Information Sheets
Section outline
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TENZ is committed to developing and sharing educational resources that support Technology education across Aotearoa New Zealand. These Ngā Pepa Mōhiohio | Information Sheets have been developed to aid as support to develop and deepen understanding of a range of learning models.
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The Technology Glossary | He Papakupu Hangarau has been developed by Technology Education New Zealand for use with the New Zealand Curriculum. The glossary contains hundreds of comprehensively defined terms, supplemented with examples, complete with a translation for each word provided in te reo Māori. This document is an essential resource for technology educators and senior students alike.
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PDF Version
The "Darwin Review" is named after Charles Darwin, a 19th-century naturalist known for his groundbreaking work on the theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin’s research demonstrated how species adapt over time to their environments, with traits that support survival and reproduction being "selected" and passed on, to future generations. This concept of adaptation, resilience, and change in response to environmental pressures underpins the review process.
In a Darwin Review, these evolutionary principles are applied to a teaching and learning program. Just as species evolve to thrive, the review encourages educators to evaluate which aspects of the program are thriving (or not), adapt new ideas to improve, and discard elements that don’t contribute to student success. This evolutionary approach helps keep the program dynamic, relevant, and responsive to changing curriculum standards and student needs.
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Google Slides Version
The "Darwin Review" is named after Charles Darwin, a 19th-century naturalist known for his groundbreaking work on the theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin’s research demonstrated how species adapt over time to their environments, with traits that support survival and reproduction being "selected" and passed on, to future generations. This concept of adaptation, resilience, and change in response to environmental pressures underpins the review process.
In a Darwin Review, these evolutionary principles are applied to a teaching and learning program. Just as species evolve to thrive, the review encourages educators to evaluate which aspects of the program are thriving (or not), adapt new ideas to improve, and discard elements that don’t contribute to student success. This evolutionary approach helps keep the program dynamic, relevant, and responsive to changing curriculum standards and student needs.
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Critical perspectives refer to a way of examining education policies and practices that takes into account issues of power, inequality, and diversity. In the context of Aotearoa New Zealand's education system, critical perspectives are particularly important in the discussions around the NCEA Change Programme, Curriculum Refresh, and Reform of Vocational Education.
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Flipped learning is an instructional model that involves students learning new content outside of class through videos, readings, or other online resources, and then using class time to engage in active learning activities that apply their new learning. Flipped learning allows for a more personalised learning experience as students can learn at their own pace, and it enables teachers to focus on facilitating deeper learning as well as providing individualised support to students.
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Place-based learning is an approach to teaching and learning that connects ākonga to their local environment, community, and culture. It emphasises the importance of learning through and about the places where students live, work, and play. Place-based learning can be implemented at all year levels and can be integrated into various subject areas, including the Technology curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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Collaborative learning is an instructional approach that involves students working together in groups to achieve a common learning goal. This approach emphasises the development of social skills such as communication, cooperation, and respect for others' ideas, as well as cognitive skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.
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Blended learning is an instructional model that combines traditional classroom teaching with online learning. In a blended learning approach students complete some of their learning activities online, either at home or in school, and some in-class activities with their teacher and peers. Blended learning allows for more flexible and personalised learning experiences as students can learn at their own pace and receive more individualised support.
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Project-based learning (PBL) is an educational approach that encourages students to learn by actively engaging in a complex, real-world problem or challenge. Students work to investigate a topic, solve a problem, or create a product that demonstrates their understanding of the topic, generally in a collaborative setting. In PBL students take ownership of their learning, which can increase their motivation and engagement.
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Inquiry learning is an approach to teaching and learning that focuses on student-led investigation and exploration of topics or questions. It encourages students to develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and a deep understanding of concepts and processes. Inquiry learning can be implemented at different year levels and integrated into various subject areas, including the Technology curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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A quick guide to how we can use case studies in our teaching, covering:
- What is a Case Study?
- Why Use Case Studies in Your Classroom?
- How to Incorporate Case Studies (At a Glance)
- Tips for Success
- Other technologists’ practice case studies
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This resource offers a comprehensive start-to-finish look at case studies and how we can use them in our practice, illustrated by three of our case studies. This resource covers:
- What is a Case Study?
- Curriculum and Assessment Links
- NZC Achievement Objectives
- NCEA
- Learning Objectives
- Suggested Activities
- Case Study Reading/Viewing
- Phase-by-Phase Breakdown
- Mapping the Walkthrough
- Linking to Student Projects
- Reflection Template
- Adaptation for younger learners
- Assessment & Reflection
- Possible Extensions
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Play Code Learn (Thomas Male & Sarah Washbrooke from ByteEd): A blended physical-and-digital kit teaching computational thinking, augmented reality (AR), and coding concepts to young learners.
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Pōhatu Penguins (Iain Cook-Bonney): A VR and Minecraft recreation of a penguin colony, aiming to educate the public and students about conservation and ecotourism.
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eStudee (Sue Ware): A platform designed for supporting literacy and numeracy assessment preparation, featuring an interactive Moodle environment and auto-marked quizzes.
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Increasingly documents and images are scanned to be included in digital files and for uploading via the internet to external assessment and moderation.
There are varied understandings nationwide of how to access and use the tools and processes available.
The following is a guide for effective scanning and editing of images and documents.
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Ensuring a Smooth Transition: Your Guide to a Seamless Handover
Before starting long-term leave or departing permanently from the school, it is recommended that the following tasks be completed, verified, and dated by either a leader within the technology learning area or a member of senior management. For those leading a technology faculty, this verification can be conducted by a member of senior management.
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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that promotes inclusive and accessible learning for all students, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds, or learning preferences. UDL is based on the principle that learning environments and materials should be designed to accommodate a wide range of learners, with different needs and strengths.
UDL can be implemented at any year level and across different subject areas, including the Technology curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand. -
Restorative practice is used in the Aotearoa New Zealand schooling system to build positive relationships between students, teachers, and the wider school community. It is an approach based on the idea that when harm occurs, it is important to repair relationships and restore trust, rather than punishing those responsible.
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STEAM / STEM education is an interdisciplinary approach to learning that integrates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics concepts into a cohesive curriculum. This holistic approach encourages students to explore real-world problems, engage in hands-on activities, and foster critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills. The STEAM approach recognises that word is integrated, not divided by discipline, and that the classroom can be too.
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