Introduction
Welcome to MYP Technology.
This could be the first time you have had a subject at school called Technology. That doesn't mean that you've not studied Technology before.If you have ever though to yourself "I wonder why someone made that like they did?" or looked at something in your house and said "I like way that's designed" you are studying technology. If you have ever come up with a way to make something easier you have studied Technology.Ifyou have ever thought about what might help someone out and made it then you have studied Technology. Technology is around us, where-ever we live. Some Technology is simple, some is very complicated, but it all does the same thing, it makes our lives easier. So what do you need to know before you study Technology? Nothing, you already know plenty! What you need to learn about is how to go about making the most effective products;products that will really make a difference, that's what you'll learn how to do in MYP Technology.
MYP Technology is about helping you become creative problem solvers. You will develop an appreciation for technology and look at how important it is in your life and others around you. You will develop new skills and knowledge. You will develop your research skills and learn to listen to others for ideas. You will appreciate that there are often many solutions to a single problem and hopefully have lots of fun!
We will work on large projects. All our work will be put into our design portfolios along with the assessment rubric for each unit. More about this later.
Areas of Interaction
The areas of interaction make connections between your different classes. There are 5 different Areas of Interaction. These are:- approaches to learning (ATL): How do I learn best? How do I know? How do I communicate my understanding?
- community and service (CS) How do we live in relation to each other? How can I contribute to the community? How can I help others?
- human ingenuity (HI): Why and how do we create? What are the consequences?
- environments (EN): Where do we live? What resources do we have or need? What are my responsibilities?
- health and social education. (HS) : How do I think and act? How am I changing? How can I look after myself and others?
We will look at these in more detail as you work on different projects.
What will you learn in Technology?
When you study MYP Technology you will learn how to use tools. You will then use your creativity to solve problems using those tools. You will be making things that make life easier for people.
What is a tool?
Tools could either be tools that you use with your hands like hammers, saws,screwdrivers, rulers etc or they could be software tools like Desktop Publishing software, Word processing software or Web Design Software.
Some tools can be used for many jobs; other tools can only do one job. There is always a choice to make:
What tool would be best for the job I have to do?
To make this choice we need to know about what a tool is good at doing.
Some examples of Tools and their jobs……….
Word Processing Software: Used to put text on paper. This software is the modern version of a typewriter. It could be used to type up an essay or to write a letter.
CAD Software: Computer Aided Design software is used to make accurate designs of something that you are going to make.It could be used to design a CD Rack or Plan the layout of a room.
Powerpoint used to create multimedia presentation
Spreadsheet Used to create
What is a Resource?
A resource something that you use. There are different types of resources that are used for different things. To use a resource you sometimes need a tool. Picking the right resources is one of the skills you will learn in Technology. You will also learn how to use a resource with a tool.
Some examples of resources
A material: paper, plastic, wood
A person: A teacher, a person, a friend, an expert
Printed information: A book, a poster, a magazine
Visual information: A film, a website
Solving Problems
The whole point of Technology is to solve problems. Once you have learnt how the tools work and what resources are available, you will be given a
problem to solve using the tools and resources.
Here are some examples of problems:
- There is a school play and people need to be told about it
- Young people are trying smoking and getting addicted.
- It is hard foryoung people to find fun things to do inViet Nam.
A solution to a Problem
Problems are solved by using your creativity to find a good solution.
Let’s look at Problem #2: “Young people are trying smoking and getting addicted”. How can we solve this? We could:
- Make a film explaining the dangers of smoking.
- Make a presentation on the dangers of smoking.
- Write and record a no-smoking song.
- Make a poster explaining the dangers of smoking.
- Make a website on how smoking kills.
There are lots of possible solutions. We must choose one that we think will work the best and that we can make with the resources we have.
The Design Cycle ……you can’t just go out and built it!
In real life there it is very hard to think of a good solution to a problem. It is not a good idea to just jump in and start making it. If you did this it would not be a very good solution and at worst it could be a disaster. There are some very important things that need to happen when you go about solving a problem. These things can be grouped into:
- What you have to do to find out about the problem.
- Ideas you have to solve the problem
- What you have to do to plan what you are going to make.
- What you do to make your solution.
- What you do to check that you solved the problem.
These groups of jobs are called Stages. The stages are: Investigate, Plan, Create and Evaluate They help us group the jobs we need to do. When we move from stage to stage we go through what we call the design cycle.
click on the diagram above for a more detailed picture
What is a technology project?
In every technology project will start with a problem. The aim of the project is always to find a solution. You will do a number of things at each stage of the Design Cycle. In Grades 6 - 8 you will write up what you do in your A3 book. This book is called a design portfolio. In Grades 9 and 10 each project will be written up on A3 paper and then ring bound for you by the Technology Department.
There will be five parts to the Design Folder (Investigate, Design, Plan, Create and Evaluate)
The Process Journal
During the Create stage you need to document, with a series of photographs or a video and a dated record, the process of making your product, including when and how you use tools, materials and techniques. You are expected to follow your plan, to evaluate the plan and to justify any changes you make to your plan while creating your product.
Don't worry
Don't worry. This is a lot to do, but each unit lasts many weeks and you will get plenty of help along the way
Happy Designing!
