The Anchor

Technologies News

Year Seven Digital Technologies

The engagement from the Year Seven classes has been outstanding as we work hard on acquiring and applying new knowledge in coding. Using Minecraft Education Edition and the Makecode, students have been able to make it 'rain chickens', 'spawn zombies' in a post-apocalyptic world, 'smash cakes' to reveal 10,000 parrots and a range of other creative and complex events. To achieve success, students must apply a coding mindset, paired with computational thinking and consider how they design their algorithm, then select the appropriate code blocks and iterate a solution. Even the smallest syntax error, like a misplaced full stop or coordinate may result in an error, or undesired outcome. Learning to code can be incredibly rewarding, and frustratingly challenging as a beginner (and even a novice…). Here are some screenshots from the first few lessons. 

Year Seven Hospitality Electives

Our delightful students in Mokare have started their journey in the kitchen this term with enthusiasm and a thirst for learning.  I’ve been impressed with how quickly they have grasped the essential procedures required to work efficiently in a tidy kitchen and collaborate with each other to produce a range of healthy snacks.

Year Eight Hospitality Electives

There have been interesting discussions this term regarding why we eat fast food, and the nutritional and economic benefits of preparing similar take-out foods at home.  In particular, students analysed how fast-food chains promote their food in photographs, then compared that image with the real thing!  A selection of burgers was produced with a range of patties based on different proteins. These burgers were presented for food photography and certainly looked appealing!

Year Nine Hospitality Electives

Students study the six nutrients.  This term they investigated the macronutrient, water, learning about the different types of water Australians have the luxury to access, and discussed how most of the the world’s population is not so fortunate.  Each student showed their creativity in designing a high-water content mocktail based on fruit.  The micronutrients, vitamins and minerals, were identified in a fruit flan recipe.

Year Ten Hospitality Electives

Meal planning is a must in today’s economic climate.  Students are investigating the advantages of meal planning, savvy grocery shopping tips, how to write shopping lists, and how to identify products' value for money on the supermarket shelf.  To assist their planning and heighten their production skills, students have made and presented cost saving recipes including bruschetta, homemade ricotta, homemade pasta, and homemade meatballs.  I was proud of this class who assisted in the packaging of over 100 salad lunches for the Year Twelve Valedictory students and their families last week.

Certificate II Hospitality

Congratulations to the Year Twelve class who all achieved the Certificate II Hospitality qualification, receiving certificates last week at their Valedictory assembly.  These students gained a range of employability skills including communication and interpersonal skills, problem-solving and initiative, self-motivation, working under pressure, organisational skills, team spirit, and negotiation skills.

 

As we work towards the annual Mocktail Party next week, the Year Eleven class has been designing and producing a range of delicious mocktails.  Being able to make mocktails is a requirement of the Prepare and serve non-alcoholic beverages unit of competency.

Year Nine STEAM

At present, we are finalising our major biology task, chosen as the major focus area for this class. Their challenge was to identify a problem linked to biology, and work toward a solution to solve it in a simulated environment. 

 

The class explored the issues of:

  • Local phytophthora dieback infestation - Harley Duggan
  • Pollution caused by the agriculture industry - Maddie Ellis
  • Plastic marine pollution in the ocean - Milou Buis
  • Advancements in myoelectric prosthetics - Nana Yeboah
  • Dietetics for peak athletic performance - Patrick Buckenara
  • Gene-locating and modification technologies for cancer - Tian Bray

Following a structured STEAM approach, their issues were thoroughly researched, with an emphasis on the impact within biological aspects. Then, they considered a solution that assists in solving or understanding more of their problem, and hypothesised the effect of their solution. A prototype was developed, and then metrics set to monitor when simulating the effect the solution may have. Artificial Intelligence was used in generating a simulated dataset of what an outcome may have been, and then an analysis of the data could test if the prototype worked, or what needed tweaking - using statistics or mathematical modelling. The final step is now to communicate their findings in a way that is relevant to a wider (less experienced) audience. 

Woodwork

This term I have had the opportunity to farewell the Year Twelve students and welcome the fourth and final Year Seven group of students for the year. This group of Year Sevens hit the ground running and have managed to almost all complete the first project for the term, their acrylic wind spinner. This is a great little project as the students get the chance to develop some of their hand skills and are rewarded for their efforts as the final product done well is appealing and will work as intended.

 

The Year Eleven class is still working hard on their hall table project which must have at least one drawer. They have all constructed the main part of the hall table and are now working on the drawer component. 

 

The Year Nine class has recently been working on cutting and shaping Boomerangs. They were also challenged with trying to create an Aboriginal-inspired dot painting on their finished Boomerang with some of the finished products looking great.

 

Mrs Teresa McAllister I Head of Technologies