Technology & Design Bulletin
Nov 2010
Staff Email Addressed
Dear Colleagues,
raymond_moffatt@welbni.org
You will be aware from my previous Email circulated which communicated the
hugh_kelly@welbni.org
need to fully inform the Link Officers of Curriculum and Technical subject support
Declan_mcgarvey@welbni.org
in your school. Please make contact by Email to request support before staff can
Louise_smith@welbni.org
respond. This is primarily to keep the Link Officer fully informed, of the nature of
assist in raising achievement, contribute to improvement in teaching / learning,
Louise Smith is our new
Technology / Office Admin
Assistant.
develop skills, capabilities, improve examination performance etc.
www.welb-cass.org
support provided. Please keep your emails brief and indicate that the support will
Louise Smith is now our new administration member of staff who has taken over
from Anita Kelly. We welcome Louise to the Technology team and wish her well in
this new position.
A special thanks to Anita Kelly for all her hard work and
TEC Phone: 028 8224 0809
TEC Address:
2 Spillars Place
Omagh,
County Tyrone BT78 1FA
commitment to Technology over the years and we wish her all the best in her new
position as…. Anita continues to work in the TEC.
The following is a brief news bulletin, update of recent events and additional
services you may not be aware of offered by TEC / Technology Department:
http://qwickstep.com/
http://www.ehow.com
http://vimeo.com/videos
WELB Examination Success / CCEA N. Ireland:
http://www.woodnet.net
Congratulations to Engineering student Diarmuid McLaughlin, St Patrick’s
College Dungiven 1st overall in CCEA N.I. / GCSE Engineering; students
Stephanie McConkey Collegiate College Enniskillen 1st in CCEA N.I. / GCSE
Technology & Design and Paul Johnson Portora Royal Enniskillen 1st in CCEA
N.I. GCE Technology and Design. Also, well done to Thornhill College Year 10
http://www.theiet.org/edu
cation
http://imageshack.us
https://www.thesciencesou
rce.com
https://www.thescienceso
urce.com
girls who were Irelands Regional Winners of the Toyota Technology Challenge
http://shop.pitsco.com
Very well done to all! These are outstanding achievements and as teachers you
should be proud of your talented students!
To help celebrate in this success the TEC Technology staff exhibited over 350
GCSE / GCE coursework portfolios and projects from this year’s 2010
examinations. The students’ work was displayed for one week in the Ebrington
campus Ballroom in Derry.
Over 400 students from (20) local Post Primary
schools, industrialists and members of the public in the L’Derry area visited this
exhibition to view this work of excellence. The exhibition was also open for three
days in the TEC Omagh in the summer term. Many thanks to all HOD’s who
contributed to the exhibition. As always the coursework was superb and thanks
also to Hugh Kelly and Declan McGarvey who worked tirelessly to collate and setup the show. Please inform us if you think it is worthwhile to continue with this
exhibition next year.
NB: The 2009 Technology Exhibition is posted on the www.welb-cass.org website.
1
Versa Laser Cutter: one to be share by the Limavady, Dungiven and L’Derry
schools and one to be shared by the Enniskillen, Omagh, and Strabane schools.
We would encourage schools to make full use of this facility. Priority will be given
to schools who wish to use this machine for GCSE / GCE project coursework.
Schools must respect this facility and leave these machines as they have found it
in full working order. Please report any fault to the Technical staff immediately
should a problem arise and DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR or ADJUST this
machine. A member of the Technical staff will be available to demonstrate this
machine upon delivery. ONLY USE CAST ACRYLIC with these machines. Failure
to carry out any of the above may restrict the loan to your school in the future.
Please book this equipment by Emailing Hugh Kelly: hugh_kelly@welbni.org
2.
TEC Mercury Laser Cutter:
Available for use in the TEC / centre is a Mercury 30W ‘large footprint’ Laser
Cutter. Part files ‘dxf’ or ‘dwg’ may be emailed to the Technical staff for CNC /
manufacture.
However please supply the cast acrylic.
Return time for work
approximately two weeks depending upon demand.
3.
Stereolithography 3D Printer:
The TEC Technology department have now a very advanced Stereolithography 3D
Printer. Remote Manufacturing - Rapid Prototyping using the 3D Printer is now
available for all WELB schools. Part files / Stl files emailed to the centre can only
be manufactured in ABS plastic. This provides an excellent and robust solid model
ideal for AS / A2 GCE coursework. We would encourage the use of this machine
and will accommodate school visits to view the part files being manufactured.
Unfortunately there will be a small charge for the use of materials but we will
endeavour to keep this as low as possible. This is an ideal manufacturing process
for Product Design or A2 Product Development coursework.
4.
We will inform you in the future by email of every new resource uploaded unto the
CASS website.
Recent uploaded on 15th November - Key Stage 4 Resources:- A Win Zipped File
* CCEA / GCSE Agreement Trial Presentation November 2010.
Technology Website:
www.welb-cass.org
Post Primary / Areas of
Learning / Science &
Technology / Technology &
Design
Please contact us if you have resources, teaching materials or quality outcomes
that demonstrate good practice that you wish to share on the Technology area of
the CASS website.
5.
Alternative CNC Machines:
http://www.notesandsketches.co
.uk/
The Denford 3D Scanner with a rotary fixture and the Boxford CNC HS A3 Micro
Router with a manually rotary fixture are available for use in the TEC. Please
contact the technical staff for further details if you wish to avail of this machine.
6.
STEM: Science Technology Engineering & Maths
An Inter-Board Technology bid has been made to DENI for finance to support
further promotion of STEM - Technology and Engineering. This bid was submitted
end of October 2010. This bid was to develop further PIC Genie Technology and
7.
http://www.teachengineeri
ng.com
F1 in Schools:
http://www.sentinus.co.uk
/downloads/STEM%20e
%20newsletter%20Oct%
2009.pdf
now take place on the 8th-11th February 2011. We are expecting a flyer out to
schools in the very near future. The venue is the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum
Cultra, Belfast.
CNC / PCB Board Manufacture:
An investment has been made to promote the use of CNC manufacture of PCB’s
using the ‘Floating Head’ Technology on the Micro Router; - Technical support is
available if you wish to develop and embed this process in your department.
9.
https://www.thebigbangfai
r.co.uk/countdown/30.cfm
also to promote the use of metal in Key Stage 3 project work.
Sentinus will now run the Inter-Board F1 in Schools Challenge and this event will
8.
http://www.stemcareer.co
m
Maintenance Checks:
The recent introduction of ‘Maintenance Checks’ in all schools is necessary to
ensure that all precautions are taken to ensure a safe working environment for all.
http://www.f1inschools.co
.uk
Whilst these check lists may first appear to be time consuming and cumbersome
please remember that the vast majority of these daily checks are observational
and considering that not all machines are used on a daily basis the time is greatly
reduced. This process has been encouraged and endorsed by the WELB Health &
Safety Adviser. These files are available in e-format and can be emailed to your
school.
Please contact Hugh Kelly Senior Technical Officer regarding support / advice / training regarding these
‘Maintenance Check Lists.’
10.
LEV; Local Exhaust Ventilation:
Annual LEV; Local Exhaust Ventilation Tests are now underway and will be carried
out on all workshop machines that have extraction. This is being carried out by
external consultants.
11.
Solid Works Twilight Courses 2009-2010 Update:
Two six week courses are planned to update teachers with the new Solid Works
version on C2K. The main aim is to develop further skills and competence using
this 3D CAD software.
The courses will be offered in L’Derry and Omagh. A
maximum of ten places only will be offered. The courses will start in mid January.
Another DVD of avi tutorials will be available to support the work done on this
course and designed for class use.
NB: Twilight: Courses start at 4.00pm - 6.00pm. Coffee/Tea will be available on
arrival. Venue: Tec - Omagh and St Cecilia’s - Derry.
Graphics / Design Course:
Please indicate on the reply slip if you would be interested in attending a Design /
Graphics course that we hope to offer also in the winter term. This will consist of
three/four twilight sessions and will develop design skills with the aim of developing
a Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 portfolio/s.
NB: Unless there is an uptake of (10) participants this course will not take place
Please contact Louise at the TEC to register for the above course/s.
Maintenance Checks: follow up training
REPLY SLIP
Curriculum Advisory & Support Service
Title:
Technology Twilight Courses
Venue: Omagh – Technology Education Centre
Derry – St Cecilia’s College
Date:
TBC
Time:
4pm – 6pm
I would be interested in attending the courses:
Solid Works
Omagh – TEC
Derry – Venue to be confirmed.
Design Applied
Omagh – TEC
Derry – Venue to be confirmed.
Name(s):
(Block Capitals)
Name of School:
(Block Capitals)
Signed: ______________________________ Date: ___________________
(Principal)
Please complete and return by fax / email on or before DAY/DATE to:
Louise Smith
Technology Education Centre
2 Spillars Place Omagh
Co Tyrone BT78 1FA
louise_smith@welbni.org
Fax: 028 82 240 797