have 7. Stores beside each room allow quick and easy access to all the equipment needed to teach Electronics, Pneumatics, Mechanisms and Computer Control.
Tools and Machinery
Each of the four multi-material manufacturing areas is fully equipped with hand tools and small machinery. In addition there are larger items of equipment, more specialized in nature, which may be shared by pupils in another area. Within the four areas there is a capability for most pupils to realize their design projects.
Why study Technology & Design?
Technology & Design is a inspiring, rigorous and practical subject which prepares all young people to live and work in the designed and made world.
Technology and Design is about providing opportunities for students to develop their capability, combining their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to create quality products. Studying Technology & Design opens up many opportunities in the fields of design/engineering related careers. Students who have studied A-Level Technology & Design here at Ballyclare Secondary School have gone onto further education, gained apprenticeships and University. Courses of study have included Mechanical Engineering, Product Design, Architecture, Interior Design, Technology & Design, Education.
Useful web links
www.edexcel.com
www.rewardinglearning.org.uk
www.technologystudent.com/health1/ed1.htm
www.design-technology.org/manufacturedboardindex.htm
www.designandtech.com/resistantmaterials/
www.technologystudent.com/joints/joindex.htm
www.dtonline.org/apps/infopage/app?1&1&1&33&1&0
www.technologystudent.com/el ec1/elecex.htm
http://www.deni.gov.uk/t_d_ks3.pdf
www.teachers-direct.co.uk/resources/quiz-busters/quiz-busters-game.aspx?game_id=20275
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/science/energy_electricity_forces/electric_current_voltage/revise1.shtml
www.teachers-direct.co.uk/resources/quiz-busters/quiz-busters-game.aspx?game_id=2790