1994 School Magazine

Girls' Gramiiiat School3Grisbaiie 199.1

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MEKONG ADVENTURE n October the "Mekono Adventure" arrived. The asked students 10 think not only with their heads but also with In CIO er I e " e orig A venture" arrive . T e y i eir co s u asowi premise for. this experience was that a proposal I\ad b en their hearts and to provide a produ t which they then had to share with their peers and others in conclusion, a few comments from those involved

put forward to dam the Mekono River. Australia was asked to provide a group of "experts" who would consult with locals and complete a feasibility study looking at the impact of the dam The participants worked within teams and assumed various roles - engineers, aid workers, teachers, politicians, local village repi'esentaiives. Students were asked to focus on Ihe conflicts that exist wheiT traditional ways of living are challenged by the Lieman(is of industrial development During 111e firsi part of the week a giant three dimensional map of 111e river was produced. Each group was responsible for rcsc;11'ching and creating a "picture" of part of the puzzle so that 111isinfoi'mallon could be LISed by anduring the rest of the week in 111e second phase of the week the students worked in foxpei'I ICains". Professionals from outside the school were invite <1 10 work with them to provide a "realistic" view of the I, roblems that exist. These included a teacher recently returned 11'01ii Laos and an engineer who works as a project manager and actually CIOes feasibility studies in South East Asia By working without the constraints of the conventional Iiiiietable, it ITas been possible to provide opportunities for students to work in an environment closer 10 the "real world" wliere subject boundaries do not exist and one is asked to integrate content and skills from a range of past learning experiences across a range of subject areas. These experiences

IfeelthisAm, ,zoriProjectis, I wortht, )hile "ctit, ity. it is q f"" an, Iy of learnt"g about nitd deoelopi"g Dpi"- to"s nitd ideas on the Am, ,zorij'""gle nitd its destr"c- tioiz problems. The project also helps Ms to learn how to roofk efficiently and prod"ctioely in 41 group. A STUDENT AT THE YOUTH SUMMIT. I am s"re th, It a gre, It dent runs learned nitd will be remembered for 41 Defy long time. This type of ez, errtis often a highlight of schooling. AN AMAZONIAN PARENT it reinforced by beliefs that there are witlimited stint- egies, 10nil"ble to learn "11kinds of content!re"loved being " factlit"toy' or '"dotsor' r, ither th, In a tencher who directs eoe, y stage of the lesson. it was good to see shide"ts in control of their o711" learnt"gj?rocess. AN ANTARCTIC TRAINER KELLIE EMERSON

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DAYS OF EXCELLENCE veryjhing from "Creating a Japanese Newspaper" to (shakes Gate), and "Air Brush Paintino". A number of the "The Art of Ensemble Singing" was explored during the I d d - ' ' h I I '

1994 Days of Excellence workshops, held in September. Inter- ested students from botlt Year Nine and Ten were able to participate in the programs, which were held at various other high schools in the Brisbane and More ton area. The workshops were based on particular subject areas; ITowever many girls had the opportunity 10 develop other skills, such as drama and creative writing, that will surely prove useful in other school subjects and co- curricular activities Some of the workshops came tinder the creative titles of "Back 10 the Future", Strike a Pose", "Playing with Willy"

Iar subject, and all benefited from increased computer and keyboard literacy. Students studying languages also ITad a chance to improve their skills, with workshops being ITeld in most of the languages currently offered at Brisbane Girls' Grammar All girls who participated found the experience to be very worthwhile, and would certainly recommend students entering Grade Nine or Ten in 1995 to consult their. teachers about entering a workshop in a subject that they enjoy or achieve in.

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