Pierce Downer Participates in TECH 2011 at Capitol

Pierce Downer was among approximately 80 schools statewide that participated in TECH 2011: Students for the Information Age May 5 in Springfield.

Taking part in the demonstrations in the Capitol Rotunda as representatives of their third-grade class at Pierce Downer were students Samantha Neveril, Mason Ringbloom and Lauren Schenk, and their teacher Karyn Vanko. The class had transformed their Beverly Cleary novels into hypothetical movies, created movie posters using a web-based application and podcasted commercials to advertise their movies. 

Paying a visit to the Pierce Downer booth were Rep. Patti Bellock, Rep. Jim Durkin, Rep. Sandi Pihos, Sen. Kirk Dillard and Sen. Ron Sandack.

“All of them listened intently to the kids as they shared their movie commercial podcasts and posters, as well as to the process by which the kids created them,” Vanko said.

The students also got the red-carpet treatment from Sandack, a Pierce Downer parent. He took them students onto the Senate floor, where they got to push the voting button, sit in his chair, and even pose for professional photos at the podium from which the Speaker conducts official Senate business. They also had the opportunity to visit the House floor while the legislators were in session.

“We were able to sit in the gallery and listen to the debate on the concealed gun bill. It was really neat,” Vanko said.

The Pierce Downer students also had the opportunity to visit other schools’ booths to see what they are doing with technology in their classrooms.

“I got some really great ideas and the kids had a lot of fun,” Vanko said. “We'd like to thank Illinois Computing Educators and the TECH 2011 Committee for providing such an amazing experience for us. We hope we were able to positively impact our legislators on the need for technology funding for our schools.”