IT and 

Future Technologies

Go Girl for IT Excursion

by Stacey Kyriakou, IT teacher

On Tuesday 16 August, a small group of female students travelled to Deakin University, Burwood, for the annual Go Girl, Go for IT showcase. Go Girl, Go for IT is a free IT career showcase run by the Victorian ICT for Women network for all Secondary School Girls to hear about the incredible range of vocational avenues that are available in IT.  On the day students were able to explore the trade show where many organisations showcased their use of ICT and careers available. They also attended keynote sessions and masterclasses to hear about the many different ways females are leading the IT industry. It was a fun day and confirmed the myths that Information Technology is NOT just a male-oriented industry.

“I really enjoyed the IT excursion because you got to learn about the future in technology and how IT can be useful. I enjoyed how there were trade shops and work shops that told you about IT and how you could get a career in IT. It was a really good experience and would be interested in going to it again.”

– Rebecca Battaglia 7E

Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress 2016

by Michelle Sanders and Simon Tyler, Future Technologies Club coordinators

On Friday 14 October, eight FCC students from year 7 to year 10 travelled to ITSWC 2016 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center to display their working model of an autonomous city. Over the last few months these students have built robots that can travel around a network of laser cut and 3D printed city streets, following the roads and avoiding collisions. The students used two different types of robots – large ones for the self-driving cars and smaller ones for the pedestrians. All the students worked hard to prepare for this excursion and were admirable in their ability to communicate their work to the public. A special mention goes to the year 8 student Moses Huf-Tirfe who completed the bulk of the city design work.

In between displaying their own technological creation, the students and staff explored the congress, seeing and playing with many of the technologies that will become prominent in the networked and livable cities of the future.

The ITS World Congress is the world’s largest transport systems conference and one of the biggest conventions in Melbourne for 2016. ITS technologies include communication, data processing and electronic technologies for in-vehicle, vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and mode-to-mode systems to increase transport safety and mobility, improve the sustainability of travel, reduce congestion, and improve the performance and competitiveness of all modes of transport. This conference was held in partnership with many of the world’s largest automotive, technology and infrastructure companies, as well as the Victorian and Australian governments.

Thanks goes to Jonathan Shearer at Scienceworks for offering us this opportunity, as well as to Adam Taylor and Tim Beare for supporting our journey.