Technology News

Metal Fabrication at St. Peter’s College

Year 10 Metal Fabrication is a semester long elective running over five sessions every two weeks. The subject consists of safety tasks, a design folio and practical skill tasks to familiarise students with specialist machinery, tools, processes and production in regards to the manipulation of metal. The folio, which follows the Product Design Process, is considered just as important as the production of a product. Before remote Schooling began all the students in the class experienced marking, cutting, drilling, filing, folding, joining and painting metal products such as a toolbox and a phone holder. Some welding practice also took place with the students experimenting with brazing, arc welding and MIG welding.

Examples of student work: Metal phone or tablet holders and a toolbox

Remote Learning

Since remote schooling students have been engaged in developing their folios in Google Slides. This enabled me to observe their work as they enter it and to then give timely feedback via Zoom, email or SPACE. The students have adapted well and are working towards complete approximately 26 slides. Students are creating some good quality work in the virtual classroom environment. They are following the Product Design Process with a view to creating a metal sculpture made from upcycled and reclaimed metal.

Examples of student work: Slides 3 to 6 of their Product Design Process Portfolio

I am very proud of how well students have adapted to the change and the effort they are putting into their work. They have demonstrated patience and resilience as we transitioned from a practical, hands on focus to a more theoretical approach to learning due to remote schooling.

Mr S Gardiner

- Metal Fabrication Teacher, Cranbourne Campus