“We’ve learned a lot about computer science and programming in school, but coming to an event like this actually allows us to put those skills to work,” said Kirill Kozlov, a grade-12 student from William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute at #EdAppHack, a hackathon that ran on the ultra-fast and reliable ORION network. “Every kid who walks through our doors carries two devices, minimum,” remarks Peter Singh, Chief Technology Officer at Toronto District School Board. “So I need to build a robust backbone … ORION provides that robust network.”
Truly one of its kind in Canada, more than 200 students took part in a unique flipped classroom. Tasked with tackling world problems by creating an education app, high school students were led by Toronto District School Board (TDSB) teachers Joseph Romano and Brandon Zoras and Humber computer science mentors in a hard-core two-day hackathon at MaRS Discovery District.
While hackathons have long been a favourite way for tech companies to quickly prototype new ideas, the model is not well known to educators. It’s a shame, because hackathons are an ideal way to model the elusive holy grail of inquiry-based learning or connected learning, where student interests drive the learning process.
-Joseph Wilson, MaRS education advisor.
Read more about this synergized experience on the MaRS blog.
#EdAppHack is just one event through which ORION has brought together inspiring leaders in the research, education and innovation ecosystem. To hear more from such leaders, including Joseph and Brandon, come to the THINK conference.