Heads roll for science at college!

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 597, 1 August 1995, Page 1

Heads roll for science at college!

Hurricane force winds disrupted Ruapehu College last Friday. However, the violent force 12 winds,, the highest rating on the Beaufort Scale, were no cause for alarm. The winds were blowing through the college as part of the Telecom Technology-Science Roadshow. A wind tunnel is one of 50 exhibits in the touring exhibition of demonstrations and displays, designed to teach school children about technology and science. Telecom education manager Lyle Griffiths said students are living in a world of increasingly sophisticated technologies. "The Roadshow challenges students to explore and question how exhibits work and why they produce a particular reaction". "There is so much to do at the Roadshow. Where else can children lose their heads, manufacture human waste and get blown away, all on the same day?" "Students can relate what they are experiencing to everyday activities. That makes learning more fun and much more meaningful." She said in the case of the wind tunnel, wind force is determined by each child at the turn of a dial. "It's an innovative way for children to learn about weather and the measurement of wind using the Beaufort Scale. Telling children they might get blown off their feet in a strong gale just doesn't compare to the actual experience." The Roadshow was established in 1987 following a highly successful technology and science extravaganza organised by the Canterbury Science Teachers Association.