The 6 R`s

[Lilo-Lil]

I went to an OCR conference today about changes in the teaching of GCSE technology from Sept. This exam board has re-vamped the subject in the light of what matters to teenagers after consulting with them. It covers food tech, textiles, resistant materials, graphics, industrial production and electronics.

The course is made up of 4 units, 2 of which are compulsary. One whole compulsary unit is now made up of the 6 R`s:

*Recycle *Reuse *Repair *Refuse *Reduce *Re-think

There were loads of good examples of things that kids have done, especially in textiles.

I immediately thought of Ilona, and how she is such a wizz at thinking outside the box when it comes to such things. I may just have to pinch a few of her ideas, if she hasn`t copyrighted them!

It was so rewarding to hear this is what matters to kids today. It`s going to be much more interesting to teach than "Mass production of products" which is what it replaces!

[Meanqueen]

Thank you for saying that, Lilo. It's true, I like to challenge convention, if something is always round, why not make it square, if something is always made out of wood, try making it out of cardboard instead.

Here are some more Re's to think about
Re-cover. Recreate. Refit. Refresh. Refurbish.
Regenerate. Renovate. Resourcefull. Resurrect. Revolve. Revive.

You can copy anything I have done, and maybe adapt it to your own ideas. I like experimenting with different materials. I have just joined two plastic aerosol caps with a zip. Hold a small nail with a pair of pliers and heat it over a flame, then make holes around the edge of two caps, and sew the zip onto them, makes a container. If you cut the caps down by half you can make a purse with them.

I would be interested to try some of your ideas as well.

Ilona

[Sunny B]

Here's my R - repaint! My bicycle is going rusty, I bought a small tin of Hammerite and I'm going to paint it all over, that should stop the rust and keep it going!


Also R for rotstopping (OK, not really a word). Years ago all my window frames were rotting, I hacked out the worst with a screwdriver and painted what was left with wood hardener. The I filled it with a bit of cement. Not textbook, but it looked OK when it was painted over and saved me a lot of money in having them properly repaired or replaced.

[Meanqueen]

You've started something now, Lilo. What about re-jig, I like that word. Make something into something else.

Ilona

[Babycakes]

My favorite R at the moment is Re-purpose. I have re-purposed fuzzy drink bottles into hanging planters, a polystyrene box into an incubator and a sterilizer into a wormery

Just thinking, that could be a good introduction to the module for your first lesson - tell the pupils the 6 R's and then see how many more they can come up with themselves.

[Lilo-Lil]

Thanks for all the new R`s!!!! Some of your ideas are great, and I`m sure will give us inspiration for next year. We are going to ask all the yr 8`s to bring an old pair of jeans in, to make into bags or anything else they can think of.

After a manic week, the only R I`m interested in is Relax, or possibly Retire, if the pace keeps up like this next week! lol

[mal]

Jenny and I Restore and Re-upholster. All our furniture is stuff we've bought in auctions, antiques fairs and centres. The newest piece of furniture is a 1930's drinks cabinet. All of it was bought cheap and we've restored it all ourselves. It's comfortable, beautiful, doesn't waste valuable, we don't need to keep up with "trends" in decorating AND we get a lot of fun out of acquiring and restoring it!

This C19 French bed cost us next to nothing!

[Stig]

Re-sist! Next time your partner starts eying up new curtains with matching scatter cushions, point out the adequacy of the ones you've already got!

Who invented the bloomin' scatter cushion in the first place? What a detestable object is the scatter cushion!

[bethanyyann]

im doing that exan next week, and im trying to fing some kind of online revision guide, but i cant :(
i made a dress for my practical exam, out of recycled jeans. i have the initial revision guide but its missing so much stuff that i need to know :(