Recently our developing the young workforce staff invited the award-winning team behind the learning program for digital built environment and infrastructure education ‘Design…Engineer…Construct’ (DEC) into school for a five-day project with our S3 pupils. The pupils were tasked to design a net zero McDonald’s restaurant and over the five days participated in a series of workshops which looked at idea generation and problem solving, with sessions such as 3D modelling and design overview being offered. It was a great week and for completing their designs the pupils were rewarded with a feast from McDonald’s.
Category Archives: Technologies
CRAIG YOUNG – CODING SUCCESS
S4 pupil Craig Young was the winner of Dress Code HQs recent Halloween coding competition. Craig took part in the S4 category and was awarded a Raspberry Pi keyboard and mouse for coming first place. Well done Craig – the school are delighted for you.
ROBOTICS SUCCESS
Congratulations to team “KOALA-T”, “Neptunes Angels” and “Anonymous” from Braidhurst High School for winning the regional championships and the Judges Award in the VEX Turning point Challenge. This year’s competition was held at New College Lanarkshire (Motherwell Campus) with Teams from North Lanarkshire Schools competing against each other for an “alliance place” in the UK regional finals in Tedford.
The Vex Robotics Challenge is the World’s Largest and Fastest-Growing Robotics Competition for High Schools, Colleges and Universities. In the VEX Competitions, presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, teams of students are tasked with designing and building a robot to play against other teams from around the world in a game-based engineering challenge. Classroom STEM concepts are put to the test on the playing field as students learn lifelong skills in teamwork, leadership, communications, and more.
Tournaments are held at regional, and national levels; local champions go on to compete against the best in the world at VEX Worlds each April. The club has been very well supported by North Lanarkshire and includes pupils ranging from S1 to S4. Currently the school’s STEM club has 21 members including three S5 female students, STEM ambassadors who have taken on the commitment to support the younger less experienced members.
DRAGON’S LAIR
The Dragon’s Lair final was held on Tuesday 13th November in the Antrium Centre in Coatbridge and out of 6 finalists Braidhurst were represented by 2 teams. Entrepreneurs for ‘Educate Me’ were Finlay Anderson, Iona Eldhose and Rebecca Nevans who designed an app to educate children in all aspects of their learning by providing additional support and skills to improve their knowledge and understanding of a subject. The app would also include video tutorials, timetable, planners, games and prompters. Supernova – Solar Mower entrepreneurs were Ellie Anderson, Ryan Murray and Robbie Tollan who designed a new and improved lawn mower powered by solar energy to combat global warming by depending on reusable energy instead of using fossil fuel. The pupils attended an Information Day where they were advised on the completion of their business plan. This was submitted 2 weeks later and marked by one of Business Gateway’s Business Advisors. Out of 19 submissions, Braidhurst was overwhelmed to have 2 teams in the final. After selection, the pupils attended a briefing day regarding their presentation to the Dragon’s and had one week to prepare their pitch. On the day, the pupils excelled in their presentation skills and dared to enter the dragon’s den for 5 minutes of questions. Although both teams were unsuccessful in winning the title, they were complimented on the exceptionally high standard of their business plans and presentation skills.
MEETING THE DIGITAL CHALLENGE
Pictured are the S2 cohort from the school’s “STEM” elective. The elective has just received the first batch of, “state of the art, STEM V5, autonomous equipment to make artificial intelligence (A.I) systems.
The elective classes are embedded into the school curriculum, promoting in both S1 and S2 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical), to ensure the schools broad general education (BGE) offers personalisation, choice, relevance and enjoyment. Both the elective and the award-winning Robotics club are organised by Mr. Hussain of the science department. Mr. Hussain commented that, “we at Braidhurst are committed to meeting the needs of the individual by being creative and providing them with the opportunity to develop skills they will need in the world of work, and this year the link between the elective and the extracurricular robotics club will be fused and it is hoped that the success of one will foster the success of the other”.
An emphasis has also been put on encouraging girls into STEM subjects and Mr. Hussain has signed up the Girl power pledge, #GirlPowerd. Mr. Hussain commented that “the theme of the initiative is to show how exciting it is to be involved with STEM, showcasing examples of how women are changing the world, providing tools for success, and enabling comfortable environments where all students’ confidence and abilities can flourish.”
DIGITAL EXPLORERS
Senior students from Braidhurst High School attended the Digital Explorers, an event organised by, TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) and EDT (Engineering Development Trust). The program was hosted by Tess Gallacher the Schools Programme Officer for EDT and was designed to introduce pupils to the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
Braidhurst High is a center of excellence in the delivery of STEM, via its award-winning Robotics club and the embedded S1, S2 technology elective.
During the event the students took part in STEM related themes namely “The Internet of Things”, “Artificial Intelligence” (A.I.), “Crypto-Currencies” such as Bit-coin and other emerging technologies.
The Braidhurst High Students held structured debates and considered multiple points of views about how they can equip themselves to become future employees in STEM companies. They will now be able to relate their own skills and interests to existing and future careers in the fast-moving sectors of tech. As senior students the event highlighted to all the rapid growth and breadth of opportunities in the tech sector in Scotland and they realised the industry values in a STEM employee.
DRAGON’S LAIR
A group of S3 pupils recently attended the ‘Dragon’s Lair’ competition hosted by the Business Gateway at the Atrium Centre in Coatbridge. The pupils were bidding to win the prestigious Dragon’s Lair award for their business innovation, planning and marketing by submitting a business plan on their idea. Good luck to all the pupils involved.
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