Specific Study Area 1 - Engineering & Construction

Project- based learning and practical manual work experience for 14+ age group covering the following subjects:

· Building Maintenance

· Working with Concrete, Bricklaying

· Electrics

· Plumbing

· Working with Wood

· Working with Metal

· Alternative Energy Sources – Choosing and Using

· Combustion Engine and Vehicle Maintenance

· Bicycle Maintenance

Students will join project teams to learn and acquire the skill sets in practical projects ongoing at the Quinta Florestal in Monchique, Southern Portugal, where all techniques will be adapted to dry Mediterranean landscape conditions. 

Instructors

Instructors for each of the areas will draw on local builders and anyone in the parent’s group who feels they may have something to offer. The learning programme will be coordinated by Gordon Sillence, the School Principal, who is running the School’s building and maintenance programme

Learning Outcomes

Depending on the age of each participant, the outcomes of the learning experience will be:

1. Basic knowledge of each building subject area.

2. Knowledge of Safety aspects of construction work

3. Practical Technical Drawing and Design Skills

4. Practical Calculation of Material and Costing Skills.

5. Basic labouring skills expected of a building assistant/apprentice

6. Understanding the different jobs involved with working with wood, cement/clay/sand, electrics, plumbing and engineering.

7. Experience of working a practical building site

8. Project Work Chosen by Student

This year’s projects will involve: 

1. Working with metal: Construction of a 35,000 ltr water tank

2. Working with sand, cement and iron: Earthquake Regulation Domestic Building

3. Working with wood: Sustainable Building Workshop and Storage Space

4. Working with Electricity – wiring skills and designs for buildings

5. Bicycle Maintenance Workshop

Learning Times: 

Friday Afternoons 2 -4 pm  (10 x per term = 20 hrs)

Week end Workshops 1 per term (2 days 8 hours per day. = 16 hrs)

Project Work – 10 hours per term

Total 46 x 3 = 138 hrs Guided Learning Time 

Cost 460 Euros per term 

Enrolment:

If you are interested in your child/children to attend this course please contact Stella or Gordon for Enrolment starting 1st October 2024.

  Technical skills acquisition through groupwork and project-based exploration of:

· Artificial Intelligence – Learning to learn and learning to work with GPT4o, Microsoft CoPilot and other Large Language Model systems.

· Online Networks – How the Internet Works, Building Online Communities. 

· Content Creation- website, video, sound and story-telling production

· Programming – Learning to programme in HTML 5 and Python using AI and online courses.

Students will form teams who will work through the above subject areas as part of their individual learning programme. They will be expected to deliver a portfolio of their work and their own programming/design projects by the end of the year. 

Instruction

Instruction for each of the areas will draw on a selection of the most appropriate internet course content forming the basis of an individual learning programme that will be facilitated by Gordon Sillence, the School Principal, who has over 3 decades of ICT development and teaching experience, and currently acts as ICT Director for the Tourism2030.eu Portal, running the ICT company Travel Green Planet Services. He will support each student to fulfil their individual learning programme activities. 

Learning Experiences

Depending on the age of each participant, the learning experiences in this year’s projects will involve: 

1. Introduction to Computing – Hardware and Software (Using Brilliant) 

2. Using Software Programmes for Writing, Calculating and Presentation (Google and Microsoft 365)

3. Building a Website using a Web Generator (GoDaddy, Wix. AI web generation)

4. Online Course in HTML 5

5. Online Course in Understanding Coding (Python II code generation)

6. Online Course in Understanding and Using AI – the Rise of ChatGPT and Beyond 

7. Online Course in Using AI to generate an AI Agents (ChatGPT4.0)

Learning Times: 

Thursday Afternoons 2 -4 pm (10 x per term = 20 hrs)

Week end Workshop 1 per term ( 1 days = 8 hrs)

Project Work – 20 hours per term

Total: 144 hrs Guided Learning Time 

Cost 460 Euros per term 

Equipment:

Participants must bring their own laptops/tablets with them to be able to work from school and at home, where there should also be internet access.

Enrolment:

If you are interested in your child/children to attend this course please contact Stella or Gordon for Enrolment starting 1st October 2024.