AISD students to flaunt tech skills, Abilene Reporter-News
By Emily A. Peters (Contact)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Abilene Independent School District Technology Fair Students and staff from AISD schools.
What: Free day of fun technology displays and information sessions.
When: Saturday, 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Where: Abilene High School
Why: So the community can marvel at student tech skills.
Hundreds of Abilene Independent School District students and teachers will be wired up and ready to give the community a glimpse into their high-tech classroom activities Saturday morning at the district's annual Technology Showcase.
College Heights Elementary students want to show you their Mustang News TV Broadcast. Abilene High School students want you to see their multimedia math skills. Clack Middle School students want to introduce you to their Lego robots. These are just a few of the demonstrations people can expect at the free event at Abilene High School.
"Last year, we had 2,000 come to see what we're doing," said Mark Gabehart, chief officer of AISD technology. "We think parents will be really impressed with what their children are using in the classroom." Showcase attendees can jump in to try out the latest classroom technology, including the Promethean Boards, or the digital chalkboards teachers use to present lessons.
Parents will also learn about educational online programs they can access from home, such as library research tools, databases with educational videos, and the Web-based grade book where they can monitor their child's grades, attendance and cafeteria balance. "AISD has offered a lot of online resources many parents don't know about," Gabehart said.
Parents can also attend sessions to learn how to monitor their child's Internet time. "With all these social networking issues, like Facebook, parents don't always know enough about what their children are doing online," he said. "We can provide them with information to think about." Texas State Technical College will display some technical career tracks they offer in fields like Web development and wind energy.
"We want children and parents to understand that there are lots of job opportunities," Gabehart said. "Not just with four-year degrees, but with two-year degrees in a technology trade." The middle school and high school student Mouse Squad clubs will offer tech support throughout the day to keep the computerized celebration up and running. And door prizes like I-pods, Best Buy gift cards and a laptop will help feed techie habits long after the showcase is over. The event begins at 8:30 a.m.
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