2008 Woodie Awards
TSA offers opportunities
Daniel Zeilstra
Issue date: 4/13/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Central hosted the 8th annual Missouri state conference for the Technology Students Association (TSA), which offers middle and high school students the opportunity to compete in all aspects of technology.
"Most people think computers when they think technology," said Ben Yates, adviser for the Technology Educators Collegiate Association (TECA). "We fight that all the time and what people perceive technology to be. Technology is a process of altering the natural world to satisfy human wants and needs."
The Central TECA students are going to be technology educators, Yates said. They helped with the conference as judges for competitions, assisted in the headquarter office, entered data and helped sell TSA items.
"They're very structured in their organization," said Nathaniel Flam, Central TECA president.
Flam has been a member of the organization for more than two years. He emphasized the benefit of the conference for the University.
"For technology majors, it's good to have [the conference] here. It exposes them to the TSA organization and professionals in the field," Flam said. "It brings them all to Central."
Flam said TECA provides lunches for the middle and high school students at the conference as well as campus tours.
"Our part is to assist," Yates said.
"TSA gives students opportunities to improve not only their technical skills, but also life skills," said Jim Hogan, curriculum event resource coordinator co-chairman for the TSA conference.
Hogan was responsible for setting up and coordinating al the events, including competitions.
Hogan said the students are "involved in more events that cause them to use their minds and hands to produce products." He said TSA is a good way to build self-confidence, self-discipline and purpose.
"All of them that are here at this level are here because they want to be here," Flam said.
Yates said roughly 150 to 160 students attended the conference, and there are approximately 3,000 TSA students in Missouri.
"The organization has state offices and is also governed by a board of governors made up of teachers and university representatives from around the state," Yates said.
Students had a wide variety of competitions to participate in, from flight design to robotics, Yates said.
Students answered technology-related questions in a Technology Bowl Saturday.
Also, the award ceremony for the Friday competitions was held, and the election results for the year's board were announced.
Winners of the state-level competitions go on to nationals, which Yates said are in Dallas this year.
"The major focus is for students to develop leadership skills," Yates said.
"Most people think computers when they think technology," said Ben Yates, adviser for the Technology Educators Collegiate Association (TECA). "We fight that all the time and what people perceive technology to be. Technology is a process of altering the natural world to satisfy human wants and needs."
The Central TECA students are going to be technology educators, Yates said. They helped with the conference as judges for competitions, assisted in the headquarter office, entered data and helped sell TSA items.
"They're very structured in their organization," said Nathaniel Flam, Central TECA president.
Flam has been a member of the organization for more than two years. He emphasized the benefit of the conference for the University.
"For technology majors, it's good to have [the conference] here. It exposes them to the TSA organization and professionals in the field," Flam said. "It brings them all to Central."
Flam said TECA provides lunches for the middle and high school students at the conference as well as campus tours.
"Our part is to assist," Yates said.
"TSA gives students opportunities to improve not only their technical skills, but also life skills," said Jim Hogan, curriculum event resource coordinator co-chairman for the TSA conference.
Hogan was responsible for setting up and coordinating al the events, including competitions.
Hogan said the students are "involved in more events that cause them to use their minds and hands to produce products." He said TSA is a good way to build self-confidence, self-discipline and purpose.
"All of them that are here at this level are here because they want to be here," Flam said.
Yates said roughly 150 to 160 students attended the conference, and there are approximately 3,000 TSA students in Missouri.
"The organization has state offices and is also governed by a board of governors made up of teachers and university representatives from around the state," Yates said.
Students had a wide variety of competitions to participate in, from flight design to robotics, Yates said.
Students answered technology-related questions in a Technology Bowl Saturday.
Also, the award ceremony for the Friday competitions was held, and the election results for the year's board were announced.
Winners of the state-level competitions go on to nationals, which Yates said are in Dallas this year.
"The major focus is for students to develop leadership skills," Yates said.