TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE UPDATE - JUNE 2022 Technology is a fast-paced industry that is paving the way for the future. However, after conducting some research into girls’ perspective towards technology, we discovered feelings of intimidation and lack of confidence. This year we want to redefine technology; after all, we consider all students to be ‘Digital Natives’. They have grown up in a world surrounded by technology and, if asked, they could pick up any software or device in a matter of minutes. We have defined technology as:
INNOVATIVE If someone didn’t think outside the box (or marking key), the technology we know today would be very different.
INCLUSIVE Technology is part of our everyday life, from toddlers to seniors; it should be accessible to everyone.
CAREER As digital natives, technology will be a part of your career, regardless of your chosen field. You will use it to complete various tasks...the opportunities are endless!
BUILT FROM CODE
Often we take the extensivity of technology for granted, discovering how it is created gives you a deep understanding for the technology you use every day.
GAMING E-Sport have become increasingly popular, forming a large part of the technology industry and it's a lot of fun!
WALL OF INSPIRATION We recently updated our posters to include local inspiration. Women in Technology WA (WiTWA) adopts the saying, “if you can see her, you can be her” and we have taken on a similar approach. We want to inspire your daughters with local women in technology who are doing amazing things in Perth. They are close to home and make these achievements seem achievable and real. This initiative comes under our redefinition of technology as a career. What we also want to make apparent is that technological careers aren’t just limited to coding. The careers seen on the Wall of Inspiration will make that evident to your daughters, proving that having a technological career can combine their other passions, such as the environment, medicine, sport and even theatre.
CLUBS VIRTUAL REALITY
HOW TO JOIN: Meet us in T02 every Thursday
Virtual Reality (VR) is an upcoming piece of technology that is heavily present in Web 3 and the new metaverse. VR is starting to be used in some progressive workspaces as a way to host virtual meetings, like at Facebook. It is also used in medical imagery prior to surgery and in simulations for combat training. This cutting-edge technology has a vast number of uses and is one example of innovation. This fits into our theme this year that technology is innovative, which is true of these headsets. Exposure to this type of technology is crucial to encourage out-of-the-box thinking. Thank you to Mirikai Salkeld and Abbey Turner for leading the VR Club; and Ms Ryan, Mrs Fitzpatrick and Mr Brown for being our supervising teachers. What have we been up to… Beat Saber Competition– 3D experience to the tune of a song Immersive YouTube videos SpaceX Rocket exploration FOLLOW OUR SOSIAL MEDIA Educational Everest Base Camp Tour Roller Coaster experience!
E-SPORTS Gaming is an important aspect of technology and can be used for entertainment but also to cultivate some important skills, like teamwork and leadership. It’s also a great opportunity to learn new skills in a controlled environment; simulating events, like dance, provides opportunities for all to be included. E-Sport has been a thriving club so far this year, with lots of excited Year 7s that attend regularly. In Term 1, we ran a Just Dance competition. Just Dance left the girls in a sweat and they all had fun even if they had never really done choreographed dance before. It is inclusive to all! In Term 2 we moved on to the iconic Mario Kart game and recently finalised the top 8 and named our Mario Kart Champion Cherice Lim. Next term, we will be focusing on Rocket League and competing in the Fuse Cup and interschool competition. This club has unified the girls and provided a great collaborative and encouraging atmosphere. Thank you to Amber Singh for leading the E-Sports Club; Ms Hilliard, Mr Evans and Mrs Ribbons for being our supervising teachers and Mr Brown and Mrs Fitzpatrick for managing the Club.
HOW TO JOIN: Join us in T22 every Wednesday
CREATION STATION LEGO This year, the Lego Club has been offered to Year 7s. It is an opportunity to cultivate their creative expression and have some fun at the same time. The first section is a creative expression of what they think defines St Mary’s, including House mascots and different subjects. The Year 7s have done a great job of bringing some life to the Technology & Enterprise Department Lego Wall. Another great example of innovation and thinking outside the box in technology! Thank you to Keira Nuich for leading the Lego Club, and Mrs Fitzpatrick for being our supervising teacher.
HOW TO JOIN: Meet us at the Creation Station every Thursday or contact Ella Cay Smith for more information
CYBERTAIPAN
CYBER TAIPAN
CyberTaipan is an Australian cybersecurity competition for high school-aged students, focusing on cyber defence. Preparation sessions started mid-Term 1, where members worked on modules provided by CSIRO, the competition organiser, and modules from TryHackMe, a professional online learning platform that helps users develop hands-on experience with cybersecurity basics, defensive techniques, hardening systems and searching for essential information in machines through coding.
HOW TO JOIN: Join CyberTaipan in 2023! Contact Michelle Fitzpatrick, Head of Technology and Enterprise
There have been two sessions so far with cybersecurity experts from PwC, along with a few more to come. Our PwC mentors introduced us to the industry and provided us with information about the systems we are going to come across during the competition. Later, we will be going more in-depth into Microsoft Windows and Ubuntu, a Linux operating system, and learn about cyber-defencing within these systems. Thank you to Chloe Chang for leading the CyberTaipan team; Mr Nevitt, Mrs Papadimitriou and Ms Smith for being our supervising teachers and Mrs Fitzpatrick for co-ordinating the PwC mentors.
MINECRAFT
This year we started Minecraft Club. This is a twist on the favourite game that kids love. Using the Minecraft Education edition, we are giving students an insight into coding without overwhelming them and turning coding into a daunting task. Through the survey conducted last year, we discovered that more than half of the respondents found coding daunting. Minecraft is a fun way to introduce coding fundamentals and give the girls an alternative perspective on how coding can be used. We want to redefine coding and communicate that technology is built from code. Thank you to Trinity Mavor and Susanna Glenn for leading the Minecraft Club; and Ms Burnie and Mr Brown for being our supervising teachers. What have we been up to… Learnt the fundamentals of Minecraft Completed Minecraft coding challenges Created multiplayer worlds Created a Minecraft model of St Mary's grounds Used measurement tools on Google Maps
HOW TO JOIN: Join us in MDA02 every Wednesday at Lunchtime