Giuliana Savini
Multimedia Editor
On Feb. 23, the sixth annual Technology Night (Tech Night) was held in the cafeteria and the Wagner Room and was attended by over 400 students, parents and teachers alike. This event, the brainchild of Director of Technology Robert Miller and South School’s Technology Integrator Ronna Van Veghal, allows students to showcase the ways in which they use and create technology to enhance learning in and out of school. Likewise, teachers are given the opportunity to present how they are using technology to facilitate learning in the classroom.
Although the first few years of Tech Night were dedicated to teacher presentations, students now consist of the bulk of participators in the last four years. “This is a showcase of students, who are intrinsically motivated,” Technology Integration teacher Tom Honohan said. “They [students]just want to share their cool stuff and show everybody what they’re doing. Tech Night is not tied to a student’s classes in school; it is a purely volunteer basis.”
Students of all ages were allowed to participate, though it was the middle school that sent forth the largest number. “The presentations are predominantly from Saxe, because as kids move into the high school and schedules become more demanding, the free time to invent goes away,” Tech Team Advisor and Technology Integration teacher Cathy Swan said.
Regardless, many of Tech Night’s usual suspects were NCHS groups, such as NCTV, Tech Team, Vex Robotics, Music Technology Teacher Anna Mase’s Music Tech class, and Film Teacher Greg Scalzo’s filmmaking class.
According to Dr. Miller, Tech Night serves a crucial purpose as 21st century technology continues to rapidly progress. “Technology is something that’s part of our lives, and students need to be able to know how to use it when they go to college and out into the work force,” Dr. Miller said. “It is a good way for students to get excited about something that’s such a big part of our lives right now.”
Sophomore Emily Serven, who presented her online visual novel “VanaN’Ice”, highlighted how Tech Night provides an unique opportunity for students who seek exposure and feedback, “Doing these projects for yourself is nice, but if you can share it with other people, it acts as more of a motivator and reinforces that what you’re doing has value,” she said.
Just as athletes have the field and performers have the stage, those students interested in technology have Tech Night to showcase their talents. “Technology is my niche,” Emily said. “I really don’t have anything else that I settle into, so Tech Night is a great way for me to present what I do the entire year.”
For the administrators, one of the most enjoyable parts of the night is watching the enthusiasm of the students, “You see the pride on their face and their excitement showing as they’re explaining to the audience what they’ve developed. It gives them an opportunity to shine,” Dr. Miller said. “Take a look at the Apple computer and how it was created in Steve Jobs’s garage, or how Facebook was created by a student in a college dorm. I mean who knows! Any of these students involved in Tech Night could be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs.”
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“You see the pride on their face and their excitement showing as they’re explaining to the audience what they’ve developed. It gives them an opportunity to shine,” Dr. Miller said. “Take a look at the Apple computer and how it was created in Steve Jobs’s garage, or how Facebook was created by a student in a college dorm.”