STEAM

Our STEAM program prepares students for life regardless of the profession they choose to pursue. Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics teach students how to think critically and how to solve problems — skills that can be used throughout life to help them get through tough times and take advantage of opportunities whenever they appear.

The range of opportunities provided in 2022 built on students’ curiosity and connected STEAM learning to solve real world problems, including collaborative and individual learning experiences that were hands-on, inquiry-based and support the achievement of deep knowledge.

STEAM Electives

The year 7 & 8 electives aims to challenge and equip students with science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEM) skills to solve authentic problems for the complex world around them.

Year 7 highlights included:

Investigating the use of QR codes and creating video media that can be attached to personalised QR codes.
Using Sphero robots to positively enhanced students’ learning by engaged and empowered students with hands-on learning in coding.
Creating 3D printed objects by completing a design process
Exploring engineering challenges involving flight and/or bridge structures.

Year 8 highlights included:

Investigating electricity and creating working circuits to add to 3D designed products.
Exploring astronomy through both a scientific and cultural perspective, by learning about different celestial things and spacecrafts.
Creating models and structures to survive natural disasters, by learning about how they are formed and how to prevent major damages.
Exploring the design process by creatively building armour and weapons out of recyclable materials.

Due to popular demand, in 2023 we will launch our new elective, ‘STEAM – Future Builders’,for year 9 and 10 students.

STEAM CHALLENGES

Gippsland Tech School GTS expanded into south and east Gippsland allowing many of our students to experience their programs.

Year 7 & 8 STEAM - In the tech taster program, students learnt about how the world of work is changing and the skills that will be most important for them as they move into the workforce. Students explored and used industry changing technologies. The space science program explored how technology is influencing Space Science and Exploration, experience mixed realities to learn about the solar system and code robots to collect data in a Mars exploration simulation.

Likeminds – Participated in the sustainable futures program. This was a two day program where students were introduced to a variety of different types of renewable energy and explore principles of energy efficient housing design. Students will use a variety of technologies to investigate and conduct experiments to design, build, and test a prototype.

Year 9 – These students where introduced to using the Design Thinking process in the ‘How to Become a Millionaire’ program. They solve an identified problem for a classmate, moving through the empathy, define, ideation, prototype, and testing stages of Design Thinking.

AI for Good

The AI for Good Challenge is a national program that is designed to help Australian high school students learn about AI, understand the ethics behind the technology and innovate AI concepts that could make a difference for the Earth, Accessibility or Humanitarian Action. All like-minds students participated in this challenge as a multidiscipline inquiry project. Congratulations to Xavier Nicholls on his prize-winning idea.