James Riser's Technology Class - emphasizing multimedia use/production, digital image processing, and science/technology related careers.

Note: This page is graphic intensive (slow downloading).



Image Processing and Technology Careers is a hands-on lab course in which students explore the techniques of utilizing technology in actual work situations. This class has an emphasis on acquainting students with technology related careers and providing students with the basic skills required for such work. Many of the activities done in class require working in small cooperative learning teams. Development of problem solving skills is emphasized through simulated situations found in the common workplace. Featured in this course are the interdisciplinary activities from Riser's "An Introduction to Image Processing". Some of the activities that students will have the opportunity of working on include:

1. creating weekly home/school communication newsletter

2. processing digital images for analysis and other uses



3. creating/editing digital video

4. creating/editing simple digital sound

5. creating commercials for local businesses

6. designing and creating a videotape

7. creating multimedia applications for the Macintosh



8. designing and drawing with CAD programs



9. programming a robotic arm to accomplish a
task

10. acquiring and using current news from wire
services

11. utilizing the Internet as a resource

12. using e-mail

13. designing and creating a home page for the world wide web

14. operating a weather satellite receiving station

15. operating a CNC milling machine

16. utilizing computerized probeware

17. graphing data


18. using a simple database and spreadsheet

19. designing and creating computerized animations


20. designing and creating computer controlled Lego models

21. designing and building a "Stealth" vehicle invisible to a sonic probe

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Below are shown some sample activities done by the students.

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Introduction to robotics:

Students are introduced to robotics with the Lego Dacta equipment.
With this collection of assorted Lego blocks, gears, pulleys, lights,
sensors, etc. students can design, construct, script, and control their
complex machines through the Macintosh computer.



After working with the Lego Dacta
equipment, students are able to
program a computer simulated robotic
arm on the IBM computer. In addition
to programming a simulated robotic arm, students are given an
opportunity to program our D&M robotic arms to accomplish
a simple task developed by the students themselves.

As an enhancement to what they learned
programming robotic arms, students may learn
how to design a simple product and machine it
using IBM computers (CAD/CAM) and our
small D&M CNC milling machine and our
D&M CNC lathe.

Our latest addition is an introduction to videoconferencing

The flight simulator as purchased.

It started out on a table top.

Then Lear Jet donated a pilot's seat.

Then a local resident donated a real plane!

Our video recording studio:

Our video recording studio is used to record daily
announcements. These announcements are broadcast over the
entire middle school campus through our Channel 1 equipment.
We also show such things as our faculty produced video on
designing and making science projects to the students over this
system.

Teachers may schedule the video studio for producing their
own videos or for recording student presentations.

Below you may see an example frame from a student presentation video on using the D&M robotic arm.








The weather satellite receiving station:

The weather satellite receiving station allows students to collect
weather images from all over the world. These images are used for weather studies, earth science work, and several social studies activities. A sequence of images can be assembled into a movie for animated cloud movement.

Alas, when I retired, the above program for students came to an end due to disinterest by the administration, other teachers, and the school district. Perhaps it was just too much work?