JASON Learning and Code To The Future: Essential Elements of the STEM Initiative in Virginia’s Southampton County Public Schools.
Written by Mrs. Alice Williams, Director of Human Resources and Marketing
Southampton County Public Schools is a progressive school division providing and utilizing advanced technologies and educational initiatives throughout the school division. Through the exceptional leadership of Dr. Gwendolyn Page Shannon, Division Superintendent, and innovative Technology Specialist, Mr. Bill Hatch, the school division affords educators and students access to technology and programs that are on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. The school division recognizes that technology is an ever-changing, progressive vehicle and even though funds are limited, creativity is never limited. Powerful, futuristic minds generate methods of providing technological and STEM opportunities for all students and staff.
Southampton County Public Schools provides the students and educators with the latest technology equipment through funding requested by the Division Superintendent, Dr. Gwendolyn Page Shannon, and supported and supplied by the Southampton County Board of Education and the Southampton County Board of Supervisors. The division leadership has a progressive attitude toward technology and has adopted providing technology access to all students as one of the fundamental goals of the division. Access to technology enables the effective use of creative and engaging programs such as JASON Learning and Code To The Future for all students. Students are provided with iPads, laptops, desktops, and 3-D printers to use within the classroom and for access to content and programs outside of the instructional day. Students explore and set their imaginations free in our makerspaces. Southampton County is a Computer Science Immersion school division in grades K-5 having implemented the Code To The Future program in all elementary schools. The district even provides Internet access for students at home through Kajeet to provide a level playing field for all.
Educational programs to support teaching and learning and the advancement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are continually researched and provided to teachers and students that enhance best practices. Two of the latest program implementations have been JASON Learning and Code To The Future. JASON Learning has brought real science into the hands of the students and the teachers within the classroom setting. Science now comes to life through technology, inspiring the students to explore with a depth of understanding previously never achieved. JASON Learning presents curricula in a manner that is interactive, hands-on and exciting. The content in JASON Learning is aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning, providing students many different modalities to experience and interact with the content. Earth Science (ES) teacher at Southampton High School, Brandon Lilley, stated, “We just began teaching ES 7 which is Plate Tectonics, and there was a unit on JASON Learning available that paired well with our content, called Tectonic Fury. The material properly scaffolds the learning for not just ES 7, but dives deeper by incorporating elements of ES 6 and ES 8 as well.” Mr. Lilley went on to say, “The content provided for Plate Tectonics was outstanding as it provided many different videos, interactives and games to help my students better understand the basic fundamental elements involved in plate tectonics. I enjoyed how it brought professional science into my classroom and exposed students to localities and ideas that we could not otherwise expose them to in the county.” Mr. Brandon Lilley is pictured guiding students through a mineral lab that he found on JASON Learning. He and his students are describing the physical properties of minerals to include color, luster, crystal shape, density, hardness, streak, cleavage, magnetism, reaction to acids, etc. A mineral dichotomous key is also provided as an optional lab to test the electrical conductivity of various minerals. Mrs. Emily Jarratt, biology teacher, at Southampton High School used JASON Learning last week to assist in teaching about the wetland ecosystem. JASON Learning had an expedition to a wetland available for students to explore and review. She supplemented this lesson with a lab, from JASON Learning, which allowed students to investigate how changes in one abiotic factor, salinity, affected the plants found in wetland environments using eggs, gummy bears, and salt. Mrs. Amber Harris, a teacher at Riverdale Elementary School, is pictured with a student who is explaining the various zones of the ocean, sea life, and plant life. She used JASON Learning to supplement her teaching students about oceans. She values the games, labs, and virtual field trips that were available in JASON Learning. The teaching of oceans culminated with a class trip to Virginia Aquarium where students saw animals from various parts of the ocean and were given costumes to role-play and dress up as some of those animals.
With JASON Learning, the teachers have just begun to see the comprehensiveness and capabilities of the program. Experts from JASON Learning provided training at the beginning of the school year, exposing teachers to the specifics of the program. The training was comprehensive, hands-on and interactive. Throughout the year, JASON Learning experts have provided support and suggestions on the most effective ways to incorporate the program into the classroom. Science teachers in Southampton County Public Schools are excited about JASON Learning and how the program is enhancing the science curriculum and is bringing science to life for the students.
Coding has been added to the curriculum for all elementary students through the nation’s leading Computer Science program Code To The Future. The four elementary schools in Southampton County Public Schools have become the first in the Western Tidewater area of Virginia to become Computer Science Immersion Schools. Students at these schools now have the opportunity to learn fundamentals of Computer Coding as part of their daily curriculum. Through this 21st century literacy, students are developing critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration skills. Through the partnership with Code To The Future, teachers can engage students through block and text-based coding activities to enhance their education experiences through Computer Science. Students now have another avenue to apply problem-solving, team building, and presentation skills as they collaborate and share their thinking process with peers.
Dr. Shannon believes that “converting all four elementary schools to computer science immersion schools and implementing JASON Learning to bring science to life are two of many examples of how Southampton County Public Schools is Expanding Excellence which has been a long-standing tradition in our school division.” Governor McAuliffe recognized the significance of this achievement by awarding Division Superintendent Gwendolyn Page Shannon with the Governor’s Award for Innovation in Education at a reception held in October of 2017.
Though the work centered on technology is never-ending, the school division is continually forward thinking about technology and the benefits it provides students in regards to STEM. The division has a robust curriculum that currently offers Industrial Technology, Engineering Design, Intro to Technology, Electricity I, II, & III, Computer Applications, Graphic Design, Audio Engineering, Welding, Photo Journalism, Intro to Game Design and Development, internships, job shadowing, the use of green screens, and many more STEM classes and opportunities. They currently utilize partnerships with Paul D. Community College and Virtual Virginia. They hold a STEM Night event where students demonstrate their learned skills and more importantly educate families and businesses of the innovative curriculum they are exposed to on a daily basis. Southampton County Public Schools has opened the doors to new and exciting experiences for all students, and it is just the beginning. The division is advancing their curriculum in the future to include classes in Cybersecurity, Health Sciences, Robotics, App Development, Career Investigation, the use of Drones in STEM classes, and Padcasters.
Southampton County Public Schools works diligently to stay at the forefront of technology in education. Division Superintendent Dr. Gwendolyn Page Shannon said it best, “children rise and fall to adults’ expectations. At Southampton County Public Schools, we have raised the bar and are placing multiple tools in our students’ tool belt such as JASON Learning to continue to elevate our students personally, academically, socially and technologically for this fast-paced and ever-changing world.
