Every single 12 months, we share our 10 most-examine stories. Not shockingly, lots of of this year’s Top 10 targeted on progressive strategies to engage learners, digital methods, and online and hybrid learning tactics associated to submit-pandemic educating. This year’s 7th most-read through story focuses on a Hero Awards winner committed to STEM schooling.
A single of a few eSN K-12 Hero Awards winners and nominated by Bluum, Kim Leblanc was chosen for the impressive STEM studying initiatives she champions in her district and for her students.
Regular wisdom would say that economically disadvantaged colleges across the nation would will need to imagine two times ahead of earning a key investment decision in technological know-how. Nevertheless, not all districts in that predicament have a technological know-how director like Kim Leblanc.
Calcasieu Parish Faculty Board is the fifth-most significant college district in Louisiana, resting in the southwest part of the point out. In whole, the district serves 29,500 college students across 60 elementary, center, and higher educational facilities. It is a 100 p.c CEP district, which suggests that every single college student is suitable for no cost lunch primarily based on the financial poverty info submitted to the federal govt.
Having said that, Calcasieu Parish Faculty Board’s Main Technology Officer, Kim Leblanc, has made a process for furnishing the form of technology in classrooms that 1 would only count on in affluent universities.
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Meet up with the 2022 K-12 Hero Awards winners!
Driving Kim’s leadership, Calcasieu Parish carried out a thorough needs evaluation prior to purchasing more than $4.1 million in technology and technology specialist advancement with federal funds under Title I and Title IV to carry out the technological know-how inside the present curriculum.
The financial commitment provided 400 3D printers and the skilled advancement necessary to progress STEAM (science, engineering, engineering, arts and mathematics) education and learning, most of which arrived at no cost to the district. It also is establishing a STEM bus with exciting technological devices to boost student learning
“Technology is continuously evolving, so we will need to give all of our learners equal alternatives to realize success,” Kim mentioned. “We preferred to provide them the systems that enhanced their important considering, collaboration and creativeness so that they can contend equally academically and in the modern day workforce.”
Calcasieu Parish’s Teaching Tech Heart, led by Kim, was currently instrumental in introducing new know-how to its classrooms, such as robotics and a computing system for every single university student and trainer. Armed with a philosophy to “make it materialize in the classroom,” Calcasieu Parish and Kim are fully commited to getting ready its learners for STEAM professions, illustrated by its investments in college student style competitions, summertime tech camps and the STEM bus. The learners are already using the 3D printers in lecture rooms to fix actual-globe difficulties and build 3D coming up with competencies inside tasks.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the College of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism.