Welcome back to the 2020-2021 school year! I’ve been looking forward to being back in the classroom since we broke back in March. I know that this is a very different atmosphere for a multitude of reasons. There will certainly be challenges as the year unfolds, but I am hopeful that we will successfully conquer these obstacles together. We must be patient, flexible, and willing to be good to one another when things get difficult. We are in this together, be it in person or remotely. Instead of focusing on the uncertainty, let us take a look at some of the ways your students will be working in the labs and collaborating with one another.
Science students at West Hollow will be working in the 214 STEAM Lab. This space has been designed for digital collaboration as every lab station in the room is capable of screen mirroring. Students requiring assistance with technology can move to their own workspace to receive guidance from my screen while maintaining social distancing. You can see an example of one of these work stations in my “Welcome Back” video below. There is also a group instruction screen in the room that is shared with our students at home as we live stream each day on Zoom for our students in a remote setting.
We have recently sown fall crops for our vertical hydroponic Mars Farm and soil-based FarmBot. Our aquaculture wall has also been started and is ready to receive a stock of tilapia. These systems will be used throughout the year as we infuse the “Future of Food” theme into the curriculum. Students will be able to monitor and collect data from each of these systems whether they are in class or participating from home. You can read our August post to learn more about how we will accomplish this.
Virtual communication and collaboration is going to be a point of emphasis this year. Students have already introduced themselves to one another using FlipGrid and will give their families a view into our learning spaces using Seesaw. They will also be creating digital portfolios to document the skills they acquire using Badgr.io. This year may bring an unfamiliar instructional model, but learners will ultimately walk away with a digital competency that will lend itself to making them successful in many of today’s workspaces.
Students taking our PLTW Introduction to Engineering Design Course at High School East will be working in the building’s Maker Space. The lab has been modified for social distancing, but will continue to give students access to an array of 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines and a host of other tools. There are many necessary modifications built into our classrooms, but none of them will inhibit the creativity of our student engineers.
Lab Spaces in the Middle and High Schools
