At Centennial High School, part of Williamson County Schools, the focus is on preparing students for the challenges they will face in college and career through rigorous academic preparation, including the innovative use of technology in the classroom. Drew Welch, a senior at Centennial, was recently awarded a $250 college scholarship for his video on how technology is being used in the classroom to enhance student learning.
Welch’s video highlights Centennial’s computer aided drafting program and the school’s use of 3D printers to enhance learning through technology and push students to greater success. Welch said that the school “encourages students to use their technology to work on projects, research, and collaborate.”
Centennial’s focus on knowledge and skills applicable to college and career is clear in Welch’s video. He shows one project in which students went to a public square and took precise measurements in order to recreate a miniature model of the square using 3D printing technology. Welch also shows how Centennial students are using Autodesk, a computer aided drafting program, to create and test mechanical components.
The work of Centennial in incorporating technology in the classroom is a great example of schools living the recommendations of the 2013-14 State of Education in Tennessee report, which identified investing in technology to enhance instruction as one of the top priorities for education in Tennessee for the coming year.