Elective Programs

At Edgars Creek Secondary College we always 'aim to innovate' and believe that an engaging curriculum rich with student choice in the Middle Years is essential. This is why, as part of our Professional Learning Community work this term, teams of teachers have been working together to generate ideas and develop elective subjects that draw upon various learning areas and skills. Teachers have enjoyed collaborating with colleagues outside of their own learning areas to further develop not only subject ideas of their own, but also suggestions given by the students themselves. This is a small example of incorporating student voice and agency into our curriculum and program design which is an area we want to continue in as the College grows. 

We challenged teachers to think outside of the square to provide opportunities for students that are innovative, exciting and different to what they are currently studying. As a result of this process, our Year 8 students now have the ability to choose an elective subject to be taken alongside their core and specialist subjects.

When asked about the elective program, Year 8 student Talha Yurtsver said "My first choice was Behind the scenes of a professional Athlete. I chose this one because I want to be fit. Another choice I made was 3D Laser Modelling (Wood) because I want to be an engineer. Being able to choose an elective makes me feel like we have more choice and we are free"

Emily Dimovski said she felt choosing an elective "was a lot of responsibility" as what she chose might affect her later schooling years. In the end she decided to choose 3-2-1 Cook! because she enjoys Food Technology and stated "You need to know how to cook!". She also felt that keeping her options open was a good idea and selected Spanish life and culture in her top three preferences. 

Currently, students have put forward their preferences and are waiting to hear what they will be taking next Semester. We encourage parents and families to discuss their child's selections and reinforce that in Year 8, the elective program is really about allowing students to choose what interests them at this stage of their schooling. 

Taryn Godley

Leading Teacher - Curriculum & Pedagogy