Mrs Ali

Working with others and Design and Technology

Introduction
Adults other than teachers (AOTTs) are people without a formal teaching qualification who are able to make a significant contribution to the work teachers do in Design and Technology.
This section considers:

▪ Technicians ▪ Teaching Assistants ▪ Visiting adults
Technicians
As an introduction to this, you might ask students what tasks they think, or know, that a Design Technology technician undertakes.
This list of tasks should include the following: • Preparing tools, equipment and materials for practical classes • Maintaining tools and equipment • Organising teaching areas • Ensuring health and safety • Routine checking of tools and equipment • Organising tools, equipment and materials • Routine repair and maintenance • Routine administrative tasks • Supporting teaching staff and students
It is important for students to become aware early in their courses that technicians will provide invaluable support for them as teachers. Their central role involves preparing tools, equipment and materials and help with practical lessons, supporting and developing pupils’ learning in Design Technology. Technicians usually specialise in either RM/ECT or food/textiles, but in some schools they are expected to work across all focus areas.
Design and Technology Technicians are expected to possess a range of knowledge, abilities and personal qualities. These lists provide an indication of the range.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of techniques when working with wood, plastics and metals • Knowledge of food equipment, ingredients, processes • Knowledge of Health & Safety legislation as it relates to schools • Knowledge of COSHH and other appropriate regulations • Knowledge of safe working practices • Knowledge of how to use a range of tools and equipment

Abilities

• Ability to maintain a range of tools and equipment • Ability to prepare equipment and materials for lessons • Ability to work in an organised way • Ability to identify priorities and manage workload • Ability to maintain accurate records and inventories • Ability to work effectively as part of a team • Ability to establish positive relationships with pupils

Personal Qualities

• Able to work within a team, particularly with teaching colleagues • Able to get on with pupils • Commitment to Equal Opportunities • Willingness to participate in training and development • Flexibility
Working with the technician
Technicians are not just trained in health and safety, maintenance of tools and equipment, preparing materials, carrying out risk assessment, but also in how to support teaching and learning, and how to assist pupils in technical activities.
It is important to emphasise that technicians are key members of the D&T department.
As such they are included in virtually all aspects of the work of the department. As with any group our technicians are unlikely to be able to fulfil their potential if they do not know what we as teachers are trying to achieve. As with any co-worker, they need to be helped to develop their understanding of precisely how they can work alongside us and play a role in supporting pupils’ learning.
Ask students to compile a list of ‘top tips’ to develop good working relationships. Many of these points will apply equally to the range of support staff with which students will come into contact in schools.
Tips about how to develop a good working relationship • Give clear instructions for specific tasks • Provide guidance on how to carry out tasks • Share school policy and practice • Agree the correct way of using tools and equipment • Develop health and safety guidelines for pupils and staff • Explain workshop routines • Explain the ways in which you prefer to work • Find out particular areas of interest and expertise in food/textiles/RMT • Be clear about skills and knowledge that pupils need to develop and how to support them e.g. food hygiene, workshop safety.
Students might develop deeper insights into the role of Technician by using the self-assessment tool for ICT technicians on the BECTA website as a guide for preparing a checklist of competencies for D&T technicians.
Technician development
Establishing a positive relationship can be helped if the student has an insight into the career structure available to their co-workers. The Design and Technology Association (with the Association for Science Education) have helped to develop a four level career structure: • Assistant Technician • Technician • Senior Technician • Team Leader Technician.
Continued professional development is supported by a virtual centre the Technicians' National Assessment Centre which is worthwhile visiting to gain a deeper insight into the role.
The technician role to prepare equipment to facilitate learning means that the technician is aware of the stages pupils have reached. Time spent supporting and assisting pupils with developing skills means that pupils see the technician as a valuable member of the teaching team. Many pupils find that the technician has more time to spend with them and their support is often utilised at lunchtimes and after school. Some schools are beginning to encourage technician staff to act as cover supervision when teachers are absent. The advantages are that pupils are not disrupted and continuity is maintained. Teaching Assistants

Teaching Assistants (or Learning Support Assistants) are people from whom student teachers can learn a great deal. TA’s support pupils with particular learning needs. They work with individuals and small groups monitoring attendance, mentoring and providing behaviour support. Some TA’s have a specialism, e.g. literacy, numeracy, Special Educational Needs, bilingual teaching. Often TA’s enjoy Design Technology lessons for their practical nature and the fact that the ‘fluidity’ makes it easy to join in and provide support for those in need. They help personalise provision and are a useful source of advice.

Tasks
Ask students what tasks a Teaching Assistant undertakes. You could extend this by asking them to priortise the list, or to list what they think TAs do and what they think teachers do.
This list of tasks should include the following: • helping children who need extra support to complete tasks • simplifying technical language • presenting work in small steps and guiding pupil through • keeping pupil on task • helping with organisation, physical or medical needs • looking after children who are upset or have had accidents • helping with outings and events
Exemplars
It will be useful to discuss the work of teaching assistants using these brief exemplars.
TA’s work with pupils: “My current case load includes a boy who cannot organise himself, and when he fails to take his medication he becomes a serious behavioural problem. Another suffers acute domestic difficulties, and this influences his behaviour in school. I am helping another boy to manage his anger and he is a special needs child as well; it is very frustrating for him. I am a part of the pastoral team and I work closely with the teachers. “
TAs release teacher time: “These staff save an enormous amount of teachers’ time. Previously much of the mentoring and follow-up of attendance was considered the exclusive domain of the teacher. Now, there is more reason and common sense in the system. The participating staff’s work raises the morale of the teachers. They feel their work in the classroom is being recognised.”

Other exemplars may be found at TeacherNet.gov.uk

The TDA website also has some useful information

Expectations are explained on the careers advice website.
Students should be encouraged to discuss how the work of the TA impacts on raising pupil achievement and releasing teacher time.

Benefits for pupils

In design and technology Teaching Assistants can: • Encourage individual pupils • Encouraging confidence and self esteem • Clarify instructions, by repetition, re-phrasing or demonstration • Enable more practical activities to take place • Prepare individualised learning resources • Support individual education and social, behavioural programmes • Recognise signs of distress and intervene • Attend to physical needs • Adapt practical tasks to the needs of the pupil

Benefits for teachers

In design and technology teaching assistants can: • Provide information and ideas • Be an extra pair of hands to increase the pace of lessons • Be an extra pair of eyes to increase safe supervision • Increase the range of practical activities possible • Provide feedback on the needs/progress of individuals • Provide feedback on tasks and activities • Free the teacher to focus on a particular group/individual
Higher Level Teaching Assistant

A Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) assumes more responsibility.

Ask students to compile a list of the additional responsibilities that they feel a more experienced Teaching Assistant might be expected to have.

This involves typically: • Supervise other support staff. • Assess, record and report on the progress of children. • Help plan lessons • Prepare teaching materials

With experience a Higher Level Teaching Assistant may supervise the class if the teacher is absent for a short period becoming a Cover Supervisor, one of the emerging roles resulting from School workforce remodelling.

Visiting Adults Other Than Teachers
Visitors to schools can enhance the work teachers do in Design and Technology. Adults Other Than Teachers offer particular expertise which may not exist within the department. They provide support for the busy teacher and a refreshing change for pupils.

Ask students to list the types of visitors who might be useful in Design and Technology.

The list should include:

• Volunteers e.g. parents • Mentors e.g. Science and Engineering Ambassadors • Competition advisors and judges • Professional technologists e.g Neighbourhood Engineers • Designers of products • Manufacturers of products • Users of products • Student teachers

It is important to point out that in Design and Technology particularly schools need to carry out risk assessment for AOTT’s

This activity can be extended by focusing on a particular group e.g.

Designers of products

Ask a series of questions to identify potential sources, e.g.

Who designs the school brochure?
Who designs road layouts around the school?
Who designs school uniforms?
Who designs the school meals menu?
This programme from teachers tv shows pupils as clients briefing a design company who produce designs to transform their school canteen.
In this programme designer Kevin McCloud works with pupils to transform their school hall.
In this programme a Design Challenge is set by outdoor clothing manufacturer. Competitions

As a follow up to this you might ask students to list the range of competitions which support Design and Technology in schools.

The list should include:

Greenpower - racing cars for schools
F1 in schools
Young Engineers
Young Engineer of the Year
KNex/Bloodhound
Airbus
Royal Navy
BAA
FutureChef

Topical initiatives

The Cooking Bus is a particular initiative that brings visiting adults to the school for a specific purpose.

The Food Standards Agency’s Cooking Bus an articulated pantechnicon that provides a fully equipped state-of-the-art classroom/kitchen for 16 students. It is staffed by a senior teacher, a support teacher and a driver technician who work with school staff to aims to get across healthy eating and food safety messages. The work pupils do involves interactive cooking sessions, hands-on events, making finished dishes to eat or take home.

Priority is given to schools in low income areas, with the aim of reducing inequalities by encouraging disadvantaged and vulnerable people to improve their diets.

Science and Engineering Ambassadors
Science and Engineering Ambassadors have taken part in 24,000 activities with over 750,000 pupils to raise awareness of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities.
What do they do? • Deliver activities such as Science and Engineering clubs • Help with school competitions, events and awards • Offer mentoring • Provide careers talks • Provide work-based placements for teachers and students • Deliver extra-curricular activities • Deliver enhancement activities
A teachers’ guide to working with ambassadors is available for download here
Clubs
Clubs contribute to engagement and interaction with STEM and aim at: • enriching, enhancing and extending the key stage 3 curriculum • improving attainment in, interactions with and experiences of D&T • encouraging pupils to consider continuing their education in STEM • improving collaboration between schools, and between schools and industry
Science and engineering clubs
Club handbook
Case studies are available to download here

What are the benefits of being involved in these initiatives?

Benefits to teachers:

• Access extra, quality assured, skilled resources to support staff in the classroom. • Set-up, expand and have extra support for extra-curricular clubs. • Develop more varied teaching and learning styles. • Update knowledge of contemporary science, technology and research processes. • Learn more about local companies and linking opportunities.

Benefits to pupils:

• Makes design and technology relevant to the everyday experience. • Improve motivation, confidence and enthusiasm. • Provide opportunities to improve key skills • Stimulate better understanding of career opportunities
AOTT’s:

• Support curriculum delivery • Develop school clubs • Deliver off-site activities

AOTT’s need to be aware of issues such as:

• learning objectives – what is the purpose of their visit, what are the pupils expected to learn • differentiation and inclusivity – what are the needs of the pupils they will be seeing, and how can these be met • behaviour management – you might want to offer some help here as visiting adults may not be fully familiar with school policy and practice, nor strategies for dealing with pupils • health and safety – you will need to ensure that visiting adults have the appropriate qualifications, or are supervised at all times • child protection – it is recommended that visiting adults are required to have a CRB check, or are supervised at all times.
Ask student to identify possible pitfalls of inviting in visiting adults. This list of strategies to reduce risks:

Avoiding potential pitfalls.

• Ensure that the AOTT has planned learning outcomes, or has discussed with you the planned learning objectives and outcomes • Involve AOTT in planning the content and activities of the session • Establish a feedback method for the end of the session. • Explain health and safety rules. • Do not assume AOTT can predict the behaviour of pupils • Ensure that pupils are prepared for the AOTT visit • Do not assume AOTT can pitch the level of language to suit pupils • Be prepared to intervene diplomatically • Do not leave pupils supervised by AOTT alone