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Photos: Tech Wars 2014 at GCC

By Steve Ognibene

Students from throughout the GLOW region gathered at Genesee Community College yesterday for the annual Tech Wars, where students compete in matches of design and engineering skill.

“This is the seventh year since the inception of the Tech Wars that started in 2008 with only 138 kids,” said Bob Hollwedel, an event coordinator.

This year, there were 17 schools and more than 650 middle and high school school student who participated. 

The top schools overall were: 1st Place -- Alexander; 2nd Place -- Dansville; 3rd Place -- Oakfield. Photos below from a couple of the 17 events today.

Co2 Cars

Catapult - Batavia Middle School Team

Robot Tractor Pull

Trebechet - Alexander High School team

Sumo Robots - submitted by high school students

A day at the races -- and in a balloon -- for middle-schoolers

By Daniel Crofts

Middle-schoolers from all over the county came to Batavia Middle School on Tuesday for the "MST Explorer Camp" (see June 19 article for more information). The camp involved students in hands-on learning activities using math, science and technology.

A 13-year-old race car driver and Batavia Middle School student Val Stephens -- pictured center -- helps with a demonstration designed to give the kids a lesson in aerodynamics:

Kevin Raymond, a teacher in the Keshequa School District and a hot-air balloon enthusiast, talks to the kids about the type of energy that powers hot-air balloons. He shows them how they work, using an ultra-light balloon as an example (keep in mind that about 10 of these could fit into one of the larger ones):

(Inside the balloon)

Batavia Middle School technology teacher Frank Panepento shows them how to go about designing CO2 cars. 

The students designed their own cars, put them in a wind tunnel (in order to determine how much speed they could handle), weighed them and, when they finally had all the necessary data, raced them. The students whose cars fared poorly in the race were simply asked to modify their designs and see what effect their modifications had on the cars' efficiency. 

 

New summer camp lets middle schoolers go techie for a day

By Daniel Crofts

The Genesee County Business/Education Alliance (BEA) is holding the first of what they hope will be an annual summer camp this year. It's called the "MST Explorer Camp," and will engage middle-schoolers in hands-on activities related to careers in math, science and technology.

This is a first for BEA, which hosts a "MASH (Medical Academy of Science and Health) Camp" and a "Culinary Camp" every summer (see last month's announcement for more details on these and for pictures).

BEA Coordinator Melinda Chamberlin started planning the MST camp in the spring, along with Debbie Dunlevy, who works with GCC's Tech Prep Program, and Bob Hollwedel, a technology instructor at Alexander Middle School.

Clay Maderer, a technology teacher at Batavia Middle School and a member of the MST camp's development team, said that the idea arose, in part, from the success and popularity of GCC'S Tech Wars.

"We wanted to see that type of activity carry over into the summer," Maderer said.

Current job market trends, both in the Western New York area and in the nation as a whole, were also a factor.

"We hope this brings home to students the relevance of these subjects in the real world," Chamberlin said. "We also hope it shows them that math, science and technology can be cool and interesting."

All of BEA's camps are geared toward middle-schoolers. According to Chamberlin, those students are at a stage of development at which they can start to become passionate about certain subjects and find out what they like.

"They're at an age where you can really start to influence their career interests," she said. "That doesn't mean forcing them into anything, it just means that we can, and should, help them to become more well-informed about career choices (before they spend a lot of money on college)."

Although the MST has not been done before, the MASH and Culinary camps have both gotten great responses from students.

"They love it," Chamberlin said. "Some of them will even go from one camp to another."

The MST camp will include presentations given by professionals in a variety of different fields, exposing the kids to specific math, science and technology-related careers. For instance, representatives from Time Warner Cable will do a session on how the company delivers information to the world.

Additionally, a middle-school-age race car driver (along with others) will be there to help teach them about aerodynamics.

But these "instructors" are not just going to be feeding kids information, like in a stereotypical classroom setting. All of the planned activities are hands-on, so the students will be able to learn by direct, personal engagement.

Charles "Chip" Malone of Cornell Cooperative Extension will be in charge of an energy exhibit where the kids will try to activate various appliances -- including cell phones, lights and kitchen appliances -- by peddling stationary bicycles (thus generating an air current)...

"...which is really cool," Malone said. "They'll have a lot of fun with that."

The idea, according to Hollwedel, is to help them gain an "appreciation of how much energy the things they own use."

The kids will also work at designing their own bridges, modifying/adapting CO2 cars to run more efficiently and racing them to find out whose is the best.

MST is a one-day camp. There will be two sessions -- one on July 20 for boys, and another on July 21 for girls. Both sessions will be at Batavia Middle School, at 96 Ross St. in Batavia, and last from 7:45 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The decision to devote one day to each gender group was based on the observations of middle-school teachers and made for the benefit of the kids.

"Girls tend to be resistant in technology class," Hollwedel said, "because boys are stereotypically more inclined toward technology, tools, etc. So with guys around, the girls can become intimidated and afraid to try things on their own."

"If the camp were co-ed, the girls would be more likely to just go along with what the guys say," said Samantha Lippman, a science teacher at Alexander Middle School and a member of the MST development team. "This way they can work independently, pitch in and come up with their own ideas. And with all the hands-on activities, they'll be able to see that they can do it."

"What we want to do for both boys and girls," Chamberlin said, "is give them an opportunity to excel and to work without having to worry about intimidation or pressure."

The MST Camp is open to all students in Genesee County who will be entering grades 7, 8 and 9 in the fall. There is room for 11 more students, and registrations will be accepted until July 2.

There is a $25 admission fee to cover operating expenses and lunch for the students.

For details, call Chamberlin at 343-7440, ext. 25, or e-mail mchamberlin@mail.geneseeny.com.

Batavia Middle School Tech Expo

By daniel cherry

Tonight I attended the Tech Expo, at the Middle School... lt was so much fun.There was chili tasting.All the chili was so good.The top image is a catapult.The bottom one is of these leggo vehicles. They have infa red sensors so they can see the line and stay within the circle.There were also really cool little cars that run on co2.The fastest one in the contest went 37 miles per hour.There was one that went 44 mph.But that one didn't count.There were also mouse trap powered vehicles.One is in the top picture at the right.It went the whole length of the room and could have gone farther.I even got shoot the catapult a couple times.It was a blast.

 

Award

By Mark Potwora

The Batavia City School District has won a designation from the company that supplied the schools with those high tech electronic blackboards.
The "blackboards" are actually white, and act much like a computer monitor and mouse.
The firm that sold the district the devices, Promethean Incorporated, has selected Batavia Schools for its Torchlight award…one of only 15 in the country.
A ceremony is being held at Robert Norris School at this hour.
We expect to find out later today just what the designation means for city schools.I got this off the wbta web site...I would give a school an award also if they bought my product..Is this a nother way to over hype something.....

Batavia Middle School Honor Society

By Philip Anselmo

Congratulations to all the Honor Society inductees this year! And thanks to L. Brian Clark for getting us the names. So, without further ado, this year's inductees are:

SEVENTH GRADE
Trey Abdella, Anneliese Aliasso, Kathren Francis, Thomas Grammatico, Rachel Henrici, Niha Idrees, Alexis Logsdon, Jenna Mancuso, Rebecca Meloon, Miranda Moore, Andrea Raphael, Maria Robusto, Samantha Saraceni, Lindsay Wishman, Helen Zickl, Mark Zinni, Rebecca Zinni

EIGHTH GRADE
Jenna Bauer, Carl Beaver, Ryan Bienas, Briana Buchanan, Dylan Buchholtz, Melanie Case, Trevor Day, Alicia DelRe, Abigail Dobbertin, Joseph Durzewski, Alex Engel, Aubrey Falleti, Hannah Feary, Faith Finnin, Melissa Fite, James Gomez, Robert Greathouse, Ashley Hale, Taylor Harkness, Alyssa Holmes, Thomas Houseknecht, Alexis Jackson, Ann Janofsky, Hayley Jensen, Vincent Klimjack, Adam Kurek, Stephanie Lapp, Tyler Long, Sherena Majors, Eric Mancuso, Megan Mase, Catherine McAllister, Kathleen O'Donnell, Victoria Oxencis-Barber, Brianne Paganello, Andrea Pursel, Kirsten Rowland, Kirsten Smith, Megan Smith, Cody Sumeriski, Catherine Taylor, Tylin Torcello, Natalie Tuites, Jessie Turner

BMS HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERS
Sarah DiBacco, Patrick Flynn, Erin Hurlbut, Meg Hurlbut, Megan Jacques, Samantha Loria, Grey Musilli, Brittney Okoniewski, Lisa Redband, Jordyn Vanelli, Brandon Vasciannie

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