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MSLA Spotlight School Library

Creative Technology Center at Winchester High School

6/22/2017

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A dark haired woman with shoulder-length hair smiles at the camera
Winchester High School Librarian Andrea Zampitella
Librarian: Andrea Zampitella 
The Winchester High School Creative Technology Center is a place in the WHS Library for students and staff to come together, share ideas and come up with creative problem-solving solutions. The room  is designed to be flexible – with mobile furniture. The space is a combination of a lab, workshop and collaborative conference space which can be utilized by students and staff from different content areas, fostering a multidisciplinary way of thinking, and learning. This student-driven, creative space is equipped with tools that will help to aid students into hands-on learning approaches. 
​
Our goal is to help students to acquire collaborative strategies, critical thinking skills, and technical competencies in order to become independent life-long learners. The space is equipped with high end technology such as Mac workstations, HD video cameras, green screen, 3-D printers,and a sound studio with mixing boards, audio software and microphones. The Creative Technology center is research driven and encourages work at the intersection of culture, education, design and technology.  

This year, ITS Specialist Kathleen Grace, Art Teacher Paul Hackett and I developed the CTC Lecture and workshop series. The idea behind the lecture series is to engage students and staff through presentations and workshops that cross the boundaries of disciplines and include creative uses of technology. In addition, students developed their own research projects.
A group of students work at tables to create wearable tech. Some students are seated, others are standing. There are containers and supplies all over the tables, and a book on how to create wearable tech.
Students work on creating wearable electronics during a workshop with Deren Guler.
A student shows off their wearable tech creation - a bracelet that lights up.
A student shows off their wearable electronics creation.
One student used the Xbox Kinect to create gesture controlled music. By utilizing multiple platforms and reaching out to developers she was able to successfully utilize a combination of software to produce gesture controlled sound.
A computer screen illustrating the blue and green image of a person moving on one side and the sound waves generated on the other.
Students used the XBox Kinect to create gesture controlled music as part of an original research project.
Students also had the opportunity to work with Broadway producer and expert on the interactive projection software Isadora, Jared Mezzocchi. The CTC obtained a copy of Isadora and students were able to customize projections. These project-based learning opportunities allow students to question, research and complete independent projects using technology found in the CTC.  
Three students hold up pieces of paper with projections of a Native American icon.
A multicolored digital display of an eye
Students learned how to use Isadora, an interactive presentation software, to project images onto objects.
A computer screen demonstrating how to program the Isadora software
A man stands in front of a whiteboard that has an image explaining the physics of sound waves.
Learning about the physics of sound with Andrew Hylnski at a CTC workshop
Students attended a series of workshops given by Musical Mad Scientist, Andrew Hylnski on Abelton Live Software. During these lectures students learned how to effectively use the Ableton Live software and also learned about the physics of sound.  Students have been using their new knowledge to create a score called The Sounds of Winchester High School.  ​​​
CTC students also created the Shrek Dragon for the school play.  Students researched, designed, and built a 10 foot dragon puppet to be used in this years production of Shrek.  Art and engineering skills were needed in constructing the dragon puppet.
A group of students poses on stairs holding a ten foot long pink dragon puppet.
CTC students pose with the 10-foot dragon puppet constructed for the production of Shrek.
We were able to run the following lectures and workshops:
 
  • Brian Knepp (11/9/16)- Lecture media artist whose works range from large-scale interactive installations to microscopic sculptures.
  • Deren Guler (11/23/16)- Wearable Electronics Workshop
  • Jared Mezzocchi - Improv Workshop using Isadora software
  • Nathalie Miebach  (3/8/17) - Lecture on intersection of art and science and the visual articulation of scientific observations using traditional basket weaving techniques
  • Jeff Lieberman (2/16/17) - Host Time Warp on the Discovery channel. Lecture combining his passions for art and science in ways that reveal how one influences the other.
  • Regie Gibson and the Speakeasy Project- Shakespeare to Hip-Hop Authorfest
  • Andrew Hylnski - Ableton Live Workshops - Music and the physics of sound
  • Dr. Mukai (5/6/17)- Lecture on Ophthalmology and iPhone Apps​
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    Kate Kennedy

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