Students (and staff) will have the opportunity to develop STEAM skills and become "college ready" through the strategic application of technology across all fields of endeavor.
This vision is founded on a curriculum-based approach to making and STEM/STEAM where the tools used are multipurpose and flexible in their use all the way from beginners to advanced learners. STEM/STEAM learning flows from this hands-on approach to integrating the physical and digital world in curriculum-based projects.
All students will enjoy successful education experiences to empower them to make decisions and enrich their lives in a future they create.
1. We believe in engagement of the school community for the success of our district.
2. We believe in a strong support system for the school community to achieve excellence.
3. We believe that innovative and challenging experiences produce successful learners.
4. We believe that trusting relationships among the school community are essential to student success.
5. We believe that an inclusive school culture promotes positive student development.
6. We believe strong and effective leadership is essential to build a culture of high expectations.
This action plan serves as a guide to facilitate conversation among key stakeholders. It is organized around several key areas, including Plan, Make, Tools, and Collaborate. The Assess component will be reflected in metrics developed in Plan and Make areas.
No 90-day plan can succeed without relationship and trust-building conversations, technology infrastructure, and collaborative movement forward.
Advanced Academic Services represents a critical opportunity for growth for students in the District. Students need to have access to the following services:
Proposal
This proposal recommends that the ISD fund a summer camp to encourage middle school students to begin developing the skills needed to be successful in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) setting, as well as provide professional learning in STEM for two classroom teachers, both which will need to apply to participate.
Goal
Directly impact student achievement through enhancement of the learning tools available to students and their teachers. To achieve this, this initiative will provide 2 teachers (1 from each MS campus) and 30 students the following equipment outlined in this proposal--Raspberry Pi mini-computer with identified peripherals and software, and then assess their impact on student learning. Aside from the goal of impacting student learning, this initiative also seeks to do the following:
Need For The STEM Camp
It is now well established that the Nation is facing a crisis due to the fact that it is not producing enough scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals to remain economically competitive in the global marketplace. While this problem is not new, our high tech economy has been sustained for the last several decades by an influx of STEM graduate students and professionals drawn to the US by the strength of our universities and technology sector built up over the second half of the twentieth century. However, this reliance on foreign immigrants to fill our demand for STEM professionals becomes more precarious as other countries strengthen their own science and engineering infrastructures.
The ISD needs to enhance students' science and math skills to better prepare students to go into STEM-related careers. K‐12 students’ experience with science and mathematics plays a key role in influencing whether students pursue a STEM university degree.
Research
Some research regarding the importance of STEM in K-12 settings:
Pursuing a career in STEM also can have positive long-term consequences in terms of salary since it influences what college majors students will engage in.
Based on this research, as well as others not cited here, it is clear that the role of the principal in effecting use of technology in classrooms is incredibly important. There are also videos that address the importance of STEM:
Guidelines for Transfer of Data Processing Equipment to Student
Students participating in the program receive approximately $100 investment in equipment, as well as a donated computer monitor and USB keyboard/mouse. Since the equipment being transferred to students was purchased by the school district, the ISD will require student and parents to complete the ISD Transfer of Data Processing Equipment form that includes a student, parent, and Instructional Technology Department.
Pursuant to State Law, school districts may transfer equipment to students that they deem will serve a public purpose and benefit the district and/or a school provided confidential, proprietary information--as determined by the district--is removed. The school district may transfer to a student enrolled in the district 1) any data processing equipment donated to the district/school; 2) any equipment purchased by the district; 3) any surplus or salvage equipment owned by the district; and 4) any equipment donated (including gifts, grants, money) to the district.
Sources include Acts, 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1272, Sec. 6.01, eff. June 15, 2001. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, Sec. 9.020 (f), eff. September 1, 2003. Amended by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4, Sec. 29.02, eff. September 28, 2011.
Application Process
Collaboration with District Curriculum Department staff will be sought in developing selection criteria for students and staff. The application process will consist of the following:
Students
Students will need to submit an application form reflecting their interest, as well as a math and/or science teacher recommendation for participation.
Teachers
Only two teachers will be accepted to facilitate the program. These teachers will need to be willing to commit to the following:
Professional Learning for Facilitating STEM Camp Teachers
Participants will attend two 6-hour workshop session. Curriculum Department specialists will also attend training and provide support to this initiative. Professional learning will be geared around the Raspberry Pi Education Manual, but also Wes Fryer's Support STEM Skills with Scratch. Scratch software (scratch.mit.edu) is free software from MIT which can be used by students and teachers to create animations, games, simulations, music, art, stories, and more.
Professional Learning sessions will also be assessed at levels 4 and 5 of the Five Critical Levels of Professional Development Evaluation (Guskey, T, Professional development, Corwin Press, Inc). Those levels include the following:
Assessment and Evaluation
In this 2 week, half-day course, students will learn how to apply grade level math and science in simulated real world projects. Each project utilizes a sample set of applications of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) concepts.
Project based learning methods are used in a lab environment. Students will demonstrate their finished projects to an online global audience and video interviews made available via the STEM Camp web site.
Target Audience
Class Objectives
Participants will receive the following:
Estimated total value of equipment: $220
Sample Projects
Curriculum
Get a copy of the Raspberry Pi Education Manual
Resources
References