The technology teacher candidates at Western’s Faculty of Education will showcase their inventions and curriculum guides for 2010 today (Thursday) at noon in the lobby of Althouse College.
The students are from various disciplines – hospitality, health, communications, computer technology, transportation, tech design, and manufacturing. One project features two autonomous robots developed to navigate a miniature soccer field.
“The integrity displayed in the design and construction of the robots and arena is based on the collaboration of our experiences and provides a perfect example of Broad based Technology,” says Kyle MacKay, one of the team members.
A second project features a ‘play fort’ built on site at Madeline Hardy School in London. This team of teachers included the manufacturing and construction students at the Faculty. The miniature play fort was designed so the school children could have fun while learning about technology. The teachers made a transparent wall with pumps, pipes, and tanks showing how water can be stored and moved using gravity. Big foam logs were sewn for use by the children.
“Project-based learning is a truly genuine learning method and one Western has modeled for technology teachers over the last few years” says Ron Hansen, associate professor, at the Faculty. “It provides teachers with an alternative to the knowledge acquisition methods used in other subject areas”.
The Faculty of Education at Western has been preparing technology teachers since its doors opened in 1967. To be admitted into the technology program teacher candidates need to have a minimum of five year’s experience in one of the ten broad-based technology fields. Most bring years of experience in one or more of their respective fields.