Technology at Glen Eira College

In popular culture, “Technology” has become synonymous with anything related to computers. In the Victorian curriculum and at Glen Eira College it is much, much more than that. At GEC we cover the key areas of Food Technology, Materials Technology and Digital Technology. In each of these subject areas our students have opportunities to work with their hands and their minds. They develop their skills in planning, designing and creating, all the while applying what they are learning in Maths, Science, English, Humanities, Health and the Arts.

In Years 7 and 8 students get a taste of each of the Technology areas. In the Food Technology subjects, while reading recipes and preparing food, they learn about its nutritional properties and its place in our society. In Material Technology subjects, they learn the safe use of hand and power tools to create products out of metal and plastics, while also learning about the properties of these materials. In Digital Technologies, students learn about networked systems such as the one they use at GEC. They are introduced to software applications and programming skills that they can use both in school and outside of school, all the while learning how to use their Chromebooks more effectively.

In Years 9 and 10, Technology subjects are offered as electives. In these subjects, students delve into the Technology areas in much more depth. In Food Technology, students are now moving from learning about foods to designing and planning recipes and meals. They consider healthy and unhealthy aspects of the foods we eat. They explore foods from around the world including the significance of food in various cultures. In Materials Technology students learn how to work with wood using a variety of large and small power tools, culminating in Year 10 with the design and creation of their own piece of furniture. In Digital Technology students develop their digital skills while designing web pages, creating digital games, building and programming robots and other digital systems, and analysing and presenting information from large data sets.

The Technology subjects in Years 7 - 10 also provide potential pathways into VCE studies including Food Studies, Product Design, Systems Engineering, Applied Computing and Data Analytics. Just as critically, and maybe even more so, these subjects give students life skills that they can use whatever career path they choose.

Lunchtime and after school extracurricular activities give students opportunities to get involved with technology outside of the classroom. There will also be opportunities for students to join in local, state and national competitions in areas of digital technology and robotics.

David Ebert

Technology Learning Area Leader