Topeka Tech Fair at the Capitol
SHESC Member Schools Honored
by Linda Loder
February 16, 2007
Five schools from three of our Smoky Hill Education Service Center membership districts were honored by being selected to demonstrate at the annual Technology Fair at the Kansas Capitol building in Topeka on February 15, 2007.
USD 240 Twin Valley was represented by both Bennington Elementary and Tescott Elementary Schools; USD 306 Southeast of Saline was represented by Southeast of Saline Elementary School and Southeast of Saline High School; USD 379 Clay Center was represented by Clay Center Middle School.
The displays and presentations were visited by a host of state dignitaries, including Governor Kathleen Sebelius; Interim Commissioner of Education Dale Dennis; Kathy Martin, Kansas State Board of Education; Kansas State Representatives Elaine Bowers, Josh Svaty, Pete Brungart, and Deana Horst; several KSDE representatives including Melinda Stanley and Linda Grindol; KAN-ED representative Christina Madden; and MACE representatives Tom Sextro and Eldon Chlumsky.
The USD 240 Twin Valley Schools were accompanied by Tracy Piepho, 5th grade teacher at Tescott, Val Martin, counselor at Tescott, Tina Bulleigh, 5th grade teacher at Bennington, and Darren Rodine, 6th grade teacher at Bennington. Tescott Elementary School fifth graders presented technology-integrated learning that included their Wax Museum historical research project, several different Podcasting projects, PowerPoints, and iMovie projects. Bennington Elementary School’s i-team students showed off several technology-integrated projects from various grade levels incorporating everything from PowerPoint and Excel to iMovies and Podcasting, and demonstrated how these projects are both standards-based and unforgettable.
The USD 306 Southeast of Saline Schools were accompanied by Melissa Florey, elementary computer lab instructor, and Gary McClure, high school English, journalism and broadcast instructor. The Southeast of Saline elementary students demonstrated their unforgettable learning from their Jr. Crime Squad project, stepped visitors through a ‘clicker’ quiz, and took fingerprints from volunteers who visited their booth. The Southeast of Saline high school students demonstrated how they make live broadcasts, and included volunteers from their visiting audience in their demonstrations of how to use a green screen with computer-generated and designed graphics to produce their broadcasts. Visitors seemed to be fascinated with the technology that allowed them to give the weather forecast using the green screen and computer-generated graphical displays.
The USD 379 Clay Center Middle School students were accompanied by Rhonda Gierhan, advanced computers instructor. These students were showing terrific claymation videos made with iMovie. The students showed their videos and explained the many steps that went into the creation of their productions over a period of eleven weeks, including storyboarding, script writing, designing and building miniature sets, and the use of both still and video cameras.
All of the presenting schools were honored with a plaque from KSDE and had photos taken of their groups with Interim Commissioner of Education Dale Dennis and MACE President-Elect Eldon Chlumsky. Congratulations to all of these teachers and students! I know your schools are proud of your accomplishments.
