a rev up for vce exams
Alex Pierce
Teacher - VCE History Revolutions
While classroom learning is fundamental to VCE History Revolutions studies, Brunswick Secondary College seeks, supports and promotes a variety of learning opportunities for our students that consistently challenge, enrich and enhance their secondary school learning experiences across all learning areas.
As part of their preparation for VCE examination, the BSC History Revolutions class recently enjoyed a lecture by Professors Peter McPhee and Mark Edele in the comfort of our own BSC Theatre.
While our college hosted this seminar, we took this opportunity to extend an invitation to students from other schools. Such is the reputation of Professors McPhee and Edele that students were very excited at this unique opportunity. Over 200 students registered to attend - some from as far afield as Gisborne!
The experts and students discussed various aspects of both the French and Russian Revolutions. The event provided all with an opportunity to share their learning with each other, to discuss the many factors that influenced and incited these revolutions, and encouraged students to investigate their studies more deeply. Opportunities such as this are very empowering, as students actively communicate their knowledge and opinions of the study matter which in turn reinforces their confidence in their own ability to recall and discuss their learning. The opportunity to excercise their critical thinking skills and to share their insights with each other will stand them in very good stead at VCE examination. BSC students and visiting students alike all enjoyed and greatly benefited from the event and are most grateful to Professor McPhee and Professor Edele for bringing their expert knowledge to the forum.
This is the second year that BSC has hosted this event, and we thank all those who made a significant contribution to its success, including Professor McPhee, Professor Edele, Jacqui Scott (BSC Teacher - Food Studies) and our delightful BSC Catering Crew,
Cindy Le (Year 10) and Deborah Aryee (Year 10), who worked cheerfully to provide and serve a delicious supper after the event.
Hannah Rutherford
Year 12
The theme was ‘A Revolutionary Evening’, and it certainly was. Thanks to the hard work and organisation of our history teacher, Alex Pierce, BSC hosted Year 12 students from across Melbourne who are also studying VCE Units 3 and 4 of the French and Russian Revolutions. In class, we have read and reflected on the historical interpretations of both historians Peter McPhee and Mark Edele all year, so hearing them speak about their respective areas of expertise and explain their perspectives in person was very valuable and very engaging.
I hope that BSC can continue to stage this exciting incursion in the future!
Boran Ceylan
Year 12
The Revolutionary Evening provided great insight into both French and Russian Revolutions, with both historians answering questions from many Revolutions students.
Both Peter and Mark knew how to speak to an audience of VCE students and spoke with a real passion about their respective revolutions. This only further engaged myself, and I'm sure others, with what they were explaining. Further, the inclusion of Year 12 students from other schools helped put the reality of VCE and exams into perspective - sitting among students that would all be competing for the best mark in the subject! This very much increased my determination to complete work to the best of my ability.
Last, but not least, Ms Pierce was an amazing host and really ran the whole show very smoothly and to schedule.
Professor Peter McPhee
French Revolution studies
'Liberty, equality, fraternity!"
Professor McPhee was educated at Colac High School, Caulfield Grammar School, and the University of Melbourne, where he completed a BA (Hons 1st Class), Dip.Ed., MA (Hons 1st Class) and PhD. He taught at La Trobe University 1975-79 and the Victoria University of Wellington 1980-86 before returning to the University of Melbourne, where he has held a Personal Chair in History since 1993.
He has published widely on the history of modern France, his most recent book is Liberty or Death, The French Revolution (2016).
Professor McPhee was Deputy Dean and Acting Dean of the School of Graduate Studies in 1994-96, then Head of the Department of History in 1996-99. He became Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) in 2003 before being appointed the University's first Provost in 2007.
Professor McPhee retired in 2009, but remains an active researcher and teacher. He received a well-earned Centenary Medal for services to education in 2003 and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012.
Brunswick Secondary College is proud to be associated with Professor McPhee and extremely grateful for the ongoing demonstration of support and encouragement that he provides to our students of history.
Professor Mark Edele
Russian Revolution studies
"Land and freedom!"
Mark Edele is a historian of the Soviet Union and its successor states, in particular Russia. A former Australian Research Council Future Fellow, he is the inaugural Hansen Professor in History at The University of Melbourne. He was trained as a historian at the Universities of Erlangen, Tübingen, Moscow and Chicago. His publications include The Soviet Union. A Short History (2019), Debates on Stalinism (forthcoming 2020); and, with Martin Crotty and Neil Diamant, Winners and Losers: War Veterans in the Twentieth Century (forthcoming 2020). He is currently working on a history of Stalinism at war.
Professor Edele's commitment to supporting and enhancing the education of BSC students continues to be a highlight on the college calendar. We sincerely thank him for sharing his knowledge and insight with our community.
