By Pendleton County High School STLP

Vision, Purpose, and Goals of STLP at PCHS

Demonstration of STLP Goals

Goal #1: The STLP will develop activities that enhance the academic, social and emotional growth of the student.  Students involved in Help Desk develop a deeper understanding of how systems both small (a computing device) and large (a network), function within the district in order to connect students to the world beyond the school walls.  Help Desk students also develop professional skills when working with teachers/staff to solve technical issues, such as professional communication and prioritization  Students in Art classes use programs such as Photoshop as a means of expression. Students are invited to submit these pieces to STLP Winter judging.

Goal #2: The STLP will provide leadership opportunities for all students.  Help Desk students become leaders within the school as they assist teachers with technology use.  Students become local historians in their work with Dr. Sergent’s NKU classes.

Goal #3: The STLP will experience multi-age collaboration by forming innovative learning partnerships.  Help Desk class works in a small group setting with network administrators to develop skills in repair, troubleshooting, networking.  Students in Dr. Sergent’s NKU course create photographic images that showcase the history of Pendleton County. This involves working with members of this historical society, or those with first-hand experience of such historical events.

Goal #4: The STLP will form learning partnerships between students with different technology skills.  STLP has partnered with Code Cats, a computer programming club that was created in 2014, to develop programming skills through the use of LEGO robotics.  STLP invited members of various Art classes to submit their work for STLP Winter Showcase.  STLP worked with Mrs. Carolyn Reid to develop technological methods for students to communicate with one another as they prepare for Battle of the Books.

Goal #5: The STLP will develop activities that benefit communities.  STLP has worked with the NKU class in their development of a local history project that showcases places and events from Pendleton County’s history, and compares them to present day.

Goal #6: The STLP will develop instructional activities, which integrate technology and benefit the school and support the Kentucky Education Technology System (KETS).  The Help Desk course is intended for students to develop an understanding of networking and troubleshooting. The course can be taken in both the 11 th and 12 th grade years, allowing students ample time to develop skills in these areas in the first year, and take on more of a leadership role amongst their peers in the second year.

STLP – Looking Ahead  Using Makerspace to provide students a format to work together on projects of their choosing. This would be hosted through the school library, and would provide students a way to use before and after school time productively.  Inviting students to participate in an afterschool “Hour of Code” event.  Help Desk will work with the Broadcasting class to create basic instructional videos and documents for staff to access as needed.  Students will continue cataloguing awards into a “digital trophy case”, an STLP Showcase project that was started two years ago.

Student Involvement/Recruitment Efforts

What process was used to recruit students?  Often students will show interest in joining Technology Student Association (TSA). Due to national affiliation rules, this group is only open to students who have taken approved coursework. Students who are not eligible to join TSA – but have an interest in technology - are given information about opportunities that exist within STLP. Often, similar opportunities (video production, video game design, photography, robotics) exist for these students.

What process was used to recruit students? (cont.)  Students are recruited through class projects. Teachers can suggest technology-based projects that their students are involved in. As a school, our showcase projects frequently begin in the classroom.  Students who participate in Code Cats have the opportunity to participate in STLP coding events at the State level.  STLP recruits through school events, such as Freshman Orientation night.

Does your school encourage and allow all students interested to join?  Yes! STLP reaches out to anyone interested in technology. All are encouraged to participate.

Does your membership reflect the diverse population of the school?  STLP has a strong female representation. Approximately 40% of members are female, participating across the spectrum of events (showcase, coding, robotics, etc.).

STLP Showcase Projects

Showcase #1: Timera  Students in Dr. Amber Sergent’s NKU course used the Timera app to develop a deeper understanding of Kentucky and American stories.  The project gave students the opportunity to reach out to community members, including the local historical society, to gain an understanding of Pendleton County’s history through the use of current and historical photos.  “Dr. Sergent’s Classroom at PCHS” Facebook Page “Dr. Sergent’s Classroom at PCHS” Facebook Page  The “Timera” group was invited to present State Showcase.

Examples of Pendleton County Timera Photos Used with permission of Dr. Amber Sergent

Battle of the Books  Students are working with our librarian, Mrs. Reid, to develop an online component to the new Battle of the Books activity.  In Battle of the Books students are placed in teams of four, and work together to read a selection of books.  STLP has added a technological component in which students may collaborate within smaller groups in Edmodo to discuss the book selections, further deepening their understanding and better preparing them for competition.  “PCHS Battle of the Books” Edmodo site “PCHS Battle of the Books” Edmodo site

ELK -- Education Linux for Kids  Students will be working (with assistance from the rest of the Help Desk class) to develop entertaining how-to videos that communicate the importance of proper computer usage in the labs, reducing the need for help desk to work on minor issues that could be solved/prevented at the user-level.

STLP and the Community

What process is used to increase community awareness of your projects, products, and services?  Recognition of student projects moving on to STLP State Championship at Board of Education meeting (scheduled for March 2015 Board of Education meeting).  Pendleton County High School will host a Technology Night (tentatively scheduled for early May 2015) to demonstrate student use of technology. The event will be open to the community, and will showcase all STLP showcase projects, along with basic software workshops. Other school groups and organizations will be invited to participate.