Tech Fair 2021

Picture
Tech Fair happens every year. For 2021, the competition will remain virtual. Student participation is voluntary, optional, and not required.  Tech Fair/Competition is a platform for students in grades 3 through 12 to show off their technology skills, competing for recognition, ribbons, and trophies. Seniors, 12th grade, and winners of the Programming Challenge have the chance to win scholarships, internships, and other opportunities. This is an individual or two-person team event. Students use software that they have access to at home or school, and compete on a category rubric with adult judges scoring according to the rubric.
Explanatory Video
​2021 Virtual Tech Fair/Competitions also include an explanatory video is also part of the submission. The explanatory video gives the student a chance to explain their project and answer standard questions. The explanatory video is not graded on production quality.

Sponsoring Teacher
The sponsoring teacher for Oakcliff Traditional Theme School is Ms. Heather Miller. If students wish to participate, they must contact Ms. Miller and schedule seminar times to meet so that the project stays on schedule. If turnout is high enough, there will be a school-tech fair.     

Levels of Competition

  • SCHOOL LEVEL - Oakcliff's Virtual School Virtual Tech Fair (3rd - 5th Grade) - Date TBD
  • DISTRICT LEVEL - Dekalb County School Virtual Tech Fair (3-12th Grade) - Date TBD
  • STATE LEVEL - State of Georgia Virtual Tech Competition (3-12th Grade) - Date TBD

Levels & Prizes
  • The top 42 projects at School Level moves you to the District Level.
  • 1st Place at District Level moves you to the State Level, and you get a trophy.
  • 1st, 2nd, 3rd at State get medals or trophies.
​
Picture
Competition Levels
Do you want to enter the Tech Fair?
If you want to enter a project in Tech Fair, email Ms. Miller soon.  Ms. Miller will talk to you (virtually) look at your project (shared screen). Ms. Miller will help you select the category, and register you.  You can create a new, original project in any category. You can enter a project you have done for school. These projects include:
  • Pecha Kucha Projects
  • Foley Sound Projects
  • ​Magazine Covers
  • Storyboardthat comic strips or graphic novels
  • Dichotomous Keys
  • Choose Your Own Adventures
  • MAD-Learn Mobile App
  • Webpages
  • Digital Photography Productions
  • Programs you Coded
  • Robots you built and coded

Ms. Miller's videos explaining each category for Oakcliff Elementary students.


​
​3D Modeling
3-D objects,
​3-D worlds without movement

​
​Animation
series of still images that appear to move, stop animation

​Audio Production
FOLEY Sounds, songs, music

​Device Modification
Makey Makey, Wearable Tech

​Digital Game Design
There is LOTS to this category.
Video Game, Digital Game
​Graphic Design
Recommended
​Magazine Cover, font, cartoon = storyboardthay.com
Photography - Digital Production
Recommended BeFunky or any app you have on your device

​Internet Applications
Web pages
YouTube Channels
Blogs

​
​Mobile Apps
Recommended
​MAD-Learn Mobile Apps

​Multimedia Applications
HIGHLY
Recommend
Pecha Kucha Presentations

​Productivity Design
Recommend
Random Generators, CYOA, Dichotomous Trees 

​Project Programming
CODE CLUB Kids
You have create a functioning program.

​
​Robotics
Build and program a robot - 100% original or from a kit

​Video Production
Videos tell a story. Script, Storyboards, and short video.
Videos edited into a visual story combined with sound - music, ambient sounds,  dialogue, Foley sounds.

Georgia State Technology Competition Category & Judging Details

Purple notes are from Ms. Miller for her students at Oakcliff Elementary School. Click on the link above for the GASTC verbiage.

Table of Categories

Category
 
General Requirements & Purpose
​Common Apps & Software 
1.
​3D Modeling (link)
 
This category is defined as any original work digitally created and modeled in three dimensions using specialized software.
Models are NOT required to be printed on a 3D printer. Project must be presented in the software used to create the model(s). Judges will ask questions to determine the level of understanding of the software and design process.

When you create a 3-D World such as MindCraft, and it does not move, it goes in this category.

​When you create a "cartoon" or "3-D Character" and it does not move, it is in this category.
Software may include but not limited to:​
2.
​Animation
​ (link)
 
This category is defined as any original project that generally consists of a sequence of images of the motion of objects to create a video. 
Animation can involve programming sprites to talk, move, and interact. This can include, but is not limited to, short movies, music videos, comical shorts, and others by using a variety of animation techniques.
Animation can also be stop-motion animation; the technique of photographing successive drawings or positions of puppets or models to create an illusion of movement when the movie is shown as a sequence.

Videos and Movies are both moving pictures. Animations may or may not have sound.  The best animations designed to tell a story, usually have a sound track, voice, audio, some sound added to them in a separate track. 

When you create a 3-D World such as MindCraft, and it moves /  a "cartoon" or "3-D Character" and it moves / a stop-animation video or movie, these go in the animation category. 
Software may include, but not be limited to:
3.
Audio Production
(link)
 
This category is defined as any original audio production that has been edited/produced with digital tools. Projects may include speaking, singing, music, sounds effects, and other audio components.
The project must be displayed on a device using the program in which it was created. The student should be prepared to demonstrate to judges how the software was used to create the finished project.

When you create a song, a mix, or an audio podcast, it probably goes in this category.
Software may include, but not limited to:
4.
​Device Modification
 (link)
 
This category is for devices engineered and/or modified by students to serve a specific purpose or meet a specific goal. Device and parts do not have to be new. However, the device must be fully functional.

When you create things with an electronic circuit and a tiny program, it probably goes in this category.

When you create programmable clothing / wearables, it probably goes in this category.

If you create and program a touch-to-speech board, it would go here.
​Software may include but not limited to:​
5.
Digital Game Design 
​(link)
 
Digital Game Design projects should include original content, design, and rules of an interactive game.
Students may use the software program of their choice in order to demonstrate creativity, originality, organization, and interactivity. Students should be able to explain to judges what inspired their game idea and how they programmed their game to achieve project goals.

Everyone loves to play digital games. BUT, this is probably the hardest category for elementary students because it has a lot of parts. Game Design also takes a lot of time.
You need to create:
  1. Characters,
  2. A world,
  3. Task, or something the characters need to do or accomplish,
  4. Rules,
  5. Hazards,
  6. Point system, or money, or scores, and
  7. Then figure out the program to code it.
Good games have sound as well. When you create a fully designed digital game, it probably goes in this category.
Software may include but not limited to:
6.
Digital Photo Production
(link)
 
This category is defined as any project using a single original student photograph where digital editing tools were used to enhance/modify the image. Images containing non-original content or collages fall under the Graphic Design category.
The project must be displayed on a device using the program in which it was created.
The student should be prepared to demonstrate to judges how the software was used to create the finished project. A hard copy of the finished project may be displayed but is not required.

When you take a lot of pictures with a digital phone and then take that picture into some kind of photo editing software, it probably goes in this category.
Software may include but not limited to:
7.
Graphic Design 
​(link)
 
Projects in the category use a combination of static images and/or words into a single design to convey information or an idea with an intended effect.
Digital Photography and 3D Modeling are NOT part of this category.
The project, including all images and content, must be displayed on a device using the program in which it was created.

When you create a Digital Book / PDF / Infographic / Cartoon / Graphic Story / Magazine Cover / Font / any picture with words, it probably goes in this category.  
Software may include, but not be limited to:
8.
Internet Applications 
​(link)
 
Projects in this category are network based applications including, but not limited to, web sites, chat rooms, forums, and blogs.
The project must be displayed on a device. Judges may ask to view elements of the design and production process. Source code must be available where applicable.

When you create a webpage for school or personal home purposes, it goes in this category.
Software may include, but not limited to:
  • Dreamweaver
  • Wordpress
  • Weebly
  • Cloud9
  • Google Sites
​9. 
Mobile Apps 
​(link)
 
An entry in this category is an app that is specifically developed for a mobile device. The app can be developed for any mobile operating system. Students should be able to explain to judges what inspired their idea and how they programmed their app to achieve its intended purpose.
Projects designed as mobile-friendly web pages fall under the Internet Applications category.
The student must be able to run the app on the day of the competition on a device or a mobile simulator.

When you created the MAD-Learn Mobile app in class, it goes in this category.  
Software may include, but not limited to:
10.
Multimedia Applications 
​(link)
 
Projects in this category are defined as any multi-page creative presentation using any combination of media including audio, video, images, or text.

Videos fall under the Video Production category. Animated movies fall under the Animation category.

When you created the Pecha Kucha Presentations in computer lab or Discovery, it goes in this category.  
Software may include, but not limited to:
11.
Productivity Design 
​(link)
 
Projects in this category can be developed from various non-multimedia application programs such as desktop publishing, word processing, spreadsheets, databases or any other non-multimedia software. 
Hard copies of projects may be displayed at original size to show the judges, but no large displays are allowed.

When you create a Random Character Trait Generator / Choose Your Own Adventure / Dichotomous Tree using Excel or PowerPoint, it probably goes in this category.
​Software may include, but not limited to:
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Microsoft Office
  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Access
  • File Maker Pro
12.
Project Programming 
​(link)
 
Projects in this category are executable programs created by the student using a programming language. All parts of the program must be the author’s own design. Programs must be functional and have a specified intended purpose.

When you created a functioning program in Code Club or at home, it probably goes in this category. 
Sample programming languages include, but are not limited to:
  • Java
  • Python
  • Javascript
  • C++
  • PHP
  • Swift
  • Code.org Code Studio
  • CodeHS Sandbox
13.
Robotics
​(Link)
 
Projects in this category are autonomous machines engineered and programmed by the student from their own concepts and designs, or published drawings/kits.
Devices controlled through direct, real time remote control by the student are not appropriate (ie: remote controlled cars). Once started, the robotics project should operate as a standalone independent machine without human interaction.

When you build a functioning robot (from a kit or random bits) and program the robot to do something, it probably goes in this category. 
Examples of commercially available robotics kits (but not limited to):
  • Lego
  • K'Nex
  • Capsella
  • VEX
  • Technics
  • Student engineered robot designs and concepts are encouraged. 
14.
Video Production
​ (Link)
 
Video Production includes any original video project that has been edited on a computer with digital video editing software and exported into a digital video format. The project must be displayed for viewing on a computer. Judges will ask questions to determine the level of understanding of the software and production process.
Stop-motion and animation projects fall under the Animation category.

Videos and Movies in this category are live movies - not animations. All are designed to tell a story. All have a sound track, voice, audio, or some sound added to them in a separate track. Even silent movies have a sound track. 
Software my include, but not limited to:
  • Adobe Premier
  • Apple Final Cut Pro
  • Apple iMovie -free for mac
  • Wondershare Filmora - free version
  • VDSC Free Video Editor -free
  • Shotcut- free
15. Live - Programming Challenge
​(TBD - 2021)
(Link)

This is generally not an elementary category. Students competing must be able to write original program in a computer language.  Most elementary students cannot do this yet.
 
This category is not usually for elementary students.

This category is an on-site event in which one or two students are given a series of problems that they must solve during the two-hour competition time. Each team will be awarded points for each problem solved correctly. Programs will also be judged on structure, design, and organization.
Any questions regarding interpretation of the problems must be submitted in writing to the judges who may choose to answer or reject the question. The decisions of the judges are final.
Competition will begin with a briefing session. The contest(s) problems will be distributed to all teams at the same time. At the end of the two hours, the programs developed iin the competition will be submitted for judging. The judges will use the contestants’ computers to check the solutions to the problems. Results will be announced at an awards ceremony.

Each contestant must be able to enter their programming code, execute the solutions to the problems and save them as directed by the judges.
​
Judges will use a category rubric as a guideline for exemplary characteristics of projects in this category. Students should use the rubric as a guide for what judges are looking for.
Each contestant is required to bring the computer of their choice, appropriate operating system software, and programming software with which to compete. Students must also bring a power strip and extension cord to the test site. Contestants may bring an additional computer only for emergency situations in the event that one computer does not function. However, back up computers must remain unplugged and may not be used unless permission is obtained from one of the judges. Contestants may bring to the contest only the manuals for their computers. Any contestant using other resources including textbooks, published program listings, notes, or any storage media, will be disqualified.
Contestants will not be permitted to communicate with their advisors. No visitors will be allowed in the testing areas. Contestants will be monitored on a random basis. 
Proudly powered by Weebly