Garrett Becker's Blog

One of my favorite takeaways from the summer institute was learning about Trello.  I was very eager to try it out with students as a way of them monitoring their own work.

I have piloted it with my 8th grade honors class.  They are currently working on a project due at the end of October.  I am able to monitor students progress on the different parts of the project.  They are also less inclined to ask me what they need to work on next.  They log in at the beginning of each class and are able to see where they left off.

I would say the only hiccup was not giving them a section of class time to explore it after I introduced it.  Most of the students spent to much time on personalize their account when they first set it up.

I will continue to use Trello and hopefully use it with all of my classes eventual.

During my internship I was able to make several new connections surrounding the NASCAR industry.  Being lucky enough to teach my unique curriculum this has been very beneficial.  To start with, my Ten80 competition team recently participated in the Charlotte Motor Speedway STEMEXPO as presenters.  They were also given the chance to walk around and learn from other vendors at the event.  Around 1,000 students attended the event and my students did an exceptional job speaking with students who came to our booth.

For my Kenan project I am planning on using the Xfinity garage for a Ten80 sanctioned event.  This will not only benefit my students but also other students in the region who attend the event.

Lastly, I was even offered a job at my internship over the summer.  It was a great feeling to know the work and partnership I created from my internship was appreciated.

I am finishing up my last week at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.  While here, I been given many different opportunities to learn.  One of the most interesting days I had was getting to tour the infield care center.  Jimmy, a retired fire chief is in charge making sure everything is in place for race days.  I was able to learn a lot about the trucks, extinguishers, jaws-of-law and many other safety equipment on hand.

During my three weeks here I was exposed to what goes into large scale events.  Some challenges have been getting vendors to commit to the STEMEXPO event I am helping plan for elementary, middle, and high school students.  Many vendors jump at the opportunity when it involves kids but on the same token, many vendors decline if they are not making a profit.  The difficult part is convincing them of the bigger picture and its not always about gaining a profit money related.

I will be able to take this knowledge to help me prepare for the Ten80 event I plan oh hosting in February.

I am currently working with the events department planning a STEMEXPO here at the Speedway.  It has been great to get an inside track and work with their team to see what all goes into an event this size.

I have learned the biggest challenge when putting on an event this size is getting people to commit.  I am currently helping secure vendors for the event and promote the event to several school districts.

This is a great learning experience.  I feel I will be well prepared to plan my Ten80 sanctioned event for my project in February.

Hello Kenan Fellows Team.  Thank you for all the well wishes I received on my urgent trip home from orientation week.  The family is well just lacking a bit of sleep.