Teaching & Learning news
Advance Program at the Richmond Campus
Students of Advance have been learning about volunteerism and getting to know and connect with our wider community and environs. Through weekly excursions this term to locations such as Dights Falls in Abbotsford and Collingwood Children’s Farm, a great number of our students have engaged with an abundance of enthusiasm. Highlights have been visiting the Collingwood Children’s Farm, learning about how the farm works, the services it provides the local and broader community, and caring for the chickens and goats. It has been illuminating to see our students interact with the wider community respectfully and responsibly.
Year 9/10 Technology
So far this term, the Year 9/10 Technology class have worked on Digital Technology and Food Technology projects. The group has planned and prepared lunch for the school community at the Richmond campus several times this term, creating meals such as pizzas and banh mi. Students have begun learning about coding and robotics using Lego Mindstorms EV3. We will soon be investigating Artificial Intelligence, with students and staff learning side-by-side about this fast moving innovation. Well done to all the students in this class!
Hands on Learning (HoL)
Our Hands on Learning (HoL) program continues to expand, with the Wednesday morning sessions a regular part of the weekly schedule at our Richmond Campus and individual and small-group HoL sessions now running at other times during the week. Recently, the HoL program has expanded to include a textiles session on Wednesday afternoon, which has been well-attended by a small, but enthusiastic, group of students.
SWL (Structured Workplace Learning) at Coburg
As part of the VCE Vocational Major and VCAL programs, students can do Structured Workplace Learning (SWL), which is a type of work experience which students can get school credit towards their senior school certificate. Each placement typically involves 80hrs at a workplace, usually in the same industry as their VET (vocational education and training) subject. The placements may be done in a block format (i.e. two weeks straight), or 1-2 days per week over the course of a term, depending on the needs of the workplace and the student. These placements are excellent for gaining real world experience in industry, as well as adding valuable experience and references to student resumes as they prepare to complete high school and look to further work and/or study pathways.
Currently, at our Coburg campus, we have 5 students completing SWLs, plus another two who have recently finished theirs earlier in Term 3.
Current:
Jack – furniture making factory
Makayla – gastro pub
Brandon – Middle Eastern restaurant
Zane – auto body technician (panel beater)
Levi – auto mechanic
Finished:
Malakai – stage and performance design/construction
Edward – furniture making factory
Visit to Scienceworks
Some of our Year 12 Coburg students, as part of their numeracy lessons, have been investigating reaction times, which forms part of one of their assessment tasks this term. At Scienceworks, students had an opportunity to participate in activities which calculated reaction times based on speed, movement and light.
