It’s been a great start to the year for Technology classes, particularly those that have classes for the first time in our redeveloped Sedgwick Centre (Art/Technology Building).

In our Yr 7/8 Technology rotation, students have spent the first few weeks learning about safety rules in our different technology spaces, and the different tools and pieces of equipment that their subject uses. Currently classes are focusing on building up the basic skills that they will need to complete more complex projects in the future.

In the Middle Years, Yr 9 Term 1 electives are already half over so students have been busy applying their design skills across our range of subjects including designing lasagnes and healthy muffin recipes in Home Eco, Hoodies in Yr 9 Clothing Design, Tool Boxes in Metal and Websites in Yr 9 Programming. Yr 10 students have also been busy designing and creating a range of products including our two Yr 10 Wood classes who have been making saw horses to practice their joinery skills.

Here is a little summary about what the Yr 9 Clothing Design class has been up to:

“Students in the Year 9 Clothing Design - Hoodies elective have completed their design brief, evaluation criteria and created a range of design ideas as part of the product design process. They have reached the exciting production stage. The photographs show students meeting the challenge of cutting fabric; for some this can require considerable perseverance and patience. Students have shared a sustainability focus with most of their fabrics being found in our obsolete stock pile - a generous donation from a community member. Following the cutting out of their pieces, students will learn how to use the new Janome 500E Digitiser Embroidery machines which offer a high end quality product. These machines are new to our textiles department since the building upgrade and addition of new technology and equipment. Fun times over the remaining 5 weeks of this elective study!”

Our VCE classes running this year are Food Studies, Product Design & Technology (Textiles) and IT (Yr 11 Applied Computing & Yr 12 Software Development). Despite the year that was 2020, we saw some great final results in our VCE subjects and staff will be working hard this year to continue that success.

I’d also like to welcome to the Technology faculty for 2021: Justin Bell, who has come from the Maths/Science faculty to take the reins of the Wood Technology area, and David Harradine, who is taking IT classes at Yr 9 and 10. It’s always great to have new staff in the faculty to bring in different ideas to technology learning.

Fiona Finnegan

Head of Technology Faculty

headspace Ballarat