The Elective Technologies Department at Logan High School is about the most diverse group of courses that are situated in every corner of the building. While a lot of education takes place with a lecture or a book, we like to focus on experiential learning.
In the Technology Education classes, one of the projects that they are completing is a New Year Eve Ball. Near the end of September Mr. Abram was contacted by representatives from the Logan Town Center to create a New Year Eve Ball that will be lowered at Midnight in downtown Logan. The four foot steel framed ball will feature up to 100 pieces of hand blown glass from Jack Pine studios. The students have been responsible for design and manufacture and will deliver the ball with lighting and batteries before they leave for Christmas break.
Next door the Agricultural courses have been busy with multiple projects. One of those projects is utilizing hydroponic grow towers to experiment with producing plants. A plant that is often grown in systems like this is various types of lettuce. The lettuce that is produced is not just for the classroom though, you can also find it being added to salads served in the cafeteria at lunch time.
On the opposite side of the building, we have the Family and Consumer Sciences classroom. In this lab, Principles of Foods students made cupcakes and icing from scratch. Then classes had a cupcake competition to decide the winners. Personal Finance made cupcakes also. We discussed the importance of allocating a budget item for groceries and food. They discussed how expensive eating out is and that often cooking at home is a less expensive option.
Above the Chieftain Head, in the heart of our school, you will find the Business classrooms. The business students presented their homemade products that they learned to create, market, and sell. Some students have already made over $100 profit and plan to start a small business with their products. Mrs Atkins shares that “It's so exciting to be able to teach our students how to become young entrepreneurs!”
In the rear of LHS, we find one of the most “news” worthy programs in the creators of The Chieftain Report. The Broadcasting classes don’t just produce the news though, they also learn a lot about cinematography. Below is a project that they must complete followed by an example.
In production teams of two, interpret and shoot the following scripted scenario:
“A person is about to open a door. The person hears a sound and becomes mildly concerned. The person finds the door locked and searches for his or her keys. The person hears the sound again and becomes visibly apprehensive. (As the filmmakers, your goal is to build tension and growing panic, using any visual element or device that you can think of, including music/sound effects). The film closes with the person finally opening the door and getting to the other side safely. [Here you want to communicate to the audience the character’s feeling of relief and safety.”
Watch the example video here.
This highlight of the Elective Technologies Department is only a snapshot of the exciting things that we all do. The students in these programs benefit not just from learning at their desk, but by getting hands on experience in each area.