1990 Annual Report

A Junior Curriculum Committee has been investigating the structure of the Year 8 curriculum at Girls' Grammar and has addressed both philosophical and practical issues. Fundamental agreement has now been reached and ·the various disciplines are considering a more integrated, holistic approach to future curriculum development. The two Resource teachers, Mrs Cooke and Mrs Farley, with the assistance of a staff reference committee, are presently investigating and planning future elements and patterns for the Year 8 Program for 1991. Other major developments have occurred in the area of information technology, where dramatic changes in the acceptance and use of computers has occurred. It is now ten years since computing was first introduced to the School and computers are seen as valuable motivational and educational tools. The School's philosophy to use computers to educate, rather than educating about computers, means that students and staff have become accustomed to using them in a wide range of subjects. Under the direction of Mr Peter Weyand, there are a number of computer associated projects being implemented within the School. These include the introduction of the Jeijing Chinese/Japanese Wordprocessor into the Language Department, Lego/Logo into Science and Mathematics, where it provides students with the opportunity for three-dimensional problem-solving, and the development of a satellite committee which is in the process of establishing the School's first data- receiving station. This last initiative is an exciting project which allows students to track satellites, record and decode information from them, and display this information in a useable form such as through weather maps, land use pictures, animal migration and communications. As well, foreign language broadcasts to the Pacific region can be recorded on video and used in foreign language studies. Students on the committee are responsible fqr the implementation, building and running of the satellite receiving station. The Mathematics Department, through its Head, Mr Bromiley, has developed cooperative links with the Mathematics and Science Departments at QUT and the Engineering Department at the University of Queensland, to ensure that the computer and mathematics programs within the School are compatible with the needs of these institutions. Mr Weyand has also investigated various software packages used by these two institutions and we are currently adopting some of them for our own use. This year students have been introduced to information technology in the Library and there is no doubt that such technology has led to an increase in the rate at which information is being discovered, transferred and stored. This is presenting students with examples of information technology in action and provides a means of teaching them appropriate research skills. The scanner, which allows any picture to be recorded on computer, the modem, which allows computer information to be sent down a telephone line, and the CD- . ROM, which can store vast amounts of information on a compact disc, are all used by students as part of their normal classroom studies. Using this equipment, students