Schools

Learning by Playing

Chestnut Log Middle School students and IBM employees got together today to play with marbles and meet supercomputer Watson.

students were joined by six local IBM employees, including their CEO this morning to build marble ramps and participate in Watson's Computer Experience.

The community service project activity was hosted by IBM, who provided all the materials and supplies for the day. Communities of Georgia also had officials on site for the activities. Students studied engineering concepts by using marbles in one room, while others played with Watson.

Students and volunteers built marble ramps using only paper and tape. The purpose was to use engineering and design concepts to develop a paper ramp that would propel the marble past a piece of tape located some distance away. If the marble did not pass the tape, students had to redesign the ramp, adjusting its slope and configuration.

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"They're having fun and don't know they're learning," Dr. Nicole Kieth said, principal of the school. "They think they're just having fun, racing marbles."

The summer camp program is apart of the 21st Century grant program.

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Across the hall students and volunteers played with IBM's supercomputer Watson. According to Wikipedia, "Watson is an artificial intelligence computer system capable of answering questions posed in natural language. Watson was named for IBM's first president, Thomas J. Watson. In 2011, as a test of its abilities, Watson competed on the quiz show Jeopardy!, in the show's only human-versus-machine match-up to date." Watson beat a couple of Jeopardy's best-ever human players.

Janet Easterwood is the school's director of CHAMP, Championing High Achievement Math Programs. She said Chestnut Log Middle School was the first school in Douglas County to take advantage of the grant program and it has made a measurable difference throughout the seven years the school has taken part.

"Students must meet certain qualifications," Kieth said. "The focus is on math and reading. There's an academic portion and then there's a social and recreational aspect as well. We've had sewing, cooking, art, knitting and dancing. The kids get exposure to more than academics."

"It keeps latchkey children out of trouble," she said. "They learn in different ways, including social skills."

"Before CHAMP, I didn't really do my homework," admitted 14-year-old Taylor Webb. "It really helped my grades. It helps me understand in class. CHAMP has helped me make friends too, because you're in school longer."


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