In 2020 the Digital Technologies Year 9 students had an opportunity to access two modules which required an understanding of planning, designing, programming and presenting their ideas for an authentic and specific need. From the Agfest to businesses which produce and market local products, students interacted with owners and promoters to get an idea of product design using digital tools from an agile perspective. In learning groups, students explored 3D design and manipulation in order to render and present ideas for an outdoor garden, room, kitchen garden or a game to showcase computational thinking skills. While solving problems, recognising patterns and making decisions to display, refine and present their prototypes to their peers, students built their capabilities and spatial awareness through the iterative design process. 

Blue Spur, Popular Lane, Wilderness Honey and Mummgh’s Kai
What started out as research into local West Coast products of natural soap and honey, very quickly turned into essentials during the Covid-19 period. The Year 9 students started this year with exploring design and digital project management by creating promotional material as they delved a little bit deeper into product prototyping from a computational perspective. 

Putting their users right in the centre, each iteration was a way of refining their digital display from a usability perspective. Their final presentations were a way of gathering feedback from their peers and the wider community through Google forms. Interacting with real businesses and the industry allowed them to recognise the relevance of sustainable development.

Jennian Homes and Planner 5D
It has been very exciting to partner with Jennian Homes in the latter half of the year to look at design from a perspective of the user. The students started off with a visit to the shop on High Street and stepped into the shoes of the person beginning to explore the concept of building a home. Using Planner 5D to design a floor plan, students worked in teams to create prototypes and present them to Saskia Sheehan and Steve in the Digital Technologies lab. 

Sphero Rovers, Rollercoasters and Minecraft
The Sphero Rover has found its way into the classroom and was a favourite with the students who were beginning to explore how they worked on ramps. Designing and refining ramps made of cardboard most teams were able to build up the potential energy for it to go through a loop. Progressing from that they then proceeded to build a roller coaster on Minecraft and a cardboard prototype to figure out how energy is transferred. Exploring the digital concepts they were able to draw the parabolic curves. Morgan Burrows, Morgan Burling and Lara Cleghorn enjoyed presenting their findings to the class.

Drones and iterative Design
Kade Kitchen and Xavier Annandale caught the drone bug from Ittai and Henry when they watched their prototype fly and the Greymouth Aerodrome. It has been hard to tear them away from their passion since then! Starting with a paper prototype that kept falling apart with each ‘test flight’ they progressed to the styrofoam iteration and equipped with a rotor. Duck taped and flaps held together by sticks the remote controlled drone did take to skies for a few minutes before it broke into three parts. This however, did not dampen their spirits and only propelled them to go back to the drawing board for the next iteration of it.  

It has been an upside down and surreal year but I believe the students have grown from strength to strength through it; almost springboarding into life and embracing it to the full. I look forward to what innovative ideas find themselves budding in the Digital Technologies lab in 2021.

Aleta Chowfin

Digital Technologies Teacher