One fourth-grader’s idea was inspired by Florida school shooting
After hearing about the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., fourth-grade student Samantha Bobrin had an idea.
What if classroom doors were equipped with bulletproof screens that could be pulled down in the event of a school shooting?
She designed a model of the idea and entered it in Cinnaminson Public Schools’ 33rd annual Invention Convention, which took place Wednesday, March 28, at the Memorial School.
“The problem is there’s a lot of school shootings, and a lot of people are not making it out of them alive,” the 9-year-old Samantha said.
More than 70 students in kindergarten through eighth grade participated in the Invention Convention. They submitted inventions and ideas, ranging from a contraption to keep seagulls away at the beach to a glow-in-the-dark toilet seat.
“These kids learn problem-solving skills,” said former Cinnaminson teacher Elaine Mendelow, the event’s coordinator. “They learn how to give a presentation. Even a kindergarten kid does research — looking on the Internet to see if the idea that they had has been invented.”
Samantha, who won first place for her grade level, said her invention would be a cost-effective way to increase security in schools.
“It’s kind of like a two-in-one because it covers the door and window, and it also keeps the man from shooting in,” she said.
For her project, first-grader Brenna McConney, 7, used cotton balls to design a “dream hat” that would allow people to record their dreams.
“I invented it because one night I remembered I had a good dream but I couldn’t remember what it was,” Brenna said.
The dream hat is a futuristic idea, but Brenna said her idea could become a reality soon.
“It just needs the right technology,” she said.
Mason Colley, 10, designed a phone case that would charge the device’s battery through movement and light. His model includes a solar panel he took from an outdoor light and a piece of tinfoil meant to represent a kinetic energy panel.
“It’s actually called the Solarnetic Case,” said Mason, who is in fourth grade. “You could use it day or night. You could charge without any electricity, which my mom thought was pretty good.”
“I will work on this,” he added. “I will work on it when I’m older.”
Mendelow, who has organized the event for years, has seen trends in the ideas the students put forth. There’s more inventions involving advanced technology, but most of the children come back to a few familiar subjects.
“We have more robotic things and ideas that have to do with artificial intelligence and technology, but most of the kids do pet inventions (or) something for someone handicapped,” she said.
