Two-minute press

Dan McClarin, of La Luz, doesn’t just teach tools like drills in his shop classes at Tularosa Middle School.

He teaches tools for living, “something they can take in their education and put it to a practical use,” he said.

Assisted by wife, Jennifer, he has boosted the family finances with his own inventions, building a new house and putting two daughters through college at the University of New Mexico.

“What he is really doing is encouraging problem-solving, which will help students down the road,” Jennifer said during an interview at their four-acre family farm.

“He’s a wonderful teacher. His students adore him,” said Ruth Sanchez at Tularosa Middle School.

McClarin’s latest invention is a pomegranate press. He made it from a 12-quart stainless-steel pasta pot and basket, and an adjustable press plate jack that can produce up to two tons of pressure.

Hundreds of North American High School Students to Compete at 2009 Canon Envirothon

More than 260 teenagers from 45 U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces will meet at the University of North Carolina – Asheville, from August 2 through August 8, to participate as finalists in one of North America’s largest high school environmental education competition, the 2009 Canon Envirothon.

Throughout the competition, teams will be tested on their knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and a current environmental issue. This year’s current issue topic for the competition is Biodiversity in a Changing World. Students will analyze the long-term and short-term impact of natural environmental occurrences and human activities on genes, species and ecosystems relative to how each may influence or directly impact their future.

Problem Solving Activities

Team Building Activities, Initiative Games, & Problem Solving Exercises

Including but not limited to the following…
TRAFFIC JAM: Divide the group depending on how many people there are. The groups need to be of even numbers of six, eight, etc. If there is an odd number of people have them help facilitate the activity and them switch off. To set up the game, place marked squares (one more than the number of people in the group) on the floor. The boxes need to be placed in a straight line. Have each person stand on a marked box, leaving the center open. The challenge is for the groups on either side of the center unmarked box to completely change to the other side, by moving one at a time, like in a game of Checkers. Players may move into the vacant spot next to them, or they may jump another player on the opposite side, but they can NOT jump a player from their own side. Players may not move backwards, and two people can not move at once. After the group has figured out a solution to the traffic jam, have them show the leader.

LISTENING SKILLS DRAWINGS:
You will need a piece of paper and a writing utensil for each particpant. You also will need two different diagrams for each pair. Have partners sit back to back and decide who will be the “listener” and who will be the “talker” first. Each will eventually have a chance to play both roles. Give each “talker” a copy of a diagram. The Listener must sketch what they hear described, and in this round 1, is not allowed to speak or ask questions. This pair is using “one-way communication.” There will be 1-2 minutes allotted for this round, or longer if time permits. Partners compare drawings when finished to see how close they came to the original. The second round can begin and partners switch roles, still sitting back to back. The dyad together must try to improve results. In this round 2, the talker gets different diagram, and the listener can speak and ask questions. After the alloted time has passed, partners should compare results again. Then bring the two groups together to talk about the benifits of both types of communication.

Schools set for new IB program

When students walk through the doors of Northview and Mt. Mourne on Aug. 25, the first day of the 2009-10 school year, they will encounter a different environment.

Along with the excitement and mix of emotions that come with starting a new school, these students will be the first to experience the new International Baccalaureate program offered by Iredell-Statesville Schools at the two sites.

The program, which is being called the IB Middle Years program, will cater to students in grades six through nine for the first year.

The school will expand each year, eventually serving high school sophomores, juniors and seniors as well.

The program has become popular as one of the district’s choice programs.

Each site will serve 400 students and operate on a four-block schedule in which each class meets for 80 minutes a day.

The administrators set to lead these sites are former Ebenezer Principal Sheila Alston and former Troutman Middle Principal Jason Van Heukelum.

There will be no cost to parents to have their child attend, but families do have to commit to the intense work and course of studies their children will be taking on.

Superintendent Terry Holliday said the program is the most challenging curriculum public schools can offer.

Curriculum

The Middle Years Program will be defined by three fundamental concepts: holistic learning, intercultural awareness and communication.

The eight subjects are math; arts; English; physical education, a foreign language; social studies; technology; and science.

+ Math: Geometry and trigonometry, probability and statistics, numbers and discrete math.

+ Arts: choral, band, theatre, strings and visual.

+ Sciences: Aimed at providing students with knowledge of and an understanding of the scientific approach to problem solving.

+ Social Studies: Consists of history and geography.

Extra-curricular activities will include: Battle of the Books, Odyssey of the Mind, chess, robotics, Future Problem Solvers, Daughters of the American Revolution Essay contest and Woodmen of the World Essay and Oral Speech contest.

Elizabeth schools win at national conference

From June 27 to July 2, 4,000 middle and high school students from across the U.S. and beyond converged on Denver for the 2009 Technology Student Association (TSA) national conference.

12 Colorado Middle and High schools fared well in over 70 competitive events held at the conference which was supported by the Career and Technical Education division of the Colorado Community College System. Events included but are not limited to: Problem Solving, Inventions and Innovations, Electronic Game Challenge and Technology Bowl.

Brighton grad ignites kids’ passion for learning

Although Shelby Lewis said she had her share of “senioritis,” that feeling of apathy in one’s final year of high school, her grades certainly didn’t show it.

The 18-year-old Brighton Township resident earned straight-”A” grades in her senior year at Brighton High School, continuing her trend throughout high school where she only once had a lower grade — was a B-plus in AP chemistry.

Besides being a top academic student, the 2009 graduate participated in Odyssey of the Mind, National Honor Society, played softball and gave chemistry demonstrations to elementary school students. Lewis was named to the 2009 Press & Argus All-County Academic Team.

Longview High School students who are headed to the National Technology Student Association conference

A gavel bangs on a desk. A business meeting is called to order.

Six officers — a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, reporter and sergeant-at-arms — sit at a long table, reading reports, and addressing new or unfinished business.

But these six officers aren’t business owners or officials. They’re six of seven Longview High School students who are headed to the National Technology Student Association conference today through July 2 in Denver. Students compete in multiple events including “Problem Solving,” in which they’re given a challenge on the spot and given the tools to solve it, Vazquez said. They’re judged based on who provides the simplest method for solving the problem.

Kiwi success at problem solving champs

Handling a pandemic was just one of the challenges at a global problem solving championship for young people and Kiwi teams showed the world how it’s done.

The teams from around 50 countries and attended by over 2000 students had to compete in solving issues as complex as flu pandemics and international cyber-crimes. It’s called “Future Problem Solving” and Four Year 8 students from Cobham Intermediate School in Christchurch helped beat the rest of the world, taking second place.