STEM News

STEAM Futures Conference - Student Report

On Friday 24 May, Kelly, Tommy and Omer participated in the STEAM Futures Conference at Viewbank College. We were involved in various activities and workshops throughout the day. At the start of the day, we listened to the keynote speaker, Professor Madhu, who spoke about her experiences and journey throughout her STEM career. She explained to us about her inspirations as a child, which led her to the path in which she walks now.

Shortly after, we sprouted off into our first sessions, delving into activities related to engineering, design, and technology. Over the rest of the day, we went to various other workshops and stations. Some of our favourites included the RMIT rover display, RMIT car design, and drone piloting. All of which had experienced professionals educating us on the physics of how the technology functioned. They intended to inspire us, as students, to consider STEM as a potential future career, showing us different perspectives of what each of them did. 

In conclusion, we found this experience really fascinating as it enabled us to hear what professionals within this field do, allowing us to feel more enlightened about the STEM industry. The talks we heard were very interesting and many of our questions were answered. Overall, throughout the day, we gained valuable information and knowledge for what we could do in our future.

by Kelly, Tommy and Omer

Melbourne High School Annual Interschool Transport Forum

During week 8, East Doncaster Secondary College was invited to Melbourne High School annual Railway interest group’s forum to discuss the topic “Private vs Public transport operators”. The event included guest speakers that are industry experts and academics, where they provided valuable insight from a perspective about engineering, urban planning, and economics. 

Here are some reflections from the students who participated in the event:

It was an amazing day, getting the opportunity to learn about the public transport system that we all use everyday… The forum's discussion underscored that both public and private transportation have their merits and drawbacks. The choice between them often depends on the societal circumstances, including geographic location, financial situation, and communal preferences. 

by Affan J

We were given the opportunity to learn and reflect on the presentations given by guest speakers - Dr John Stone, Emilie van de Graaff and Wayne Chan - who shared their relationship and role in our state’s public transport system. Finally, groups created short videos which encompassed their research on an assigned city and its transportation system.

by Elana R

Many thanks to our STEM learning specialist, Ms Evelyn Xu, for organising the event.

Johnson Yao

Science Teacher