Earlier this year, as part of OLP, the Year 9 Cohort journeyed to Kalbarri. We went in two separate rotations and completed a variety of activities together. This ranged from hiking & exploring cliffs to more mellow activities, like journalling & self-reflection. Unlike our previous camps, this year had more flexibility; students could explore the area and complete various activities as the weather and our moods permitted.
The climax of the camp was hiking downwards to the 4 Ways Campsite. We explored the gorge, a majestic towering of patterned rocks and foliage. Some of us bravely fared the frigid water, and some even went rock jumping. From here, we were all faintly relieved to bushwalk to Z Bend. This was a welcome reprieve from the harsher conditions of the gorge, where the larvae had landed on our tents and buzzed at night. After quickly touching base at Z Bend, we canyoned, descending into the valley once more. At one point, the group abseiled, rock-climbed and gaped in awe at the spectacular view.
We sat near to our equipment so we could fulfil our roles. I was cooking in this photo.
Besides allowing us to become immersed in nature, this camp provided a valuable opportunity for teamwork and leadership. Although there were many instances when this was applied, the main component was when my teammates and I were cooking. This involved gathering utensils, preparing ingredients, the actual cooking, and cleaning and packing up. To distribute work evenly, we delegated roles, ensuring that we played to our strengths and were able to offer feedback & receive assistance as necessary.
Overall, our teamwork, communication and leadership led to an enjoyable OLP experience. Year 9 OLP proved to be an enlightening and challenging experience. Thank you to the Head of Outdoor Learning, Mr Zaurs, Mr J (Year 9/10 Co-ordinator), and to the staff that organized the trip & accompanied us.
The destructive and unpredictable nature of earthquakes can not only wreak havoc on buildings but negatively impact surrounding societies, causing uncertainty and fear. In addition to injuries, organizations and infrastructure may be disrupted. Hence, the long-term repercussions of this are socially, economically and environmentally unsustainable. This was demonstrated through the Nepal 2015 earthquake. In the 2 year aftermath, less than 5% of the destroyed houses were rebuilt, leaving 800, 000 families to take refuge in temporary shelters. If we understand how to engineer earthquake-safe buildings, we will be able to better resist the inevitable damage brought upon us, which would save lives, infrastructure and organizations, creating a safer society for all to reside in.
To end our science course, we were tasked with designing, building and testing a model that would withstand a major earthquake. To be considered successful, this model:
was to be made out of spaghetti and blu-tack
had to remain standing after an earthquake, as simulated by the 10-second shake of a table. Ideally, it had to be left undamaged after P Waves, S Waves & Surface Waves.
had to be quick and easy to assemble
constructed using scissors and a ruler
It was required to have
a maximum base of 30cm by 30cm
a minimum height of 60 cm
a 5 cm by 5 cm platform at the top
a cost less than $60, where each spaghetti strand or gram of blu-tack costs $1. (This was given twice for the initial prototype and once for the second prototype.)
Concept sketches of our intended model that was unsuccessful.
We first engaged in a 50-minute design sprint, and then researched, created a plan and engineered a model based on this. Throughout the process, we kept in mind the design features that would help improve building resistance. As a result of this, our final model was drastically different.
While our building was stable, a piece of spaghetti snapped, dislodging others.
Our building was able to withstand all types of waves, however, due to unforeseen circumstances arising from snapped spaghetti, the fragility of the materials and the interactions between the blu-tack and spaghetti, we were forced to alter, adapt and change our plan. This caused us to have a lack of resources as we neared the top of our model, meaning that we missed the height requirement by a few centimetres. However, we learnt that having a top that is flexible and able to sway on a rigid base is not necessarily a negative. Overall, though the building could not be implemented in real life, it fulfilled most requirements, with the exception being the height.
I thought that our research was thorough, however, as it couldn’t perfectly correlate to real life, it was partly for naught. In terms of teamwork, I thought that we collaborated by distributing the work evenly and taking initiative as required.
To improve the outcomes of the project, it would have been beneficial to spend less time observing, deliberating and researching, to allow more time to iron out any inevitable problems or experiment more with bases that would work and think about how theory applies to real life (by taking into account the specific materials we have on hand).
This is my Oscar Performance for Semester One Screen Acting. I will be exploring the process as well as my thoughts on the final product. We were to work in a pair or small groups to present a notable and engaging scene that we had to film, selecting shots that most effectively presented the story. This scene was to showcase our range as an actor, challenging us in the process. Prior to the filming, we had to plan our vision for the scene. This included the shot types, technical requirements and context. We also had to rehearse and annotate the script to note down our choices. My partner and I chose to do a scene from Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets, where Harry Potter first meets Dobby the House Elf, due to our shared interest in the series. We discussed our idea with some peers, and they liked the idea of doing a Harry Potter scene.
Leading to the final production, we first had to familiarize ourselves with the context of our scene, so we could make informed and creative choices about how we play our characters. The Chamber of Secrets begins with a dreadful start to the summer holidays, with the Dursley’s characteristically mean behaviour making Harry yearn to go back to school more than ever.
Harry stops stunned as he sees Dobby.
Unexpectedly, Harry finds himself face to face with Dobby the house-elf, who tells him that if he goes back to Hogwarts, disaster will strike. My objective is to find out why Dobby is present, but his urgent and insistent pleas for me to not go back to school present an obstacle. My super-objective is to protect myself and those I love & care for.
I prepared for this performance through research (about the context and technical requirements) and rehearsal to put my knowledge into action. My partner and I could have rehearsed in a more practical way so we could utilize muscle memory to a fuller extent, however, this was difficult for both of us as we tend to prepare in our heads and then approach the practical task. Nonetheless, we each made several choices about how to play the character and the final technical design. We used Stanislavski’s techniques to develop performance.
Emotional memory involves the actor drawing on their own experiences to show what they would do if they were placed in the scenario, which was used through out. For example, in the line ” See why I’ve got to go back? I don’t belong here. I belong in your world — at Hogwarts. It’s the only place I’ve got .. friends.” showed emotions through voice.
Harry in a defensive position when meeting Dobby.
I used the beats/units to show when Harry’s train of thought changed, for example, when he says ” I see. Not to be rude of anything…” I used the given circumstances to understand the wider context of the scene in the whole story line and then to make informed choices. For example, to design the set effectively, the fundamental question of Where am I shows us that the scene takes place in a bedroom, so the set was a bed and small table. I also frequently used beats to develop the performance by showing the audience what the shifts in thought were.
Harry gestures to Dobby
However, I think I need to work on pauses and using longer beats to lengthen the moments of silence to show the emotion and make it seem more natural. (I think that this was somewhat of a problem/something not done very right because the moments of silence feel longer when you are performing it, rather than watching your performance back or from an audience perspective.) For example, when tell Dobby that “it’s the only place I’ve got friends.”, there should be a longer beat between that and ” I belong in your world — at Hogwarts.” This is to show the extent of the embarrassment I am feeling in having to admit something so personal to someone I’ve only just met, in order to persuade them and to clarify the situation to Dobby.
Harry is desperately quieting Dobby.
Throughout the scene, I made vocal and physical choices to play my character. I spoke in a natural voice at a normal speaking volume with no significant change to pitch. Upon entering, I halt my walking, stumbling on each of the first words (“what.. who are you?”, “I see, Why don’t you sit down?) to show that I am still struggling to comprehend the absurdity of the situation at hand, and how I am connecting the dots; that I have seen Dobby before, through the hedge when I was unwittingly being spied on (but did not give further thought to, as I think it irrational). This use of voice and movement also draws light to the surprise at the strange creature in my room, no less, on my bed. I also slowly stage move backwards as I am approached, revealing my apprehension and caution: he is a foreign creature, and I might want to keep my distance from him.
Harry using his kind and empathetic nature to care for Dobby
When Dobby tells me “It is difficult, sir, Dobby doesn’t know where to begin”, I scratch my head, gesturing to my bed as I suggest that he take a seat. When he bursts into noisy tears, I run over to him with outstretched arms, showing the desperation I feel about this pathetic, sobbing creature and the noise level. I think I may have slightly overdone this. To me, this looked slightly unnatural because if a stranger started bawling, you wouldn’t rush over that fast or shush them that loudly (this conflicts even more because Harry is kind). When I quiet him, I slightly back away from him, never touching. I did not use emphasis a lot, although at the start, I say “house elf” as if I do not know how to say it, as Dobby is the first of the foreign species I’ve met. The first half of the scene is meant to show my unsureness and the fact that while I want to find out what Dobby has to say, I do not want to offend him and I also need to keep it quiet enough for the Dursley’s downstairs.
Harry and Dobby mid-conversation.
In the second half, after Vernon comes, my voice is faster and thicker with emotion, as I have gotten to a desperate point where I want to convince Dobby, and myself, by admitting to intimate facts: that I only have friends at Hogwarts and not anywhere else. It shows the vulnerability Harry is feeling at this point. I was somewhat pleased with my use of voice in the second half, as it showed the spectrum of emotions that Harry feels, including vulnerability and isolation. When told I must not go back to Hogwarts, I look around, visualizing life with the Dursleys, and then turn to face Dobby.
Harry’s voice is thick with emotion as he admits he has no friends outside of school.
The horror I feel just by visualizing what dreadful things would happen shows in my voice. Leading up to this, when Uncle Vernon leaves the room, I step back and gesture to Dobby that “I don’t belong here”, emphasizing how I don’t fit in with the muggle life, with the Dursleys. It is to show him that I belong in Hogwarts and that it’s the only place I have friends – friends, as Dobby slyly suggests, that don’t even write to me. To this, I reply that my friends have probably been busy, which is why they haven’t written to me. I am faced away from him as if answering my own insecurities – I need to persuade myself as much as Dobby. I think that to say this line more effectively, to portray the character, I need to say this slowly as if I am unsure but am trying to sound confident.
On filming day, my partner and I were prepared, with our props and costumes ready. I think that this went relatively well, as we were prepared and we did several takes to get different shot types.
Harry grabbing his letters from Dobby
This semester in Screen Acting, I learnt how to be more subtle and more natural with mannerisms, movement and voice as the audience is (technically because of the camera) much closer. We also learnt how to use voice to convey the character’s thoughts and emotions through pace, pitch, emphasis, tone and intonation (how the voice moves). I also learnt how the objective and super-objective influence the choices that the actor makes so that they can develop character better. We also learnt how to use Adobe Premiere Rush to edit the scenes we did by cutting them and altering the audio.
Supported by our experience in previous markets and driven by the ambition to further improve, our group had a clear vision of what we wanted.
Previously, our group had sold soy candles, and while we agreed that it was successful, there would be increased competition with the onset of other candle groups as well as little creative freedom due to a rigid structure to follow when one made the candles.
In line with the upcoming Christmas season, we decided to produce laser cut Christmas cards under the name “GreetYourself”, a memorable play on the notable words “treat yourself.” At the market itself, we produced a large amount of revenue, more than four of our previous, selling out in the first 45 minutes. We were also much more organized and creative in the process and had a highly successful outcome. Something that was quite intriguing was that unlike candles and notebooks (our previous products), the cards were not overly labour intensive, as the laser cutter was tasked with the most laborious work of carving the designs that we had previously transferred to Adobe. With this, we all gained valuable skills, most significant were our newly polished Adobe skills and our ability to work the laser-cutter.
This terms journey was an intentional one, with organization, problem-solving and innovation being the backbone of it all.
Our table set up. To improve, I would perhaps prepare some sort of mount before, so as to appear polished and professional.
As per our unofficial goal, we were certainly more organized, slotting in specific bookings with the school’s laser cutter to carve our cards and most importantly, formatting the designs for the cutter before then.
Once our cards were carved, we had to problem-solve to find a way to incorporate colour and a clean writing spot. The method shall not be disclosed, however, they did make for a sleek, unique, innovative finished design, that, when displayed upon our well-set table, attracted many eager buyers, with one even buying up to 10+ cards.
A thought-provoking aspect of GreetYourself was the price. Our products had to meet an equilibrium, not too low for the sake of profits and not too high for the customer. Curiously enough, our initial price was said by a/the facilitator to be too low, as “crafty” cards like ours sold up to double, even triple our proposed price. Heeding their advice, we did increase our price, however, next time, we should research the market and not involve our self-deprecating thoughts that “no one would want to pay ” et cetera.
The All Saints’ print ad.
Even though we used the markup formula, in retrospect, this shouldn’t have been the primary way for settling on the final price. It would have been more effectively used in conjunction with other methods, such as surveying our target audience for what they would pay vs what we would take as a profit, the equilibrium formula, cost-plus pricing and the one that we should have been less careless to overlook, market comparison.
Our product idea was innovative, timely and filled in a gap in our market. To improve, I would consider other unseen aspects and research thoroughly before making a decision. The process was fun, rewarding and gave us a plethora of new skills to add to our ever-growing collection, as well as an exciting profit.
$20Boss is an innovation and entrepreneurship program that was one of the Semester One options for InnovatED. I chose to do $20Boss as it seemed similar to the Christmas Market from year seven where we were also tasked with creating a business that sold a good or service. It started with a revisitation to the familiar Design Thinking Framework which included brainstorming words associated with Design Thinking and doing a Design Sprint with the assistance of other group members and a year nine student from the Leadership and Innovation elective. I and my group members earned a Design Sprint Certificate as seen HERE.
We were also introduced to the concept of a “scrum”, a physical to-do list following the To Do In Progress Done framework. We were also required to write a pitch with our chosen group and potential product, in order to gain a loan so that we might acquire $20 each to produce our product and sell it at the Runway Market Market, which took place on the 16th of June. My group decided on notebooks, and the idea was approved by our Facilitator after we pitched. Initially, this was because we wanted to customize stationery to make it personal to the user and more appealing for school-aged children to use during lessons; however, it was not just limited to school use, but also in leisure time for journalling etc. As we worked through the process of designing the notebooks, some aspects changed, such as the cover material and the method of binding them. Our final product was a notebook the size of half an A4 page, bound together with thread with a hard black cover, which could then be customised with a patterned paper of choice and, if desired, a word/ name written with a chosen font on the front.
ASC Capabilities
Throughout the process of the project, the ASC Capabilities were certainly all utilized, though in varying degrees for each group member.
Effective Communication
Effective communication is the method of human interaction where one does not merely exchange information, but develop meaning through symbols and emotions.
Following our Design Sprint, we had to form the groups that we would be with for the rest of the process. In my humble opinion, therein could have lay our potential pitfall. In retrospect, this could have been not entirely beneficial to our group because it could have made the group too large for comfortable discussion and effective decision making. However, despite our unnaturally large-sized group, I think that I generally exercised effective communication skills as we were able to discuss decisions and ideas in a civil manner, despite the fact that there was four of us. We first divided up the labour, assigning various tasks to each member so each human could meaningfully contribute. We were able to understand each other’s individual perspectives by speaking in turn, although this proved quite challenging due to our group size and the fact that there were four creative humans. To counter this, we also occasionally split the group into pairs to allow for further discussion within a more intimate setting. This was so each human’s ideas were heard and could be easily relayed back to the whole group. Out of hours, we utilized Microsoft Teams which proved to be advantageous as we could easily interact when the person(s) were needed.
Problem Solving
The process of uncovering and piecing together a relevant solution to an underlying, often complex problem.
As mentioned above, we had decided to produce notebooks. However, after research and examination of traditional bookbinding methods, we realized that they were complicated, requiring many materials and time-consuming. I used creativity to develop the method for producing our product with a fellow group member who understood sewing techniques and we also had to use problem-solving to figure out how to most effectively produce it. This included the binding of the individual leaves (of paper) and the attaching of the covers. This involved resilience when some of our concepts and strategies were not entirely suitable — finding a new way to do it. This was part of the “testing” part of the Design Process. This also required organization as there were only 2 of us that were proficient with the needle, and we had to be self-aware ( — knowing when we had enough/too little to do) to make sure that we were dividing the labour equally between the whole group — so that we all contributed to the overall work ethic and productivity.
Organization
The arrangement and systematic planning of a process, or part of, to most efficiently and effectively complete it.
Throughout the project, the organization of the group was of utmost importance for ensuring deadlines are met. Our group utilized this. We consistently ensured that each member was on the same line of communication so they knew what to do to balance the workload. This process was assisted by our scrum which was updated frequently. I would say that it would have been even better if we more rigidly plan our InnovatED time with very clearly defined tasks.
The stage of the design process that I think we did the best at was the prototype stage, as we produced a product with good quality to be our test. I would say that there is room for improvement for the Empathise stage as we needed a better understanding of what people wanted for the design of the notebooks– by being more thorough on this stage, we could have learnt more about what people would want, and we would have created notebooks to be immediately bought instead of focusing on the customisation of the notebooks as pre-orders were not as successful as we had anticipated.
In conclusion, the $20 boss project was good for further improving Capabilities and working on the Design process, as it was utilized through our Semester One, and it helped significantly with the production of the product. $20Boss was extremely enjoyable, informative that challenged us in many ways. While our group did not produce the most profit; we produced enough revenue to cover costs, plus surplus, this experience has offered me valuable learning points that I can use to further improve myself.
Feedback
Thank you so much for the lovely notebook, I really like it and think you guys have done a really good job.
