Showing posts with label Pinacate Middle School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pinacate Middle School. Show all posts
Young Students Teach School Board How to Code
This partnership comes at the recognition of a pivotal shift in today’s job market. It is estimated that by the year 2024, there will be more than one million unfilled computer science related jobs in the U.S.2 Currently, only one in four schools offers computer science even though nine out of ten parents polled around the U.S. stated that they want their students to learn computer science. Computer science drives innovation throughout the U.S. economy but remains marginalized throughout K-12 education (Code.org). PUHSD and eight other districts in the consortium decided not to neglect the responsibility of teaching students computer science.
PUHSD began introducing its students to computer science by participating in the international “Hour of Code” event created by Code.org. The purpose of this annual event is to expose students to the world of computer science and generate interest in the field by offering a free web based programming platform that anyone with a computer and internet connection could access. Last year, there were 198,474 Hour of Code events around the world reaching tens of millions of students. Since participating in “Hour of Code”, computer programming clubs began at every school in PUHSD to meet the growing interest among students. This year, Pinacate Middle School offered a technology course that taught multiple computer programming languages to over 500 students. With computer science courses being offered at every school site next school year, 1000’s of PUHSD students will learn to code and this is just the beginning.
Over the next ten minutes, the young programmers gave clues and tips to their adult students how to program and navigate the BB-8 robot from Star Wars around a field filled with obstacles. The code required started off simple but gradually increased in difficulty. With their young teacher’s help, the board members quickly passed multiple levels. School board President David Neilssen ended the activity with eight complete lessons with board members Edward Agundez, Joan Cooley, Dr. Jose Luis Araux, and Carolyn Twyman not far behind him.
PUHSD’s Governing Board continues to support a world class education that prepares students to be future ready and productive members of society.
1 http://www.puhsd.org/blogs/headlines/posts/perris-union-joins-consortium-to-strengthen-commitment-to-computer-science
2 https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/12/11/computer-science-everyone
PBIS at Pinacate: Putting the "P" in Positive
The school year began with 3 days of school-wide instruction on social skills. Every teacher at Pinacate in every class period, explicitly taught lessons on how to use and practice social skills. These lessons were developed by Pinacate’s PBIS committee. Some of these social skills include working well with others, accepting ‘No’ for an answer, using appropriate voice tone, and greeting others. Students learned how to apply 21 different social skills in various settings, especially a classroom setting. Rather than focusing on what not to do, social skills are worded positively in order to reinforce what the right action is to take in a situation. In this way, students have been explicitly taught how to act like responsible young adults and what positive behavior looks like.
Teacher/Student Conferences have been successful in decreasing repeated referrals. Over half of the students who have had a Teacher/Student Conference with a teacher have not been referred to the discipline office again by that same teacher. The face-to-face conference with the referring teacher and the SSC teacher requires students to have a real and honest conversation about their behavior. Often times, teacher and student relationships are restored from these conferences, and misunderstandings between teachers and students are made clear.
To reinforce the practice of using proper social skills, a behavior tracking system was purchased. Pinacate is using a software platform to track positive behavior in the classroom. Teachers were trained on how to use the software and how to award students “Puma Points” for effectively practicing social skills in the classroom. Students also have been shown how to create a student account. Once they log in to their student account, students are able to check how many points they have earned, how many they’ve spent, and which teachers have awarded them points.
What is next for PBIS at Pinacate? Next semester, every campus supervisor will have a portable device to track student behavior, both positive and negative. Tardy sweeps will take place where campus supervisors will use their devices to issue tardy passes using the behavior tracking system. One tardy equals a loss of one Puma Point. This will help motivate students to get to class on time. Also, campus supervisors will be looking for students who are being good role models around campus. These students will be awarded Puma Points for demonstrating positive behavior.
Pinacate Middle School continues to improve its PBIS framework. The PBIS committee meets monthly to discuss needed changes and tweaks to the system. All teachers are invited to have a voice on the PBIS committee. The committee has worked diligently to develop a school-wide PBIS framework that will be sustainable, data driven, and has an emphasis on positive intervention.
Coding is a Huge Hit with Pinacate Students!
Over the past 2 months, I have exposed my 7th and 8th grade Technology students to 3 different coding platforms: Scratch (along with Google CS First), Code Combat, and Codecademy. As the year has progressed, the “results” from my perspective have been getting more and more exciting (though I have not given a single quiz or test for a grade). Here is a detailed recap of the past 3 months, and a reflection on why I think this year is so super successful despite the lack of “evidence” that has been traditionally demanded of teachers in the era of NCLB.
I chose Scratch and CS First as the introductory coding unit because I thought that this would be a good way to scaffold the logic and analysis, and persistence, required to write good code when ultimately you are staring at nothing but a blank screen and a command prompt. I had the students work on projects in the CS First unit “Social Media”, wherein they learned how to drag and drop blocks of code to create and call variables, produce loops, and the like. This project-based unit did not demand that students learn any specific coding language, but focused on developing a more basic understanding of the connection between the magic of command (input) and result (output). Most of the assets with which students worked were pre-supplied and organized by the program: sprites and different characters, tools, and even the commands themselves. And, though the accompanying videos spelled out every step of every project, there was still plenty of room for students to stretch their understanding and to demonstrate their creativity in each project. However, this platform has proven to be the least engaging of the three on which students have begun to spread their coding wings. But, still, I think it whetted their appetites for what has happened since.
Code Combat was next, and a step in the right direction in terms of getting students to engage with the material and to get enthused about their performances. Code Combat is an outstanding platform that teaches students a specific coding language (I chose to have the students work in Python). To learn the language, students select a hero, which they maneuver through a series of levels in a Dungeons and Dragons style video game. To complete each level, students must write the proper code to make their hero move, wield a weapon, use a shield, and find treasure. If their code is wrong, their hero can’t make it to the end of the level. As a student’s hero completes more and more levels, he (or she) starts to acquire more and more gems, which the hero can use to purchase upgraded weaponry, armor, and clothing. All of these items carry the power of advanced coding options, which make completing each level easier. The better and more advanced equipment one possesses, the more coding options one has for completing each level. This basic structure keeps students’ motivation extremely high to continue in the game, and makes achievement highly rewarding. I am so glad, in retrospect, that I have not ruined this with direct instruction and formal checks for understanding.
I have chosen specifically to run this technology class as a self-paced, project-based class. That is, I will communicate to students at the beginning of every unit the “rubric” on which their grade will be based. (For example, for Code Combat, I told students that they were required to complete a certain number of levels for an ‘A’, for a ‘B’, etc.). From this point forward, and after as little direct instruction as I can get away with and still be certain that no one is completely confused, students are largely on their own to complete their work as they are able. I float as a helper, but mostly do not offer help unless asked. I feel that this is critical for students at this age level (and maybe every age level), as this builds so many excellent personal qualities. Among them, self-reliance, resourcefulness, and time management – and for those students who are excelling, a burgeoning sense of self-esteem and belief in themselves that no amount of direct instruction or checking for understanding could possibly have generated. In fact, I think that these techniques would have poisoned the environment of exploration and discovery, and sharing, that most students are now thriving in.
I should know, because I taught mathematics in that old way for 9 years prior to this assignment. But I never saw, in all of that time, as many happy student faces or as much authentic enthusiasm to succeed as I have seen in these past 3 months, as I have let students dictate the pace of their own learning and stretch to perform as they are comfortable. I am thankful that my colleague, Mark Synnott, and I have found so many excellent, online resources that automatically track student progress and build into their systems of learning a continuous check for understanding in which students are not even aware that they are participating. I do not not need to test them to know that they are progressing and learning. The fact that they have moved from one level to the next is all the evidence I need.
So, rather than feeling that I am abandoning good teaching in leaving behind that model of direct instruction and direct testing that is supposed to affirm whether students have learned what the teacher wants them to learn, I feel that I am embracing the best kind of teaching that is possible.
Which brings me to the most recent unit that students have completed, and easily the most successful in terms of engagement and achievement this year: the HTML/CSS course at Codecademy. For the first time, students in this unit were faced with a blank screen and a command prompt. Each lesson in the course provides a small chunk of new learning, for example a new tag or small set of tags, and then students are asked to type these new tags in the code console (of course in the proper order). Students can see the effects of their efforts immediately in a mini-browser in the upper right portion of their screen, which gives them feedback as to the correctness of their code.
So, if anyone asks, yes, this year is going very well! I am thankful to my site administration and the district technology team, who together are encouraging me to take this path. I am thankful that so much infrastructure is already in place, like 1:1 devices, excellent wi-fi, and a crack team of tech support. All together, we are making the miracle happen: we are providing engaging content that excites and motivates students, and we are carving out the opportunities for them to take it is far as they possibly can. AND THEY ARE.
Isn’t that what we all got into this business for in the first place?
Submitted by: Erik Anderson
Kick Off to College 2015
The major push for the Kick Off to College event was raising awareness and helping students prepare for the next step in their education and career. This included: completing college applications, filling out financial aid paperwork, exploring potential careers with analysis from personality assessments, and participating in the PSAT assessment to measure progress toward college and career readiness. No matter the activity, students were able to personalize the experience and make it matter for their individual futures.
A few students also shared their perspectives on the Kick Off to College events and activities. A male and female student that were walking on campus spoke on how it had impacted them. The girl had glowing reviews. She enjoyed the activities and actually felt more excited about her future now that she had gone through this process. The male student remarked, “The only negative thing I could say, is that I wish I had this event my other 3 years of high school. It was good and I wish I did what the other 9, 10, and 11th graders got to do.”
A student from PUHSD posted a tweet thanking the organizers for supporting his college and career readiness preparations. In a follow up interview with the student he shared the his comments about the experience:
“Learning about the college application process was helpful because honestly, I wasn’t sure where to start. I knew what colleges were good to apply for, but this also helped me see which ones match up best for me and why. It helped me use my transcript and my interests to see what steps for next year would work well for me. Before that day I was super scared. Now I feel like I have some time, I can breathe. This has made the college opportunity more like a reality for me.”
One of the ASB officers at a PUHSD school also shared some of her thoughts:
“I was learning how to fill out college apps and FAFSA setup. My big takeaway was how important the application process was and making sure you do it correctly. Without this event I’m not sure that I would have been able to do as much preparation for college otherwise. I’m so glad I was at school today. It was brand new and I wasn’t sure what to expect good or bad. It was definitely great!”
The event was a huge success with teachers and staff across the district offering support and adapting to the needs of the students. Throughout the day, students, staff, and faculty were sharing over social media comments and pictures from the event with the hashtag #KOTC15. Our district flooded the stream with positive messages, gratitude, and excitement about looking forward to the next step.
Below is a collection of some of those tweets.
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Technology Courses at Pinacate: Employing the Future
Perris Union High School District’s Pinacate Middle School decided to start exposing their students to computer science. Last year in December, every student on campus participated in Code.org’s “Hour of Code” event that occurred across the U.S. Shortly after, a computer programming club was offered after school. Young and excited aspiring programmers instantly joined the club. Their creations were fascinating. It became evident that computer science should not be limited to a club environment but should be offered as an actual course. The first official technology class at Pinacate began during the second semester with only 15 students. This pilot class was first taught by math teacher Erik Anderson with the assistance of the school’s technology coach, Mark Synnott. Within two months, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Synnott were requested by administration to develop a technology course for the 2015-2016 school year. After much planning, writing, erasing, and rewriting, their technology curriculum was approved by the district’s board. There are currently thirteen technology courses at Pinacate. This means that over 500 students are practicing computer science everyday. These innovative classes are being taught by Mr. Anderson, Mr. Wojciechowski, and Mrs. Burnett.
As well as exposing students to computer science, the goal of the technology curriculum is to provide students with an opportunity to create and manage digital content in a wide variety of contexts. Every resource is available online and free of charge. Coding skills will receive the primary emphasis as students are exposed to introductory lessons in logic and computational thinking using coding languages HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. While learning these languages and new ways of thinking, students will interact with multiple forms of input, from playing computer-simulated video games, to typing raw commands in strict command-line coding environments. After researching the best available resources, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Synnott selected Scratch paired with Google’s CS First, Tynker, Code Combat, Code Academy, and Code.org to help facilitate students understanding of basic coding.
Students will be expected to master a number of other digital skills that serve as the infrastructure of their digital journey including keyboarding, website navigation and bookmarking, building and managing an ePortfolio in Haiku, saving and renaming files and images, keeping track of their usernames and passwords in Google Forms, use of Google Classroom and Google Drive, and participating in digital checking for understanding activities presented through media such as Kahoot and Socrative.
Currently, 7th and 8th graders share the same classroom. The plan for the 2016-2017 school year is to expand the class into Tech I and Tech 2 classes. Tech I classes will teach 7th graders the skills that underpin success in a digital environment such as keyboarding, file management, portfolio maintenance, and the basics of computer science. Tech II classes will give 8th grade students (who have already taken the Tech I class) opportunities to deepen their understanding of computer programming and the production of digital art forms. Students in the Tech II class will also be encouraged to broaden their understanding of the world around them through participation in project based learning such as the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. This nationwide contest asks students to identify one issue or problem that they observe, either at school or in their community, and to apply S.T.E.A.M. skills to solve that problem. So far, Mr. Anderson has seen wide interest in this project, with almost 60 students signing up to be part of the initial endeavor!
As the course develops over the coming years to include emerging technologies, the vision to help students uncover the fundamental power of their digital skill remains the same. Pinacate hopes to produce students who will apply their digital skills in a way that benefits others, whether these people live in their own communities, or halfway around the world.
WeatherBug Weather Stations
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| WeatherBug Weather Station at Perris High School |
PUHSD is very excited about being part of a network of over 8,000 weather stations across the country. The WeatherBug Schools Program is the largest weather and climate sensor network that combines professional-grade weather stations at K-12 schools and universities. The weather stations will be used to enhance the science, technology, and math school curriculum using the WeatherBug Achieve program. Each station records more than 25 weather variables and updates every few seconds. This live, hyper-local weather information is exclusive to Earth Networks, enabling an unmatched view of current conditions.
High heat during the summer and early fall is one of the challenges our athletic programs face. The partnership with the WeatherBug Schools Program will also allow athletic directors and coaches to receive notifications for weather conditions, including the heat index through the StreamerRT tool. The dynamic interface enables users to create notification rules for specific locations. Notifications are sent through visual and audible delivery and delivered to desktop and mobile emails.
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