Student Invention Convention Challenges Traditional Image of Technology

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Students, teachers, and educators came together at the Downingtown Educational Technology Conference to show the new image of technology. First-place winners, from left, Jacob Lemler, Rushil Ramprasad, and Zach Ng present their invention.

CCIU

The Downingtown Area School District and Chester County Intermediate Unit teamed up this year to host Downingtown Educational Technology Conference (DETC17), with the theme of “Design Your Horizon.”

The conference also featured a Student Invention Convention, which allowed middle and high school students to use creativity and problem-solving skills to invent products that would make the world a better place.

The theme of “Design Your Horizon” was centered around the idea of bringing STEM into the classroom with the use of technology. The conference’s keynote speakers were educators: Dr. Monica Burns and Mr. Aaron Sams, who both shared how the use of technology can advance student learning.

Burns shared various apps she uses in the classroom and their positive outcomes on student learning, including: increased student involvement, increased creativity, and a deeper understanding of the educational material presented.


Sams, meanwhile, explained that teachers should first focus on instruction (what needs to be learned), then decide which technology tool(s) to incorporate that would best enhance the learning experience.

Attendees were able to visit breakout sessions that included presenters from different STEM-related vendors and educators from schools in Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, and Montgomery counties.

Conference attendees were also able to explore the students’ inventions and invest their student invention convention dollars, which determined the winning prototypes that had the potential to make the world a better place.

This year’s student-winners were:

  • First Place: Jacob Lemler, Zach Ng, and Rushil Ramprasad, Downingtown STEM Academy
  • Second Place: Marie Tokay, Owen J. Roberts Middle School
  • Third Place: Shane McEvoy and Brian West, Downingtown STEM Academy

According to Tokay, inspirations for great ideas can begin with something as simple as a shared news article.

“I got the idea to research about synthetic organs, like the liver, when the CCIU e-mailed me a news article about diseases becoming more prominent in different areas,” she said. Through the invention, Tokay learned about the significant benefits of having a synthetic liver.

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