Kitronik

The technology team at clounagh have recently come across a number of great electronics kits from a company called Kitronik. Kitronik specialise in interesting electronic project kits for KS3 / KS4 design & technology lessons. Their educational kits are developed specifically for the secondary school market. You can request free samples of their kits as well as teaching notes from their website. Click here for further info.

STEM

The promotion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) has been established as an area of work within the current Programme for Government in Northern Ireland. As an element of this process the Department of Education has made funding available to undertake a range of activities and processes related to STEM. All schools are invited to apply as either an individual school, or as part of a cluster of schools working together. Any proposed STEM programme must run from 1 January 2009 to 31 March 2009. The purpose of the project will be to promote STEM with pupils and teachers in schools. For further detalils click here and here.

Drawing your attention

A new sketching resource has been added to clounagh.org. This sketching booklet has been developed with the aim to improve the sketching skills of pupils. This booklet builds upon those skills used in sketching booklet 1, improving techniques and learning how to draw some technological devices.

Circular saw/Bandsaw training

As you are all well aware any teacher or technician working in a Technology environment must hold the approprite qualifications in order to operate the circular saw and bandsaw. In conjuction with human resources in SELB HQ we are pleased to be able to offer a 2 day full training course in the safe use of the above mentioned equipment. Letters of invite have been sent out to all schools for this training which will take place on the 26th November and the 3rd December. However if you have not received a letter or feel that there is someone in your department who requires this particular training then please contact sharon.mcclelland@selb.org.

Solidworks Refresher Training

The Clounagh Centre will be hosting 2 afternoon sessions for Solidworks refresher training on Monday the 1st and 15th of December. This course is best suited for those who have yet to develop Solidworks within their technology environment, as most of the course will focus on simple drawing tasks best suited for KS3/4. The course will begin at 1pm and finish at 3.30 on both days. It is important to note that attendance on both days is essential. If you would like to reserve a place please contact Patricia.curran@selb.org.

Low cost magnets - beat the credit crunch

Just a quick thing that we picked up at the Clounagh Centre regarding rare earth magnets. MUTR are offering 5mm x 2mm magnets at a special price. A number of people are starting to use these circular magnets for various projects. So if you want to stock up, this might just attract you. Click here for info.

Photostory Workshop

As part of our ongoing support for T&D teachers the Technology team at Clounagh are pleased to announce another ICT workshop. On the 11th November we will be hosting an afternoon session on using photostory in Technology and Design. The session will begin at 1.30 and finish at 3.30, with tea provided beforehand. Photostory is a digital way to show and tell your story using digital images. Just think about the potential of pupils evaluating their product digitally, explaining the functionality of their favourite gadget or describing a manufacturing process using digital images, narration or even music. The good news is photostory is free and can be downloaded from the microsoft website. To find out more about photostory and what it can do click here
To reserve a place on this course e-mail patricia.curran @selb.org.

Edexcel A-Level discussion forum

A number of people have been enquiring for information on the latest spec changes within Edexcel A-Level . There is some information on the edexcel website which is helpful. However there seems to be a mood of teacher to teacher enquiry out there. In order to facilitate this I have setup a discussion forum on www.clounagh.org, this is to allow teachers of this spec to discuss and share ideas. If you are interested in participating in this discussion please contact martin.daly@selb.org.

YACAPACA - beginner clinic

Following on from day AOL2 in term 2 of the last academic year (07-08), we have noted some degree of success with YACAPACA in a number of schools. Let me refresh. YACAPACA is an online tool that allows you to create online quizzes, tests, surveys and more. Assessments can be shared, marked automatically and analysed by teachers and pupils to improve performance and learning. A few schools have already dipped their toe into the water and the feedback has been quite resounding to say the least. If you are interested in finding out more about YACAPACA and how it can enhance the learning in your T&D department then you might be interested in attending the starter session on Monday the 20th October, from 1.30 -3.30. Places are limited to 15 and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. To reserve a place please contact patricia.curran@selb.org.

Technology HoD Cluster

For those who were unable to attend the HoD cluster on the 16th June, here is a synopsis of what took place.

Jim Neale from New Wave Concepts (the people behind PCB WIZ, Livewire, Control Studio) demonstrated the new version of circuit wizard. I cannot explain in words how incredible or powerful this piece of software is. All I can say that in this is now the one stop shop for any electronics design, programming or simulation. For more information go to and watch their website for updates in September.

There was also some very valuable input from both Lismore comprehensive and Clounagh JHS. Lismore gave a very interesting presentation on integrating CAD/CAM into the classroom, by providing working examples and information on CAD/CAM developments. Clounagh JHS provided an interesting session on their website which we have previously featured on this blog. The Clounagh centre would like to take this opportunity to thank both schools for their valuable input on the day.

These sticks are made for walking ...

We all hope it will be a long time before we actually need a walking stick. However for those country rambles, herding cattle or dare I say it 'Anti Burglar device' we all at some time have had a walking stick in our hand. Lismore comprehensive have taken this idea to the classroom where they have had great success in a project which requires the pupils to create a walking stick. The pupils are involved in researching the types of trees and particular branches that have the potential for making a good stick. This involves a field trip which helps them identify the necessary factors required to manufacture the project. Under the guidance and knowledge of Mr Art O'Neill (HoD) the pupils manipulate their raw stick into a finished product. There are a number of processes and cross curricular links involved in this project which can provide numerours learning outcomes for pupils. If you would like to find out more about these works of 'Art' please contact us at the Clounagh Centre or contact Art O'Neill at Lismore.

Dates to Remember

We all have the date of the 1st July etched in our minds at this time of year, however please keep a knot in your hankie for the following days.

Thursday 5th June - 1.30-3.30 - Google pages workshop (limited places)
Monday 16th June - 1.30-3.30 - HOD/Technology co-ordinator Cluster Meeting
Both clusters will take place in the Clounagh Centre. Contact Martin or Patricia Curran for more details.

Safety Visors - Road Test

The Clounagh Centre have recently purchased a number of different safety visors for trial purposes. If you are thinking of replacing or reviewing your safety provision within your workshop, then you are more than welcome to view the various types of visors on display in the Clounagh Centre. Contact Paul or Martin for more information.

CNC equipment

The Clounagh Centre in recent months have been able to provide CNC access for a number of schools. We are pleased to announce that we have been able to secure more of the same equipment for long term loan. If you do not already have CNC provision and are interested in integrating CAD/CAM into your school then please contact Martin Daly at the Clounagh Centre.

Clounagh Junior High School T&D website

From AoL training day 2 we gave examples of some good practice in terms of the creative use of ICT in T&D. The Technology team at Clounagh Junior High School have used some of the ideas exhibited on the day and have produced their own excellent website http://clounaghtechnology.wordpress.com/ This is a really well designed and informative website which can be accessed by pupils to help scaffold their learning and understanding of Technology concepts. The website even translates with one click of a button into several other languages, providing access for foreign national pupils - Voila! If you are interested in setting up something like this for your Technology department please contact a member of the Technology team at Clounagh.

Circular saw /bandsaw full training

If you have been recently appointed as a technician or if there is someone in your department who has recently been appointed to this post and does not have the proper circular saw/bandsaw qualifications then please note that an opportunity to achieve this qualification will be coming up soon. Full training will be available on the 23rd and 24th of April at the Clounagh Centre. The instructor for this course will be Mr John Hill. Contact Mairead Morgan for further information.

Circular saw refresher training

This month sees the beginning of refresher training in the wadkin type circular saw and bandsaw. This refresher training takes place every three years and it is essential that all Technology teachers and technicians avail of this training to keep upto date in terms of Health and Safety requirements. The first day of training has already taken place and the courses will run every Tuesday until mid June. You will by now have received a letter indicating the day and date you are due to attend. The instructor for this course is Roy McMaw who you will know from previous training on the milling machine and centre lathe. If for some reason you have not received a letter of invite and feel you should be attending this training please contact Patricia Curran at the Clounagh Centre. For technicians regarding refresher training please contact mairead.morgan@selb.org.

Getting started with CAD/CAM day 2

Last November the Clounagh Centre hosted a one day course in the use of CAD/CAM in the curriculum. For those who were able to attend on that day we can now confirm the dates for the follow up - day 2. The dates are the 13th, 14th and 15th May based in the Clounagh Centre. The training will continue to focus on CAD/CAM in the curriculum as well as designing using Techsoft 2D design, circuit manufacture using PCB Design and Make and other tips and tricks. A confirmation letter confirming your place and date will be sent out soon.

Martin

Technology websites

In the past we have been sending out a number of links on our newsletters relating to useful websites. We have collated these and put them in one place where they can be easily accessed. Simply log onto http://del.icio.us/selbtandd where you will find links to a host of useful websites which are updated regularly.

Martin Daly.

www.clounagh.org

We have recently been posting up some resources on the www. You can view these at www.clounagh.org (you may need to register if logging on for the first time). These include existing and new resources relating to Technology and Design.
Martin Daly

Getting started with CAD/CAM

The Clounagh Centre recently ran a number of one day courses in getting started with CAD/CAM. These days were well attended by a number of schools and we have since received very positive feedback about the machines and their effective in the classroom. All schools were invited to take part in this course at which a single user copy of Techsoft 2D design was given out to those schools who did not have an existing licence. If you were unable to attend this course and would like a copy of Techsoft 2D design then contact the Clounagh Centre. The materials and information about this course can be viewed on http://www.clounagh.org/ (you may need to register if you are visiting this site for the first time).

Martin Daly

Bomardier modern apprentice workshops

Bombardier will soon be recruiting for the Modern Apprentice Programme which commences in September 2008. To make pupils aware of what is on offer bombardier have put together a workshop called Your Career in Aerospace. The workshops will take place on Monday 28 January, Monday 11 February & Thursday 13 March from 10:30am to 12:30pm in W5. Your Career in Aerospace has been funded by the Skills and Science initiative. Transport and admission are provided free of charge to post primary schools in Northern Ireland for pupils in year 10 and above. The minimum size for a group is 20 pupils.
The programme for each day is as follows
10:30am Welcome in lecture theatre at W5
10:40am W5 of Bombardier - Tony Monaghan Education Officer Bombardier
11:00am Apprentice Experience – Two current apprentices talk about their career path and what they have done to date with Bombardier
11:30am Ensuring aircraft are safe to fly - a Bombardier engineer describes what lightning is and how a modern aircraft can withstand a lightning strike
12:00pm W5 interactive flight show
12:30pm Finish – Return to school or stay on in W5 for afternoon
To book your session or get further information call Tony Monaghan on
90462339 or email
tony.monaghan@aero.bombardier.com
Places are limited so a prompt reply is advised to secure your place.

Area of Learning Day 2 - coming to a school near you!

The Area of Learning day 2 is due to take place over the coming weeks. These days are related to the revised curriculum at KS3 and will follow a similar format to last year, although the content will be different as we are now into the first year of the revised curriculum. The dates and venues for these days are as follows:

25th January - St Ciaran's HS Ballygawley
1st February - Clounagh Junior High School
4th February - St Paul's HS Bessbrook
8th February - Brownlow Integrated
25th February - St Patrick's Academy Dungannon
29th February - St Patrick's HS Keady
3rd March - Dromore High School
7th March - St Mark's HS Warrenpoint

Please note it wil be very important that you bring along existing units/schemes of work for these days as we will be analysing and developing them in light of the revised curriculum.

The Technology team look forward to seeing you there.

Martin Daly