Tech & Trades

'Making' is the essence of technological education and living 'the skilled life' .

'Making' is a creative process of designing, constructing (or deconstructing) and/or combining physical or virtual artifacts within the ambience of a supportive community of makers, while utilizing traditional and emerging methods and tools.

Makers are ordinary people who design and construct things for the intrinsic value and reward of making, modifying, repurposing, problem-solving, discovering and sharing (Kalil, 2013; Martin, 2015). Maker activities embody many of the older traditions of hobbyists, do-it-yourselfers, tinkerers and menders who worked in local communities (Martin, 2015).

(Adapted from Galway and Gill, "Making Time for Makerspaces: Teaching Through Making", Canadian Teacher Magazine, 2018)

Understanding and applying the design process is key to essential skill development connected to tech ed. and beyond.

Further, the philosophy that underlies broad-based technological education connects to the 'maker mentality' as they both believe that "students learn best by doing" and therefore "emphasize an activity-based, project-driven approach that involves students in problem solving as they develop knowledge and skills" transferable across a variety of contexts.

Tech education = skill building for life!

Technological innovation influences all areas of life...It helps meet basic human needs and provides tools for improving people’s lives and exploring new frontiers.

To succeed in today’s society, students need to be effective problem solvers and critical thinkers, able to understand, question, and respond to the implications of technological innovation.

Technological education focuses on developing students’ ability to work creatively and competently with technologies that are central to their lives. As they proceed through their elementary and secondary school education, attaining a level of technological literacy will enhance students' ability to succeed in their postsecondary studies and in the workplace.

For students who do not choose to pursue careers in technology, technological education can provide knowledge and skills that will enhance their daily lives, whether by enabling them to work on home renovations or car repairs or by allowing them to pursue technological hobbies.

(Ontario Technological Education Curriculum, 2009)

3D-Model_Parliament_2020_En.pdf

Have a printer? Print out this resource and start constructing the Canadian Parliament Buildings!

Make Your Own Play Dough!

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of salt
3/4 cup of water
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Food coloring
Any seasonings or scents you would like

*Mixing and making dough relates to culinary arts, among other things. Have your makers play with different tools to create objects and decorate them using the play dough to extend their skills exploration!

Add the water, oil and lemon juice to a medium non-stick pot and heat on medium heat on the stove (maybe even slightly lower heat depending on your stove).
Add food coloring, liquid scents or Kool-Aid to the water mixture.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and any dry seasonings you are using.
After the water is hot, but not boiling, slowly add the dry ingredients to the pot and while mixing to combine. I use a wooden or plastic cooking spoon.
Continuously stir until the ingredients combine, dry out and begin to form a ball. If there are parts that seem a bit sticky still, just flatten the dough out and put the sticky side down on the bottom of the pot very briefly. Flip back and forth frequently until it doesn’t seem sticky anymore. However, don’t cook it too long. It is better to be a bit undercooked as it will firm up as it cools down.
Place on a sheet of wax paper until it cools down a bit. Then knead the dough for a minute or two to bring it all together.

try these SKILLS at home challenges!

Skills Ontario offers virtual workshops, including hands-on workshops related to different areas of tech - including nail design, baking, and construction. Connect with tracy.hunter@ugdsb.on.ca to learn more!

Did you know that the arts, coding, music, and science all have direct connections to technological education?

Tech is about innovation, creative problem solving and design thinking. Skills used to engage with the creative process in the arts, computational thinking in coding, and scientific inquiry are transferable to so many areas!

For instance, someone who loves the arts might enjoy a trade in sheet metal work, hairstyling, tool and dye, saddlery, painting and decorating, mould design, or pattern making for example. These are all apprenticeable trades in Ontario.

Want to invite students to explore more? Check out: https://www.ugdsb.ca/oyap/ and https://www.ugdsb.ca/shsm/

Learn more about the SKILLED TRADES, APPRENTICESHIP, and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program by clicking on the logo!

Students have access to a variety of videos, guides, and career exploration tools through myBlueprint (All About Me K-6). There are also teacher resources and lesson plans available to you through myBP that could complement this work. Click on the logo to learn more!

Some additional considerations at home:

We know that being at home creates certain limitations - reduced space, limited materials, etc. The following are activities that can support learning at home, by developing skills in observation, critical thinking, communication, and problem solving. Depending on the age and ability of the student, they will require different levels of supervision and support.

Pattern Making (invite students to create blueprints or patterns to build or recreate something by examining it and drawing it in parts (making 'nets' for example of a 3D shape, turning a piece of clothing inside out and tracing each of the individual components they identify marked by seems, e.g.)
Careers Exploration (challenge students to consider an object or item from the perspective of who might have made or contributed to its manufacturing - consider this example, invite students to 'notice' tradespeople in their community, etc.)
'The Trades Were Here" Scavenger Hunt (challenge students to find evidence of different trades in their homes - heating system, electricity, appliances, computers, painted walls, etc.)
Repurposing (invite students to 'innovate' by engaging redesigning an everyday object to suit a new purpose (clothespin, paperclip,hanger, eg.) recycling/upcycling an item that they might normally throw out.
Construction Considerations (ask students to 'zoom in' on an object(s) of their choosing to identify different fastening methods and what tools might be used to support them, or to investigate different material properties - objects made with glass or stone or acrylic, etc.)

reflection is key to learning:

Supporting students in reflecting on their process, decisions, and work allows them to make important connections to their awareness of self, the curriculum and between their learning and the world around them. Here are some ideas of prompts you might consider. Please note that when inviting students to reflect, the best questions are open ended, allow for students to think deeply, and don't expect a 'right or wrong' answer.

Questions to Support Understanding and Discussing the 'What':

Identify one thing about the process/experience that you enjoyed/are enjoying.
What did you find/are you finding challenging about the process? What strategies are you using to help you move forward?
What are you finding/did you find puzzling?
What is standing out for you in this process/in this investigation/about this experience?
What did you/are you noticing about the design process?

Questions to Support Understanding and Discussing the 'So What' (Why is this important?):

What connections are you making between this exploration and life/other subject areas?
Where else have you seen/experienced something like this?
Tell me about your decision making - what led you to consider ____________ ?
What strengths/skills are you noticing in yourself?
What areas would you like to keep working on/playing with?
How does is working through this process/investigation helping you to understand ________?

Questions to Support Understanding and Discussing the 'Now What' (Where do I go next?):

If you were to do it again, what is one thing you would change/keep the same and why?
What other areas of tech and trades would you like to explore?
What questions do you still have?
Identify a goal you have to support continuing to develop your skills.
How can you share your work/learning with others?
How will you apply your new understandings of (transferable skills/working through the design process/yourself) moving forward?

Want to know more about Experiential Learning at UGDSB! Click here.

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