Leaders in Technology: Activities

As a Leader in Technology, our crew is dedicated to assisting both staff and students with troubleshooting either hardware or software on many common devices (monitors, laptops, speakers, projectors, etc.), along with creating educational tutorials for software that may be useful in the classroom. We also direct a lot of our energy towards passion projects—unique journeys that feature exploring, creating from, and learning about a topic of curiosity, which is ultimately delivered in a variety of presentation forms. Lastly, we are able to gather field experience inside and outside the school, all while developing strong communication and collaboration skills that grow with each person who receives help.

For my ninety minutes in the Innovation Lab daily, I strive to cover each of my goals as much as possible. Below, you are able to see an array of photos that detail the common, day-to-day events Innovation Lab members participate in.

Media Center Desk

This is the typical location where I work on a majority of the coursework, whether it be for my digital portfolio, passion project, or Innovation Lab Academy. Additionally, if students or teachers need to request help with troubleshooting, or need to return or loan out rental Chromebook, this is the place!

Local Technology Conferences

Outside of the high school, some members of our team attend informational sessions in order to stay in touch with trending innovations and in-demand skills. Pictured on the left, Xavier University's Women in Technology Conference allows for exploration of job pathways and real-life applications of technical concepts.

Campus Events with the Innovation Lab

Although there can be events scattered throughout our general area, the Leaders in Technology are given many opportunities to aid at company-sponsored I.T. conferences on campus. Depicted here on the left, the Google Summit, hosted by the EdTechTeam, took place at our high school in the falls of 2017 and 2018, with each hour packed with engaging presentations and activities.

Assisting with the Ohio AIR State Test Set-ups

After students complete a majority of their coursework for specific classes in either the first or second semester, standardized tests are administered, and we have the opportunity to solve any issues with and distribute Chromebooks to each of the testing rooms. Pictured on the left, a stack of these devices is being charged. We also update each of them in the weeks before the tests, a process that ensures consistency for the examinees.

In-class Help Sessions

If a large, software-related project is being started for one specific course, sometimes our crew members will essentially "stake out" at that class for a portion of the block time. This allows for questions to be answered more efficiently when a student is in need, and each new program that is used can offer a great learning experience for those involved.

District Mentoring

As a part of our assistance to staff and students, Innovation Lab members are given the opportunity to travel to others buildings in the Loveland district, helping their Leaders in Technology. Pictured on the left are labels being produced to place on school Chromebooks, which allows for easier organization and tracking of student use. During my block time on Fridays, I travel down to Loveland Middle School, carrying out tasks such as these.

Ohio School Boards Association Representation

In order to further spread information about the Innovation Lab to educators who may be interested in implementing their own student-run technology help desk, our members were able to partner with the Ohio School Boards Association to attend the 2018 Student Achievement Fair, sending a few students as representatives. Pictured on the left is the conference center located in Columbus, Ohio, full of booths from other schools that have community-focused academic programs.

Loveland Community Representation

Similar to the conference hosted by the Ohio School Boards Association, Leaders in Technology members are also able to take part in the Loveland district's annual State of Schools event (pictured on the left in the high school cafeteria), which provides an opportunity for student-led organizations to showcase accomplishments, leadership, and growth. Displaying the content of our passion projects, at this event, we were able to form connections with both students and parents, exhibiting what the Innovation Lab program offers.

District Mentoring with Passion Projects

In addition to the technological assistance and teaching our crew members are able to offer Innovation Lab members at other Loveland campuses, the inherent autonomy of our passion projects sometimes allows us to introduce the skills we are learning to these younger students via hands-on presentations. Since Loveland Middle School has a thriving digital arts program, I received the opportunity to visit this class, discussing tips and tricks I have learned with some of my graphics software.

Below, you are able to view images each from the three days that I was giving these sessions. At the first presentation, I was able to discuss advanced uses of Krita and Adobe Photoshop, allowing both the students and teacher to enhance their knowledge of these two versatile programs. Throughout the second session, I proceeded to introduce Autodesk Sketchbook, ultimately incorporating it into the future and current digital arts curriculum. Lastly, in the third presentation, I taught the radial symmetry feature of Autodesk Sketchbook, giving the students a chance to experiment with creating mandalas.

January 11th, 2018 — Presentation #1:

November 29th, 2018 — Presentation #2:

May 17th, 2019 — Presentation #3:

Innovation Lab Reflection Statements: May 2019

Since the month above marks the last few weeks of my participation in the Loveland High School Leaders in Technology, I have created a summary of my various learning experiences, passion project work, and personal growth through this program. Although this class is the one I am most sad to move on from, I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to make a difference throughout the Loveland district for the past two school years.

At this moment, the greatest hope I have is that I was able to teach both the students and faculty I worked with valuable skills, especially those in the Loveland Middle School Innovation Lab and digital arts course. Below, you are able to view an embedded version of this closing statement video (click here for the full-screen version redirect).

Innovation Lab Reflection - Mary Glossop.mp4

To stay caught up with more of our creations, technology fixes, daily life, and sometimes crazy encounters, check out the official Innovation Lab Twitter feed below (click here for the full-screen version redirect) and follow @LHS_LIT.

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