Tuesday 12 December 2017

Update on the Farmbot

I wish to extend my sincere thanks to the keen group of community members who have supported the Farmbot project.  We have successfully added the tracks and an arm of the robot to our raised garden bed.

We hope to have our first crop planted early next year when the school year resumes.  This group is now called "TechtoTable" and we have established a facebook page [TechtoTable.co.nz] should you wish to follow our progress.  We also extend a warm welcome to anyone who would like to join us as we begin to learn how to programme this robot to plant, monitor, water and weed our crops.


Next meeting is to launch this project:
Sunday 28 January 2018 at St Margaret's College 10am
please email flaviadean@gmail.com for more information

If you have not seen a farmbot in action click on this link  [farmbot.io] 
to see what it should do.

Laser Cutting Workshop

During Term Two of this year, we were very fortunate to add a laser cutting machine to the amazing resources we have available in the Centre for Innovation.

This workshop provided staff and students an opportunity to become confident using the laser cutting machine and thinking creatively about the possibilities of gifts and cool stuff that they could create.
  
  

Participants were introduced to the concept of "failing forward" - cutting their project early on in the process to see if their idea was going to work.  Once this step had been made, then embellishing their creation could take place as the next step.

It was a pleasure to work with a small group of keen people at the end of the school year.  The Centre for Innovation continued to hum as everyone else began their holidays.  The challenge for many was to start off with creating something simple first before launching into a more complex design idea.  Holding back the creativity in the room was a challenge and a delight. I look forward to more spectacular creations that are still work in progress.

Friday 3 November 2017

TechSperts

We welcome 5 new students to this group.  This term we have been having fun with flight.  The children have created parachutes and tested them from the atrium balcony. 
Aiming for a target on the floor below

We have also battled the wind with our rockets. 
Working together to launch the rockets



Sunday 29 October 2017

Evolocity Challenge 2017

I am so pleased that two of our students have taken up the challenge to compete in the Evolocity Challenge. Last weekend, Ruby McCallum and Elise Mason were excited to be part of the regional evolocity competition held at the A&P Grounds in Christchurch.  


Year 11 students, Elise and Ruby have been working with the evolocity support team throughout the year to construct and fit an electric motor to a vehicle.  Their chosen vehicle was an upcycled bicycle.  Ruby and Elise’s vehicle supports sustainability as most of their project was from recycled parts.  It was easily manoeuvrable, semi-fast and takes up little storage space.  Throughout this process, the girls have learnt a lot about electric engines and working collaboratively. They have also had opportunities to extend their engineering and technology through welding classes and building a system to control their vehicle.
Results:
In the Bike Section:
1st in the Drag Race with a speed of around 27 km/hr
2nd fastest in both the Bike and Cart Categories
2nd best in the stopping distance and deceleration challenge
3rd in the Slalom Challenge

Already the girls are talking about next year and what they want to achieve.   They are keen for more St Margaret’s College girls to be involved in this programme.  If you are interested in finding out more about the Evolocity Challenge please speak with Elise or Ruby or get in touch with Ms Chong.

The next challenge will be to participate in the national challenge on Saturday 2 December at the Christchurch A&P Grounds as part of the “Electric Wheels Festival where you can experience a range of electric vehicles - cars, bikes and grass karts.  Come along and support this awesome pair.  

Saturday 30 September 2017

iOS 11 provides additional features for iPad users


Visit the following link for more detailed information.  I particularly am excited by the augmented reality and screen recording options!

http://technocation.blogspot.co.nz/2017/09/7-ios-11-features-for-ipad-classroom.html

Shed of the Year 2017

Designing and providing children with opportunities is something that Steve Davis from "Unlimbited" is doing voluntarily.  Steve has created a design and shared this so that many children of the world can benefit from a 3D printed prosthetic arm at a low cost. 


Wednesday 20 September 2017

Senior Design and Artwork


The addition of the Universal Laser Cutter in the Centre for Innovation has provided our senior students with a chance to work with a greater range of materials as they begin to finalise their portfolios.  Students studying in the design and DVC, visual art and digital technology areas have been regularly accessing this machine to enhance their prototype and modelling skills.







Not only are these senior students utilising and developing their skills in laser cutting but the 3D printers have also been busy supporting some IB Artwork.  




“These different models of heads represent the different reactions people have towards stress and control over one’s emotions” Nicolette Oosterhuis.  Her inspiration has come from the artist Nick Van Woert.

Monday 18 September 2017

Techsperts Term 4

We are offering Techsperts for Term 4.  This programme is offered again for the first 6 weeks of Term 4.  We invite parents to consider signing up their children to this programme.

Sunday 17 September 2017

Robocup Success

Congratulations to our teams who have competed in Robocup at Regional and National levels this year.
Holly, Hattie, Caitlyn, Mia

The STEMinist team which consisted of Holly Macdonald, Hattie Compton-Moen, and Mia Wright performed strongly in both competitions.  Their skills in working as a team have been strong all year and they achieved highly for their interview as well as in their performance.

The setting for their performance was a game show where 'male' is pitched against 'female'.  Each competitor is challenged to complete a series of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) activities and male struggles to complete these. When female attempts the challenges she performs strongly, but there is a point where 'male' and 'female' realise that together they can achieve better results as a team.

Congratulations STEMinist for achieving:
1st in Senior Theatre at the Regional Competition
2nd in Senior Theatre at Nationals in Dunedin



Caitlyn Wickham competed under the team name of "Element" in the Senior Search and Rescue section.  This year, Caitlyn stepped up from the juniors into the seniors and the challenges became more difficult.  She had to prepare her robot to manoeuver over judder bars, a ramp and around an obstacle for five different courses.

Congratulations Element for achieving:
1st in Senior Search and Rescue at the Regional Competition
2nd in Senior Search and Rescue at Nationals in Dunedin
  

A junior team of Mia Fraser, Gemma Armstrong-Scott and Tessa Sitjes called themselves "Siriusly Potter" also competed in the Junior Theatre section at Regionals. Competitors act, dance and perform alongside their robots to tell a story along with their compiled musical track. Their performance was based around the story of Harry Potter involving a battle between Harry and Voldermort. This was an amazing experience for the girls, and already they are gearing up for next years competition.
Gemma, Tessa, Mia performing at the Regional competition.



Achievements in Technology

Congratulations to two amazing year 11 students who have been working hard in the Year 11 Digital Technology course under the guidance of Mrs Keys.  This was the first time St Margaret's College has entered the Technology section of the NIWA Canterbury / Westland Schools' Science And Technology Fair. 

Congratulations to:
Emma Taylo
  • University of Canterbury - Research and Innovation Award for the project with the most commercial potential
  • Award for Excellence by a Female Maori or Pacifica student
Emma's project has focused on the creation of ambidextrous scissors.  Many left-handed people have difficulty cutting precisely as the cutting edge of the scissors is on the back side of the scissors and hidden as they cut.  Emma has produced a pair of scissors where the blades can be switched to accommodate either right or left-handed users.  This project was deemed most likely to be commercially successful.



Holly Macdonald 
  • Best Project - Senior Girls
  • 1st place for Year 11-13 Technology
  • University of Otago Best Application of Scientific Method - with an all expenses paid trip for a week to Otago Uni working with the students and professors down there.
Holly has developed a clever QR code that competitors wear.  The information held within the QR code may have many levels but the initial information would identify the person and emergency contact information.   If the athlete was involved in an accident during the event, then other data such as medical information may also be accessed through the QR code.  This product has many applications such as use by patients who currently wear medic-alert bracelets, Alzheimers patients, toddlers who are prone to wander, animal identification etc., 




Wednesday 6 September 2017

So much has been happening this term.

From the Centre for Innovation

The Centre for Innovation is extremely pleased to welcome Audrey Campbell to the team.  She has brought fresh ideas and is excited to be working with the students at St Margaret’s College.   
Linda Chong and Audrey are planning to introduce new tech skills in learning programmes at all levels.  They are working alongside teachers to co-construct activities in the process of integrating technology into the curriculum.  This dynamic duo, are available to support learning for the girls and staff with digital tools that can enhance understanding and learning.
   
The year 4 class has been working to create an animated story related to the Junior School REDS values.

This term a trial group has been in operation after school on Wednesday afternoons.  The Techsperts team have been working with a small group of 7 - 10 year old children.  This module has been an introduction to a range of tech activities that has included robots in the form of Beebots and Spheros; 3D printing; squishy circuits and papertronics.  Children have had a chance to engage and be challenged to make, create and do.  St Margaret’s College hope to continue this programme next term.  
Squishy Circuits
Drawings transformed into 3D printed objects   






















In Art, the year 6 students have been working on the iPads with the stop motion app to create their own Len Lye masterpieces showcasing shade, light, colour, pattern and texture.  Their teacher Ms Burkhul has been instrumental in blending both technology and art to produce some amazing animated visual pieces and they are working to have these on display by the end of the term.
Year 6 students layering their art work
Positioning and using the Stop Motion app to capture their images


The students from Chile have also been able to “think, tinker and create” in the Centre for Innovation.  The girls have been introduced to computer aided design software to create their own personalised key ring that we have 3D printed for them to take home from their visit with us.

Charlotte has been working on a robotic arm all term in the Robotics Club



We wish the Robocup Teams well as they prepare for the National Competition in Dunedin on 16 September.  Caitlyn Wickham will be representing St Margaret’s College in the Senior Rescue competition and Holly Macdonald, Hattie Compton-Moen and Mia Wright compete in the Senior Theatre section.

Tuesday 25 July 2017

Techsperts


Join us in an afterschool course for year 3 & 4 children.  Places limited, enrol NOW!

Tech Hub Careers Expo

 
An amazing opportunity to see and hear what future career choices are available.

Saturday 24 June 2017

ShadowTech June 2017

Thank you to ARA and CDC who co-ordinated a wonderful day for girls of Christchurch to visit various IT businesses.  Access to some organisations has become more difficult with Health and Safety regulations, so we feel grateful to have been part of this programme.


The purpose of the day was to provide a chance for girls to better understand what career options are available in the technology industry.  The environment is becoming more chic and creative and there is movement away from it being so “boys-ey”.
E = (Q + S + WE) x C
[Paul Redmond University of Leeds] - employment is qualifications, skills and work experience all providing opportunities for many connections.

This is a growing industry where organisations are seeking talent and diversity.  These girls have an opportunity to be in a very well paid job and be snaffled up by companies to bring a balance by providing a female perspective. A recent visit by Makayla Montgomery in her first year at University, confirms that women in IT are in demand.  Already Makayla has been offered two internships and she is only six months into her graduate degree.

Eight year 9 - 11 students participated in ShadowTech programme. After a morning of short talks from young graduate women, the girls were matched to a business and visited this company in action.  On their return, the feedback from the girls found many workplaces relaxing and a positive environment to be in.  Many organisations went out of their way to consciously think about the feel of their workspace.  Businesses value the wellbeing of their employees - happy workers were much more productive.  Some workplaces were also viewed as being too quiet for some girls, and they felt uncomfortable in such a focussed space.
Click on the link to hear student feedback [goo.gl/GavCe4]
Caitlyn Wickham, Hattie Compton-Moen, Holly Macdonald, Lucy Johnston and Yani Rutherford, Mia Wright, Rosie Lester and Heather Laing.

Often networking is underestimated.  Surprisingly 70% of jobs are not advertised.  So, who you know can be more important than what you know. Some of the keys to success in this industry are being empathetic and putting yourself in the shoes of your client.  ShadowTech day was a start to making connections and building understanding of what a job in IT looks, feels and sounds like.
The final message to everyone was “Do what makes you happy!”

Wednesday 7 June 2017

Growing NZ Innovation Challenge

Last week, a select group of year 10 students represented St Margaret’s College at the Growing NZ Innovation Challenge. 
This challenge is designed as a ‘Mash Up’ of technology, science and business knowledge. The challenge required students to apply their subject knowledge to build a prototype to solve a real-life situation being faced by New Zealand’s Primary Industries. 

There were four challenge cards:
1)    Maintaining Water Supply
2)    Measuring Pasture
3)    Protection from Pests
4)    Novel Product from an existing crop

The girls worked in pairs and were combined with a pairing from another school.  They enjoyed getting to know new people and working together to brainstorm, design and pitch their idea. Through the use of industry representatives in each challenge, the students learnt about different enablers within Science and Technology that they could use to create their prototype.

Congratulations to Eleanor McVicar and Enya O’Malley who, together with two Christchurch Girls' High School students won the ‘Maintaining Water Supply’ challenge.

Thanks to Mrs Keys who supported the team at ARA.




Sunday 21 May 2017

More Tech Opportunities

Another exciting opportunity for year 9 to 11 students is to attend the ShadowTech 
Christchurch’s Shadow Tech Day for Girls 2017 is a day for secondary school girls in to come, experience and see for themselves the variety of interesting and rewarding careers in ICT and Engineering.  This is a nationwide event this year to address the demand for skills in the ICT and the Engineering industry sectors. 

A maximum of 80 secondary school students will be involved.
see : http://www.nztech.org.nz/shadowtech


Students need to:
  • demonstrate sound mathematics, digital technology and/or science results particularly physics
  • have project-based learning experience

  • have a curiosity about ICT and/or engineering disciplines and are motivated to find out more
St Margaret's College will be applying for a number of places to be part of this amazing experience.  

Integrating Technology, Economics and Science

We are excited to offer two teams of Year 10 students a chance to compete against other school students in the Growing NZ Innovation Challenge 
This competition will take place on 31 May at ARA.  Head of the Creative Technologies Faculty will accompany these girls later this month


The girls will be faced with a fast-paced day which will test their knowledge to build a prototype solution to a real-world issue that our New Zealand export industry is facing.

Congratulations to the following students who will represent St Margaret's College - Mia Wright, Hattie Compton-Moen, Zelle Logan, Maya Kelly, Ella Fraser, Eleanor McVicar, Violette Perry, and Enya O’Malley


Monday 15 May 2017

Integrating Technology in the Curriculum

Looking back over Term One, there have been many opportunities that girls in the Middle School have had to integrate technology in their programmes of learning.

In the year 7 English and Social Studies programmes, the girls have studied 'The Matchbox Diary'. Through this unit, the girls have created their own objects that symbolise a significant event in their lives.  Using the PrintShop app on the iPad, girls were able to take a hand drawn, 2D image to produce to 3D printed object.  These artefacts that represented an aspect of their lives, were collected together in their own personalised matchbox.

Using Thinglink the girls were able to showcase their 3D printed work as well as create a digital link to their recount writing about camp.



Saturday 13 May 2017

St Margaret's involvement in Tech Week - Christchurch

Aimie and Paul Sibson, CEOs of Linc-Ed, hosted a brilliant presentation for National Tech Week at the Vodafone Xone. Aimie who has been a former St Margaret's College teacher opened the session and started to unpack the significance of technology in education.

This led into our lovely year 10 student, Hattie Compton-Moen, who shared her passion for technology.  She spoke of how her involvement in technology was influencing her future and how she has used these skills to help her in her learn. It is clear that there have been significant mentor’s who have helped shape Hattie's thirst for technology in developing her "geekness".  The guest presenter, Henry Lane agreed that being a ‘geek’ was something that we should be proud to showcase.  

Henry challenged the audience by asking, “what is reality?”  Virtual reality immerses us in a world that is digitally generated compared with augmented reality where hologram-like visual structures appear in your current environment.  Both platforms could provide learners with an experience that can enhance and deepen learning. VR is not only be a form of entertainment, but it can also be a strong support of learning.  For example: VR programmes have been developed to teach and measure the efficiency of spray painting a panel.  Using the virtual reality platform, prospective employees can be assessed on their skills of spray painting.  The data recorded through the VR programme can produce specific figures on how much paint is overlapped, how much paint is wasted, how much this would cost the business, and it also measure the technique used.  

How we learn in the 21st century continues to change rapidly.   Learning is happening everywhere and at any time. We are in an environment we change is in evitable and it is moving into an extremely fast rate. Throughout time we have adapted to technological change.   Before the car we had horses, before Netflix we had video tapes. Today, digital technology is growing at an exponential rate. We are subject to continued and constant change.  The integration of technology seems a frightening concept but already we augment our vision by using glasses, our hearts with pacemakers, hearing with aids and wheelchairs to make us more mobile.  The next wave being developed are contact lens to take photos with a blink.

Knowing exactly what the end point looks like is no longer a necessity.  Asking why and working collaborative to discover together the answer or solution is my new mantra. My role is the teacher is to provide opportunities to my students so that they may develop skills to cope with the immense amount of data. Content no longer needs to be driving our curriculum. My vision is to provide students with the opportunity to develop skills to filter information and efficiently apply this knowledge.
The future of education may seem scary but it’s also exciting. No longer can we predict confidently what is around the next corner. What we can be assured off is that we are all subject to huge change. How we react to the pressures of change will influence our ability to adapt.
Augmented and virtual reality is here and it is being embedded our lives. Henry started by asking the question of what is reality? Is it something that we can touch ? is it something that we are influenced by? Can we truly answer this question?


We wish to thank Linc-ed and Vodafone Xone for hosting this event and we have relished in the opportunity to share our story and be part of promoting technology in education particularly for girls.




Sunday 12 March 2017

What do you want to be when you grow up? vs How will you improve the world when you grow up?

Our world is changing at a phenomenal rate that often change is happening before our eyes and in today's world we accept it as change is the norm.  What will the world be like when the children I am teaching now are my age?  Technology is everywhere in our daily lives whether we choose to use it or not.  I smile as I view the advertisement on TV that subtly promotes Toyota . . .


So now see what our youth of today are likely to experience when they are independent citizens of our communities.  An article by a school principal sums up the challenges that we grapple with as we prepare our students to face the future.   This is not new to St Margaret's College.  Our Principal, Gillian Simpson has spoken about exponential change and future thinking in many assemblies and prize giving speeches.

Is the fourth industrial revolution upon us?  Click on the link below to read more:

http://principaltweets.blogspot.co.nz/2017/03/why-asking-our-kids-what-they-want-to.html?m=1

Monday 6 March 2017

A Passion for Technology

We are so fortunate to have in our midst people who proudly represent St Margaret’s College beyond our campus.  

An individual who is making the most of the opportunities available at St Margaret’s College is Hattie Compton-Moen.  Not only has Hattie been a willing participant in all things tech, she also unselfishly provides opportunities for others to grow and catch the passion that she has for technology.  Last year Hattie was a facilitator in many initiatives instigated from the Centre of Innovation.  Hattie supported the pre-school with the Beebot progamme, she was a facilitator at the Bays Cluster Tech Fest for the Sumner areas schools and she represented the students on a panel when we hosted Adriana Gascoigne.
Attending the Singularity U Conference last year was an opportunity for Hattie to be inspired by international speakers.  Only last weekend, Hattie was participating in the Global Student Conference which was held online.  This forum was focussed at students presenting to students.  One of the aims of the conference was to foster a better understanding of how STEM and entrepreneurship engage students, teachers, and administrators in a conversation about learning.
We are immensely proud that Hattie presented at this conference.  When I asked her for some reflections about this event she said,

“I actually found it really fun to present, and I think it was a great first experience learning how to create and show a presentation in this situation. It was amazing seeing the different places around the world that people came from. One attendee said that they would use the information I presented to help start a girls' robotics club in their community, and I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to share my experiences with others and help them to stop gender inequality in technology in their own community.”





Bryn Lewis is the founding member of our Internet of Things Club that runs on Thursday after school.  He has a huge passion for supporting girls in tech.  Bryn brings a wealth of knowledge and the girls and they are spoilt for choice in projects where they can develop their coding.  This year, the group is faced with a vast range of projects such as building and writing the code for a pet monitor, a heart rate monitor, creating an iPod, particle pollution sensor, energy and water monitoring sensors, gathering data for soil and moisture sensors in an organic walnut farm, and creating props for robocup.  

Bryn has had many challenges through 2016, but despite the setbacks he remains loyal to St Margaret’s College.  His dedication in providing our girls the chance to work in projects that measure and monitor our local community has been strong.  Through Bryn, St Margaret’s College was being proudly promoted in Australia at the recent Microsoft Ignite Conference in February.  This conference showcased innovation, learning and planning for what’s next in tech.  We are immensely thankful to have his support in bringing our girls the awareness of a future career pathway in technology.

Wednesday 15 February 2017

Are you considering a career in ICT???

A new provider is offering some exciting qualifications in ICT


Signal (South Island Graduate Network and Laboratories) is a collaboration between the 

  • University of Canterbury
  • University of Otago
  • Ara Institute of Canterbury
  • Otago Polytechnic
  • Lincoln University.


Signal ICT Graduate School is giving us an opportunity to develop IT skills together with industry.   A recognition that the growing IT industry is in need of more qualified and knowledgeable individuals has lead to the push for an organisation of this type. 



Click on the link below for more information. 

Signal
http://signal.ac.nz/about-us/

Canterbury Tech Summit

Are you interest in Geoscience or Drones?

Check out the next event in Christchurch : Click on this link

http://canterburytech.nz/events/march-2017-event/

Sunday 8 January 2017

Science or Craft?

Would you consider these projects as science or craft?   I suppose it depends on how you might define "craft".


Below are a few sites to visit to kick start your thinking: