Standard 8: Students engage in self-directed STEM learning guided by educators who are effective facilitators of learning.
Concept 1: Students are encouraged to be critical and creative thinkers as owners and managers of their own STEM learning experiences.
Concept 2: STEM Educators serve as facilitators who provide guidance and support for students as self directed learners.
At Carrollton High School, Computer Science students are expected to take ownership of their own learning. Self-directed learning incorporates the basic fundamentals of learning that are needed to navigate our world. Teachers are expected to facilitate self-directed learning in place of the old institutionalized version of teaching. They provide activities that interest students and connect the school work to real-world experiences.
In order to create the kind of learning environment that supports success for all students, Computer Science educators serve as facilitators who provide guidance and support for students as self-directed learners. Computer Science and school leaders continually work to understand the nature of learning in classrooms by conducting observations with specific points of emphasis or “look fors”. In Computer Science classrooms, students are encouraged to be critical and creative thinkers as owners and managers of their own computer science learning experiences.
In order to create the kind of learning environment that supports success for all students, Computer Science educators serve as facilitators who provide guidance and support for students as self-directed learners. Computer Science and school leaders continually work to understand the nature of learning in classrooms by conducting observations with specific points of emphasis or “look fors”. In Computer Science classrooms, students are encouraged to be critical and creative thinkers as owners and managers of their own computer science learning experiences.
Programming, Games and Apps in Society
The Programming, Games, and Apps in Society class is the highest level class of the Programming Pathway. In 2021, we are trying to model the class after a "Stand Up" meeting our Computer Science team observed at GreenCourt. In class, we started off by exploring possible projects that the students would take on. The projects the students selected range from making apps for iOS and Android, developing games by Roblox and Unity, and one student even wanted to learn more about inventing with Arduino. The class has been a success so far! We spend a little time each week reviewing broad programming concepts, but most of the time involves students researching ideas and developing prototypes for their project.
As the students become more comfortable in the system, several students have started reaching out to other students that are making similar projects to collaborate and solve problems together. As the teacher, I mostly serve as a guide to help students find direction when they hit a roadblock. A lot of what the students are learning becomes what I learn as well.
Below is a list of projects the students are taking on this year:
As the students become more comfortable in the system, several students have started reaching out to other students that are making similar projects to collaborate and solve problems together. As the teacher, I mostly serve as a guide to help students find direction when they hit a roadblock. A lot of what the students are learning becomes what I learn as well.
Below is a list of projects the students are taking on this year:
- Fraction game for Android: This game is being developed for our 4th grade students.
- Math Symbols game for Unity: This game is being developed for our Elementary School.
- Sight Words game for Unity: This game teaches sight words by driving a car towards the correct word
- Water Temperature Sensor for the Stream Project: This project will serve as a way to retrieve data about the water temperature of our nearby stream
- Homophone Helper for iOS: Teaches students about homophones and often confused words.
- Trojan Themed Obby for Roblox: Obstacle course themed with Trojan symbols and colors.
Southwire Engineering Academy
The Southwire Engineering Academy (SWEA) is a cooperative internship program for 11th- and 12th-grade Carrollton High School STEM program students. Developed by Southwire Company and Carrollton City Schools, SWEA promotes achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics while enabling students to apply these disciplines in a real-world manufacturing setting.
At Southwire's state-of-the-art production facility in Carrollton, Georgia, junior SWEA engineers develop and sharpen valuable hands-on experience, while working with one of the largest wire and cable manufacturers in the world. In addition to learning about a variety of engineering disciplines – including industrial, mechanical and electrical engineering – the team's experience how these disciplines are applied every day to meet modern manufacturing and product development objectives.
Projects:
At Southwire's state-of-the-art production facility in Carrollton, Georgia, junior SWEA engineers develop and sharpen valuable hands-on experience, while working with one of the largest wire and cable manufacturers in the world. In addition to learning about a variety of engineering disciplines – including industrial, mechanical and electrical engineering – the team's experience how these disciplines are applied every day to meet modern manufacturing and product development objectives.
Projects:
- Southwire Engineering Academy Projects
- Southwire Engineering Academy Project Descriptions
- Southwire Engineering Academy Marketing Project
Unit Projects
As documented in Standard 7, our app and game development really pushes students to be creative and think of possible solutions to problems in their life. We also try to implement this strategy in our introduction class as well. Below are examples of project based assignments in the intro level class:
- Make your Own Restaurant Website
- Make your Own HTML Website about Yourself
- Internet Essentials: Choice
- System Analyst
- Hardware: Choice
- Keep Away Game: Take it Further
- Maze Game: Take it Further
- Problem Solving: You Decide
- Careers: Choice
- Digital Citizen: Choice
Global Solutions
The app development in large has created an opportunity for students to be their own teachers. We teach them about basic prototypes and then we encourage them to find solutions to real problems. Recently, we started publishing the apps that students completed. Looking at the list of apps it is easy to tell that students took ownership of their learning and created something special.
Publishing apps has been a great motivator for students. We have a map in the room that is updated when we realize a new download has occurred in a new country. Currently, we have had student created apps downloaded in over 150 countries. Each sticker represents a unique app that has been downloaded in that country. Some countries have more stickers because that country has downloaded multiple apps.
- Complete List of Apps Created by Students
- Google Play Store for TrojanCSApps
- App Store for iOS for TrojanCSApps
Publishing apps has been a great motivator for students. We have a map in the room that is updated when we realize a new download has occurred in a new country. Currently, we have had student created apps downloaded in over 150 countries. Each sticker represents a unique app that has been downloaded in that country. Some countries have more stickers because that country has downloaded multiple apps.