Stafford Municipal School District

Attn: School Board

1625 Staffordshire Rd.

Stafford, TX 77477

 

Dear Members of the School Board,

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As Stafford Municipal School District embarks on a journey in developing a new state-of- the-art S.T.E.M. program, we know that there will be a number of students taking on the challenge.  Where are these students coming from and where do we want our students to go?  Some of these questions can be solved by allowing us to develop an understanding of what the near future is going to be about: Technology and Critical Thinking.  Today’s market world needs people who can manage new technology and think on the spot.  Companies around the world need personnel that can be independent thinkers, as well as, collaborate with others using their skills and expertise.

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I don’t know who said, “The best things in life are free,” but students need technology! (Brooks, 2017) The questions are, “Are they going to use this access just to browse the internet or can our students be able to explore the world of S.T.E.M. with the knowledge that can be brought to them?  The first step is to pre-train the selected students of our distinguished new S.T.E.M. Magnet School.  We know that not all students are engaged in technology when it comes to work.  Their main interest is to be active on social media.  What we don't want to happen is for society to act too late in recruiting those students who are interested in technology.  How can we change this?   We need to create an active and hands-on approach to embrace our student's attention.  Let them be the ones creating a future of opportunities for themselves.

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I would like to incorporate the coding program, in which students will take part of their own education through the use of programming and problem-solving skills.  Research has demonstrated that students prefer having more of technology-based instruction rather than lectures. (Brooks, 2017)  Computer science fosters creativity and teaches students critical thinking skills to assist them in becoming proactive learners; so elementary school is the ideal time for students to be introduced to CS. (Code.org, 2019)

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My proposal is to recruit a group of 15-30 students and begin a preliminary coding academy designed to enrich students in the basics of Apple products, to gain insight in the developing world of technology and computer programming.  This program will guide students to learn and develop a variety of  academic, personal, and thinking skills via the utilization of Apple iPads and Apple iPad Swift Playgrounds software. 

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Highlights of being in such programs include (Popat & Starkey, 2018):

• Learning to code in schools enables students to learn skills beyond the coding itself.

• Higher and lower order thinking skills can be developed when learning coding.

• Curriculum and pedagogy influence the range of skills learnt when learning to code.

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How is this program going to assist other content areas?  Coding is not just for math and science courses, but other technology-related components could be part of the curriculum assigned to students.  Our secondary campuses have established a one-to-one device so that all students can have access to the use of an electronic device.  This allows for students to develop a sense of efficacy in their own learning and an opportunity to have a more hands-on approach.  There are many sources available for students to learn coding; by giving them the right tools will only enhance their determination to continue the learning creativity.  (Ford, 2017)

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I will be posting current stories through my website, https://jzepeda228.wixsite.com/jzepeda, to demonstrate students' work and how their ideas have come to life.  I want this project to be the building block of what is to come, while remaining self-sustained in every classroom for all students enrolling in our S.T.E.M. Magnet Program.  “Coding is NOT just for coders anymore!” (Risen, 2016)

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Sincerely,

Mr. Jesus Zepeda, M.Ed.

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References

Brooks, D. C. (2017, October). EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research . Retrieved from library,educause,edu:                https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2017/10/studentitstudy2017.pdf

Code.org. (2019, 11 19). Computer Science Discoveries. Retrieved from code.org: https://code.org/educate/csd

Ford, M. (2017, October 19). George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved from Edutopia: Coding in the Classroom:            https://www.edutopia.org/article/coding-across-curriculum

Popat, S., & Starkey, L. (2018, 10 11). Learning to code or coding to learn? A systematic review. Retrieved from                          sciencedirect.com: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360131518302768

Risen, T. (2016, June 8). Coding Isn't Just for Coders Anymore. Retrieved from U.S. News:                                                            https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-06-08/coding-isnt-just-for-coders-anymore

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