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The contents of this section of the shared area relate only to the themes, subject and content of the television and on-line sites released to date. This section will expand as other programmes and sites are developed.

What follows represents some general ideas which can be helpful when setting up tasks and activities for the teaching of 5-14 technology in schools. They are definitive, but do represent useful hints and tips when undertaken work with pupils.

• Use challenges to set up a task.
• Transfer ownership of the challenge as soon as possible.
• Ask questions rather than give answers.
• Ask the question 'Why?' often.
• Expect pupils to justify as well as make decisions.
• Label everything - tools, equipment, consumables
• Use the right terms - expect the right terms to be used.
• Pupils should create folios of what they do. Use consistent methods for recording test results, ideas etc..
• Find the best ways for pupils to communicate their ideas. For the young this probably does not mean drawing - use modelling more and drawing less.
• Practice drawing before using it.
• Colour and cut produces good clean shapes.
• Use cut and paste more - in design work.
• Plasticine and salt-dough are good modelling mediums.
• Practice cutting paper (patterns) before cutting any fabric. This can help pupils organise a plan for work.
• An aim is to reduce the 'Please Miss/Sir…?' syndrome. Have the pupils plan out their own work.
• Use peer checking more. So long as the pupils know what should be happening they can check out and evaluate each others work during and at the end of a task.
• Measure twice cut once.
• Use support groups. There can still be individual working within these groups.
• Use a digital camera more. Taking shots of work in progress and models and patterns (particularly when using kits) will mean a record can easily be kept. Also this means that folios can be produced using simple Desk Top Publishing software that allows words and images to be combined in interesting layouts.
• Encourage pupils to annotate images.
• Criteria for design are criteria for evaluation.
• Quality matters.
• Praise and encourage.
• Display and discourse is important.
• Process is as important as product.
• We all design in different ways.
• Different tasks will call for different design strategies.
• Enjoy what you do.

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