Birches Head Hack Lab helps students get STEM

Stoke-on-Trent's Birches Head High School has opened a hack lab to improve its student’s computer skills and nurture their creativity. The lab aims to teach pupils how to hack into everyday technology, such as gaming equipment, and give the devices a new purpose.

Part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) curriculum, the first project from the hack lab involves students using a Nintendo Wii remote to emulate an electronic white board.

The new classes have been getting the pupils creative juices flowing and the results have been truly astounding. A future project is based on the idea of integrating an iPad into a reception table, so its touch screen functionality can be used to flip through documents while in a waiting room.

"These kinds of activities give pupils the chance to learn on their own and question things around them," explained Sarah Williams, Assistant Vice Principal for Teaching at Birches Head High School and the initiator of the programme. "As students encounter problems it enables them to find creative technology solutions.

“In the case of the iPad coffee table, finding the right type of glass that would enable the touch screen functionality is proving to be quite a challenge," recalls Williams. “This is a genuine materials science question and a long way from the tradition of teaching STEM using egg boxes and straws!

“The pupils have taken to the hacking lab brilliantly,” enthused Karen Healey, Birches Head’s head teacher. “We want children to question technology and think deeply about the future of ICT. We want them to recognize that the pace of technological change is incredible and that they can be part of that," she explained.

The project has been launched in partnership with Stoke based creative technologies firm BitJam and has a three year vision of teaching STEM skills to the pupils at Birches Head. Given the interest and innovative results it has achieved, the school expects the Hacklab project to be extended.

There has even been talk of investing in a mobile hacking lab, which would give pupils at other schools in the local community the opportunity to experience the hacking lessons.

The sessions take place at lunch time and after school and the turnout is always high, which testifies to the children's interest in technology and questioning the traditional use of common devices.

Scalextric4schools puts students on track for engineering

A team of budding engineers from Birches Head High School are celebrating success in the 2013 Scalextric4schools competition. Year nine pupils Ryan Carter and Kris Starkey, both 14, fought off fierce competition from 13 rival teams to take the chequered flag in the prestigious competition. 

With entries from England, Scotland and as far afield as Russia, the event had a truly international flavour and saw the Stoke-on-Trent students emerge victorious.

Working in conjunction with teacher Simon Hooker, the technically minded student duo designed and manufactured their own race worthy Scalextric car, before presenting their project to a judging panel. 

Initially, a team of year nine pupils, all with an interest in engineering, began working on the project in September 2012 during an after-school club. 

Under the guidance of Mr Hooker, subject leader for technology, Ryan and Kris saw the project to fruition, culminating in the final event at RAF Cosford.

The competition was run in partnership with Scalextric manufacturer Hornby and software company PTC, who provided its CAD (Computer Aided Design) software, Creo, free of charge. 

The boys used the Creo software to create a concept car; they were then able to manufacture a foam prototype which was tested in a wind tunnel to assess the effect of environmental change on the car’s performance.

Once happy with their prototype, the Birches Head team called upon the services of Aston University. The team there helped move the project forward by allowing the pupils to use the University’s 3D printer to manufacture the parts required to build the car. With the build complete, the car underwent a track test that enabled the students to enhance their slot car driving skills.

The final of the Scalextrix4schools competition took place on Sunday June 16 at the RAF Cosford Museum, giving the young engineers an opportunity to showcase their designs. The Birches Head A-Team was the overall winner of the event, taking the podium for fastest lap.

“This competition has provided students with a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable extra-curricular skills,” commented teacher Simon Hooker after the event. “Ryan and Kris have demonstrated enthusiasm throughout the whole process and thoroughly deserve their win.”

The talented pupils are now hoping to build on their success by pursuing careers in engineering.