SOFT MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY

   Year 7 classes consist of 1 session once a week for the duration of 6 weeks. They then rotate on to the next 2 cycles of Technology, resulting in 18 lessons in total. They then return the following year as Year 8 students and then work through another series of Technology. 

All classes begin with 1 – 2 sessions of related tasks aimed at helping them learn to understand and use the sewing machines and all pieces of related equipment. The students then work through a series of skills enabling them to gain their Machine Licence, demonstrating how competent they are in using a variety of skills. E.g., threading up the machine, putting in the bobbin case, fishing up the lower thread, setting the machine onto a variety of stitches using the appropriate settings and also being able to solve any problems if and when the machine might jam or not function correctly. Classes are then introduced to the Technological Practice strand of Technology which includes the following 3 aspects : Brief Development, Planning for Practice and Outcome and Development. This requires the students to work through the various stages of the design process, identifying their need,writing a conceptual statement, developing suitable concept sketches, creating simple patterns for their design, choosing appropriate fabrics and constructing their own suitable solution to whatever need has to be met, making any necessary modifications along the way. 

                              At the beginning of each session the students are required to monitor their progress by having to set their own Learning Intentions and Success Criteria with the help of the teacher for the first few sessions. As they progress, they then attempt to write their own  for each lesson noting any relevant information as they progress throughout the development of their design. At the completion of each lesson the students reflect on their Learning Intentions and evaluate how successful they have been with their learning throughout the day, noting any areas they have had difficulty with and what they will need to set as their leaning intention for the next lesson. The last sessions involves the written evaluation of their design, both with their peers and the teacher, along with a short oral presentation of their final design and reasons why and how they came up with their solution .