Posted in Reflections

Outdoor Education 2021

Posted on by Dele Olowookere

Camp Reflection

Problem Solving – Amazing Race

During the Amazing Race, there were many opportunities for us to showcase and develop our problem-solving skills. For the first activity, we were put in groups and sent on a treasure hunt. To decode the clues we were given, we had to work as a team and help each other problem-solve. In another activity, we had to cross a river using a 1-person kayak while fitting 3 people on it. This required us to problem solve & try out multiple methods until we finally could find the most efficient way to get across.

Communication – Rafting

While we were rafting, my partner and I had to make sure we were communicating well so that we could have an enjoyable experience. In order for us to move forward efficiently, we discussed which side each person would paddle on, and at what pace. When navigating through the river, we had to talk to each other to make sure we knew which way we were taking. We also had to communicate whenever we wanted to turn, as it meant that one person would have to stop paddling to turn in a certain direction.

Rock Climbing – Resillience

At school, we had a climbing wall we would go to with each line having different difficulties. I made sure to be resilient and try each line multiple times, that way I could improve on my climbing skills. While rock climbing at camp, there were some climbs that were more challenging than others. While I didn’t get to the top of those climbs, I made sure I was resilient and tried them more than once.

Leave No Trace

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

“Check the weather and conditions before you go.” We planned ahead by freezing our meat so our food didn’t go to waste. We also discussed who was taking what before we left for camp

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

“Only travel on established trails and sites so you don’t create a path.” We stayed at designated camping places and avoided ruining any nature

3. Dispose of Rubbish Properly

“Bring rubbish back with you and properly dispose of other waste.” We put all our waste in bins, and before we left we did an ’emu bob’

4. Leave what you find

“Don’t move or collect natural items, help conserve historical and cultural sites.” We didn’t remove any natural items from their place.

5. Minimise Impact of Fire

“Know the local campfire regulations and completely burn out fires.” We made sure to try and burn all our campfires down to coals, and not use more wood than necessary.

6. Be Respectful of Wildlife

“Use the “rule of thumb”. Avoid wildlife during sensitive times.” We didn’t feed or ruin any wildlife and we avoided walking through bushes.

7. Be considerate of your hosts and other visitiors

“Use quiet voices, camp at a distance from others and be respectful to others.” We made sure to be quiet once it got late and we didn’t disturb any nearby campers.

Posted in Projects

HASS+ Project

Posted on by Dele Olowookere

Progress Update 1

The research project that we have chosen to research is the economy and how it will perform in the future.

Our main focus area is how to take advantage of the future economy in terms of new energy developments. We’ll be looking at the emergence of clean & renewable energy and how to discuss how we can capitalise on these opportunities.

The steps that I have completed so far are finalising our idea and how to present it in an interesting and creative way. We have decided to make an advert/short video. We have also researched a lot of the renewable energy sector to find ways of taking advantage of the future economy. An example is investing in up and coming renewable energy producers in the ASX to make lots of profit.

Our plan for continuing our project includes creating pamphlets and an advert (short video), on how individuals can best take advantage of the future economy in terms of renewable energy. Some things included will be shares to buy, up and coming companies to look out for, and products to use to save money.

Progress Update 2

Overall, the main feedback our group received was to make our pamphlet look professional and also include how the use of renewable energy has evolved over time. We have included this feedback by choosing a professional, yet engaging theme for our pamphlet and have highlighted how the use of renewable energy has evolved over time in our video.

Our project idea involves a series of components that will persuade and guide our audience in what will flourish in the future and how they can take advantage of this. We are going to create a pamphlet which consists of what to invest in, in the future in terms of renewable energy and why. The video we are going to create includes a futuristic interview of people taking different pathways.

The steps that we have completed so far are creating an idea & script for our video. We’ve decided to create a newscast set in the future of 2050. At this time, we interview people who took different paths in their investing careers. We ask them where they went wrong & right, and if there’s anything they would’ve changed. The video will educate our viewers on how to properly take advantage of the economy in the future. We’ve also begun to create our pamphlet. It contains information about future circumstances & laws that will be applied and have an impact on the effectiveness of renewable energy. It also includes a guide for possible investments to make and when to invest in them.

Timeline

Term 3 – Week 10

  • Gather base research
  • Complete annotated bilbliography
  • Form idea and topic for project
  • Create a detailed timeline

Term 4 – Week 1

  • Complete further, more specific research
  • Post first progress update on E-portfolio

Term 4 – Week 2

  • Create a plan for our presentation methods
  • Post second progress update on E-portfolio

Term 4 – Week 3

  • Complete a first draft of script
  • Film if possible

Term 4 – Week 4

  • Edit and complete a final draft
  • Complete all filmed elements

Term 4 – Week 5

  • Add finishing touches

12 Nov – Presentation Night

Posted in Reflections

Capabilities Reflection – Year 10 English

Posted on by Dele Olowookere

Capabilities are very important in our lives and our future, and certain tasks in the Year 10 English Curriculum allow us to focus on developing them. Earlier in the year, we had an assignment to create a spoken word performance. The performance was meant to inform the audience about an issue of importance. My partner and I chose to talk about bullying, both in-person and online. By the end of the assignment, I had made great improvements to my creative capabilities.


A moment that improved my creativity was when my partner and I were assigned the task. We were told that we were allowed to present our spoken piece in any form. We could’ve done a basic performance such as a PowerPoint or a speech, but I knew I had to think outside the box and discover an engaging yet informative way to present our issue. So, after brainstorming multiple methods to present, we decided that the best way to communicate our issue was through a podcast. It would convey all the key ideas uncovered in our research while still keeping the audience engaged.


Choosing to present as a podcast meant we had to create a scenario & a script. We decided that on our podcast, we talk about important issues and today’s episode was bullying. We talk about the facts of bullying, the reasons people bully, and we even get a guest caller on the show. He talks about his experience being bullied and we give him advice. We end it off by recommending websites that may help people deal with bullying. Over the course of this task, my growth in creativity allows me to now see things with a more open mind.

Posted in Teamwork & Leadership

Year 9 Camp: Kalbarri

Posted on by Dele Olowookere

For Year 9 camp, we headed off to Camp Kalbarri for a week. We learnt a lot of useful skills and got to develop our teamwork and leadership. Throughout most of our experience, we faced obstacles that we could only overcome if we worked together as a team. On the other hand, sometimes there were moments where we needed people to speak up and lead the rest of our group. So, this made it an important task to be a well-oiled team as quickly as possible if we wanted to have as much fun as we could while at camp.

Leadership Groups

On the first day of camp our group leader, Simone, put us into what she liked to call ‘leadership groups’. Each day there were different leaders that made up the leadership group. There roles included, organising the packing of breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the day, leading our group during activities and much more. At first, ‘leadership groups’ didn’t sound like a very exciting idea, especially as many other groups didn’t have to do them, but looking back they actually helped us work on leading a group and working as a team at the same time. In the groups of 3, we had to work together well to make sure we were all on the same page. This meant communication was key for us to work efficiently as a team. Once we had organised a plan together, we would gather the rest of our group so we could talk to them about or plan for today. We would tell them who is doing what and what we were going to do for the rest of the day. Doing this helped improve our leadership skills and improve our initiative when taking charge of a group.

One other example where we displayed teamwork was on our day out abseiling and rock climbing in the gorge. Once we had abseiled down, we could choose how long we wanted to spend there and how much further we wanted to explore. It was important to decide together as if some people went off on their own it would have caused a major interruption to our day, which is where our teamwork skills came in. We all talked about it together as a group, then continued the day with a plan that everyone agreed on so we could have as much fun as possible.

Finally, one time when we were hiking back up to the bus from 4 ways me and some others were up at the front leading the group. Unfortunately, the people behind us were not going as quick and we keep on going too far ahead. Our initial thought was too just walk slower and keep leading the group from the front, but Simone had a talk with us and said that sometimes it is better to lead from the back. By walking at the back of the group the slower people could set the pace, which was faster than our slow pace, and we could encourage them from behind to keep going.

Posted in General, Teamwork & Leadership

Rottnest Island Snorkeling Excursion 2020

Posted on by Dele Olowookere

Before we went to Rottnest we had to learn the basics of snorkelling and some safety rules. The first thing we learnt was SAFE SNORKEL. SAFE SNORKEL is an acronym that we used to remember what we had to do at Rottnest. SAFE SNORKEL stands for:

S- Safety

A- Accidents

F- First Aid

E- Emergency

 

S- Sun

N- Nourishment

O- Ocean

R- Reef

K- Keep together

E- Environment

L- Leave no trace

After we had a good enough understanding of SAFE SNORKEL we headed over to the pool to practice or snorkelling techniques. We learnt multiple types of entries such as the stride, wade, compact and rollback entry. We also learnt how to duck dive, clear our masks underwater and equalize our ears. To duck dive, you kick down really hard, then you hold your nose and breath out through it to equalize your ears. Equalizing stops you from getting that pressure feeling in your ears when you’re duck diving deep down. In case your mask filled with water all you had to do to clear it was tilt your head back, lift up the bottom of your mask with two hands and quickly blow out with your nose.

Soon enough we were ready to go on snorkel trips to Coogee during our 2 hr double periods on Wednesdays until the Rottnest Excursion. We learnt what it felt like to snorkel in the ocean and we saw lots of fish and structures such as the cannon and the star. We also had the opportunity to practice our duck diving and equalizing when we tried to go under the star.

Finally, we had one more task to do before our excursion to Rottnest. Team building. We had two activities, the first was leading a group of blindfolded people to a circle, and the other was getting the whole class to cross through the skipping rope.

Posted in Community Service, Innovation & Enterprise, Projects, Teamwork & Leadership

RAAFA InnovatED 2019

Posted on by Dele Olowookere

In InnovatED (A innovative subject in our school) we were given a problem to solve from one of our multiple service partners. I chose to solve RAAFA’s problem which was how could they create an on-campus meal delivery service for residents. They were looking for a way to deliver meals from their two cafes to the resident’s homes. Currently, the residents have to walk across the large campus to get their food, so if they are unwell or injured they might miss out on a meal. Our is to create an on-campus ‘Uber Eats’ so that the food is delivered to the door in a neat and orderly manner. We are going to use a golf kart fitted with heating and cooling compartment which also has a table where you can place items on top of the compartment. The kart is called the Refresher FS4-13.5 HP. During the service project, we had to use multiple powers throughout the process of this term. The first power that we used was knowledge. As a group, we had to gather knowledge of the service we were helping and what their problem was. We also used teamwork because if we didn’t work as a team we wouldn’t have gotten as far as we did. After we had done all are planning we pitched our idea to the RAAFA representative and got feedback on our idea and presentation skills.

Posted in Community Service, Teamwork & Leadership

Cowan House Captain 2017

Posted on by Dele Olowookere

In 2017 I was elected as the Cowan House Captain. This experience helped me work on my leadership and self-management skills. As a leader, I worked on my self-management by making sure that I attended all the meetings and I also had to write what I would say at the assemblies. Because there are 2 captains for each house, I had to work on my communication, so that I would be able to work well with my co-captain.