Digital TecDay

Am 19. März 2021 wurde zum ersten Mal ein «TecDay» im Engadin durchgeführt. Mit dabei waren Schülerinnen und Schüler der Samedner Academia Engiadina und der Zuozer Schulen Lyceum Alpinum und Scoula da La Plaiv. Corona-bedingt fanden die Workshops online statt.

“TecDay” was held in the Engadine for the first time on 19.03.2021. Students from the Academia Engiadina in Sameden and the Lyceum Alpinum and Scoula da La Plaiv schools in Zuoz took part. Due to Corona, the workshops took place online.

Was die Rohstoffe der Zukunft sind, was Quantenkryptografie ist, wie ein Biosensor funktioniert oder wie per Livecoding mit dem Computer Musik komponiert wird, dies und noch viele andere Themen wurden den Schülerinnen und Schülern des Lyceum Alpinum, der Academia Engiadina und der Oberstufe der Scoula da La Plaiv erklärt. Zum ersten Mal wurde im Engadin der TecDay abgehalten, organisiert von der Schweizerischen Akademie für Technische Wissenschaften (SATW), die bereits seit 13 Jahren schweizweit diese Veranstaltungsreihe durchführt. Insgesamt wurden am Freitag 39 Workshops für die 550 Schüler angeboten, sowohl auf Englisch als auch auf Deutsch.

NAMHAFTE REFERENTEN

Geleitet und geführt werden die Workshops von etablierten Wissenschaftlern, Forscherinnenn und Führungspersonen von Schweizer Hochschulen und Unternehmen. Die Idee dazu entstand vor knapp 14 Jahren, wie Belinda Weidmann, TecDayProgramm-Managerin der SATW, erzählt. «Zwar haben die Naturwissenschaften bereits einen hohen Stellenwert in den Lehrplänen, die Technik als praktische Anwendung der naturwissenschaftlichen Fächer fehlt jedoch nach wie vor fast vollständig.» Also wurde ein Testlauf an einer Schweizer Schule gestartet. Danach waren sich die Organisatoren und Referenten einig, dass sich dieses Modell auch auf weitere Schweizer Schulen anwenden lässt. Mittlerweile greift das SATW auf einen Expertenpool von über 1000 Personen zurück und seit 2007 haben mehr als 60 000 Schülerinnen und Schüler an einem TecDay teilgenommen. Mittlerweile werden von der SATW acht bis zwölf solcher Anlässe pro Jahr organisiert, finanziert wird das Projekt mit Fördergeldern vom Bund. Die Engadiner Schülerinnen und Schüler durften selbständig ihr Interessensgebiet wählen und priorisieren und wurden entsprechend den themenspezifischen Schulungen zugeteilt. Normalerweise wird der Anlass vor Ort durchgeführt, was laut Weidmann eigentlich auch die Kernidee des Projektes ist: «Wenn die Fachleute an die Schulen kommen und das Material mitbringen, gibt das na-

türlich einen umfangreichen und sehr praktischen Einblick. Online ist das leider nur begrenzt möglich.» Aus der Not heraus kam dieses Mal ein Plan B zum Einsatz: Manche Dozenten schickten das Workshop-Material an die Schulen, zum Beispiel chemische Versuchs-Kits, welches die Schülerinnen und Schüler dann im Schulsekretariat abholen konnten.

Auszug aus der Engadiner Post, Denise Kley, 23. März 2021

Reporting about the TecDay from students

AGRONOMY FOR EARTH AND SPACE

This module, presented by ETH researchers Jolanda Reusser and Grace Crane, explored the effects on soil nutrition and agriculture in space, and how to create a personal hydroponic system. The researchers explained why soils, consisting of minerals, water, air, and organic matter, are essential for life on Earth.

Phosphorus is a key nutrient in the nutrient cycle, but it is nonrenewable and is not easily available. Its availability depends on fertilizer management and soil properties (which can vary over even small distances). Agriculture beyond Earth is a complicated matter due to the lack of reactive nitrogen and oxygen in space.

Researchers, including Grace Crane herself, are investigating how to make agriculture practicable in space through the MELiSSA (Micro Ecological Life Support System Alternative) Project.

Finally, we were taught how to create our own simple hydroponic system, using an innovative plant-growing method that does not require soil. The most surprising step is the last … in which you add human urine as a fertilizer!

Natalia, IB2

NO LIFE WITHOUT DEATH

This module discussed cell death. Human beings experience cell death on a daily basis, when billions of cells die each day. Nature is wasteful: too many cells are produced, so some must be eliminated. Cell death first begins during embryonic development, when organisms are created. This is a programmed cell death, which allows individuals to develop structures such as toes. It is essential in forming neuronal networks and in regenerating blood cells. These are the positive aspects of the biological process and are highly important to a human’s survival.

We also learned about how too much or too little cell death could lead to fatal consequences. These include neurodegenerative diseases, infertility, tumours and autoimmune diseases. The effects of alcohol were also discussed: alcohol destroys memory cells in the brain, which are only created once in a lifetime and cannot be replaced. Perhaps the most invteresting and relevant part of the module was, however, the discussion about Covid-19. When a virus enters a body, it infects the cells. Hence, the immune system must recognise and kill these infected cells.

Clara, IB2

THE POWER OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS

Nowadays, digitization is a big part of our lives: living space, food delivery and driving services are shared via an app; you can easily find new friends or even a partner online.

In terms of market value, there are more platform companies in North America that create value than in any other region of the world. During the TecDay workshop we discussed current and possible future digital platforms, as well as their impact on our lives. According to statistics from the different web platforms that we looked at, the most popular digital platforms are Facebook, YouTube and Google. We sketched out some ideas of start-ups and questioned their potential in this highly competitive market. We also talked about central components of the business canvas. A business model canvas contains up to eleven fields with key factors; for example, your partners in the start-up, the USP of a product, and its cost structure.

Educational platforms are becoming more popular due to COVID19: everyone can learn at any time and at their own pace. MOOC is an online educational platform that stands for Massive Open Online Courses. Sometimes, these are collaborations with different institutions and you can gain a certificate or even a degree in your specific areas of interest.

Sofia, IB1

WE TINKER, PLAN, CREATE

In this module we learned from the enthusiastic presenter that a design not only needs to be a new product but also has to be new to the customer. We also found out that companies trade in original ideas and in innovations, and that the engineers (who focus on the technical side of businesses) are also very important.

We looked at how to analyse a design problem according to four sets of criteria: high risk and certain, low risk and certain, high risk and uncertain, and low risk and uncertain. This was followed by consideration of the wants and needs of the consumer, possible solutions to the problem, and the relative advantages of those solutions. This process is used to approach both small and big problems that arise in everyday life, such as how many people can be seated comfortable at a table, and the risks and causes of infection.

We also had time to carry out our own brief investigation and present it to the group, and it was definitely helpful to have gained a fuller knowledge and understanding about how to respond when you are presented with a problem that is difficult to solve.

YOUR INTERNET FOOTPRINT

This module was led by a fascinating and enthusiastic presenter, Mr. Frank Zimmerman, who taught us the different aspects of internet safety and dangers. We started the session with a short quiz, to see which information we would be prepared to share on the Internet. It was extremely interesting to learn about how some pieces of random information could make you vulnerable to internet attacks, and to see what everyone else would share. Mr. Zimmerman also shared some safety sites with us, such as a website which checks the strength and security of your password. This was extremely useful as it provided a checklist showing us what we were missing in our passwords. Another entertaining activity involved situations where you would need to provide your information. We had a short quiz on this, and, even though I got some of them wrong, it was helpful to get an insight on what to do in these situations!

As well as being very interesting, I believe it is crucial for teenagers and young adults to understand how to protect themselves on the Internet.

Manon, DIS2