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Podcast from the Radio Station interview
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Small Steps to Generate the Evolution
While flying to Washington for the Seattle Technology Conference, bad luck granted me with the dreaded middle seat. Although the reduced comfort level displeased me, the opportunity presented itself to make small talk with nearby passengers. The conversation always goes like this:
Passenger: So what do you do for a living?
Me: I teach high school web design courses.
Passenger: Wow! When I was in school, we didn’t have anything like that.
This response is as common with middle-aged adults as it is for teenagers today. Even with nationally charged activities such as Hour of Code or Code Academy, computer programming classes are still not found in many course selection guides.
As a Business Teacher Education major, I have surface knowledge in almost everything such as accounting, marketing, management, digital design, entrepreneurship, but expertise mastery in very little. Enter coding.
Since sixth grade, I enjoyed writing small lines of code in Notepad. I liked seeing the results of my work and making it pretty. I reached out to online message boards and forums, speaking with complete strangers to help me learn more. It was a hobby. I remember sneaking a bottle of Pepsi every night to stay awake into the wee hours of the morning so I could work on my spider-themed website. The way I programmed then, meeting virtually zero standards if compared to today, was as scary as my chosen topic. But I didn’t care. I loved everything about it.
I said to myself, if I have this much interest in learning how-to program, why not create the class. So I did. An added bonus is that I am a female in a male-dominated field. I welcomed the opportunity to break gender stereotypes and expand on my passion for that hobby.
I read books, watched YouTube tutorials, and tried to make sense of current website source codes. I relayed this information to my classes as best as I could, and the effort was there. However, the quality of instruction could have been improved. I realized that learning on my own fell short. The real learning took place when I involved the community.
The initial spark took place through an organization called the Michigan Council of Women in Technology (MCWT). Their mission centers on inspiring and growing people in technology, especially women. MCWT hosts the longest-running and most exciting website design competition for high school girls in the state of Michigan. This year’s contest theme was Love Those Pets. Like the title suggests, students were tasked to create a website that illustrates beloved pets. Over fifty first-round judges from MCWT’s partner companies, examine the entries and select the finalists. The finalists are invited to attend Finals Day to show their sites to six judges, comprised of CIOs and managers of large Michigan companies. Needless to say it is a big deal. The transition from my own assessment of their work to an authentic, multi-person audience generated a lot more concern for a quality website. Not surprisingly, the prize money brought out the competitiveness, too.
Another reason for a boost in quality stemmed from alumni relations. Since I have been participating in the competition for over 6 years, and try to build lasting relationships that do not cease at graduation, I have a pool of students who I can ask to make return classroom visits. These students offer advice, insight, and feedback that they may have learned in their computer programming or art undergraduate programs or simply know, through previous experience, what it will take to pull off the win. Their suggestions are invaluable and thankfully, this kind of volunteerism has excited both the past and current students.
Barack Obama quotes, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and then allows you to learn something new.” Speaking of feedback, peer to peer commenting is a great way for continuous improvements. Periodically, students were asked to look at several components of the website such evaluating original graphics to check that they are sized appropriately, professional-looking, and creative. These comments were constructive and helped to build class community. Similarly, parents were asked to review their work through a Google Form. Although this may seem like overkill, reaching out to every resource is necessary. If a student applies for a scholarship and is rejected, that is not the end. He/she modifies the responses and resubmits as other opportunities arise. Others want the best for you.
Field trips are also a way to extend learning beyond the classroom and bridge the gap which exists, in my classroom, due to a lack of expensive programs. After placing several cold calls to local web design companies, Seek Momentum offered to partner with us. They opened their doors to my students and, as a company initiative, gave them individual attention. They helped make their wireframes a reality by tweaking current concepts and unveiled new codes. They were able to see a real office, real industry professionals, and real humanitarian efforts. This initial visit led to social media connections, phone calls, and a second visit. The CEO, Jimi Plouffe, even offered future internship opportunities. I could not have dreamed of a better outcome.
Our next trip was to the local Apple store where students could partake in an iMovie workshop. One of the website requirements was to embed a 15-second video clip. Although I have shot hours of footage using my iPhone of my two children, these clips were far from professional. I trusted our two Apple hosts could not only teach the program well, but offer editing suggestions from their skilled expertise. Cool cutaway shots, music, zooming, and filters were used. They delivered exactly what we were asking for.
Due to transportation costs and scheduling, outside field trips may pose a problem. Do not allow this to deter you. This can be a perfect time to invite a guest speaker. I have been fortunate to have parents who are in technology occupations deliver Photoshop mini-lessons or in TED Talk fashion, share presentation tips and tricks. Specs Howard, a local media arts school, visits every year to not only market their own programs, but encourage students to pursue any technology-related field. These presentations are invaluable learning opportunities for my students.
While on that plane, I made a general observation that can be applied to any restaurant, waiting room, or school hallway: Everyone has their heads buried in their devices. Technology can isolate people. It can make us lose the power of face-to-face communication. That’s right. It can. However, with a clear vision for positive ways to connect with others through technology, the possibilities are endless.
In the 11th annual Web Design Competition, Lake Shore took away all top spots earning $2,150 in cash.
In the Advanced Category, Natalie Stepanenko won 1st place, $750, and an internship with Comerica Bank. Jada Baldwin and Hannah Watkins scored 2nd place, $500.
In the Beginner Category, Cecilia DuPont and Mackenzi Steinmetz earned 1st place, $400, Megan Ritz took 2nd place, $300, and Mackenzie Maison and Angela Masianka earned 3rd place, $200.
Heather Wright rounded out our top 6 finalist teams, the highest number any Michigan school had from 150 teams in total.
Passenger: So what do you do for a living?
Me: I teach high school web design courses.
Passenger: Wow! When I was in school, we didn’t have anything like that.
This response is as common with middle-aged adults as it is for teenagers today. Even with nationally charged activities such as Hour of Code or Code Academy, computer programming classes are still not found in many course selection guides.
As a Business Teacher Education major, I have surface knowledge in almost everything such as accounting, marketing, management, digital design, entrepreneurship, but expertise mastery in very little. Enter coding.
Since sixth grade, I enjoyed writing small lines of code in Notepad. I liked seeing the results of my work and making it pretty. I reached out to online message boards and forums, speaking with complete strangers to help me learn more. It was a hobby. I remember sneaking a bottle of Pepsi every night to stay awake into the wee hours of the morning so I could work on my spider-themed website. The way I programmed then, meeting virtually zero standards if compared to today, was as scary as my chosen topic. But I didn’t care. I loved everything about it.
I said to myself, if I have this much interest in learning how-to program, why not create the class. So I did. An added bonus is that I am a female in a male-dominated field. I welcomed the opportunity to break gender stereotypes and expand on my passion for that hobby.
I read books, watched YouTube tutorials, and tried to make sense of current website source codes. I relayed this information to my classes as best as I could, and the effort was there. However, the quality of instruction could have been improved. I realized that learning on my own fell short. The real learning took place when I involved the community.
The initial spark took place through an organization called the Michigan Council of Women in Technology (MCWT). Their mission centers on inspiring and growing people in technology, especially women. MCWT hosts the longest-running and most exciting website design competition for high school girls in the state of Michigan. This year’s contest theme was Love Those Pets. Like the title suggests, students were tasked to create a website that illustrates beloved pets. Over fifty first-round judges from MCWT’s partner companies, examine the entries and select the finalists. The finalists are invited to attend Finals Day to show their sites to six judges, comprised of CIOs and managers of large Michigan companies. Needless to say it is a big deal. The transition from my own assessment of their work to an authentic, multi-person audience generated a lot more concern for a quality website. Not surprisingly, the prize money brought out the competitiveness, too.
Another reason for a boost in quality stemmed from alumni relations. Since I have been participating in the competition for over 6 years, and try to build lasting relationships that do not cease at graduation, I have a pool of students who I can ask to make return classroom visits. These students offer advice, insight, and feedback that they may have learned in their computer programming or art undergraduate programs or simply know, through previous experience, what it will take to pull off the win. Their suggestions are invaluable and thankfully, this kind of volunteerism has excited both the past and current students.
Barack Obama quotes, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and then allows you to learn something new.” Speaking of feedback, peer to peer commenting is a great way for continuous improvements. Periodically, students were asked to look at several components of the website such evaluating original graphics to check that they are sized appropriately, professional-looking, and creative. These comments were constructive and helped to build class community. Similarly, parents were asked to review their work through a Google Form. Although this may seem like overkill, reaching out to every resource is necessary. If a student applies for a scholarship and is rejected, that is not the end. He/she modifies the responses and resubmits as other opportunities arise. Others want the best for you.
Field trips are also a way to extend learning beyond the classroom and bridge the gap which exists, in my classroom, due to a lack of expensive programs. After placing several cold calls to local web design companies, Seek Momentum offered to partner with us. They opened their doors to my students and, as a company initiative, gave them individual attention. They helped make their wireframes a reality by tweaking current concepts and unveiled new codes. They were able to see a real office, real industry professionals, and real humanitarian efforts. This initial visit led to social media connections, phone calls, and a second visit. The CEO, Jimi Plouffe, even offered future internship opportunities. I could not have dreamed of a better outcome.
Our next trip was to the local Apple store where students could partake in an iMovie workshop. One of the website requirements was to embed a 15-second video clip. Although I have shot hours of footage using my iPhone of my two children, these clips were far from professional. I trusted our two Apple hosts could not only teach the program well, but offer editing suggestions from their skilled expertise. Cool cutaway shots, music, zooming, and filters were used. They delivered exactly what we were asking for.
Due to transportation costs and scheduling, outside field trips may pose a problem. Do not allow this to deter you. This can be a perfect time to invite a guest speaker. I have been fortunate to have parents who are in technology occupations deliver Photoshop mini-lessons or in TED Talk fashion, share presentation tips and tricks. Specs Howard, a local media arts school, visits every year to not only market their own programs, but encourage students to pursue any technology-related field. These presentations are invaluable learning opportunities for my students.
While on that plane, I made a general observation that can be applied to any restaurant, waiting room, or school hallway: Everyone has their heads buried in their devices. Technology can isolate people. It can make us lose the power of face-to-face communication. That’s right. It can. However, with a clear vision for positive ways to connect with others through technology, the possibilities are endless.
In the 11th annual Web Design Competition, Lake Shore took away all top spots earning $2,150 in cash.
In the Advanced Category, Natalie Stepanenko won 1st place, $750, and an internship with Comerica Bank. Jada Baldwin and Hannah Watkins scored 2nd place, $500.
In the Beginner Category, Cecilia DuPont and Mackenzi Steinmetz earned 1st place, $400, Megan Ritz took 2nd place, $300, and Mackenzie Maison and Angela Masianka earned 3rd place, $200.
Heather Wright rounded out our top 6 finalist teams, the highest number any Michigan school had from 150 teams in total.
web_competition_2016.pdf | |
File Size: | 451 kb |
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Advanced Finalists
Beginner Finalists
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