They stood surrounded by the high-tech tools of learning. Various projectors shone with interactive Spanish lessons, measurements of sound and even a magical graphing calculator.
The students at Henry M. Jackson High School get to use cutting-edge technology everyday and the district’s Technology Fair, which was Jan. 18 at Cascade High School in Everett, gave them a chance to show it off.
“It’s the best class in the school,” junior Jason Salmassy said of a computer science class where the students build a computer that is sold at the end of the year. “It’s kind of fun to get in there and help people I didn’t know before.”
Granted Salmassy built his first computer in the third grade, but his sense of pride was evident as he talked about how his favorite part of the class was learning about how RAM (random access memory) worked.
The class’ teacher, Maggie Thorleifson, said that the class routinely fills up. The increased presence of technology at home and in the classroom have led people to her class. Some have enrolled for the sole purpose of being able to repair their home PC, she said.
Also on display was an exhibit of projects from the school’s graphic arts program. A slide show of whimsical and fanciful images cycled through, each more amazing than the next.
The students have learned how to have fun in a class, said Rick Wrigre, a graphic arts and animation teacher.
“School’s a hard place to learn how to play,” he said. “If they can learn how to play with (technology), they will do well.”
As evidenced by the exhibits at the fair, the students at Jackson have a lot of fun.
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