Farewell, so long, good luck – an end to the school year.

As I write this, I reflect on the year that we have had at Belmont City College. I will not use this article today to talk about all of the wonderful events and things that have been going on around our school. Instead I will take the time to reflect on the type of year that we have had, and what we can expect for the future.

It was a roller coaster of a year for not just students, but for staff as well. A defining moment, one could say, was the college being granted IPS status for 2010. This will be interesting and something that will enable BCC to stand out from ‘the crowd’.

We had emotional farewells for a large number of staff, including my good friend and fellow blogger, Mr Lasic. He will move on to Thornlie SHS and our loss is their massive gain.

We say goodbye to quite a number of other fantastic staff that have made an impact over the year.

Let’s now look forward to 2010 with positivity and a sense that things can only get better here at BCC.

To all involved here at BCC, staff and students alike, we here at the e-Voice bid you a very happy holiday season and look forward to a fantastic and prosperous new year.

Ciao, for now.

Web 2.0 Expo

So far, the BCC Web 2.0 Expo has been a huge success. Without counting all of the proverbial chickens before they have hatched, there is still one day to go, but if it is anything like the excitement, energy and learning that took place today, then we can be sure that ’09 is the first of many years that this kind of event will run at our school.

Mr Lasic, Jeong and Carabetta have been working hard with a number of dedicated and enthusiastic students to put this on for BCC. That’s only one half of the expo. The second half?

Everyone else.

As the slogan has been saying all week; this isn’t about computers, it’s about people. The story is about humans and human interaction. While a number of trade and technology expos around the world may be havens for ultra-skilled professionals and those with advanced technical knowledge, Web 2.0 is different. It’s inclusive, it is for everyone.

Simply put; the tools are not the whole story, they aren’t even half the story. The way that they are used is the story of this expo. The ways in which we can use Web 2.0 to improve our communication, learning and teaching. The ways in which we can collaborate with people from all over the world in ways that were not possible only a few years ago.

The global classroom is now a reality, not just a concept. We here at BCC have this opportunity to completely transform education – let’s grab that opportunity.

Thursday is the final day of the expo. Make sure that you get your teacher to take your class down so that YOU don’t miss out on this great experience.

More to come including full coverage of the expo and photographs later on today. Stay tuned.

Create, Collaborate and Connect

Alright stop! Collaborate and listen!

That’s right, I’m definitely showing my age, but for those of you who remember those ‘poetic’ words from Vanilla Ice know that they meant absolutely nothing. However, at the Web 2.0 Expo this week, they mean absolutely EVERYTHING.

This is what it’s all about, people, not the technology. Creating in a collaborative way with people we connect with, whether it be socially or professionally. Web 2.0 is the new shift that the Internet has given us, and this week at BCC we get a first-hand look at how it can benefit education, especially at our school.

Mr Lasic and a number of students have worked tirelessly to prepare something particularly special and unique – this is for everyone – a showcase of what is on offer if you only open yourself up to the possibilities that you can create via the use of Web 2.0.

So, I won’t say much more than that because we want you to get down there today – the library, media lab and LOTE room are the expo venues. We’ll see you there!

A Great Way to Finish the Year

It’s not about computers; it’s about people.

That’s the slogan you can be sure to hear next week when you arrive at Belmont City College. The buzz around campus now is focussed on the Web 2.0 expo – 4 days of learning and living the social media/network experience in 3 different venues. The expo is for absolutely everyone here at BCC. Staff and students are welcome to attend and involve themselves in one of the most exciting initiatives that our college has seen.

Spearheaded by Mr Lasic, the Web 2.0 expo comprises of the 3 main aspects of Web 2.0 tools: Creation, Collaboration and Connecting. The main point is to show that this is not about technology, it is about how we use these tools to connect as humans, how we use them to create exciting products for the classroom, and how we come together to collaborate as a team on initiatives.

So make sure you come down to the Library, LC13 and E12 next week for one of the greatest learning experiences that you will have this year!

A Bad, Bad Place

The Drama Production for Primary Schools begins today! After months of preparation and rehearsals, Miss Bromley’s year 8, 9 and 10 drama students are about to perform for a number of primary schools. This year’s production, A Bad, Bad Place is exciting and promises to be like nothing else ever performed here at BCC.

Over the next couple of weeks, hundreds of primary school students from the surrounding areas will get to see first hand just how talented our performing arts students are.

Photos from the production will be up on the e-Voice soon so stay tuned!

The Frivolity and Mystery of Quantum Mechanics

Quantum mechanics is a set of principles describing the physical reality at the atomic level of matter and the subatomic. These descriptions include the simultaneous wave-like and particle-like behavior of both matter and radiation.