Category Archives: Technology

Zeta team upset after STEM loss

Posted on by Leave a comment
The winning team at the STEM competition

The winning team at the 2016 STEM competition (Photo: Christian Pietrowski, Patterson Press)

By Alvaro Flores-Villegas,

Students competed in the 2016 STEM competition on November 11th. The STEM competition is an annual event at Patterson that involves challenges based mainly on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

Students from all cohorts were getting in their teams as they prepared for that day. One team called the Zeta team, which consisted of Amadou Bah, Edward Torres, Yamen Khalil, and Nan Wang declared that they were going to win 1st place in the whole competition. “I already had a spot to put the trophy in my room and dreamed to have my first STEM trophy before I graduate”, said Amadou Bah.

Yet at the end of the competition, the Zeta team did not win first, second or even third place. Rather than accepting the loss, Bah has accused Mr. Yates of rigging the competition. Mr. Yates is the main teacher in charge of organizing the STEM competition. Bah finds it difficult to believe that a younger, less experienced team could beat his team of seniors. He also points to the fact that the winning students were all students from Mr. Yates’ engineering class. Bah alleges that Mr. Yates showed favoritism by letting his own students win the competition. Edwin Torres, another member of the Zeta team, agrees with Bah. “When the winning teams were being rewarded, everyone was caught by surprise on who took first place”, Torres told the Patterson Press.

In response, Mr. Yates said, “the judges were volunteers from various Engineering or other STEM Businesses and Universities. I had no influence on their scoring; they simply followed the event instructions and rubric which all students had access to”. Mr. Yates pointed out that the STEM competition has a long history of upsets, including one year when a team of ninth graders beat all the upper grades.

“The STEM Competition is not about rote knowledge, but about creativity and applying STEM knowledge and skills in a new setting. So even inexperienced teams can bring their creativity and problem-solving skills to bear”, Mr. Yates explained. Unable to resist a little trash-talking, Mr. Yates added, “My students are the best; that is why they won! Unlike the [Presidential] election that same week, the STEM Competition was not rigged!”

In conclusion, I was really shocked myself when I competed in the competition and found out we were not the winners, but at the end of the day we had a good laugh and just accepted it. It was a close game after all!

The industry partners who served as judges during the STEM competition Photo: Christian Pietrowski, Patterson Press)

The industry partners who served as judges during the STEM competition Photo: Christian Pietrowski, Patterson Press)

f

(Photos: Christian Pietrowski, Patterson Press)

Interview with Ms. Ball about VEX Robotics Competition

Posted on by Leave a comment
A student works on his robot. (Photo: Patterson Press)

A student works on his robot. (Photo: Patterson Press)

By Brian Clark Jr.,

Below is an interview with Ms. Ball about the VEX Robotics Competition.

Patterson Press: Why do you do this competition for the students? 

Ms. Ball: The reason I do this competition for the students is to teach them problem solving, communication and programming skills. In addition to learning about engineering, students are able to interact with each other in a positive manner while applying Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) concepts.

Patterson Press: Who can participate?

Ms. Ball: Anyone can participate. We welcome students, parents, and staff.

Patterson Press: What made you want to start a Robotics Club in Patterson High School?

Ms. Ball: The reason I wanted to start a Robotics Club at Patterson High School is because at my old school, we had a VEX team and a FIRST Robotics team. So, when I came to Patterson, we were able to implement a VEX team with the resources we had. The students were able to engage the robotics concepts right away so the program grew.

Patterson Press: What do the students do with the skills they learn from the Robotics Club?

Ms. Ball: They use the skills to improve robot designs and to increase their gaming skills and/or to learn about engineering.

Patterson Press: Do any of the students go on to college to study robotics or engineering?

Ms. Ball: Yes. Several of the students in the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Engineering Program use robotics to get scholarships to pay for college. Last year, two PLTW students in the robotics club got over $170,000 in scholarship money. They both are studying engineering and computer science in college.

Patterson Press: How many students are on the robotics team?

Ms. Ball: Right now there are 15 students who come on a regular basis. A lot more are interested, but we don’t have the resources to support more students. Though students work in teams of two and three, at some point they should be able to build their own robots, not to just learn about the concepts. We are writing grants to fund our club, but until we get more resources we have to turn some students away.

Patterson Press: How many faculty members help with robotics?

Ms. Ball: Everybody at Patterson supports our robotics team, but currently only two teachers (Ms. Ball and Mr. Funk) runs the program. We would like to have more teachers attend the club meetings to help the students.

 

Patterson and NAF Students Help Create Prosthetic Hands For Those In Need

Posted on by Leave a comment
dsc_0312

Engineering students share the limelight with their teachers, Mr. Yates (left) and Ms. Ball (right)        (Photo: Northrop Grumman)By: Amadou Bah

By Amadou Bah,

Students from two Baltimore high schools (Patterson & National Academy Foundation)  had the chance to create prosthetic hands for children around the world. Both Mr. Yates and Ms. Ball selected six students to go on the field trip on Oct. 3, 2016.

Students from Patterson High School and National Academy Foundation (NAF), had the chance to pair up with volunteers from Northrop Grumman for a hands-on experience. The students had the guidance of one volunteer from Northrop Grumman for each table, with the exception of Amadou Bah, who had the guidance of two volunteers. All students also had the materials from 3D printers as part of a program that organizers said “keeps rapidly growing every year.”

Those involved in the program hope developing a prosthetic hand will not only change the life of the child that will use it, but also the ones that are assembling it.

dsc_0317-1

Prosthetic Hand Assembled by Students (Photo: Northrop Grumman)

The program is part of Manufacturing Week. Overall, 13 Northrop Grumman campuses across the country are doing the same project with students.

“Last year we did this event and we just loved it,” Ingrid Vaughn, vice president of manufacturing for Northrup Grumman, told WBALTV. “We were able to produce 160 hands, and we distributed them to Enabling the Future. So that was really a first-year big hit, so we are trying to do the same thing this year.”

When students are finished, the hands will go to a child in need anywhere in the world, thanks to the nonprofit, e-NABLE.

Ms. Ball Wins “Teachers are Heroes” Award

Posted on by Leave a comment
Ms. Ball, winner of ABC2 Teacher Hero award (Photo: John Dingzon, Patterson Press)

Ms. Ball, winner of ABC2 Teacher Hero award (Photo: Amadou Bah, Patterson Press)

By John Dingzon,

This year’s nominee of Teachers are Heroes was Ms. Sharon Ball. She was nominated by her colleague Mr. Nicolas Yates. Ms. Ball used to be an Engineer; now she’s a teacher at Patterson High school. She teaches Engineering classes, coaches Robotics, and mentors students in STEM programs.

She won the award of Teachers are Heroes, sponsored by MEW & ABC 2 News. Ms. Ball said when she found out she won, “I was surprised and excited.”

Ms. Ball would like to thank her colleague Mr. Yates for getting nominated so she could receive the award of Teachers are Heroes.

 

Coding Club is Back to Making Apps

Posted on by Leave a comment
img_0321

Coding club (photo: Mohamed)

by Mohamed Alhamdani

Coding Club is back at it again!

Coding Club is an inspiring way to learn about computer science, Cyber security and a lot more things about the internet-even apps. In Coding Club, you can make websites; it’s about developing knowledge that is useful to have. In Coding Club, you learn new things that it is very far beyond the average human knowledge. It can give you a pathway of engineering or computer science.

“Coding club is a fun that to learn,” Mr.Yates said. “And at Coding Club, we have fun and snacks. We make a lot of things that you will like.”

Now you can even get the Patterson app. Download it on Playstore or the App Store.

Coding club is on Wednesdays after school in Mr. Yates’ room, #110, at 3:45. All are welcome.

Patterson continues tradition with 6th annual community fair

Posted on by Leave a comment
A stand from the community Fair (Photo: Patterson Press)

A stand from the community Fair (Photo: Patterson Press)

By Mikal McCoy,

Patterson High School had its 6th annual Back to School Night and Community Fair on the evening of September 22, 2016. Students, teachers and family members met together in the cafeteria to share a night of fun.

During the fair, there were games, activities and food. “It was a lot of food, a lot of chicken, vegetables and drinks”, said Yero Goloco, a student who attended the fair. For entertainment, different activities were planned. Students who were asked agreed that the fair was entertaining. “There was a lady belly dancing, people played drums, and there was a dance battle”, said Amadou Bah, another student who attended the fair. These responses reveal that people enjoyed the food and activities, but the Community Fair served other purposes as well.

Many families attended the fair. Students from Patterson High School invited their parents, friends, and relatives. Around 500 people attended the event. Dozens of community organizations, businesses and universities participated in the fair, along with many school groups and programs such as Robotics, Gardening, Coding Club and more. Each club had a stand with representatives who spoke with students and family members about what they do.

One group that attended the Community Fair was Patterson’s AFJROTC program. Cadets who attended the event helped out with setting up and seating visitors. “I was standing outside, greeting people, giving them their tickets for their sheets”, explained Abdullah, one of the cadets. Teachers, students and family members came together to make the Community Fair a success.

This year marked the 6th consecutive year that there has been a community fair event at Patterson. Ms. O’Brien and Mr. Alukwu started the event in 2011. “It was an idea that Mr. Alukwu and I came up with the summer before Mr. Benton became the principal”, recalled Ms. O’Brien. It takes planning, organization, and thought to come up with an idea like a school community fair and make it work. This year’s event was no exception.

 

 

 

 

iPhone 7 Vs. Galaxy Note 7 (REVIEW)

Posted on by Leave a comment
untitled-2

Note 7 vs iPhone 7 (graphic by Faran Nadeem)

By Amadou Bah and Faran Nadeem,

Recently–if you haven’t noticed–the iPhone 7 just released on Sep. 16, 2016 and the Galaxy Note 7 was released on the 19th of August 2016. While the Galaxy Note 7 is having some problems, both are good phones. According to CNN, “Samsung is recalling millions of new Galaxy Note 7 smartphones worldwide after reports of the devices catching fire while charging. Samsung said Friday it had found problem with the battery in some of the phones and was halting sales. In the coming weeks it will offer customers a new product for free to replace all 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 that have been sold.” Overall, The Galaxy Note 7 is the hottest phone out in Samsung market. Faster, much better display, better camera, stronger screen, easier to use, easier to transfer data, easier to backup. Galaxy does everything iPhone does and has far more useful features, making multi-tasking very easy.

The iPhone 7 has added new features like the Dual camera, battery life, higher basic storage option and IP67 water resistance. Yes, the headphones jack has been removed which is a con for it. According to Yahoo Finance, “Whilst the loss of the headphone jack means more space for a bigger battery, the loss of a stalwart feature is – at least initially – a negative. For those of you with expensive headphones, there’s a lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack connector that comes with the iPhone 7, but accessories are notoriously flimsy and easy to lose. If you’re in the market for new headphones, you’ll be limited to wireless and lightning compatible products, wiping out a whole raft of options. If you want to charge your iPhone whilst using wired headphones, however, you’ll have to fork out for a $49 lightning dock. The additional costs of removing the headphone jack keep racking up. Next year is also the 10th year of the iPhone. So if you’re close to upgrade time, it might be a good idea to wait. The iPhone 7 is very much a small upgrade on the 6S, whereas next year’s promises something more special to commemorate a decade of Apple smartphones.” Even though the headphones jack has been removed, the Apple Company still offers adapters if you still use regular headphones.

One interesting fact is that Apple finally teamed up with Nintendo to release Super Mario Run for iOS. It’s also a stock jump that’s more directly driven by Nintendo’s actions than Pokemon Go was. Since Super Mario Run is being developed by Nintendo, the company can expect a bigger cut of the revenue from the game’s success than it could with Pokemon Go, which was developed by Niantic, and published by The Pokemon Company.

According to Nintendo Team, The Super Mario Run is set to release in December for a fixed price, with a set of in-app purchases that Nintendo has yet to fully detail.

In my conclusion, both the iPhone 7 & Galaxy Note 7 are good phones for staying in contact with your family and friends or conducting any other type of business with someone. If you look at the chart below you will see some comparison between both phones.

Specification chart

(Source:  via YouTube – EveryThingApplePro)

NFL uses virtual reality to enhance fans’ experience

Posted on by Leave a comment

By Christian Pietrowski,

The NFL is in the process of changing the way technology is being used. According to CNN Student News and MetLife stadium, the New York Jets and the New York Giants are the first to do a lot of technological advancements.

By using virtual reality, they have a booth set up where people can play the NFL game live in virtual reality where it looks like the fans are on the field. This new technology has brought millions of new fans to the stadium to try it out. Other NFL stadiums are in the process of trying this out to bring in more money.

Also there’s a option you can see what it is like to soar 1000 feet over New York City while sitting in the passenger seat of the iconic MetLife Blimp.

sap_metlife_entrance

MetLife stadium

So the next time you are at MetLife Stadium make sure you try this unique experience! The experience is free but you can only have up to 5 minutes to do it so everyone has a chance to experience this new technology. The New York Jets are hoping this technology will spread to every NFL stadium.

BONUS CONTENT: Student Bookbinding Contest winners

Posted on by Leave a comment

Here are the cover pages and inside spreads from all of the winners of the Patterson bookbinding contest. More information is available on the front page of the May 2016 print edition of the Patterson Press.

 

Could our smart phones be making us dumber?

Posted on by Leave a comment

By Diana Nguyen and Manuel Aguina,

Kids today have phones, laptops, and other electronic devices that have games and are ways to communicate with others. The reason many kids have low grades and act rudely, and why people may say this generation is messed up, could be these electronic devices. Some of the people kids communicate with online could be a bad influence because these people are sharing inappropriate things, trying to make others think they are cool.

Phones distract people nowadays because people get lost in them, like its the phone, and not their surroundings, that is their one and only focus.  Twelfth grade Patterson student, Adarely Perez, says, “Phones are making us less intelligent because they are too much of a distraction.”

Also, eleventh grader Jordan Dennis says, “Phones are making us lazy in the way that you can connect with people faster and it makes life for a teenager easier.”

Most people nowadays focus on their social media status. Social media did not used to be so common on mobile devices, so when it first came to mobile devices, people were hooked on it like a drug. On devices now, it is common to see people sending tweets, posting statuses, or sending pictures. It has grown to a point that in schools, students just look at their tiny screens and forget everything else.

Although phones may sound like they are making us dumb, they can also make us smarter. Our mobile device is a highly intelligent device. “IPhone or Samsung Galaxy in your pocket is actually an incredibly sophisticated networking computer”, explains Andrew Keen, author from up front magazine. Some people don’t really understand the power that they have in their pockets the power to use a super calculator, write stories, or even edit movies, but they rarely use those powers. Apps on mobile devices help people edit movies, read books, get news , and also can help learn new things about a specific subject from science to math. Mr Mello says “No. Phones make us dumb only in the way we use them, but they are really good learning tools.”

The point is that phones can be seen as bad and good. Many people can argue that phones are making us dumber but they only see the social media  side of phones. People who see the social media side to phones only think of selfies, videos, and chatting. Other people can see the technological side of the phones, they see that phones are a learning tool. The people who do see the tech side of phones see the immense power like problem solving to reading books.

« Older Entries Recent Entries »