Whose school is it anyway?
Student Agency! Success Skills! Authentic Experiences! PBL!
These buzzwords are tossed around often, but what do they actually look like? How can
students learn real-world skills while adding value to a 1:1 school and community?
One excellent example of all of these buzzwords is Legacy’s Saber Cyber Tech Club. Their
students learn real-world skills while adding value to a 1:1 school and community?
One excellent example of all of these buzzwords is Legacy’s Saber Cyber Tech Club. Their
goal is to empower students with the ability to choose a direction and run with it, all
while providing valuable community services back to Legacy and providing real world
experiences with technology to the students as well.
while providing valuable community services back to Legacy and providing real world
experiences with technology to the students as well.
What exactly are these real world experiences though?
The students are technology leaders and offer first-level technology support to the entire
school community, including their peers, teachers, administrators, and staff. But student
tech workers do more than simply offer first-level technology support. These students
have emerged in our BPS community as well-known technology leaders. They possess a
mastery level of skill and knowledge with foundational apps including the Google suite,
Moodle, VoiceThread and WeVideo. This knowledge of technology allows them to serve
as partners in pedagogy by offering teachers new ideas for instructional strategies and
project-based learning.
school community, including their peers, teachers, administrators, and staff. But student
tech workers do more than simply offer first-level technology support. These students
have emerged in our BPS community as well-known technology leaders. They possess a
mastery level of skill and knowledge with foundational apps including the Google suite,
Moodle, VoiceThread and WeVideo. This knowledge of technology allows them to serve
as partners in pedagogy by offering teachers new ideas for instructional strategies and
project-based learning.
The student tech interns are also responsible for keeping the 1:1 Chromebooks in working
order. They perform all hardware repairs, warranty submissions, report any misuse they
see and coach fellow students and teachers on usage, maintenance, best practices, etc.
The real world experience connection doesn't just come from repairing devices; however,
the true connection to real world experiences happens when students become responsible
for the process and procedures. Where do you put repaired Chromebooks vs. damaged
ones? Parts storage? Tracking progress and billing for damage? All of these questions and
more have been worked through by the tech club students, but it hasn't all been perfect.
Every step of the way has been scattered with successes and failures...however those are
the experiences that we all learn from and what really matters!
order. They perform all hardware repairs, warranty submissions, report any misuse they
see and coach fellow students and teachers on usage, maintenance, best practices, etc.
The real world experience connection doesn't just come from repairing devices; however,
the true connection to real world experiences happens when students become responsible
for the process and procedures. Where do you put repaired Chromebooks vs. damaged
ones? Parts storage? Tracking progress and billing for damage? All of these questions and
more have been worked through by the tech club students, but it hasn't all been perfect.
Every step of the way has been scattered with successes and failures...however those are
the experiences that we all learn from and what really matters!
In short, we strive to give students real-world learning opportunities. Just like an actual
working environment, we expect students to be self-starters, independent and capable
of managing multiple projects. We encourage them to take initiative and develop an
independent learning path centered on technology. We also encourage them to promote
their team’s services to all school stakeholders. It’s a challenge, but the rewards are well
worth it.
working environment, we expect students to be self-starters, independent and capable
of managing multiple projects. We encourage them to take initiative and develop an
independent learning path centered on technology. We also encourage them to promote
their team’s services to all school stakeholders. It’s a challenge, but the rewards are well
worth it.
Twitter Tuesday Questions:
Q1: Welcome to 2018! Chances are you have one or two Ss that do something within
the classroom that makes your life easier. Give an example of how you’ve leveraged your
Ss talents or skills within your classroom or school.
Q2: What are some ways that Ss have helped contribute to the climate or culture in your
school (tech or not)? Are Ss problem solving or trouble shooting within your school?
Role modeling, Peer-2-Peer?
Q3: How do you help Ss identify what their strengths are so that they can add value
to the school?
Q4: How do Ss benefit from being able to leverage their passions within the
classroom/school?
Q5: What's a New Year's resolution that you can make to foster Ss passion in your
classroom and/or add value to the school?
My question is; are students with disabilities being included? How can inclusion become a part of this to make it even better?
ReplyDelete