education Bay District School's New State-ofThe-Art STEM Curriculum by: Sharon Michalik, Director of Communications, Bay District Schools
S
ince the inception of formal education, schools have been associated with reading, writing and arithmetic (the proverbial three Rs), but Bay District Schools (BDS)
is thrilled to be adding another “R” with the inclusion of robotics classes at all levels.
work. Our programs are aligned with the emerging global economy – rich with technology, driven by industry demands and infused with entrepreneurial spirit.” The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well throughout Bay District
Recently, the District was able to purchase a state-of-the-art
Schools, according to Career and Technical Education (CTE)
curriculum program known as Woz Ed. This Science, Technology,
Coordinator, Beth Patterson. “We are prepping students for the
Engineering and Math (STEM) education program designed by
workplace but also for life,” she said. “CTE teaches soft skills, the
Steve Wozniak (one of the co-founders of Apple Computers), is
ones you need on the job market but the ones that are also useful
focused on teaching students the “soft” skills they need to be life-
at the college and university level. We’re focused on looking at
long learners and collaborators. With a focus on problem solving
what students need to graduate and making sure we provide them
and critical thinking, Woz Ed students also garner some very real,
with as many opportunities as possible.”
and marketable, skill sets like coding, creating artificial intelligence and flying drones.
For example, she said, BDS middle and high school students are
While BDS would love to roll out something like this for all stu-
classes. “We hope, perhaps as early as next year, to be able to take
dents, at all schools, district leaders had to be thoughtful about
our students onto the highly-competitive robotic competition
the placement of the program at schools where they knew there
circuit,” Patterson explained.
were teachers ready to tackle these highly-technical lessons and technology. So, this year, students at Callaway, Hiland Park, Hutchison Beach, Lucille Moore, Merriam Cherry Street, Northside, Parker
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their curriculum “is a convergence of the worlds of education and
getting their hands on VEX robots in their science and engineering
Breakfast Point Academy Principal Clint Whitfield said technology and robots are woven throughout the curriculum at his school.
and Tyndall Elementary schools will have access to these courses.
“Our students have built one Lego robot and two VEX robots,” he
Teachers in those schools have been equipped with a variety of
robots, we’re constructing obstacle courses for the robots so
tools like 3-D printers, Drones, Block and Text Coding tools, Robots
students can master the controls and programming skills needed
and Cyber Security simulations. According to the Woz Ed program,
to operate robots in the real world.”
BAY B I Z / W I N T E R 2021
said. “After the students have the chance to test and refine their
