This week on November 8th, Westwood Junior High held their annual Ed-talks. Ed talks involve parents coming over to Westwood to talk about their professions and inspire students to think about their own future careers. Students were given the opportunity to pick their sessions on RTI Scheduler. They replaced their math, science and CTE classes with presentations. Meanwhile leadership students worked tirelessly to prepare for this event and introduce and help out the presenters. The event was a huge success for all involved.
As much as students want to hear the interesting information that these STEM career volunteers have to share, they can’t hear or see them all. Below is some information from a few notable Ed Talks.
Terra Davis works at UT Southwestern as a physician assistant and takes care of lung transplant patients. She started off her presentation by providing background information about body systems and how they work. Next, she showed photos of a donor lung and explained how a diseased lung is replaced with a new one. She also talked about the life of a patient after receiving a transplant such as the surgery’s effects, healing/recovering, life with a transplant and certain problems they have to look out for. Rejection, organ failure and infection are some worries for patients that have received a transplant. Davis then told her audience about a day in her job. This included taking care of patients, performing tests, working with other specialists, problem solving, and managing fear from patients and their families. She told the stories of patients who recovered and patients who didn’t, explaining the good and bad that comes with her job. She then answered the questions of curious students explaining how organ transplants work and the system of donors and how long recovering takes. Terra Davis provided students with the explanation of a career involving science, math, and leadership in many different ways. She really inspired everyone in the room to practice compassion, care, and leadership skills.
John Caldwell has been in 5 marathons and is the proud creator of the Bicep Bike. He appeared on the television show GEAR to show off his creation. He talked to students about the process he went through to invent his Bicep Bike. He was inspired by his son’s toy in which the wheels had handles to turn the wheels. He built a frame out of pvc pipes, an adjustable wooden backrest, and handles on the wheels. He then began improving certain aspects. He showed off parts he worked on and defined them to students. They learned what composites and proof of concept were. He explained how he gained inspiration from everyday life such as the holes in a stop sign, the material of a chair in a waiting room, and the foam on bike handles. He then walked through how his patented transmission worked. Students got to play around with a model and view photos from a marathon that John Caldwell participated in with his Bicep Bike. He then drove the Bicep Bike around the hallway allowing students to see it in action.
These Ed talks have really helped all of the students at Westwood really get a clear idea of what career options are out there. So many wonderful presentations and amazing presenters helped make Westwood’s EdTalk day a great learning experience. Thanks to everyone who volunteered and helped out!
