NEWSPAGE 5

Omaha Bryan High SchoolTHE ORATORFebruary 26, 2016

New technology arrives, teachers eager to utilize it interactively in classroomsPAUL PEERNews Editor

The use of new tech-nology has become an integral part of the 21st century classroom. Every education-beneficial ad-vancement in technology is added to improve students’ experience at school. The most recent technological investments include teachers receiving Microsoft Surface Pro 3s. Teachers received train-ing and received the new Surface Pros on Dec. 7. The “staff was excited to learn the new tools to fully engage students using technology in their instruc-tion,” Assistant Principle Tracy Wernsman said. With a special adaptor to the LCD projectors, the Surfaces allow teachers to move freely around the room while they are using the device and are able to project what they’re doing on the screen. They are also able to utilize the Surface Pen to

draw on the screen live. “It will be a little more interactive,” principal Robert Aranda said. The tablets are not the only technological advancements being made in the classroom. Smart-Boards are now used in most classrooms which allow for more student interaction. “For instance, I have to draw graphs a lot in math and you can quickly get a graph on the Smart-Board instead of spending minutes of class drawing a graph onto the whiteboard, so it can be a time saver in that aspect,” math teacher Lauren Beitel said. In addition, online sites like Sporcle and Kahoot! are being used to teach in ways students will find entertaining. On Sporcle trivia games are provided in a diverse range of subjects and quiz-zes can be played inter-actively in unusual ways. Kahoot is another game-based learning platform.

Sites like these are ad-vancing the internet toward a wide educational use. “It’s [Sporcle] a good little game to kill the last ten minutes of class when you’ve got something extra to do,” science teacher Scot Kolb said. In addition to the cur-rent technology advance-ments, the district contin-ues to look for more ways to be ahead of the curve. One of the plans for the future is to allow students a Wi-Fi connection in

Drama, music departments prepare to “Rock” crowdEMILY PEMBLEEditor-in-Chief

school. This plan is still in the works and a release date is not yet available. “There’s also been talk of trying to actually go one-to-one with technol-ogy, so students would actually be like Westside where they issued a com-puter of some sort to use in school,” librarian Gavin Flint said. Advancements in technology will change the way students go through their high school careers.

TDL competition project rolls along at steady paceWILSON DIEPLife & Style Editor

Transportation Dis-tribution and Logistics (TDL) students are cur-rently working on their model car for the Pedal Car Competition at the 61st World of Wheels. World of Wheels is an annual car show held at the Century Link Center that al-lows the best cars in the Midwest to be up for display. The show will be held on March 18-20. TDL students won first place last year with their model semi-truck.This year, they’re building a forklift to stand out from the crowd. The competition is all about showcasing model vehicles for the public and profession-als to view. “I feel like it’s unique,” junior Fernan-

do Ruvalcaba said. “They usually go for hot rods and stuff like that, but a forklift represents TDL.” The work that goes into building a model vehicle is a long one. After creating a blueprint, students spend several weeks working to-wards materializing those ideas. The craft of build-ing a model vehicle goes through several stages such as metal fabrica-tion, assembling, welding and adding the finishing touches whether it be paint or a wood pallet. “This year it’s a lot more work,” TDL teacher Joshua Hogrefe said. “It takes a lot of patience to build.” “World of Wheels has the newest tech for cars and we get to see how it works,” Ruvalcaba said. “It lets us show our cre-ativity with our work and gives us opportunities for the future.”

This car show offers customized old and new cars to be displayed for the public. Cars will also compete for prizes when it comes to public votes, craftsmanship and other categories. “[World of Wheels] offers students to collabo-rate with their peers and interact with professionals in the automotive indus-try,” Hogrefe said. TDL is an academy that focuses more on the industrial side of careers. This includes forklift certi-fication and getting a wider field of possible career choices. They also get experi-ences normal people don’t get to do such as running forklift simulators. “TDL doesn’t just offer career advancement oppor-tunities, it offers students to be industrial certified and further their career readiness in a family like atmosphere,” Hogrefe said.

Making use of the Surface Pro’s ability to provide mobile use in connection with the projector, English teacher Chelsea Merritt-Merboth explains the importance of Red Hand Day.

Photo by: Paul Peer

vinced about its benefits. “By now, students either know it or they don’t,” so-cial studies teacher Thomas Allen said. Currently, American government is a required class all students must take and a majority of the class focuses on these topics. While passing a govern-

ment issued civics exam is typically only required for immigrants who wish to become US citizens, if this bill is passed, a student will not be able to gradu-ate if they don’t pass the exam, no matter what their grades or number of credits are. Nebraska would be join-ing nine other states who have already passed the legislation.

Civics: Pass exam or don’t graduate

This year, the drama department will be show-casing “Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.” as their annual spring musical. Perfor-mances will be tonight and tomorrow at 7p.m. and this Sunday at 2p.m. Admis-sion will be $5 and is free for middle school and el-ementary school students. Based on the old car-toons, “Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.” is about a teacher who’s nervous about his first day on the job as he figures out a method to win

his students’ approval. “We thought it was a fun musical,” technical director and choreographer Jodi Hazuka said. The cast and crew have been working since the be-ginning of January in order to perfect their production. “We’re all a team; we’re all important to the show,” senior Alicia Ponce said. The musical is intended for all ages. “I just really hope people enjoy it and find the fun in it,” Ponce said.

Photo by: Ranae Duncan

Figuring out the model of their forklift,juniors Tyler Wolfe (top left), Morgan Hines (bottom left), Glenda Guzman (top right) and Alexus Newson (bot-tom right) figure out the dimensions for their new pedal car.

GELSEY TIMILSINAReporter

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