Month: March 2017

Tech Team Reflection Q3

by zacvan413


I made this sign for the academic challenge team. We hang the sign on our table when we are doing the
challenges. It took some problem solving to figure out how to focus the laser cutter because the wood was not flat. I decided that if I focused it on the middle height, thinking that it would be only a little too unfocused instead of focused and really unfocused. The gradient-like effect was caused by the unfocused laser. I also had to communicate with Mrs. Kim on the size of the sign.


This was a poster for AP Government that I made with the help of Damion Zody. I had to work with him on how the poster should look. No one had printed on or cut paper until then so I had to use mat board settings and change them to what I thought would not catch the paper on fire. I got it just right so I did not cut through the paper, yet made it dark enough that it could be seen. It took two class periods to make and print.


This is a little hex bug robot. The two motors have a semicircle of wood attached to the spinning rod. When the rod spins, it will vibrate from the unequal forces of the imbalanced piece. The second motor is the same way, but I plan for it to be slightly ahead of the other motor to create more vibrations. These vibrations make the robot move by shaking its little feet. At the moment I am having a hard time making or getting a battery to run both motors. I created the box that is the bug’s body using interlocking pieces of wood. The pieces fit together and are locked down with hot glue.


This is my test piece of bendable plywood. I researched patterns that could allow the wood to bend and being a little lazy, went with an easy one. The wood was a test trial to see if I could make a speaker case out of plywood. It proved a success and work began on the casing.


This is the completed speaker I made. I took some innovation, and problem solving to get it all to work. THe speaker is accessed via bluetooth, with a 50 foot connectivity, and simply needs a USB power source. The original idea was to have the speaker have a battery pack to provide power anywhere, however a problem while soldering caused that to not be possible. It took some problem solving to find how to adjust to the new design I had to go with. In the end, the speaker plays everything but heavy bass as the speaker cone hits the wood casing.


This video is simply me cutting a magnet and it throwing sparks everywhere. I believe the sparks are simply from the coating on the magnet that sparks easily.

Standardized Testing Debate

by zacvan413

During the debate heard the pros and cons of standardized testing. I learned that standardized tests are meant to compare students to others nationwide. These tests allow different racial groups to be compared. The test also allows teachers and schools to be held responsible for the students’ scores. Schools can be judged on how the students do overall, and the teachers can be judged on how their students did on the test. The better the school, the better the community. It was pointed out that when a school does not do well on the testing, they lose federal funding. This leads to more failures, and thus, less funding. Supposedly, the flaws in the system will be worked out in the future. The point was never raised, but I learned some of the extents standardized tests have on the health of children. These include stress, enough that Standford-9 exam sends out packets on how to clean up throw up because enough kids threw up on the test it was needed. What I did not hear was if it would take a year, a decade, a generation, two? I also did not learn why students have to be compared to students, beyond to see who does better. Although standardized testing is nationwide, I believe it is not the right was to judge progress, because it can hurt students, hurt schools, and hurt communities.

There were a couple skilled that were needed for this assignment. Being able to read an article or essay and understand which way they lean on the subject was needed, which I believe I mastered being I am able to tell nine out of ten times. Another skill was public speaking, which I am still working on a bit because sometimes I feel my voice shake and sometimes I lose the words and thoughts. Being persuasive is necessary, otherwise, your argument is pointless. I hope I have mastered that skill, in my opinion, being the opposed sometimes have no comment to block my comment. This course connects to the outcomes of this course, partially because the outcome of this course is decided by a standardized test, but also because being able to use information and history to back up and make your case is a needed skill.

These skills can be used through the future. For a job interview, you have to make an argument as to why you should be hired and not the five hundred other people applying for the job. When buying a car or comparing insurance companies, being able to find facts and compare them is important, and arguing for a better deal is nice too. Being able to speak in public is a necessary skill for a multitude of jobs. Wanting to be an engineer, this is a needed skill, as I will have to give presentations to colleagues or at large conferences. One way to improve on this assignment would be to have a larger pool of data and numbers to pull from when confronted with a topic the other side gives. I like to learn the other sides facts first si that I can structure my argument around then and tear each fact down into nothing.

Youth In Government Reflection

by zacvan413

Youth in Government had three people present today. Peggy Cleary, who’s job title is Council at Large, was the first person to talk. Then we had two school board members talk and the Superintendent was in the back.
Council at Large is like any other council member except, instead of representing one ward, she represents half of Fairview’s district. The school board members vote and determine what is to be taught in schools and how funding will work. The Superintendent looks over the school district to make sure schools are following the rules and guidelines needed.
I learned that the teaching method for the middle school grades is not called base camp, and that it supposedly makes learning easier and better for students and teachers. I also learned that city council prefers to shoot down bills in committee meetings instead of on the council floor.
I did not ask any questions, but I would have asked about how the budget is divided up between all the departments. WHat stuck out the most was the amount of time that it took to have a law pass to allow dogs in parks.