Young tech-savvy students will show skills at state

After recently traveling to Northern Kentucky University for a regional Student Technology Leadership Program competition, Owen County School’s students once again proved that hard work pays off.

Six Owen County Primary School students joined hundreds of K-12 students on Northern Kentucky University’s campus Nov. 19 for the Student Technology Leadership Program’s regional fall showcase. Pictured are (from left to right) Payton Gordon, James Teehan

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Nine out of 10 STLP projects  —including an Owen County Primary School project — will advance to state competition in May in hopes of continuing on to the International Society for Technology in Education conference next summer in Philadelphia.

STLP is a project-based learning program that teaches students how to use technology to learn and achieve.

STLP Coordinator Jenna Gray said students’ projects were judged from criteria of 112 points, and a minimum of 100 was required to be invited to the state competition.

“They were also judged on creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration and the impact the project could have on instruction or the community depending on the project,” Gray said.

Owen County Primary School has become involved with STLP this year. Gray said the group from OCPS will also go to state.

The group includes students from Kathy Spaulding’s kindergarten class.

“They were amazing in the way they could communicate how technology was used to help with their reading,” Gray said.

Gray said students will continue working on their projects until May. They will decide what they want to add to them before state.

“It’s not just a wait till the last minute thing,” Gray said. “This is something students put a lot of effort into and work hard on all year round.”

Gray said she is encouraging other teachers to get involved.

“There are a variety of projects for students available that fit into core content that can enhance what teachers are teaching in the classroom, including digital storytelling, art, music and video,” Gray said.

The projects students work on now, Gray said will assist them in the future.

“These are some of the best ways for kids to learn,” Gray said. “They basically create a problem and find a way to overcome it. They’re learning how the business world works at sixth grade, and they basically learn how to sell you on their ideas. They couldn’t get any better real-life experience.”

Students will attend state May 13 at Rupp Arena in Lexington. And if successful there, they could advance to Philadelphia in June 2011.