With the growing array of vendors offering software applications or "apps" to schools, Superintendent Amy Shane approached our information technology instructor Mike Peterson last summer to work on creating one for the district's website. Mrs. Shane wanted us to look into the possibility of the school getting one. Mr. Peterson talked to the company that Auburn High School deals with and it would have cost the district around $1,200 year.
When school started last August, Mr. Peterson approached junior Jon Marvin and exchange student Ivo de Souza Bueno Junior to work on creating a mobile app. "Jon wanted to work on programming in class, so I told him I have a great project for you," Peterson said. "He wanted to do an app and we went from there."
Jon and Ivo created mobile apps for both Apple and Android devices, launching them last November. Since then, more then 200 people have downloaded the app.
"When we started, Jon looked into how to program an app. He did a lot of research on his own," Peterson said. "Once we got the iPhone app out, Junior began working on the Android app."
After surveying students and teachers, Peterson, Jon and Ivo decided there were three important pieces that should be included on the main page of the app. They included student grades, announcements and a calendar.
The first item Jon programmed to the app was the school's announcements. "I think it is awesome," he said. "As I was programming it, it linked it to Google calendars. It popped it into this wonderful layout. It is so easy, you can just enter the announcements right in."
Still in the works, the students are in the process of writing coding so those who have downloaded the app receive a notification each time the announcements are updated much like Facebook and Twitter.
"I know people who have this app and this is their favorite part of it," Peterson said. "They don't have to go to the school's website anymore. They can just go to it on their phone. Its updated by around 10 a.m. every day."
Other features of the two apps include a virtual tour of the school, a map to get to the school, breakfast and lunch menus, the district's statement and bilingual information in English and Spanish.
"The most challenging part I would say is we were told here is this project, go with it," Jon said. "We did a lot of research and found YouTube videos that were very helpful. It was a lot of work, but it was well worth it."
The students worked independently in Peterson's class on the projects. Both students hope to pursue programming studies when they go off to college.
"When we didn't know how to do something, we would go to YouTube and see how other people were doing it," Ivo said. "They would explain the steps and that's how we learned."
The students first had to self teach themselves the coding for software application including how to design it, interface the buttons with the design and lots of other detailed coding. In the coding process, Ivo ran into a few more difficulties then Jon.
"My part was a little hard because the Android has a lot of different sizes for cellphones because it an open code," Ivo said. "I had to change the design for every different size. There is around 15 different sizes I had to create and design. I think some designs are still not perfect."
The students will continue to work on "tweaking" the apps next school year and hope to add is a staff directory and stream line the Eagles Broadcasting clips, also sponsored by Peterson.
"I think it was great for the students because they had to learn the whole process. You don't just send an app in Apple," Peterson said. "It was a very long process. We had to write three different letters. But I think it was a great learning experience for them."
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