Schools, universities and colleges are ever evolving and taking advantage of the opportunities presented by technology. SABRENet’s world class diverse fibre network allows technology to be used confidently to enrich curriculum and the online experience of teachers, students and school administrators.
Trinity College, a SABRENet connected multi school R to12 College located in Gawler, has developed the award winning SPARK Curriculum; a STEM-focused educational program spanning from Early Years to Year 7 with the aim to inspire a love for STEM, enhance digital technology skills and foster 21st-century learners.
The Trinity College SPARK Curriculum was recently recognised as the 2024 Best STEM Program in Australia at the Australian Education Awards.
Each learning experience is delivered within the Trinity Innovation and Creativity School (TICS), a dynamic learning environment where art, technology and innovation converge. TICS provides collaborative spaces with cutting-edge facilities, which include, a 360˚projection theatre, podcasting booths, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) resources, drones, a 3D printer and a laser cutter. By creating a central learning hub, all members of the Trinity College community have the opportunity to learn, create and find inspiration.
“Our SABRENet internet has empowered our STEM learning goals, providing the speed, bandwidth, and reliability needed for educators to confidently innovate and for students to create and engage as responsible digital citizens.” Samantha Andonis, Director of Innovation and Creativity.
The junior years’ curriculum aligns with the Digital Technologies National Curriculum to build foundational computational thinking skills. From Early Years to Year 2, students experience immersive storytelling and augmented reality (AR) apps like Merge EDU and Quiver, sparking curiosity about Science and the world around them. In Years 3 and 4, the focus shifts to scientific inquiry and design thinking, using AR and Lego Spike robotics to explore concepts and digital tools like podcasting for sharing insights. By Years 5 and 6, students encounter advanced technologies, critically assessing Artificial Intelligence and creating interactive VR tours, further developing their digital and creative skills.
Photo: Year 7 Trinity College students participating in their immersive SPARK Experience at the Trinity College Innovation and Creativity School.
The Year 7 SPARK Program is an immersive 5-day Digital Technologies experience. The five key learning experiences are outlined below:
Programming and Computational Thinking: Emphasising creativity and self-regulation, learners design and develop a virtual game environment. The use of CoSpaces allows students to code for a purpose, refine computational thinking skills and develop their ability to work collaboratively online.
Digital Communication: This module introduces the fundamentals of digital communication, covering how information is represented and stored. Students apply scientific skills to hypothesize and use light microscopes to explore screen composition, gaining insights into colour, pixels and binary.
Digital Systems and Ethics: Students critically reflect on the strengths, limitations and ethical implications of AI technology and experience the practical application of digital systems through hands-on experiences with drones. Students collaboratively design routes and construct programmes to understand the computational challenges of flying medical supplies to the remote areas of Nepal.
Technology in Industry: To understand the role of data in society, students wear GPS trackers to monitor physical performance. Scientific inquiry and statistical analysis are used to inform personal goal setting and team tactics. Critical thinking is promoted by considering the limitations of their conclusions with a particular focus on elite sport, ethical decision making and the sharing of personal data.
Future Thinking: Focusing on design thinking, students collaboratively solve problems and create prototypes with laser cutting technology. The workshop also includes web design, offering a comprehensive entrepreneurial experience.
“SABRENet has been a supportive partner and we will continue to leverage their network to drive innovative STEM teaching and learning from our Trinity Innovation and Creativity School”, Says Samantha Andonis.
For more information about the Trinity Innovation and Creativity School, the technology site or learning activities, please email Samantha Andonis, Director of Innovation and Creativity at [email protected].
