In this semester, I have been apart of the Specialised Basketball course and have learnt a lot over this period. I have become a better basketball player as I have improved my skills and knowledge of the game. I have participated in new drills and completed my physicality aspect that has made me stronger not only for basketball but also other sports.
Offence
Throughout this semester, I’ve completed a lot of drills and received coaching that has resulted me in improving my offensive abilities. These new skills have allowed me to move the defender and get past them more often so I can shoot easier shots. I regularly put this into action when playing 2v2 where I was able to space my teammate away from me and then go 1 on 1 against my defender and score easy layups. I have also improved my shooting after practising a lot and perfecting my form. This means I try to have everything in line and straight to the basket with a fluent action and a flick of the wrist at the end.
Defence
I’ve also learnt a lot about how to play defence properly so I can prevent my opponent from scoring and make it really difficult for them. I now know that the best way to defend is sliding at the start but as soon as they get past, you have to turn and run to a point where you can cut them off and force them in another direction. We completed a few drills that helped us improve this and I found the best way to get better was to put it into action in real gameplay.
Strengths and Weaknesses
I believe that my strengths are my playmaking and leadership where I can organise my team and pass the ball around to get the best shot possible. I also think that I’m quite a good defender so I can defend most players especially the opposing teams main ball handler.
I also have areas that I can keep working on including my shooting and ability to get past taller and bigger defenders that are able to stay in front of me. I also want to keep improving my on ball defending and I’m going to do this by trying to defend the best player on the opposition anytime that I play a game.
All in all, this semester was a great chance for me to have fun with my friends playing basketball whilst also learning how to get better. The video footage allowed me to identify my weaknesses so I could improve them and implement that at our next session.
This semester in Health, we are learning about safe driving and some aspects that can affect it. I decided to look at how many young people are driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and some strategies to mitigate it. Below you can find my poster that is aimed to educate other people and answers to some questions about this campaign.
What were the biggest things you learnt while completing this task?
The biggest thing I learnt whilst completing this task was how big an issue drink driving is for young people and how many people are affected by it. As I read all the statistics, it really shocked me because way too many young adults are dying from driving whilst under the influence of alcohol. I also learnt some of the ways we can stay safe and some key pointers that I need to remember when I start driving.
What one piece of advice would you pass on to young drivers above all else? Why?
One piece of advice I would pass on to young drivers is to think for yourself about what you’re doing and always make sure you and everyone else around are safe no matter the circumstances. This is because I want young drivers to make their own decisions and not be easily swayed by others to be “cool”. This means it doesn’t matter if your late to a party or miss the start of something, as long as everyone is safe, everything will be okay.
Write down a pledge that you will commit to when you start driving. Why did you pick these things to commit to? How will you stick to these commitments?
I pledge to never drive whilst under the influence of alcohol, to encourage my friends and family to drive alcohol-free and to take my time whilst making good decisions. I picked these things to commit to because they will give myself the best chance of staying safe as well as the others around me. I can stick to these commitments by placing a piece of paper with them in my glovebox so when I forget or need to read them again so that I can calm myself before driving, they are always there.
In Science, we were faced with a project where we had to design a building that could withstand the effects of an earthquake. The earthquake was simulated by a 10 second shaking of the table our building was sitting on. Our building was made out of spaghetti and we used the blu tack to stick it together. Other materials we could use were scissors, a knife and a ruler. The building must have had a minimum height of 60cm and the base couldn’t exceed a 30*30 area. We were hoping to build a structure that fit those parameters as it showed we worked as a team in order to overcome challenges we were faced with.
Our first design (pictured below) was quite poor as we didn’t really think about how it would connect together and stay upright. When we tried to build the design, it didn’t even stand up so we knew it definitely wouldn’t withstand the earthquake simulation.
Our final design (pictured below) was very effective after we made the necessary adjustments. It was very stable during the simulation and was still standing after the 10 seconds.
Communicating:
I think that the engineering process to design and build our structure was very helpful and we benefited from it a lot. At first, we went over the task in detail, making sure that all of our team knew what we had to do so that we had the best chance of succeeding. After that, we started on our research where we found out the best designs and shapes to implement on our building that would withstand the earthquake. Using this research, we drew our first design with specific measurements and calculated the amount of spaghetti and blu-tac needed. Then, we built our first design but found that it was very unstable so we made a few major adjustments. Once we created this new prototype, it was time to test it out by simulating the earthquake. While the earthquake was happening, we observed our building to see how stable it was and if there were any small adjustments we would have to make. After, we discussed what we saw, evaluated how we thought it responded and decided to add some cross bracing that would serve as extra support for the corners.
I also believe that there were a few changes that we could make to the engineering process. If we had more time, I think that we should’ve have added a bit more testing but also different types of testing. This means we can see if our building will stand up to any type or severity of shaking and earthquakes. We can also do further testing on the different parts of the building to see if every aspect of our design is stable. We can do this by putting extra pressure on a specific part rather than the whole building where some other parts can carry the load. This would improve the outcome of our building because we would be able to find out if we have a building that is stable all over with each part of it carrying an equal amount of pressure.
Teamwork:
A major component of our success in this challenge was our ability to work as a team and this was shown through the roles of each team member.
Myself: Reporter- Made sure that we had everything together and done on time.
Matthew: Equipment manager- Made sure we had all the equipment in the class and ready to go. Main builder of the tower.
Ben: Project manager- The leader of the group, made sure everyone knew what they were doing.
Scarlett: Spokesperson- Talked to others and found out more information.
During the creation of our building, we had many problems that we had to address and figure out. To solve these problems, we met together and discussed it in a respectful manner so we could come up with a solution. Ben took charge of these conversations as he was the project manager and made sure everyone was happy with the adjustments we were going to make.
Reflecting on our group, I think that everyone had strengths that they brought to the team. When we combined these different strengths together, we had a full complete team that was ready to tackle the challenge ahead. Ben brought intelligence and good mathematical skills to calculate the measurements of our design. He was also a leader for the group who kept everyone on task. Matthew is very good with his hands so he was the main builder of the design and we relied on him to do any challenging tasks or make adjustments when the building might fall over. Scarlett was quite particular which meant she really examined the design to make sure all the spaghetti was stuck together and helped put it together. I was quite involved with the creating of the building and proposed any adjustments that we could make.
All in all, I think that this challenge was an effective way to build on our creative, teamwork and leadership skills whilst learning a bit out earthquakes and the designs that can withstand them.
This semester in Lock, we did a range of things including rock climbing, fishing and bush cooking. Rock climbing was a great example of how we used the capabilities such as collaboration, effective communication and resilience. I feel like I used collaboration when I worked together with my peers to set up the rock climbing wall. We had to make sure the ground anchor was connected properly with all the carabiners clipped on. If we didn’t do this someone might have fallen off and injured themselves. Effective communication was also a major part of having a successful rock climb. I used it when I was the belayer and had to check on the person who was climbing, telling them I was ready and where they needed to move their feet or hands. Finally, I think I needed to use resilience whilst I was climbing. This was because sometimes I fell off but I had to get back up again and try until I completed it. If I didn’t have resilience then I don’t think I would have made it to the top of the wall.
Leave no trace was a major part of our thinking in Outdoor ED as we strived to be kinder to the environment. We demonstrated our understanding when we went fishing with Pete. This was because we had to cut our line and make sure we disposed of it correctly without it flying away. We also had to follow the concept when we were bush cooking. This meant we burnt our wood down to ashes, dug a slops-pit and cleaned up after ourselves.
At the start of this unit I didn’t know much about the homeless in France. I knew they didn’t have a house and they didn’t have much money but now I’ve learnt a lot more about them. Some of the information I have learnt is where they live, what they have and how it is different to Australia. Lots of the homeless people in France live in the city, on the streets, in parks, under bridges and at train stations. Most of them have no money, no shelter and no friends or family to help and support them improve their situation. Homelessness is very different in France compared to Australia because there is lots more people in poor situations. All in all, the learning I did this term gave me a greater understanding as to what homelessness is like in France.
With all this learning in mind, we are starting a project to raise some awareness about homelessness. We have decided to do a sausage sizzle in the next few weeks and donate the money we have earned to the marketplace at Salvos.
In outdoor ED, we started to do snorkelling and had our first trip to Coogee. We had a great time swimming around, spotting fish and exploring the shipwreck. In term 2, we moved on to orienteering and archery which were some very fun activities.
Some capabilities that I think I have displayed in these courses include:
Collaboration
Problem Solving
Leadership
Effective Communication
Organisation
I showed the capability of organisation in snorkelling when I had to make sure I had all the right equipment such as goggles, fins and bathers ready for the day out. I improved this skill throughout the time in snorkelling because I got all my equipment ready the night before. In orienteering, I showcased the capabilities of leadership and problem solving. I used problem solving to find markers on the courses and look at the map closer for clues where it might be. I also displayed the skill of leadership to talk to my teammates and give my input about where we should go.
All in all, our Outdoor ED class (Muir) was a great way to have fun, work on our capabilities and build better relationships with our peers.
Matthew and I had to complete a Maths project where we analysed data, commented on it and made some graphs. Our PowerPoint below goes in depth about the purpose of our subject, the results and the reliability of them, our analysis and any extra information. We also have slides with all the graphs and tables showing the data but we’ve attached the main ones below.
There are many principles that help the justice system operate fairly. Some of these include equality before the law, the right to a fair hearing, an independent and unbiased judiciary, the right to a fair hearing and the right to an appeal. The Andrew Mallard case involved the defendant Andrew Mallard who was convicted of murdering Pamela Lawrence because key information was withheld. The principles of a right to a fair hearing, an independent and unbiased judiciary and the right to an appeal were compromised in this case although justice was upheld in some instances.
An independent and unbiased judiciary is where the judge and jury are free to make their decision without the influence of outside bodies such as the government. This is important as the judge and jury are unbiased and can hopefully deliver the correct verdict. The Andrew Mallard case was a very high profile one and was talked about a lot in the media. A jury should not have been used to decide the outcome of the case as this may have resulted in a biased decision. This was not the case and a jury was used which severely compromised Andrew Mallard’s right to an independent and unbiased judiciary. A solution to this, is to not have a jury and instead have an independent judge who does not have prior knowledge of the case and decide the verdict. All in all, an independent and unbiased judiciary was compromised in the Mallard case.
There are many instances in the courtroom where the right to appeal is used. The right to appeal means people who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their case are allowed to appeal if it is within reason. This is important because the right decision may not always be made, and parties need the opportunity to get cases reviewed. In the Andrew Mallard case, the right to an appeal was supported and justice was upheld. After 12 years Andrew appealed to the High Court of Australia. Police conducted a review on the investigation and found that he was not guilty because vital evidence was missing. On the other hand, there were 10 years of appeals prior to this, where the investigation was not reviewed, and he was still found guilty. This can be improved by cases being regularly reviewed so incorrect verdicts are not handed down. Furthermore, the right to an appeal was supported but also compromised in Andrew’s case.
The right to a fair hearing means both parties are allowed to express their evidence with reliable information. This is important as judges and juries need to be able to make their decision based on all the correct evidence. In the Mallard case, key information was missing, and police changed witness statements, entering false records. The defence party’s case was compromised, and they could not argue their case as equally as the prosecution. The jury (which shouldn’t have been used) was also more inclined to believe the prosecution because they had more evidence available. On the other hand, the right to a fair hearing was upheld because Andrew had a lawyer which helped him to express himself in court. The judge and jury were also impartial in the courtroom allowing both parties to speak and argue their case. Strategies to be implemented to prevent this from happening include investigations being reviewed and ensuring all the right evidence is present when discussing a case. Therefore, it can be clearly seen that the right to a fair hearing was both severely compromised and upheld in this case.
The Andrew Mallard case is a prime example of where justice was heavily compromised but also upheld. This is shown through the principles of the right to a fair hearing, an independent and unbiased judiciary, and the right to an appeal. In the case, key information was withheld, and the case gained much media attention. Ultimately, police must be precise with the details of cases they oversee, and cases should be regularly reviewed so the right decision is made.
Hi, my name is Declan Pauline, and I am in Year 8 at All Saints’ College.
All my family is Australian including me, so we have no different traditions or celebrations that we carry out. My values are loving, respect, persistence, and honesty which I try to show anytime I am out in the public or with my friends. I do this by always thinking about what I am going to say or do so I don’t hurt anyone.
The main activities in my life all revolve around sport these include playing footy for Melville and basketball for the All Saints club. For the past 2 years my footy team has won the premiership, so we are going for a 3 peat this year. Our basketball team has also been quite successful coming 2nd in the league in the last season.
My hopes for the future are that I get drafted to an AFL team or have a job something involved with sport. I am going to do this by trying my hardest and working on my footy skills as much as possible to give me the best chance of being drafted. If I am unable to make a team, I would like to study how what you eat affects your play or what you can do if you get injured.
This term in InnovatED we started a program called $20 Boss. $20 Boss is a program where you work in groups to start and run a business also learning skills about teamwork etc. We initially came up with the idea that all our group liked basketball so we decided to do a basketball rebounder. This basketball rebounder was going to help a problem that many people had when shooting the basketball it hit the base of the ring and bounced off away from you. This product was going to help stop that and send the ball back to you after it went in. We were also going to make our products out of precious plastic so that we would be environmentally friendly. After we thought about this product more we realised that the mould to make the rebounder would be very hard to make so we scrapped this idea. So, we went back to drawing board and thought about what we were interested in making. We came back to the fact that we were all interested in sports so we thought about making key chains with pictures of different sports. Next time, we would really think about the idea that we would go through with using the skill, critical thinking, to make sure that everyone including ourselves would like.
Design Thinking:
I think I was best at communicating with the group and making sure everyone was on task. I also believe that I was a good team worker as I made sure I communicated with the group what I was doing and asked them if they needed any help. I think that I need to work on the Ideate side of the thinking because I’m probably not that good at coming up with ideas that can benefit the group.
Capabilities:
I think I relied a lot on the capabilities of effective communication and problem solving. I believe that these two capabilities worked together well because they are both related to each other. This is because our first idea wasn’t going so well so we had to effectively communicate with each other to either fix it or change idea by problem solving. I think I could work on the capability of creativity. This was shown when I couldn’t really come up with many ideas in the Ideate stage. I could work on my creative skills by thinking a bit harder and deeper about some ideas that could be used.
