Teens to show off skills at upcoming ‘Tech Talk’

Washougal High School and Jemtegaard Middle School students will show off their knowledge on how to use iPads and Chromebooks, provided to them through their schools to further their learning, during a free Tech Talk event from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, March 8, at Washougal High School.

The Tech Talk is open to the entire Washougal community and will begin with an “App-y Hour” where students will show guests how they use technology. Three keynote speakers from Educational Service District 112 will then discuss how to navigate news in our digital age. The event concludes with a showing and discussion of the documentary “Screenagers,” which explores how to balance technology and relationships, Hillary Marshall, Washougal High School library media specialist, said.

The Washougal High advanced culinary students will serve a spaghetti dinner, drinks and dessert at the event.

“(The Tech Talk) is kind of a celebration and a thank you to our community,” Marshall said. “Because Washougal citizens have supported our technology levies, so that we are a district that is K-12, one-to-one, meaning every one of our students from kindergarten to seniors in high school has some sort of mobile device.”

The students from kindergarten to eighth grade are provided iPads and the high school students are provided with Chromebooks, she added.

“Even though we are a small, rural school district, we are a technology leader in the state of Washington,” Marshall said.

The Washougal School District technology levy cost taxpayers 28 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value in 2017, and 29 cents per $1,000 in 2018, according to the Washougal School District. The levy will remain consistent at 29 cents per $1,000 in 2019.

The students will have different stations at the event, where they talk about software ranging from math applications to 3-D printing.

“The ‘App-y Hour’ is a chance for students to shine showing the devices that our citizens have purchased,” Marshall said.

The keynote speakers from ESD 112 will use results from digital health surveys given to students at Canyon Creek Middle School, Jemtegaard Middle School and Washougal High School to guide their discussions on how students are using technology socially and in school.

The documentary “Screenagers” can only be viewed through hosted screenings. Marshall said the film explores the idea of finding balance between the powerful technological devices and family.