How has technology changed the way we learn?

In the olden days children use to sit in rows and look up at the blackboard. They used slates to do their work but when they had finished they would rub it out. Today technology has changed where there are laptops were you can use your google drive to be able to look back at your work.

As technology got better the children started sitting in groups of four. There were listening posts so they could hear stories and tv’s would get wheeled in for the class to watch documentaries on.

Then came out the plasma tv’s, smart phones, smart boards and laptops that became popular. Kids used simple class computers until the chrome books came out and they had different kinds of technology in front of them.

Did you know technology connects us to the world? We are able to create DLOs using google drive and still be able to look back at the work that has been done.

We are also able to look at other people’s blog posts. You can share your work that you have posted on your blog. So then people can comment on your work or do something similar to what you have done.

How have camels adapted to their environment

How have camels adapted to their environment?

Camels have lived in deserts for very a long time and because of this have adapted to the hot temperatures. Are you aware that camels can drink up to 46 litres of water at one time? This helps them to survive in the desert.

Deserts are very dry and hot. The temperature is around 42 c. It doesn’t rain a lot in the desert so there isn’t a lot of plants and trees that grow there. This means it is hard for camels to find food and water which is why their bodies store fat.

With such high temperatures these animals need the pads on their feet to help them walk on the hot sand. Camels have long thick eyelashes to protect their eyes from the sand. This is important because there are lots of sandstorms in a desert. They have thick lips to protect their mouths when they are eating things like cactus. A cactus plant has very sharp thorns but also has a water supply which is why camels search for these plants.

A camel’s diet is made up of twigs, thorns, bones and fat from their humps. When camels are travelling in the desert food is often hard to find which is why the fat stored in their humps is a very important source of energy.

These changes have meant that the camel survives and thrives in the hot and arid conditions of the desert.

How to make a Hangi

In writing we have been looking at writing explanations. I found it interesting that a hangi is cooked differently to the way we cook umu in my culture. My explanation on how a hangi is made is below.

How to make a Hangi

A hangi is a special kind of traditional way of maori cooking using a pit which has been dug in the ground. Men work together to lay down the hangi.There a several steps to preparing and cooking a hangi.

Firstly the pits needs to be dug in the ground.Then volcanic rocks and irons are lit and the fire needs to burn for about 2 hours.While the fire burns a Karakia is said to pray for the environment and protect the native trees, bless the food and pray that it is cooked nicely.

Once the fire has been burning for about 2 hours they break it down and dig out the ashes to remove some embers. This helps stop the food from getting too smokey and acrid (better tasting).

Food gets wrapped in cabbage leaves.This keeps the food from drying out and keeps the dirt from going in the hangi after the wrapped food is put in basket. Meat like chicken goes in first and then veggies are put on the top.

Cabbage leaves and sacks soaked in water then put on the hot irons. The baskets are carried over to the pit and then covered with wet sacks to keep dirt out. Finally it is all covered with canvas. They let it cook for about 3 and a half hours before they remove the sacks and the baskets of food.

Hangi food is still cooked on special occasions the same way it has been done for many years.