Teachers Making Connections With the Technology Community

Abstract

Since the mid-1980’s the educational landscape of New Zealand has changed. Within New Zealand technology education there is a strong focus on using community expertise, especially where technology is practised. This means that experiences from the community are used to influence and develop student learning and technological practice. As a practising technology teacher I considered this a pedagogical challenge. How on earth was I supposed to support the authentic experience in my senior class work? This became the basis of my masters level research project (Slatter, 2007). This chapter discusses my findings in terms of why teachers make connections, how they manage classroom interactions, and the resulting benefits.