posted Sep 15, 2012, 3:43 PM by TexasTechies .org
[
updated Sep 15, 2012, 3:45 PM
]
Article Written by Liza Wisner - Founder of Texas TechiesMy kids are so amazing. They consistently surprise me by doing and saying amazing things. However, the way in which they are learning to do and say things has been changing rapidly since the dawn of the new millennium. They now communicate with their grandparents, play games with their friends, and learn how to solve math problems or read, all on computers and mobile devices before they are even 5 years old. From the moment they take their first steps, they begin taking advantage of the vast number of apps and unlimited access to rich content made possible by the technological advances of the previous decade. For example, 70% of children between 2 and 5 years old can operate a computer mouse, while only 11% of those same children can tie their shoes. I love children and I am thrilled to have started two organizations, Texas Techies and PowerUp, which provide children with hands-on technology education so that they may start exploring the technological wonders of the 21st century as early as possible. It has been a delightful journey watching my own children master iPads as they conquer their earliest years of schooling. I can’t begin to imagine what kind of computing magic they’ll be capable of when they’re all grown up. Technology surrounds us in our daily lives. Of the books a child reads in a year, 24 are now read on a tablet whereas only 15 are read in print. While technology has been in front of us at work and at home for quite some time, it’s now so ubiquitous that we bring it with us wherever we go thanks to innovations in mobility and ease of use. It often makes our lives easier once we make that initial leap to become comfortable with something new. I think this is the driving force behind my passion for technology. I see it as a wonderful new way to improve the lives and education of children, which are no doubt the other two things I cherish most. Children become comfortable with new technologies way faster than adults, as the younger and younger generations are born into an increasingly advanced world. Children truly are ‘digital natives.’ We should embrace this and encourage a philosophy of optimism and empowerment when addressing the challenges of reaching children who are at-risk of falling behind in the digital age due to inadequate access to quality tech tools and tech ed. The average number of computers per K-12 schools in America grew from 90 to 194 computers per classroom from 1998 to 2012. One and a half million iPads are deployed in classrooms around the country. Students with access to an iPad will find 20,000 apps for education and 50,000 free lectures, books, and videos. Things are getting better, but there’s always room for further improvements. LearnStuff has developed an insightful image to convey the most interesting changes in technology in the context of education.With technology advancing so rapidly year by year, we parents and education professionals must work together to make sure we are best serving our children as they enter the world of touch screens and global interconnectivity. They are the next several generations of human beings who will lead us as we turn the corner of the next technological revolution – and in the 21stcentury, you can be sure we will see many such revolutions!  |
posted Dec 20, 2011, 2:13 AM by TexasTechies .org
Did you know that there is a Facebook application that can protect your children and their privacy?
The system is called Chit Chat. It allows you to access Facebook chat on your desktop, and they recently partnered with United Parents to launch "Chit Chat: United Parents". United Parents is a solution that allows parents to protect their children online whilst respecting their privacy.
The United Parents system analyses behavioural parameters of online chats to identify and flag potential predators, cyber bullies, as well as self inflicted threats. In the short time since its launch, the system has identified issues on a variety of issues, ranging from suicide related discussions to sexual conversations with strangers.
It is designed around the idea of a “digital fingerprint,” the idea that a person’s behavior online is predictable and that phrases, grammar, sentence construction, and other details can be used to identify an individual regardless of the screen name he is using or the computer he has signed in on. So, when a child is messaging with friends on Chit Chat and a user begins chatting with the child, the system compares the content of the messages to a database of flagged offenders to see if the digital fingerprints match. Chit Chat for Facebook is an instant messaging application that integrates with Facebook to provide enhanced chat functionality. The Facebook tool has received wide praise for its aesthetics, ease of use, and streamlined user interface. The decision to integrate with United Parents Child Protection Service now adds enhanced online security to the long list of positives that have made Chit Chat so successful.  United Parents Child Protection Service is a leading provider of a solution for parents who want to protect their children online while respecting their privacy. Because children have more social interaction online than almost anywhere else, it has become necessary for parents to be proactive about protecting children from unsavory elements. The system analyzes behavioral parameters of online chats to identify and flag potential predators or cyber bullies as well as self-inflicted threats. In the short time since its launch, the system has issued alerts on variety of issues, ranging from suicide-related discussions to sexual conversations with strangers. The founders. The founders of United Parents developed the Child Protection Software to safeguard their own children and hit upon the idea that a community approach would offer enhanced protection. Daniel Offer, Managing Director at Athena IT Limited explains that the IT firm is “concerned about online privacy as well as security. This is one of the reasons that we have partnered with United Parents. The Child Protection Service from United Parents was designed with privacy in mind from its inception. Parents want to give their children freedom while still protecting them from potential danger; United Parents and Chit Chat for Facebook make that possible.” The combination of Chit Chat for Facebook and United Parents Child Protection Services offers the following features: Child’s Summary Dashboard – A continuously updated analysis of the child’s online behavior including time online, demographic information of people communicating with child, social networks and instant messaging services used, and top subjects discussed. Alerts - Alerting the parent of the child if/when a child gets into trouble online. Digital Graphology™ – Automatic predator tracking and blocking software using “digital fingerprints." Monthly Reports – Snapshots of child’s online behavior that is sent to parents via email. Rather than providing parents access to private conversations or emailing them complete transcripts, the system instead provides a streamlined overview of chat content based on things listed above. It also provides a simple display of how risky the child’s online behavior is compared to a standard model. This means the children need not fear that their parents are reading private conversations, but it also means that parents can start a dialogue with children regarding potentially dangerous communications. The makers of Chit Chat realized that when children have face to face interactions, parents are aware of who the child is interacting with and who the child’s friends are, which allows parents to assess how safe it is for a child to interact with a given individual. The same abilities to assess safety and get to know who a child is friends with were not available online until now. With United Parents, the goal is to get to know what a child is doing without invading his or her privacy. Just like parents can get to know whether a friend is trustworthy without invading privacy, so too can parents get to know who an online friend is with the integration of United Parents and Chit Chat for Facebook.
For more information, please go to: http://www.chitchat.org.uk/english/press/chit-chat-for-facebook-united-parents-protect-children-online
You can also find out more information about how to keep your kids safe online by clicking here...>> |
posted Dec 20, 2011, 1:53 AM by TexasTechies .org
http://www.tutorhunt.com/
Are you in the UK? There is a great website that provides a completely free service for tutors whereby you can find the nearest tutor that lives in your area and matches your requirements. Their service is used by thousands of parents and students.
|
posted Nov 28, 2011, 5:23 PM by TexasTechies .org
[
updated Nov 28, 2011, 6:21 PM
]
Texas Techies Organization, Grande Communications and Celebration Nation proudly hosted the Texas Techies Animator 2011, a competition where we invite all area school children (Kindergarten - 12th Grade) to create an animation using the software Scratch.
For this year's competition, the challenge was centered around a single theme,"The Oceans", and we allowed the animators a great amount of creativity in their interpretation and execution of that theme.
Over 200 Corpus Christi area school children participated in the Texas Techies Animator 2011 competition and spent the past two months creating their own animations, games, stories, art and music for submission to the Texas Techies Animator 2011 competition.
Forty-Nine (49) projects were successfully submitted and qualified in the semi-finals. 11 students made the final cut and were selected as the finalists.
ANIMATOR 2011 WINNER
|
|
Congratulations to Ryan De Leon, 11th Grade student in Ms. Katherine Hewitt's class at Richard King High School for winning the Texas Techies Animator 2011 Competition. There were a lot of great entries this year, but Ryan De Leon won over the judges with his wonderful drawings, coding, and sincere performance during the showcase.
In recognition of his efforts, Grande Communications awarded Ryan with a brand new Samsung laptop computer. Ryan also won a "Be Our Guest" Prize pack fromWhataburger.
Click here to play the winning game and other finalists' entries...>> |
SEE ALL FINALIST ENTRIES ...>>
ANIMATOR 2011 AWARDS
| Position |
Name |
School Name |
Grade |
Teacher |
Project Submitted |
FIRST PLACE
Brand New Samsung Laptop Computer from Grande Communications and Whataburger "Be our Guest" Prize |
Ryan De Leon |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Scuba Diver Dave |
SECOND PLACE
Velocity Micro Android Tablet from Grande Communications and Whataburger "Be Our Guest" Prize |
Chris Shoemake |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Shark Assault |
THIRD PLACE
$50 Best Buy Gift Card from Grande Communications and Whataburger "Be our Guest" Prize |
Stephanie Tiet |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Krillian the Krab: Scurry the Seas |
FOURTH PLACE
$25 Best Buy Gift Card from Grande Communications and Whataburger "Be our Guest" Prize |
Matthew Rodriguez |
Flour Bluff High School |
10th |
S. Speed |
Dragons of the Nordic Seas |
FIFTH PLACE
Whataburger "Be our Guest" Prize |
Candice Longoria |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Find the Critters |
SIXTH PLACE
Whataburger "Be our Guest" Prize |
Avery Henderson |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
Shark Frenzy |
SEVENTH PLACE
Whataburger "Be our Guest" Prize |
Josh Mireles |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Slaughter Water |
EIGTH PLACE
Whataburger "Be our Guest" Prize |
Daniel Ruiz |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
Atlantis: Revenge of Garcius |
NINTH PLACE
Whataburger "Be our Guest" Prize |
Chris Clark |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Treasure Cruise |
TENTH PLACE
Whataburger "Be our Guest" Prize |
Alyssa Meza |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Bubble Maz |
ELEVENTH PLACE
Whataburger "Be our Guest" Prize |
Minh Le |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
Ocean |
DISTINGUISHED TEACHER AWARD: Ms. Katherine Hewitt, Richard King High School
OUTSTANDING TEACHER AWARD: Ms. Julia Ray, Miller High School & Ms. Shayd Speed, Flour Bluff High School JUDGES:
- Steve Alves - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Cyber Defense Team
- Cayce Berryman - Animator 2009 Winner & Marine Biology Student at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
- Annette Davila - Young Business Professionals of the Coastal Bend
- Celia Garza - Certified Business Advisor II,Small Business Development Center
- Rick Geiter - KIIITV Channel 3
- Nikola Knez - President, iFilms LLC
- Claudia Lichtenberger - Technology Instructor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School
- Crystal Reyna - Texas Publishing Co Ltd
- Dr.Laura Rosales - Director, ELITE Graduate Program
Animator 2011 - Texas Techies Computer Animation ShowcaseSUPPORTERS - Grande Communications
- Celebration Nation
- Whataburger
- Jamba Juice
- CoastalBendMamas.com
- Click N Kids
- CASA of the Coastal Bend
- Richard King High School
- Miller High School
- Moody High School Minds in Motion Animation Club
- Flour Bluff High School
- Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Computer Science Program
- Mary Kay Cosmetics by Maxie Dennis
- VIP Limousine
- Trump Network
|
posted Nov 12, 2011, 5:07 AM by TexasTechies .org
[
updated Nov 12, 2011, 5:08 AM
]
Texas
Techies Organization is pleased to announce the finalists of this
year’s Animator 2011 competition.
The finalists will compete in the Animator’s Showcase to be held on Thursday, November 17, 2011. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges and will wi
n a brand new Netbook Computer, courtesy of Grande Communications.
Over 200 Corpus Christi area school children registered for the
competition and spent the past two months creating their own animations,
games, stories, art and music for submission to the Texas Techies
Animator 2011 competition.
49 projects were successfully submitted and qualified in the
semi-finals. 11 students made the final cut and were selected as the
finalists.
The Finalists are:
| First Name |
Last Name |
School Name |
Grade |
Teacher |
Project Submitted |
| Matthew |
Rodriguez |
Flour Bluff High School |
10th |
S. Speed |
Dragons of the Nordic Seas |
| Josh |
Mireles |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Slaughter Water |
| Chris |
Shoemake |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Shark Assault |
| Ryan |
De Leon |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Scuba Diver Dave |
| Daniel |
Ruiz |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
Atlantis: Revenge of Garcius |
| Avery |
Henderson |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
Shark Frenzy |
| Stephanie |
Tiet |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Krillian the Krab: Scurry the Seas |
| Minh |
Le |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
Ocean |
| Candice |
Longoria |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Find the Critters |
| Chris |
Clark |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Treasure Cruise |
| Alyssa |
Meza |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Bubble Maze |
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Date: Thursday, November 17, 2011
Event Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Location: Celebration Nation, 5922 South Staples Street, Corpus Christi, Texas 78413
Free Entry to Everyone!!
GREAT Door Prizes for Everyone! The goal is to have as much community support in engaging Corpus
Christi students in math, science, and technology, as these are the most
important factors in creating tomorrow's workforce.
Animator 2011 Prizes
There will be one First Place Winner and Four (4) Runner-Up Winners. There will also be prizes awarded for honorable mention as determined by the judges. Entries may also be identify as "commended" for their quality. All prize-winning and commended entries will be exhibited at the Animator 2011 Award Ceremony and displayed on the internet.
- First Place Winner: Brand New Netbook Computer
- Second Place Winner: Brand New Tablet Computer
- Third Place Winner: $50 Best Buy Gift Card
- Fourth Place Winner: $25 Best Buy Gift Card
Animator Showcase Rules
- All projects must be using the Scratch software.
- Entries must be original works created by one individual student.
- All projects must be using the Scratch software.
- Entries must be original works created by one individual student.
- The finalists will be provided with a laptop computer with the scratch program loaded, a microphone, speakers, projector and projection screen.
- Finalists are encouraged to prepare and get ready for the showcase ahead of time.
- Finalists will not be able to receive assistance during the "Animator Showcase."
- Finalists will not be able to receive assistance during the "Animator Showcase."
- Finalists should submit their animations by November 16, 2011 at midnight. If finalists would like to make changes to their submission on November 17, 2011, they should bring their animation on a USB Flash Drive by 5:00pm on November 17, 2011. No entries will be accepted after 5:00pm, Nov. 17, 2011.
- The student will have 7 minutes to showcase their entry. Here is a suggested breakdown for the showcase:
- 1 minute: Introduce your Animation
- 2 minutes: Showcase your Animation
- 2 minutes: Describe how you created the Animation using Scratch software
- 2 minutes: Answer questions / comments
Each finalist will be reviewed by a panel of judges. The judges will award points for each of the following:
-
Originality and Creativity
-
Technical quality: use of animation software features
-
Relevance to theme
-
Overall presentation quality
The decisions of the judging panel are final. The competition organizers
shall not be liable for any decision that they make related to
unforeseen issues and for granting special derogation for requests sent
in writing. Participating at the contest implies full agreement with the
contest rules, without exception.
|
posted Nov 12, 2011, 5:00 AM by TexasTechies .org
[
updated Mar 29, 2021, 12:23 PM
]
Texas
Techies Organization is pleased to announce the semi-finalists of this
year’s Animator 2011 competition.
Over 200 Corpus Christi area school children registered for the
competition and spent the past two months creating their own animations,
games, stories, art and music for submission to the Texas Techies
Animator 2011 competition.
49 projects were successfully submitted and qualified in the
semi-finals.
The Semi-Finalists are:
| First Name |
Last Name |
School Name |
Grade |
Teacher's Name |
Project Submitted |
| Anjelica |
Aguilar |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Jelica |
| Jeremiah |
Alvarez |
Miller High School |
9th |
J. Ray |
Stealers |
| David |
Bell |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Treasure Hunter |
| RICARDO |
CARDOZA |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
FISHING TRIP |
| Mike |
Cartier |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
RoboShark |
| Chris |
Clark |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Treasure Cruise |
| Jackson |
Crumpler |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Ocean Warship |
| Dominique |
Cuellar |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Underwater Ping Pong |
| Ryan |
De Leon |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Scuba Diver Dave |
| Scott |
Deleon |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
The Zombie Mermaids of Atlantis |
| Valerie |
DeLuna |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Unda The Sea! |
| Ashley |
Gillespie |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Pong Beach |
| Michael |
Gomez |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
UnderWater Pac-Man |
| courtney |
gutierrez |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
sea monster |
| Avery |
Henderson |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
Shark Frenzy |
| Steve |
Hinojosa |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Fishhy |
| Keli |
Jarman |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
squishys scum |
| Payton |
Jones |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
The Hungry Hungry Shark |
| Rianna |
Kirkham |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
The Adventures of T'ien Hou |
| Minh |
Le |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
Ocean |
| Alexandra |
Le |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Swimmy Fishy |
| Candice |
Longoria |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Find the Critters |
| Miranda |
Maldonado |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Sea dragon adventure! |
| Shanice |
Mendoza |
Miller High School |
10th |
J. Ray |
love boat |
| Alyssa |
Meza |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Bubble Maze |
| Daniel |
Middleton |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Basketball Letters |
| Josh |
Mireles |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Slaughter Water |
| William |
Parry |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Sub Survivor |
| Nolan |
Pipkin |
Flour Bluff High School |
9th |
S. Speed |
Shark Attack |
| Jonathan |
Puentes |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Ocean Game |
| Julian |
Ramos III |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Ocean Warz |
| Arianna |
Rocha |
Miller High School |
9th |
J. Ray |
Mermaid |
| Magdalene |
Rodriguez |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Crabbles |
| Matthew |
Rodriguez |
Flour Bluff High School |
10th |
S. Speed |
Dragons of the Nordic Seas |
| Daniel |
Ruiz |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
Atlantis: Revenge of Garcius |
| Omar |
Saenz |
King High School |
10th |
Ms.Hewett |
ULTRA STORY ,BETA |
| Ariel |
Salazar |
King High School |
10th |
K. Hewett |
Pop The Number |
| Gerardo |
Salazar |
Miller High School |
11th |
J. Ray |
Ocean Video Game |
| Jamie |
Sandoval |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
killer shark |
| nicholas |
santellana |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Hunt for the ??? |
| Genie |
Saucedo |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Sharks and Fishes |
| Chris |
Shoemake |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Shark Assault |
| Jackii |
Solis |
Miller High School |
9th |
J. Ray |
Bugee's Flaming Life Soothed By Ocean |
| | | | | |
| Zachary |
Thibodeaux |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Hungry Fish |
| Stephanie |
Tiet |
King High School |
12th |
K. Hewett |
Krillian the Krab: Scurry the Seas |
| Julian |
Villarreal |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Croc Goes Fishing |
| Nathan |
Wright |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Operation Underwater Rescue |
| Amanda |
Zapata |
King High School |
11th |
K. Hewett |
Crab Dodgeball |
The finalists will compete in the Animator’s Showcase to be held on Thursday, November 17, 2011.
|
posted Jul 30, 2011, 6:36 AM by TexasTechies .org
[
updated Aug 28, 2011, 6:12 AM
]
We are now looking for......you to join our wonderful team of Texas Techies!Are you Enthusiastic and Outgoing ?
Are you Technology Literate ?
We provide Training and Teacher Certification!
The positions are usually Part-Time / Contract / Internship
Compensation: $8 - $15 per hour
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
E-mail Resume to:___________________________ |
posted Nov 19, 2010, 3:52 AM by TexasTechies .org
[
updated Nov 19, 2010, 3:56 AM
]
Corpus Christi area school children registered for the competition and
spent the past two months creating their own animations, games,
stories, art and music for submission to the Texas Techies Animator
2010 competition. 43 projects successfully qualified in the
semi-finals. 10 students made the final cut and were selected as the
finalists.
We are pleased to announce that Joshua Holzworth from Richard King High School is
the winner of our Texas Techies Animator 2010 competition. The judges
chose her entry out of 10 finalists who competed. Joshua, a 12th
grader, is a student of Katherine Hewett, the Digital Technology
teacher at Richard King High School. He received his brand new Apple
iPod touch and championship award at the event on November 18, 2010 and
his animation will be showcased at the Scratch MIT website.
Congratulations, Joshua!
We also want to congratulate all of the finalists who competed; we received many outstanding entires. Our only regret is that there could only be 10 finalists.
The Results are as follows:
|
Position |
First Name |
Last Name |
Grade |
Animation Title |
|
1st Place |
Joshua |
Holzworth |
12th |
Time Attack - Survival |
|
2nd Place |
Cayce |
Berryman |
12th |
Sally's Time Travel Adventure |
|
3rd Place |
Nicholas |
Young |
11th |
Time Traveling Wizard |
|
4th Place |
Peyton |
Page |
11th |
Stick Guy |
|
5th Place |
Paulina |
Flores |
12th |
Graveyard Picnic |
|
6th Finalist |
Adam |
Benning |
9th |
Library of Alexandria |
|
7th Finalist |
Alex |
Brown |
11th |
Shablaam |
|
8th Finalist |
Kyle |
Bagwell |
11th |
O.B.B. Adventures |
|
9th Finalist |
Brittany |
Garza |
11th |
Time to Pong |
|
10th Finalist |
Robert |
West |
10th |
Brother Misfortune |
We would also like to thank everyone who participated in this
great event. Your willingness to support Texas Techies made a great
difference to the entire event and we couldn't have pulled it off
without you. Thank you! |
posted Nov 14, 2010, 12:47 PM by TexasTechies .org
[
updated Nov 14, 2010, 12:55 PM
]
Texas Techies Organization is pleased to announce the finalists of this year’s Animator 2010 competition.
The finalists will compete in the Animator’s Showcase to be held on Thursday, November 18, 2010.
The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges and will win a brand new
Apple iTouch, courtesy of Grande Communications. Over 100 Corpus
Christi area school children registered for the competition and spent
the past two months creating their own animations, games, stories, art
and music for submission to the Texas Techies Animator 2010
competition. 43 projects were successfully submitted and qualified in
the semi-finals. 10 students made the final cut and were selected as
the finalists. The Finalists are:
|
First Name |
Last Name |
Grade |
Animation Title |
|
Kyle |
Bagwell |
11th |
O.B.B. Adventures |
|
Adam |
Benning |
9th |
Library of Alexandria |
|
Cayce |
Berryman |
12th |
Sally's Time Travel Adventure |
|
Alex |
Brown |
11th |
Shablaam |
|
Paulina |
Flores |
12th |
Graveyard Picnic |
|
Brittany |
Garza |
11th |
Time to Pong |
|
Joshua |
Holzworth |
12th |
Time Attack - Survival |
|
Peyton |
Page |
11th |
Stick Guy |
|
Robert |
West |
10th |
Brother Misfortune |
|
Nicholas |
Young |
11th |
Time Traveling Wizard |
We also want to congratulate all of the students who entered; we
received many great projects. Our only regret is that there can only be
10 finalists. Animator 2010 ScheduleDate: Thursday, November 18, 2010 Location: Oso Recreation Center, 1111 Bernice Drive, 78412 Event Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm - Animator Showcase Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
- Judging Time: 7:00pm - 7:10pm
- Awards Ceremony: 7:20pm Free Entry to Everyone- The first 100 guests will get a Free Trump Network Goody Bag from The Trump Network
- Free Livescribe 'dumb' pens
Amazing Door Prizes for Everyone!
- Trump Network Snazzle Snaxxs Starter Kit ($351 Value)
- Trump Network BioCe Kit ($381 Value) http://bioceyourlife.com/BioCeInOurOwnWords.aspx
- iPod Shuffle from 4B Productions
- 5 lifetime accounts of Click-N-Read from Click-N-Kids
- .....and lots more, drawings, and door prizes throughout the entire event.
The goal is to have as much community support in engaging Corpus
Christi students in math, science, and technology, as these are the
most important factors in creating tomorrow's workforce.
The Animation Theme
This year the challenge will be centered around a single theme, "Time Travel", and will allow the animators a great amount of creativity in their interpretation and execution of that theme. What is time travel and how can it relate to an animation?
Wikipedia explains time travel as "the concept of moving between
different moments in time in a manner analogous to moving between
different points in space." For your animation, however, you can use
any creative idea you can come up with to implement this theme. You
could employ programming that allows the user to go back and forward
through time, like Braid or Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. You could
create a game where the player can explore two (or more) versions of a
world existing in different times, like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of
Time. You could simply make an animation based in ancient history,
where the main character arrive via a time machine....Or you can do
whatever else you can think of, as long as it fits the theme somehow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SafwXdP7ylc Animator 2010 Rules- The competition is open only to students enrolled at schools in Texas.
- Finalists will showcase their animations in Corpus Christi, Texas.
- Your animation must be created using Scratch. We cannot accept entries created using any other authoring system.
- Entries can only be accepted if submitted on-line using the official competition registration webpage.
- All
entries must be centered around the single theme of the competition.
We allow the animators a great amount of creativity in their
interpretation and execution of that theme.
- Entries must
be original works created by one individual student. However we do
realize that it is entirely appropriate that children entering may
receive professional support from teachers/classroom assistants, as
part of the usual teaching and learning process. Finalists will not be
able to receive assistance during the "Animator Showcase."
- The duration of an entry must be no more than 2 minutes. There is no minimum length.
- There
is no restriction on the number of separate entries an individual may
submit. However, if an individual submits multiple entries, the content
of each entry must be substantially different.
- If your entry
incorporates music, sound samples, text, or images, you must own the
rights to use that material. For a great sources of freely-usable
music, please visit: www.freeplaymusic.com
- Texas Techies Organization reserves the right to reject any entry which, in its view, contains inappropriate material.
- When
you submit an entry you grant Texas Techies Organization permission to
make unrestricted use of the entry in future, for publicity or
educational purposes. In such use, the Organization will ensure that
the author/school is clearly acknowledged.
- Submitted entries
may be exhibited at the awards ceremony and displayed on
the competition webpages, which will also contain entrants' and
schools' names (but no further contact details).
- Texas Techies Organization will keep your contact information confidential and will not release it to any other parties.
Animator Showcase Rules- All projects must be using the Scratch software.
- Entries must be original works created by one individual student.
- The
finalists will be provided with a laptop computer with the Scratch
program loaded, a microphone, podium, speakers, projector and
projection screen.
- Finalists are encouraged to prepare and get ready for the showcase ahead of time.
- Finalists will not be able to receive assistance during the "Animator Showcase."
- Finalists should submit their animations by November 16, 2010 at midnight.
If finalists would like to make changes to their submission on November
18, 2010, they should bring their animation on a USB Flash Drive by
5:00pm on November 18, 2010. No entries will be accepted after 5:00pm,
Nov. 18, 2010.
- The student will have 5-6 minutes to showcase their entry. Here is a suggested breakdown for the showcase:
- 2 minutes: Introduce your Animation & Describe how you created the Animation using Scratch software
- 2 minutes: Showcase your Animation
- 1 minute: Answer questions / comments
Judging CriteriaEach finalist will be reviewed by a panel of judges. The judges will award points for each of the following: - Originality and Creativity
- Technical quality: use of animation software features
- Relevance to theme
- Overall presentation quality
The
decisions of the judging panel are final. The competition organizers
shall not be liable for any decision that they make related to
unforeseen issues and for granting special derogation for requests sent
in writing. Participating at the contest implies full agreement with
the contest rules, without exception. Animator 2010 PrizesThere
will be one First Place Winner and Four (4) Runner-Up Winners. There
will also be prizes awarded for honorable mention as determined by the
judges. Entries may also be identify as "commended" for their quality.
All prize-winning and commended entries will be exhibited at
the Animator 2010 Award Ceremony and displayed on the internet. - First Place Winner: Apple iPod Touch
- Four (4) Runner-Up Winners: Best Buy Gift Cards
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Texas Techies Organization
Phone: 361-774-7454
E-mail: info@texastechies.org
Website: http://www.texastechies.org |
posted Nov 11, 2010, 3:24 AM by TexasTechies .org
[
updated Nov 14, 2010, 12:56 PM
]
Texas
Techies Organization is pleased to announce the finalists of this
year’s Animator 2010 competition.
The finalists will compete in the Animator’s Showcase to be held on Thursday, November 18, 2010. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges and will wi
n a brand new Apple iTouch, courtesy of Grande Communications.
Over 100 Corpus Christi area school children registered for the
competition and spent the past two months creating their own animations,
games, stories, art and music for submission to the Texas Techies
Animator 2010 competition.
43 projects were successfully submitted and qualified in the
semi-finals. 10 students made the final cut and were selected as the
finalists.
The Finalists are:
|
First Name |
Last Name |
Grade |
Animation Title |
|
Kyle |
Bagwell |
11th |
O.B.B. Adventures |
|
Adam |
Benning |
9th |
Library of Alexandria |
|
Cayce |
Berryman |
12th |
Sally's Time Travel Adventure |
|
Alex |
Brown |
11th |
Shablaam |
|
Paulina |
Flores |
12th |
Graveyard Picnic |
|
Brittany |
Garza |
11th |
Time to Pong |
|
Joshua |
Holzworth |
12th |
Time Attack - Survival |
|
Peyton |
Page |
11th |
Stick Guy |
|
Robert |
West |
10th |
Brother Misfortune |
|
Nicholas |
Young |
11th |
Time Traveling Wizard |
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Free Entry to Everyone
Amazing Door Prizes for Everyone!
The goal is to have as much community support in engaging Corpus
Christi students in math, science, and technology, as these are the most
important factors in creating tomorrow's workforce.
Animator 2010 Prizes 
There will be one First Place Winner and Four (4) Runner-Up Winners.
There will also be prizes awarded for honorable mention as determined by
the judges. Entries may also be identify as "commended" for their
quality. All prize-winning and commended entries will be exhibited at
the Animator 2010 Award Ceremony and displayed on the internet.
Animator Showcase Rules
-
All projects must be using the Scratch software.
-
Entries must be original works created by one individual student.
-
The finalists will be provided with a laptop computer with the
Scratch program loaded, a microphone, podium, speakers, projector and
projection screen.
-
Finalists are encouraged to prepare and get ready for the showcase ahead of time.
-
Finalists will not be able to receive assistance during the "Animator Showcase."
-
Finalists will not be able to receive assistance during the "Animator Showcase."
-
Finalists should submit their animations by November 16, 2010 at
midnight. If finalists would like to make changes to their submission
on November 18, 2010, they should bring their animation on a USB Flash
Drive by 5:00pm on November 18, 2010. No entries will be accepted after
5:00pm, Nov. 18, 2010.
-
The student will have 6 minutes to showcase their entry. Here is a suggested breakdown for the showcase:
-
2 minutes: Introduce your Animation
-
1 minutes: Describe how you created the Animation using Scratch software
-
2 minutes: Showcase your Animation
-
1 minutes: Answer questions / comments
Judging Criteria
Each finalist will be reviewed by a panel of judges. The judges will award points for each of the following:
-
Originality and Creativity
-
Technical quality: use of animation software features
-
Relevance to theme
-
Overall presentation quality
The decisions of the judging panel are final. The competition organizers
shall not be liable for any decision that they make related to
unforeseen issues and for granting special derogation for requests sent
in writing. Participating at the contest implies full agreement with the
contest rules, without exception.
|
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