48 As our boys solve difficult and complex problems, the problem-solving becomes an interactive process which they try and tweak and try again. This helps them develop tenacity and grit and watching the Grade 12 boys apply their creativity in their design of their final programming project, which we call the PAT, is fascinating. The PAT stretches their ability and challenges them to achieve above and beyond the concepts taught in class. 2019 has been no exception and this year we saw some outstanding projects. Jack Savage used his knowledge of chess to create a two-player game of chess and his program was flawless. Ryan Healy created an entertaining program which allowed one to take care of an “Electronic Pet”, like a Tomogotchi. Here, you had to feed the pet, and play with it, for it to grow. Luke Wilson’s project was a response-time test, to check how quickly a user would respond to visual images on a screen. This project ran various tests on the user and the program would then determine whether the user’s average response-time would fall within the required range to operate certain equipment or vehicles. Our Grade 10s and Grade 11s focused on the core fundamentals and made huge headway in their syllabus. The Grade 10s started with a new curriculum this year which has a stronger emphasis on computational thinking skills. The ‘English to Pig Latin’ conversion project as well as the ‘Tic Tac Toe’ game project, helped to solidify concepts taught in class. Our Robotics Elective curriculum focused on autonomous cars. The robotic cars had to be able to drive forwards, stop at a traffic light if it was red and move forwards when the traffic light turned green. They could reverse, while detecting objects from behind and stop, should there be an obstacle in the way. To achieve this, the boys programmed the robotic sensors to respond in different situations. Class of 2018 Carl Combrinck carried out his Grade 12 year with dedication, achieving a fantastic final exam result of 95%. He was placed in the top 1% of all Information Technology learners in the country. Out of the 8 boys who wrote IT, two boys achieved distinctions above 90%. I would like to extend my thanks to the teachers of this department, Mr Marco Botha and Mr Kyle Eysle, who worked tirelessly to ensure the boys were properly prepared throughout year. We look forward to the results of the Class of 2019. Mrs Cha rl ene El l iott HOD Information Technology INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Information Technology as a subject promotes creativity, critical thinking, complex problem-solving and collaborating with others. Academic Review
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