More than 160 Socorro Independent School District students celebrated digital learning and its indelible impact on their education at the sixth annual Academic Technology Showcase on National Digital Learning Day in February.
Organized by the district’s Instructional Technology team, the annual event welcomed students from all grade levels who competed in different challenges showcasing their technology skills and creativity, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork.
Students participated in the App, Video and Bulb Digital Portfolio challenges.
Chantal Stephani, a Pebble Hills High School freshman, had three minutes to present her Safe Space app to the judges. The app would allow users to verify that the service they use, such as a ride share, is legitimate.
The aspiring entrepreneur said the workshop allowed her to hone her presentation skills, preparing her to enter the workforce.
"I feel like having a voice to share these things really gives me an opportunity for future careers and just the experience is great because I enjoy presenting to people," said Stephani, a student at the Sparta Business Academy. "I like telling people about my accomplishments; it's fun for me."
SISD Instructional Technology Coordinator Miguel Moreno said the showcase allowed students to demonstrate how they are leveraging the technology that the district provides to enhance their learning.
“In Socorro, we’ve always been very supportive of technology in our classrooms,” Moreno said. “We’ve also prided ourselves in providing the support to our campus teachers so that they are put in a position where they can incorporate technology for the teaching and the learning.”
Francisco Cordero, a fourth grader at Escontrias STEAM Academy, used block coding to create a story about a squirrel and a monkey eating an acorn for his project.
"I worked on it for approximately three weeks," Cordero said. "And this was actually very easy. As you can see, the engineering process played a huge role and helped guide me through my overall coding. And the engineering process can help you not just in projects in science and engineering, it can help you in construction and architecture."
The event also featured SISD’s new mobile planetarium, a Sphero maze and a STEMS drone maze for students and their families to enjoy.
Since its inception, the Academic Technology Showcase has helped to boost SISD’s commitment to advancing digital teaching and learning, training educators to utilize new instructional resources, and offering more technological devices for student use.
Academic Technology Showcase Winners
Bulb Challenge
1st Place Winners
Middle School Division – Montwood Middle School
Bella Cordova
High School Division –Socorro High School
Elias Rangel
2nd Place Winners
Middle School Division – Sun Ridge Middle School
Nicolas Balderas
High School Division – Mission Early College High School
Analy Gonzalez Quijas
Video Challenge
1st Place Winners
Elementary School Division – Horizon Heights Elementary
Arianda Cervantez
Isabel Nolasca
Allie Rodriguez
Ana Soto
Middle School Division – SPC. Rafael Hernando III Middle School
Leonardo Calderon
Randy Steve Guzman
Amanda Serel Ingo Rivera
Jacob Torres
Alexis Williams
High School Division – Americas High School
Juan Hernandez
Samantha Rivera
2nd Place Winners
Elementary School Division – Lujan-Chavez Elementary
Noah Pulk
Middle School Division - Bill Sybert School
Richard Brooks
High School Division – Mission Early College High School
Catalina Faudoa
Oscar Dominguez
Diego Perez
Zavien Rodgers
Zach Decena
App Challenge
1st Place Winners
Elementary School Division – Purple Heart Elementary
Paulo Martinez
Renee Garay
Middle School Division – John Drugan School
Sergio Seanz
Angel Maldonado
High School Division – Mission Early College High School
Luis Franco
2nd Place Winners
Elementary School Division – Campestre Elementary
Camila Carrillo Juarez
Jesus Vasquez
Middle School Division – Capt. Walter E. Clarke Middle School
Breana Morales
High School Division - Montwood High School
Samantha Villarreal
Emiliano Lopez
Published April 19, 2023
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