Taipei American School | 800 Chung Shan North Road, Section 6, Taipei, Taiwan | blueandgoldonline.org | VOLUME XXIII, ISS. 01 | October 11, 2016
The Tech Cube: redesigning our future
Blueprints: A visualization of the Tech Cube shows the building fitting in comfortably with the rest of campus. [MR. PANTA]
By Shereen Lee TAS has just unveiled plans for its groundbreaking new campus project: a five-floor building for the school’s technology and design programs. Dubbed the “Tech Cube”, this new building aims to give students the opportunity to expand their explorations in STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. “We needed to construct a space where students can work together and grow by trial and error,” says school superintendent Dr. Hennessy. “Kids get so much more out of their education when they have room to make mistakes. The Tech Cube is going to [make] space for that.” Administrators hope that the Tech Cube’s futuristic design will inspire students to embrace the “arts” aspect of TAS’s STEAM initiative. “By planning the building in such a way, we’re making a statement. We’re saying that we want to be known for our innovative design,” says high school principal Dr. Hartzell. “We need projects at TAS to be both
practical and iconic.” The unique features that will shape our Tech Cube range from the stunning to the whimsical. While designers envision futuristic glass walls for the building’s top three floors, they also plan to build a slide for lower school students, in lieu of a staircase. “I like the playfulness of these elements,” says lower school technology and design director Ms. Asavavatana. “It appeals to the age group, and draws out the nature of STEAM.” The project, the latest in a string of renovations and additions to the school, is TAS’s largest undertaking since the addition of the Upper School Science and Technology building, or D-Block, in 2012. According to Dr. Hennessy, both the administration and the school board are aiming to “demonstrate support and commitment for all fields, academic and otherwise” with this project. “We’ve already made so much space for our students to excel in every other area: debate, arts, theater,” she says.
“We’ve made a stage for our dancers, but now we need a place for our scientists to ‘perform’. And perform, they will. The building will accommodate students at every grade level, allocating the first two floors for the lower and middle school, and upper three floors for the upper school. Architects plan for the Tech Cube to be nestled in between the Lower and Upper Fields and connected via Skybridge to A-block. It will contain a combination of labs, classrooms, and open testing grounds tailored to the needs of every program. The extra breathing room is also a much needed addition to the science programs at TAS. Participation in robotics and computer programs has shot up in the past few years, with space quickly running out for science classrooms. The TAS robotics program has grown exponentially since its founding: this past year saw the school’s robotics teams in cities all over the world, from the several states in the US to Germany. This student interest in technology
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programs often starts as early as lower school, when students are first introduced to the engineering process through elective classes and after-school activities. “We begin integrating basic knowledge with self-designed projects by grade four,” says digital literacy coordinator Ms. Rainbow. Because of this, high school students are wellprepared for challenging courses in STEAM when they reach the ninth grade. “Our students are going into high school with more background, interest, and skill than ever before,” Dr. Hartzell says. “TAS is really emerging as a leader in STEAM, simply because it’s a school with many talented individuals in the area. It’s what sets us apart from so many others in the world.” In a world that is constantly growing through technological innovation, this newfound interest in engineering holds incredible potential for students. And as Dr. Hennessy remarks, “I may not have a science degree, but I know is that this initiative is important for our students. I know it’s the future.”
Know all about NOVA By Amanda Huang
Returning for a second year, NOVA, an entirely student created and run event, was a huge success. As a class project last year, students wanted to create a positive social impact at school by giving all TAS students an opportunity to bring their ideas to life. In just three short days, 21 teams of students researched, designed, prototyped, and pitched their projects and ideas. Even though students were unable to come to campus on the day of the typhoon, NOVA student leaders implemented an online system for each team to create and submit a video pitch. The winning team for the Social Impact Track is Music for Bandipur. Bandipur, a rural village in Nepal, is a destitute area where students are unable to reach their full potential because they lack the resources to do so. Music for Bandipur strives to give international students an opportunity to teach Bandipur children music through an online mentorship program or travel to Bandipur to teach music in person. The winning team for the High Tech Track is Scriba. The Scriba is designed to help students focus better in class by providing a system that will help transcribe notes and lectures. Voice to document transcription technology gives Scriba the ability to record and even recognize speakers through video and audio and then transcribe whatever was spoken. Lastly, the winning team for the General Track is AvoTo. Their idea is to aid TAS students in creating a better academic path for themselves based on the student’s interests. Through a website and informational sessions, students will be better equipped to select classes they wish to take for the next academic year. Around the same time as NOVA weekend, the EARCOS teachers’ workshop was also going on. Teachers from East Asia participated in some workshops as well as observed the event as a way of learning about it. Mr. Ives says, “The EARCOS workshop is focused on innovation, social entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurship so a lot of schools are increasingly trying to find ways to create opportunities for students to learn about innovation and social entrepreneurship.” Beyond supporting the entrepreneurial spirit, NOVA also provides an opportunity for students to work collaboratively on creative projects. Jeremiah says, “Students learn not to give up on an idea at the first sign of difficulty, but instead to think creatively to address an issue. ”
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