M 3Cubed: Marvellous Magnificent Minds 

 Last Wednesday a small group of SLA students attended St Columba’s College Essendon, in a conference for the gifted and talented.

Challenge and engagement for gifted and talented students are critical to academic success, as well as social-emotional well-being and development. Also of paramount importance, are opportunities to work with like-minded peers and develop connections with others who may think and feel similarly. The M3 conference provided a full day of extension for approximately 70 students from Catholic schools across Melbourne from years 5-8.  Our SLA students benefited from this challenge and connection and enjoyed the day working,  collaborating with other students, and forming new friendships.  Our students were able to choose  2  workshops from the following:  

W O R K S H O P  A 

AKORN EDUCATION 

Facilitator - Adam Oldmeadow 

Adam combines his background in Civil Engineering and passion for learning and teaching to inspire and empower students to study STEM subjects and pursue a STEM career. Adam is the director of Akorn Education. Akorn provide unique STEM learning programs, engineering work experience and teacher professional learning. Akorn programs provide hands-on experience in designing for disability, sustainability and a technology-rich future. ‘Cardboard Seat Engineering’ Work as a team to design and build a seat out of cardboard! Cardboard is a recyclable and easily obtainable material that could be used anywhere in the world to create makeshift furniture following a natural disaster. You will be provided with cardboard tools called ‘Makedo’. Most importantly, you’ll develop and hone your incredibly useful STEM skills! 

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ART AND CREATIVITY ‘Fashion in a Box’ Facilitator - Connie Bof (St Joseph the Worker, Reservoir) This workshop on wearable art aims to foster higher-order thinking skills by encouraging creativity problem solving and critical thinking. Through the exploration of wearable technology, students are challenged to design and create unique pieces of wearable art that seamlessly integrate science, technology, engineering and maths principles. Students are encouraged to think beyond conventional boundaries and consider the functionality, aesthetics and sustainability of their creation by engaging in hands-on activities. Through collaborative discussions, students will develop their ability to analyse, evaluate, and synthesise information while also gaining a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of STEM fields and the endless possibility that emerges when art and science intertwine.

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 CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING USING TOURNAMENT OF MINDS  

Facilitator - Geraldine Nicholas 

Geraldine is the Professional Learning Coordinator for Tournament of Minds. This program has been around for 30 years and continues to enchant and enthral students across all sectors and year levels. Geraldine has worked with schools across Victoria over many years to develop inquisitive teams who can thrive in a creative environment. She has an ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of Gifted and Talented students.

“Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else has ever thought – - Albert Einstein