| Description: |
Can ten teams of high school students and students with special needs utilize various forms of technology to develop a device that would enhance lives? Students at Hoover High School (Canton, OH) along with students from Southgate School (Canton, OH) put their heads and hearts together to create an exciting collaboration. Three words and a smile sum up the yearlong project. "Helps," said Tom, placing his hand on the pizza box. "Thank you".
Tom's new friends at Hoover High School were all smiles too. After working for months with Tom, his therapist, local engineers, and their teachers, the students had researched, designed, refined, and built the device that helped him at his job at Italo's Pizza. Wooden forms, which help Tom, fold pizza boxes were the creation of the SNAPS teams. Tom's cerebral palsy limited his ability at his job, but not anymore. Each team consisted of students from the Anatomy and Physics classes and a special needs student. Students gained a true understanding of what technology means and how it can be used to solve real problems. They used computers for writing their project proposals and CAD drawings. By e-mail, they interacted with their mentors in the community, medical professionals, industrial engineers, university faculty, small business, parents and governmental agents. They used video and digital pictures to evaluate the student's special needs and to communicate results and document the progress of the projects.
The major goal of this project was to apply scientific and technological principles to solve real world problems. This goal enabled the students to look beyond the classroom and work in the real world enhancing career exposure. SNAPS helped foster creativity, develop problem-solving techniques, built communication skills and enable them to understand the interdisciplinary nature of the sciences.
A total of twenty special adapted devices were constructed which helped over thirty special needs children. One unexpected outcome of the project was the marketing of the "slant board" by Beckley-Cardy Company. The students have submitted a Disclosure Document to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The "slant board" is used in industrial shop classes.
By use of e-mail, Internet home page, and computer video conferencing, the SNAPS teams hope to establish an electronic support group for others wishing to adapt this worthwhile project in their community.
To see some of the projects from 1997-98 try http://viking.stark.k12.oh.us/~caj1nc/snaps/snaps.htm.
This project is being developed through the Pioneering Partners Program. |
