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Published Sunday, February 05, 2012 in Education

Photo by Jeffrey Leo

Arbor Springs Elementary School third-grader William Poindexter displays his robotic ball shooter, which shoots marble-sized balls up to four feet in the air.

Coweta schools finish strong in West Ga. Regional Technology Fair

By Rebecca Leftwich

The Newnan Times-Herald

With top finishes in categories ranging from elementary robotics to high school 3-D modeling, Coweta County schools made a strong showing in the seven-county West Georgia Regional Technology Fair.

In its fifth year, the fair gives students a chance to use technology in the culmination of their units of study.

"The purpose is to have the opportunity to showcase their technology skills," said Shenandoah GYSTC Regional Coordinator Debbie Stuckey, who facilitated the tech fair. "They create projects and integrate whatever curriculum they're focusing on."

More than 170 students in grades 3-12 participated in the Jan. 27 event, held at the Centre for the Performing and Visual Arts in Newnan.

"The number of participants was remarkable," Stuckey said. "We needed more judges than ever. We had 16 judges ranging in age from 25 to 75, so they lent some different perspective in all aspects. All of the judges said they were very impressed, that the projects just get better and better."

(To view or purchase photos from this event, visit http://photos.times-herald.com/mycapture and navigate to Events / Newnan for the photo gallery.)

Stuckey and Heard County Elementary School media specialist Richard Free, the event's director, worked together to analyze scores and present certificates to winners.

"The tech fair is the perfect marriage of existing curriculum with technology," Stuckey said. "To be successful, these children have to be able to use technology in innovative ways."

Stuckey encourages tax-deductible donations from business and industry to help foster the sense of accomplishment students gain through creating projects and entering them into competition.

"Our goal is to have children in grades 3-12 participate without having to pay," Stuckey said. "It goes beyond socio-economic boundaries, and donations allow an unlimited number of students to participate. Our kids have no reason to be afraid of technology and every reason to embrace it."

***

Top Coweta awards by school:

ARBOR SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Digital Video Production: Grades 3-4 - First Place, Grace Ann Warren and Maggie Donaldson; Grades 5-6 - First Place, Rebecca Huster and Olivia Sims; Second Place, Emelie Laughner and Delaney Bunce.

Multimedia Applications: Grade 3 - Second Place, Daniel Troyano; Grade 5 - First Place Kathryn Shirilla and Emma Robertson.

Non-Animated Graphic Design: Grades 3-4 - Third Place, Hanna Hall.

Robotics: Grades 3-4 - Second Place, Bryce Stanfield.

Technology Literacy Challenge: Grades 3-4 -First Place, William Poindexter; Third Place, Daniel Troyano; Grades 5-6 - First Place, Olivia Sims.

Web 2.0 Internet Applications: Grades 3-4 - First Place, Mason Takvorian and Logan Matthews.

***

CENTRAL EDUCATION CENTER

3D Modeling: Grades 11-12 - First Place, Marcus East.

Hardware: Grades 11-12 - First Place, Harris Tidwell.

Robotics: Grades 11-12 - Second Place, Justin Jennings and Mitchell Busby.

Technology Literacy Challenge: Grades 11-12 - Third Place, Harris Tidwell.

***

EAST COWETA MIDDLE SCHOOL

3D Modeling: Grades 5-6 - First Place, Carson Pate; Grades 7-8 - Third Place, Hope Ethridge and Zaine Zambuto.

Animated Graphic Design: Grades 7-8 - Third Place, Jasmine Eubanks and Maggie Thompson.

Case Modification: Grades 7-8 - First Place, Casey Black and Shane Buchanan.

Digital Photography: Grades 5-6 - First Place, Mary Thompson and Jessica Exley;

Digital Video Production: Grades 7-8 - First Place, Maggie Thompson and Tyler Stretch.

Multimedia Applications: Grade 6 - Second Place, Christian Devlin; Grade 7 - Second Place, Makalin Langford.

Non-Animated Graphic Design: Grades 7-8 - Third Place, Jessica Chancey and Jasmine Eubanks.

Web 2.0 Internet Applications: Grades 7-8 - First Place, Michelle Destefani and Cassie Carver; Third Place, Evan Pike and Casey Black.

***

ELM STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Non-Animated Graphic Design: Grades 3-4 - Second Place, Sarah Dean; Grades 5-6 -Second Place, Noah Herring; Third Place, Jessica Dominguez.

***

LEE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Digital Photography: Grades 7-8 - First Place, Caitlyn McNutt and Carsten Bennett; Second Place, Princess Hayes and Shannon Donegan.

Technology Literacy Challenge: Grades 7-8 -Second Place, Brenden Negrette.

***

MADRAS MIDDLE SCHOOL

Non-Animated Graphic Design: Grades 7-8 - Second Place, Julia Yarbrough.

***

SMOKEY ROAD MIDDLE SCHOOL

Multimedia Applications: Grade 6 - First Place, Victoria McMillian; Grade 8- Third Place, Hope Overton.

Non-Animated Graphic Design: Grades 5-6 - First Place, Victoria McMillian.

Non-Multimedia Applications: Grades 7-8 - Second Place, Alisha Bentley and Ansley Davis; Third Place, Bailey Brown and Lamirra Henderson.

Robotics: Grades 7-8 - First Place, Brandy Chambers and MyKayla Smith; Second Place, Hope Overton and Carson Byars.

Technology Literacy Challenge: Grades 5-6 - Second Place, Victoria McMillan.

***

THOMAS CROSSROADS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Animated Graphic Design: Grades 3-4 - First Place, Zachary Barineau and Hayden Schulz.

Digital Photography: Grades 3-4 - First Place, Kadence Jennings and Meredith Lodge.

Digital Video Production: Grades 3-4 - Second Place, Sam Folsom.

Non-Animated Graphic Design: Grades 3-4 - First Place, Warren Robison.

Robotics: Grades 3-4 - First Place, Avery Haynes and Sydney Bakken; Grades 5-6 - Second Place, Sam Pflinger; Third Place, Samuel Thorne.

***

WILLIS ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Digital Photography: Grades 3-4 - Second Place, Allison Felton.

Digital Video Production: Grades 3-4 -Third Place, Taylor Thomas; Grades 5-6 -Third Place, Davis Cover.

Multimedia Applications: Grade 3 - First Place, Mary Miller; Third Place, Dillen Bertelsen; Grade 4 - Second Place, Austin Whitaker and Nick Young.

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