New technologies

Exploration Begins with Curiosity

Grade 11 student Ryan has always had an interest in new technologies, following carefully what is happening in the field of innovation.

His curiosity motivates him to experiment with and learn more about drones and remote cars. Ryan got his first drone when he was 10 years old. Initially he thought about starting a real estate photography business but when that did not get off the ground, he instead began honing his drone photography skills.

On family trips, Ryan secures the necessary permits to use his drone to take interesting photos of the sites and landscapes, which he posts in a private portfolio.

Ryan’s other passion is working on and racing his remote car. Initially purchased as a stock car, he has since replaced all of the parts, updating it frequently to transition it from a drag car to a drift car. In the winter, the car becomes an SUV or an off-road vehicle.

At school, Ryan is sharpening his filmmaking and production skills through the communications technology course. In class, he is learning the advanced skills of Adobe Illustrator and Premiere Pro editing software to display different media.

Ryan is integrating these skills into two interesting projects—he is producing a documentary on the gaming community to counteract the stereotypes associated with gamers, and he is taking a unit from another class that he found to be unengaging and redesigning it using media to enhance the engagement factor. For this class assignment Ryan plans to incorporate augmented reality.

Ryan attributes his continued growth and interest in technology to both the computer science and communications technology courses at Pickering College. He finds that the focus on critical thinking, application and making connections in this discipline gives him a profound sense of accomplishment.