Students Display Technology Education Achievements At NMS

By Eliza Hallabeck

Students in Don Ramsey’s technology education class displayed their final projects from the first marking period for their parents during a night filled with learning and ice cream on Wednesday, October 15.

The technology dducation classroom was full of projects from seventh and eighth grade students, who had to solve different projects over the course of the marking period. The seventh grade students had to design an architectural model that focused on “safe characteristics” of a shelter. The eighth grade students had to design an interactive teaching aid.

“I’m pretty impressed by this turnout,” said Mr Ramsey.

Students gave out ice cream to visitors who attended the open house.

“This is something I am going to do five times this year,” said Mr Ramsey, because each marking period’s students will be assigned the same projects over the course of the school year.

Seventh grade student Paige Thanasoulis made a replica of her family’s house for her project, because, she said, she knows all of the safety hazards in it.

Paige said she followed the project guidelines that said students should “make a model with safe characteristics to protect people.”

Her model included a photograph of her actual house, and to replicate a stained glass window above her front door she used smashed candy. Paige brought her parents to the open house for them to see their own house and the work of her classmates. The model of her family’s home also had a photograph of Paige behind the front door to welcome people, and a photograph of Mr Ramsey in one of the windows.

Paige said Mr Ramsey told her it was the first time he had ever been put into one of the projects himself.

Another seventh grade student, Nicholas Gosselin, created an undersea settlement after studying the effects dwelling underwater would have on humans.

“There would be robots to monitor everything,” said Nicholas, “but people would be living in this situation.”

For example, Nicholas put a “nerve center” in his project that would control the oxygen levels in his underwater facility, and would clean all products that would be distributed from the facility to maintain an eco-friendly environment.

To create the project, Nicholas read articles and found similar projects that are currently underway. But the idea to create an underwater settlement as his Architectural Project came from a video game.

Among other buildings that would be included in the underwater settlement, Nicholas added a “Biodome,” that would house necessary vegetables, plants, and animals.

“In 15 to 20 years, once the technology comes around, this would be a very possible idea,” said Nicholas.

Mr Ramsey said he enjoys having the open house events for the students to showcase their work to their parents and their fellow students’ parents.

“The fact that they all brought their parents in during the middle of the week shows something,” he said.