httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp08DbaizOc&list=PLwKy40M3Z9kD6j86kPXpwlhHo0XVhRneA&index=1
Katie Kuberra
Reporter
For seven years, New Canaan Public Schools’ annual Tech Night has provided an opportunity for students to connect with their passion for technology and show off their technological abilities. On Feb. 26, 2013, this esteemed tradition continued. This year’s Tech Night hosted more than 50 student-run extracurricular and school-related technology projects from grades K-12. The event is meant to act as an expedient for students and educators alike to exhibit how technology enhances and inspires learning.
In order to participate in Tech Night, each student submits their idea for a project, describes its use of technology and provides a reason for sharing their idea. These applications are then reviewed by a committee of faculty and staff for approval.
Robert Miller, the Director of Technology for NCPS, knows how much the students enjoy this event. “Tech night is just an unbelievable opportunity for our students”, he said. “I describe it as their Super Bowl. These are students that have a love and passion for technology, for science and for research. It’s a great way to show the community how we’re using technology in the district.”
Technology Integration Teacher, Tom Honahan, describes the variety of people that participate in Tech Night. “It’s a great opportunity for students to share what they’ve done over the past couple of months,” he said. “There’s a whole slew of folks from elementary, middle and high schools that love to show what they can do with technology.”
Long-time Tech Night participant, Emily Serven, has experienced the event’s increase in participation and quality over the past few years. “After the first year, everything just gets better,” she said. “There’s more people presenting, more interesting stuff that’s happening. After you do it once, then you have a better idea of what you can do, so then you start planning for the year ahead and even better things come out.”
