On Wednesday, Jan. 13, approximately 200 gifted and talented students from the Santa Maria-Bonita School District were set to gather for the 8th annual GATE winter enrichment workshop held at Jiménez School. This year, the focus was on technology, and the event was referred to as the GATE Institute of Technology.
The fifth through eighth grade students had the chance to participate in fun, educational, and interactive sessions designed to expand their cutting-edge technology skills. Students were able to choose from sessions like coding and gaming, iPad animation, video creation, website development, playground physics, and more. In the afternoon, there was an opportunity for the students to share what they learned with their peers and teach mini lessons of their own.
The workshop was an extra curricular program for GATE students during their winter break. District teachers and tech experts taught the sessions. Students used Chromebook notebooks, iPads, and other devices provided by the district.
“Children use technology every day, whether it’s a smartphone or a gaming system,” event organizer and GATE adviser Gina Danley said in a press release. “We want to take their interest and skill to the next level, show them how to not just use technology, but to create and expand its use.”
This article appears in Jan 14-21, 2016.