Collaboration the key for bakery team – TasTAFE

Ensuring students are supported and continue to get the training they need during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a priority for TasTAFE.

The opportunity to keep students digitally engaged has fostered a spirit of innovation and collaboration amongst TasTAFE teachers from across the state, with teachers working together to ensure learning remains interesting and engaging for their students.

Although based at opposite ends of the state, TasTAFE’s Bakery teaching team of Mike Goddard and Jason Mizzen (pictured) in Hobart, and Benoit Marchand in Devonport, have worked together to develop online learning for more than 70 Certificate III in Bakery apprentices state-wide.

The three teachers have split up the various units needed to deliver the qualification and are each developing different aspects, but working closely together. They talk in the digital world each morning.

As well as the theory side of the course, the team are developing videos for students including pastry and bread-making, and pie-fillings. The teachers have focused on ensuring content is entertaining for the students. As well as making ‘how-to’ videos they are also making ‘what not to do’ videos showing students things like how they can end up with lumpy custard!

Theory is being made more engaging with initiatives like online quizzes for students.

Mike Goddard said that switching a very practical course into the online environment had presented some challenges, but it had also been an opportunity for the team to think differently about how they deliver the Bakery qualification.

“While it’s been a lot of work, I think what we’re going to end up with is an even better learning outcome for our students,” Mr Goddard said.

TasTAFE CEO, Jenny Dodd, said TasTAFE’s teachers had embraced being digitally connected with students.

“I’ve seen many fantastic examples of teams of teachers collaborating to revise learning programs and helping each other to adjust to a totally new way of teaching.

“The example of this bakery team shows the innovations that that we will embed as a result of this disruptive time, complementing TasTAFE’s focus which will always be on practical, hands on learning,” Ms Dodd said.

Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook