Business, Home Economics and Technology students prove the power of learning in context
The production saloon car. From left, Timo Stoffregen, Patrick Ward and Bastian Joechle- Rings.
Learning in authentic contexts is known to be very powerful. Running a business, planning, cooking and serving a formal dinner for a number of guests, and constructing and driving a stock car are examples of truly authentic contexts in which some Golden Bay High School students have been learning recently.
young enterprise
The school has an unparalleled record in the Young Enterprise business-training scheme. Since Economics teacher Justine Butler first encouraged students to enter the nationwide challenge in 2001, she has accompanied six different Bay teams to the national finals.
This year the school had two year 12 Young Enterprise teams: Squeeze, a company producing and marketing feijoa and apple juice, and Passion, which made a dessert sauce out of the pest plant banana passionfruit. The Passion team won the Top of the South regional competition, and two of their directors, Tessa Farley and George Machin, travelled to Wellington this week to deliver a presentation at the national finals. The gala event was held at the Duxton Hotel on Wednesday. Results were not known at the time of publication.
Students from both Young Enterprise teams said that they were surprised by the amount of time and effort it took to run a small company.
“If we were starting again right now, I’d want us to settle on a product very quickly,” said George. “And then we’d make it and start selling right away.”
Millie Eggers from Squeeze said: “Being in a Young Enterprise company puts you in a lot of different situations from normal school experiences. It was difficult to stay focused and maintain your self-motivation over the number of months we worked together. I’d want to do a lot more market research than we managed at the start too.”
Both teams paid tribute to the encouragement and enthusiasm of their teacher, Justine Butler.
home economics
The year 13 Home Economics class is just putting the finishing touches to the paperwork involved in a four-credit, Level Three unit standard called “Plan, Prepare and Serve Food For A Special Occasion”.
In two groups of three, the class had to firstly “test-drive” six separate trial dishes prepared by each student. After careful evaluation, the best dishes were chosen to make up a menu offering two choices of starter, main course and dessert to their guests. The students designed the invitations and transformed the sewing room at the high school into a restaurant-like venue ready for the big night.
The lucky guests (family and friends of the hosts) were able to see the students interacting in the kitchen and producing and serving the dishes. At the end of the meal, the diners delivered honest and detailed feedback.
“Olivia’s Dad said that he’d be happy to go to a restaurant and order the soufflé I made,” said Michelle McCleely. “That was really nice.”
“It was stressful but fun,” said Iris Ekmanis. “It’s a lot more real than some other things we do.”
Melissa Wells agreed. “It’s quite a bit more fun than stats and calc.”
The students said that producing the meals in groups posed some challenges, but they met those challenges by encouraging each other and playing to the strengths that each group member had. They too agreed that the enthusiasm of their teacher, Glenda Allinson, and the encouragement she gave them were crucial in their commitment to the learning.
“She’s so positive,” said Michelle. “She never ever gives up on anyone, even if they’re really struggling.”
technology
Last Saturday Year 12 student Patrick Ward drove a stock car in three ten-lap races at the Nelson stock-car track.
The car, a formerly derelict 1991 Honda Prelude, had been stripped and modified to the strict specifications required by the stock-car association and, according to Patrick, it held up very well in the competitive environment.
“The motor’s not in great condition,” he said. “The big-end bearing’s very worn. It was lucky to last through the three races. The racing was a very new experience—an excellent adrenalin rush. I was amazed at the amount of traction you have. It’s a lot, but sometimes it’s not quite enough on the tight clay circuit.”
Patrick was racing against serious production saloon car drivers and he said they were impressed that he was able to just keep up with them.
“They were great. They gave me some pointers about what lines to take and how to hold them.”
The car restoration project took well over a year, and was started by a group of students who are no longer at Golden Bay High. Current Year 12 students Patrick, Timo Stoffregen and Bastian Joechle-Rings were involved in the engineering and automotive work needed to get the car ready to race.
“There was a fair bit involved,” said Timo. “Drilling and riveting, pipework, sheet-metal work, welding, electronics and painting. We had one day a week with Pete Kristofski from NMIT.”
Technology teacher Ben Knoef said that the responsible racing aspect of the project was an important way to encourage the safe use of cars by young people.
Neil Wilson
