Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Students go technical

By Margie Wuebker
Photo by Margie Wuebker/The Daily Standard

Fort Recovery High School students display a project they made for JR Manufacturing as part of the pre-engineering program Project Lead the Way. The students, along with a delegation from Celina High School, spoke about the importance of technology during a forum Tuesday sponsored by the Mercer County Community Development Department.

Students today use Smart Boards, Netbooks, laptop computers, mobile learning devices and iPads with apps instead of paper and pencils.   
They check grades on Progress Book, keep track of college offerings on Facebook, learn of new developments on Leader Alert, dissect frogs without picking up a scalpel and perform experiments on thermodynamic equilibrium without so much as chemicals or a trusty Bunsen burner.
Nearly a hundred people in attendance at the Mercer County Community Development Department's spring breakfast forum Tuesday morning learned technology continues to change the face of education.
Students from Celina and Fort Recovery high schools talked to attendees about technology in their everyday lives.
Asked about the proliferation of cell phones at the high school level, the Celina students estimated 90 percent of their peers have cell phones with about half of those equipped with Internet access. Most admitted they don't check e-mail as frequently as their Facebook accounts.
Betsy Crites, technology integration coach, said the Celina district has 480 mobile learning devices and 200 Smart Boards in use with more expected in the future. Additionally, the staff has logged 864 technology inservice hours.
Celina City Schools Superintendent Matt Miller said integration of technology in recent years has led to increased student engagement and decreased discipline issues.
Fort Recovery High School students shared with the forum audience the work they have been doing for Fort Recovery Industries and JR Manufacturing through a pre-engineering program called Project Lead the Way.
One group's chain drive lift is designed to lift and dump heavy barrels filled with chips from CNC machines. Completion of a prototype is expected in a week or so with actual construction scheduled by the end of May. The other group designed a new method for picking up heavy bundles to utilize the services of one employee instead of two, to reduce damage to parts and to improve safety. The prototype should be completed in May with implementation coming in June or July.
High school principal Jeff Hobbs said schools and students throughout Mercer County receive tremendous support from the business community.
"This is the best county in the state in terms of education," he said. "Our schools rank excellent or excellent with distinction. Our young people go off to college and then businesses here give them a reason to come back."
County economic development director Jared Ebbing encouraged students to stay connected with the website Mercercountyconnect.com.
Based on surveys with 70 business in the area, Ebbing's office is putting together a database that has the capability to match students with job opportunities.
"You never know when opportunity will present itself," Ebbing said. "When the time is right, opportunity won't wait."
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WAPAKONETA - Gordon W. Diggle of St. Marys cried Tuesday as a judge ordered him to serve 15 years to life in prison for the beating death of another man nearly eight months ago. [More]
An 18-year-old St. Marys man faces multiple charges after leading authorities on a six-minute pursuit along state Route 66 in Auglaize County.
Aaron T. Suttles is charged with driving under suspension and fleeing and eluding. Additional charges are pending. [More]
CELINA - With the Western Buckeye League track meet just over two weeks away, Celina and St. Marys got tuned up as the Bulldogs hosted the Roughriders and Shawnee at Varsity Track in a league trimeet. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
WAPAKONETA - The murder conviction of Gordon W. Diggle brings justice to the victim's family but the emotional toll remains, family members say.
Sherrie Casad-Lodge, the oldest daughter of murder victim Steven Casad, said many lives have been impacted by Diggle's actions last September.
Leaders say regulations hinder
ST. MARYS - The U.S. must confront the issues of economically hindering regulations and an out-of-control debt to remain competitive globally, U.S. Congressmen Bob Latta and Jim Jordan say.
ST. MARYS - Police are investigating the death of a 40-year-old man who was found stabbed in the middle of a city street last night.
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May Primary
ST. MARYS - The performance of the city's safety service director was a talking point Tuesday during a debate between the three Republican candidates for mayor.
NEW BREMEN - The process is under way to allow for another parking lot for Crown Equipment Corporation.
Acting on a recommendation from the New Bre
Felony drug charges are pending against two adults - a 19-year-old St. Marys man and a 47-year-old Celina woman - following a Monday night traffic stop.
CELINA - Mayor Sharon LaRue said she has nothing to hide about her business doing work for the city.
LaRue and her husband Phil have owned Wabash Garage for more than 40 years. City trucks are worked on by garage employees - something that has been done since before LaRue was mayor.
COLDWATER - School board president Linda Steinbrunner on Tuesday gave board members a summary of her recent attendance at the National School Board Association conference where she attended a presentation by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
A local woman, implicated last week in a case involving an active methamphetamine lab found in Celina, faces a similar charge from an earlier incident in Van Wert County.
ST. MARYS - A family long involved in the furniture business has opened a new store at 2169 Celina Road, St. Marys.
Lifestyle Furniture & Mattress
COLDWATER - The Coldwater baseball team needed a win to keep pace with a group of Midwest Athletic Conference unbeatens, and a pair of Cavalier seniors came up big for the Orange and Black.
ROCKFORD - A four-run outburst in the first inning and a pitching gem by Chris Brazle helped Parkway remain unbeaten in the Midwest Athletic Conference baseball race after a 4-0 victory over New Knoxville on Tuesday afternoon at Don Black Field.
Local Roundup
Compiled by Ryan Hines and Gary R. Rasberry
Mike Siefker was nearly perfect on the mound as he helped Celina to a second straight Western Buckeye League baseball win in shutting out Shawnee 2-0 on Tuesday at Montgomery Field.