How has Melbourne changed over time? What factors have influenced these changes? Why is Melbourne considered to be one of the most liveable cities in the world? These were just some of the questions Year 7 students explored in a recent week-long immersion program: The Melbourne Experience.
Working in small groups, and in collaboration with girls from Melbourne Girls Grammar (MGGS), students were challenged to respond to the questions through a specific lens like cuisine, education, sport or architecture and present their findings in a short documentary film. The resultant films were screened at an ACMI cinema at the end of the program.
For Jed Athanasakos, Ziggy Murdoch and Neev Shah, who formed a group with two MGGS students, it was a “great” experience. “This is our city and, by learning about its history, it helps us understand it more,” explains Ziggy. “It is one of the most diverse cities in the world so there is a lot we can learn from it.”
The impact of technology
Jed, Ziggy and Neev’s group chose to focus on the influence technology has had on three aspects of our city – health, public transport and entertainment. “We filmed one segment of our documentary outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital,” says Neev. “We talked about the technologies that help save or improve peoples’ lives.”
“The changes in public transport have made it easier for people to get around the city. They are no longer using a horse and cart, and this has impacted on liveability,” adds Jed. “We filmed this segment in a train station.”
“We went to ACMI to film our segment on the change in entertainment,” explains Ziggy. “We interviewed some people there on film including a staff member who spoke about the technology they use to enhance visitor experience at their exhibitions and to make them more accessible.”
Getting to know Melbourne
On the first day, after participating in some ‘getting to know you’ activities, each of the 58 small groups of students headed off on a scavenger hunt across Melbourne’s CBD.
“There was a specific learning activity at each point in the hunt,” says Chris Drummond, Head of Teaching and Learning at Wadhurst, and coordinator of the program. “These were designed to encourage students to stop and take stock of their surroundings with the hope they would develop an understanding of the place they were in through a specific lens and this, in turn, might influence the direction they wished to take their inquiry. There was also a problem-solving component at each point, to assist with team building.”
Students needed to work out their own route and travel method to get to each of the 12 points under investigation. “In addition to the academic intentions underpinning the program, we wanted students to also develop a range of life skills,” explains Chris. “Becoming confident and competent independent travellers was just one of those.”
Students also participated in a film making workshop focusing on the technical and story-telling components during the week.
New friends, old friends
“We were delighted to work with MGGS on this important learning program,” says Chris. “It provided an opportunity for students to build new friendships at the beginning of their secondary school journey. We hope these relationships will be long lasting and meaningful. For some Wadhurst students, it was also a chance for them to reconnect with their female friends from Grimwade House.”
The School expects that this will build the base for ongoing formal and informal engagement between these Melbourne Grammar and MGGS students throughout the remainder of their schooling days, and beyond.
And what did the students think of the program? “I liked exploring parts of Melbourne I hadn’t been to for some time, if at all,” says Ziggy. “Lockdowns prevented us from getting about too much during the past few years.”
For Neev, it was the novel approach to learning that was the most exciting part of the program. “I’d definitely want to do something like this again,” he says. “It was different to sitting in a classroom, we learnt a lot and, best of all, it was fun.”
“We can see a lot of Melbourne just by looking out our windows at Wadhurst. But we learnt a lot more by being there ‘in reality’,” summed up Jed.
