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Glen Eira College

In2science reflections: October 2015

By News

Looking to the future as placements draw to a close

October was always going to be a tough month for our mentors. The looming presence of university exams has been further compounded by placements coming to a close. After 10 weeks of visiting schools, it can be tough to say goodbye. A big thank you from all the team here at In2science to our volunteer mentors who have generously donated their time and energy throughout Semester 2.

Alternative careers Q&A panel

In2science’s alternative career Q&A panel: Claire Farrugia (MC; In2science Coordinator at RMIT University), Maja Divjak (GTAC), Sarah Matthee (Engineers Without Borders), Sally Lowenstein (State Emergency Service), Jonathan Shearer (Scienceworks) and Daryl Holland (University of Melbourne).

Where to now?

Mentoring in a classroom can have a profound impact on university students.

Some mentors know exactly what they are going to do after finishing their studies. Others find a passion for talking about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and want to find a way to make a career of sharing what they love.

The final In2science professional development session for the semester focused on helping mentors discover what might lie ahead. Hosted by In2science at RMIT University, the ‘alternate careers’ Q&A panel brought together scientific animators, communicators, education officers and journalists to talk about their jobs and how they got there. Mentors were certainly prepared with some cracking questions and engrossing post-panel discussions.

Congratulations to Dr Alan Finkel and Simon McKeon

October was also a big month the In2science Advisory Board, with Patron Dr Alan Finkel AO FTSE being announced as Australia’s next Chief Scientist and Advisory Board Chair Simon McKeon AO appointed as Chancellor of Monash University. Congratulations on your appointments!

Stories from the schools

  • Dominic Carroll_Brunswick

    Dominic spoke to students at Brunswick SC about extra dimensions beyond the three we can see.

    Marson has been mentoring at Glen Eira College this semester, helping year 9 students with their engineering project. Students were challenged to build a 30cm-tall tower using limited resources that could withstand earthquakes while under weight stress. Marson guided the students through the engineering process from brainstorming and research through to design, testing and trialling the structures using an earthquake platform while gradually increasing weight loads.

  • Rebecca brought in some pet spiders for her science class at Roxburgh College to see while discussing digestive systems. Live arachnids certainly inspired the students to ask interesting questions about caring for a unique pet and what they’re fed!
  • Mentor Gemma has been on placement at Werribee Secondary College this semester helping students with practical classes in science and mathematics. Gemma  has been helping students test which shapes sink faster than others and relating these findings to how different fishes have adapted and evolved to minimise drag and resistance in water.
  • Dom has been mentoring students at Brunswick Secondary College this semester. Although Dom’s speciality is in biological sciences, his class was learning astrophysics, so to mix things up a bit Dom brought in demonstrations to challenge the class with the idea that although we can comprehend three dimensions, physicists can use maths to understand that there are many, many more dimensions beyond what we can see with our own eyes.

Meet a mentor: Shelley Haslett

By Profiles

Shelley Haslett

Profile picture of mentor Shelley HaslettWhat are you studying? I’m doing a Bachelor Applied Science (Food Technology and Nutrition) at RMIT University. I really enjoy studying food because it is something really important that we deal with in our everyday lives, often without thinking about it. I love to cook and eat: understanding the science behind cooking takes it to a whole new level of delicious!

Tell us about your In2science placement: I am in my second semester at Glen Eira College. I have really enjoyed getting to know the students and hearing about the things they are interested in. It has also been a really great experience to join in on the practical classes and help the students to really think about what is going on, not just follow the instructions on the sheet.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? I became a mentor because it sounded like a really good opportunity to be involved in the community. I also felt that if I had had a peer mentor in my high school science class I might have actually paid a bit more attention and realised how interesting, fun and relevant science actually is to our everyday lives.

What’s the best thing about In2science? The students. It is so great to see young people who are enthusiastic about the possibilities in their future, science or not.

What’s the worst thing about In2science? When the classes are on something I have no idea about! Like geology – I don’t ever remember taking a geology class, but now I have. The students taught me a lot!

Who inspired you to study science? My inspirations are Heston Blumenthal and Jamie Oliver: Heston because he does some amazing, crazy, fun things with food, and Jamie because he’s really into sustainability and giving back to the community.

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? I really want to be involved in the development of food products that are sustainable from the moment they are planted to the moment they are eaten. This is so important because of the expanding population and decrease in farming land – basically I want to feed the world.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist, who would it be and why? Jane Goodall. She has been so immersed and passionate about her work for such a long period of time. She would have some amazing stories to tell!