The 2023 Chronicle

of technology throughout their years at Michaelhouse.

gives these candidates a complete National Senior Certificate subject package without having to study a second language. Information Technology is a popular subject choice amongst boys. When this subject is combined with Physical Sciences and Engineering and Graphic Design it provides a good foundation for those wanting to pursue engineering in tertiary institutions. Boys taking this subject have shown innovation and creativity in their IEB practical assessment task. This task requires boys to design, code and test fully working computer software on a topic of their choosing. This year saw a particularly innovative project by Theo Apteker who developed mood monitoring software with the aim of improving the emotional and psychological well-being of its users. This year also saw a move away from desktop computers in the computer labs due to the roll-out of the laptop device programme at Michaelhouse. Each new E Blocker receives his own personal laptop for use in the school curriculum. This has reduced the need for desktop computers, and dozens of these desktops were removed from the computer labs at the beginning of the year. This has resulted in lower costs with regard to hardware and maintenance. The roll-out of the laptop programme means our E Block curriculum has shifted its focus to preparing new boys to use these devices effectively. E Block boys were introduced to the basics of device care and how to be a good digital citizen. Online safety and security remains a key focus, and the E Block are asked to discuss case studies relating to cyberbullying, cybercrime and online best practices. In addition, new boys are introduced to an array of Microsoft applications, such as Teams, OneDrive and Outlook. We hope that by explicitly teaching these topics to the boys at the beginning of their high school careers, they will be able to make more constructive use

During D Block we seek to inspire our learners with a love for solving problems, mediated using various technologies. Our content includes HTML and CSS, Python programming and spreadsheets. Each of these technologies allows boys to express their creativity through solving interesting and relevant problems they may encounter in daily life. The HTML and CSS sections give them a good understanding of aesthetic design as well as the basics of scripting. A new development is the use of a blended learning approach when instructing boys in Python programming. D Block boys make use of ProjectStem, an online environment that teaches and assesses programming skills. Using this platform boys are able to work through the curriculum at their own pace as well as obtain immediate feedback on their coding assignments. The staff of the Computer Studies Department attended the Clifton Strengths Workshop in September 2023. This workshop explored each individual person’s top five strengths as measured by a comprehensive online assessment. The workshop helped members of the department understand their most valuable character traits as well as those of their colleagues. The hope is that this will allow us to work more effectively together by leveraging each staff member’s strengths in the daily operations of the department. The department is steadfastly committed to the vision of inspiring a love for technology and a passion for problem- solving and outstanding analytical skills in all the pupils we interact with. The applicability of technology and the effect it has on our modern world cannot be overstated. We hope that, through our work, the men that leave Michaelhouse will have a deep understanding and appreciation of the possibilities for change that our field has to offer.

PASTORAL CARE AND COUNSELLING

Pinocchio at the funfair in his attempt to become a real boy.

Written by Mr Tim Jarvis, Senior Master Pastoral Care

INTO THE MANOSPHERE

KING OF THE MANOSPHERE Perhaps the best way to get to grips with the manosphere is to examine the characters who dwell there. Let’s start with the undisputed king of the manosphere, Andrew Tate. If you have boys in your life they will have heard of him and probably like a lot of what he says. Writing in The Conversation , Robert Lawson, associate professor in sociolinguistics at Birmingham City University, says, “Tate has become a leading voice of the manosphere, a digital space where men talk about ‘men’s issues’ like fitness and health, dating, relationships, finances, divorce, fathers’ rights, and more. While these are important topics to offer help and support on, the manosphere is also a space where anti- women and anti-feminist ideologies have taken root, bolstered by a belief in the inherent superiority of men.”

B

oys are carpet-bombed with messages about what it means to be a man. Family, community, school, adverts, all have lots and often diverse things to say. But there is one space that shouts the loudest. Cyberspace. Signposted by social media, the internet offers a clearly marked route to masculinity, and it’s found in an area of cyberspace known as the manosphere.

It’s leading young men down a dangerous path.

The discussion about what it means to be a man is difficult and complex. In the manosphere, though, the answers are simple, easy to grasp and digestible. It makes them easy to swallow for a 16-year-old male lost in the conflicting hall of mirrors of masculinity. It’s easy to see why young men get led astray like

53