You should see what our Year 9 maths students have been up to lately. Andrew Paul, who teaches Year 9 maths, worked with Scott Fisher from our STEM department to let the students use the laser cutter for their geometry lessons.
Instead of just working through textbook problems, the students got into groups and designed their own geometric products. It was great watching them share ideas and figure out how to turn what they were learning about shapes and angles into something they could actually make.
The best part was seeing when they realised that all this geometry stuff they’ve been studying actually matters in the real world. They had to think about how their designs would work with the laser cutter. This meant really understanding the properties of different shapes and how they fit together.
When they got to watch their designs being cut out, you could see how proud they were. It wasn’t just about getting a cool product at the end, though they definitely liked that part. They really understood how maths connects to technology and design in ways they’d never thought about before.
Mr Paul and Mr Fisher did a great job supporting the students through the whole process. It’s the kind of hands-on learning that gets students interested in maths instead of just seeing it as something they have to get through.
We’re looking forward to seeing what they come up with for their next project. These Year 9s have some good ideas.
Mr Zani
Head of Learning Area – Mathematics
