AST Stars

Transition Education, or ‘Trans Ed’, is a fantastic course to participate in. It provides students with an opportunity to learn practical skills that can be used in the community, for work and volunteering, and in further study. The Monday Transition class started their course in July 2018 and finished in December 2020.

In the first year of their course, the students participated in several excursions. They used public transport, to assist with learning how to plan and participating in travel. The students had full autonomy on where they chose to go and which mode of transport they would take. They used the PTV website to decide on the type of transport and to help calculate the duration of their trip. These activities supported the students to develop the many skills involved in planning a trip using public transport.

Each student developed a learning plan where they created personal goals to work towards throughout their course. Some examples of students’ goals included: improving money-handling skills, catching public transport independently, reading and following a recipe, and improving skills in reading and writing. While working on their goals, the students identified any barriers that they may face and developed strategies to help them overcome these challenges in order to achieve their goals.

One of the core units of Trans Ed is ‘Use Technology for a Range of Purposes’. This unit fits in perfectly with the online learning that the students unexpectedly found themselves engaged in during lockdown in 2020. Luckily, the students had attended an excursion prior to the pandemic to investigate the use of technology in the community. Each student really excelled in this unit and made incredible progress with their online learning. The students’ confidence and abilities in using technology for learning meant they were able to complete their course in the allocated timeframe.

Throughout the course, it was noticeable that all students experienced improved self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. Everyone participated confidently in group discussions and reading out loud in front of the class. They supported and encouraged each other, especially when faced with challenges such as online learning during COVID-19.

Well done to all who participated in the Transitional Education course!