A pair of Kedron Elementary Knights, Rex and Walid, teamed up to help ACCESS teachers by designing, testing, and producing their own invention.
At the end of the 2023-24 school year, 3rd grader Rex knew he wanted to participate in Knights Code, Kedron's competitive student technology team, but he did not yet have an idea for his technology project. He knew he wanted to solve a problem and help people, but the idea had not yet struck him.
One of Fayette's district technicians, JJ Taylor, heard of his predicament and offered him a life-changing idea. In her role, she heard about a problem encountered in ACCESS classrooms across the county. Students were regularly unintentionally pressing the buttons on the teacher panel in the classroom. The button pressing was leading to temporarily unusable panels and major teacher frustration. The current solution was to uninstall the panels, flip them upside down, and reinstall them. It was also only a real solution in classrooms with younger ACCESS students and not helpful with older students.
After researching the problem, Rex knew he could use 3D modeling software to design a solution. He needed something to protect the buttons from students while keeping them readily available for teachers. He was so excited to provide a real solution and a physical final product that he roped in his best friend, Walid, to design and develop alongside him.
Anthony Alfieri, a school system network engineer and 3D printing extraordinaire, heard of the boys' plans and jumped in to support them. He found a broken panel that was on its way to surplus, disassembled the panel, and provided the button portion to Rex and Walid. This meant the boys could perform precise measurements and adjust their product design from home rather than only at school.
Erin Keith and Cassandra Hornung, co-sponsors of Knights Code, were working to expand their technology program by acquiring 3D printers. In the meantime, Rex and Walid were supported by friends and family who were able to 3D print the initial models.
In October, Kedron's PTO provided technology with two 3D printers, enabling the duo to print and test their models at school. They designed, tested, re-designed, and tested again. They also branded their product Can't Touch This with a clever nod to MC Hammer. After eight printed iterations of the project, they had a prototype.
Kedron's ACCESS teachers, Cailynn Jones and Tami Arrowood, agreed to perform product testing. They each used Can't Touch This in their classrooms for a week and completed a questionnaire about the product's efficacy and design. The initial test revealed that the product fit the panel and accomplished the goal of protecting the buttons, but there was one major problem. The piece in the younger ACCESS classroom had been broken. The material that was used to print the design was not flexible enough to be impact resistant.
With parental support, Rex and Walid acquired a different, more flexible material and attempted the print again. The teachers tested the product again and, this time, it received resoundingly positive reviews. Can't Touch This was ready.
Throughout the school year, Rex and Walid mastered an entirely new software, worked through the design process, and practiced computational thinking. Even more importantly, they developed soft skills like persistence, resilience, teamwork, professionalism, problem-solving, and adaptability. As 4th graders, Rex and Walid are already equipped with a litany of marketable skills that will make them assets to any organization.
With the support of district technology, Kedron has since acquired an additional 3D printer which will create higher quality, faster prints of Can't Touch This. With enough filament, Rex and Walid hope to provide one for every ACCESS class in the county.
“Kedron is extremely proud of all these boys have accomplished, and, although it was a tremendous amount of hard work, they will both tell you that is was also a tremendous amount of fun,” said teacher Erin Keith. “This is only one example of the many real-world problems that are being resolved in Fayette County Schools - even in elementary classrooms. Our teachers, our parents, our district employees, and our students are working together to create the ultimate learning experience: helping others.”
Posted 4/17/2025
