Student teaching STEM Academy arduino strand

Meet Ian. Ian's a senior at Essex High School, and he's not just enrolled in the STEM Academy there, he's also teaching it.

In this episode of the podcast, research fellow Mark Olofson talks with Ian about how he went from learning about arduinos, to teaching them, and why robotics is so much more fun to build than talk about.

 

"In middle school I was not sure AT ALL what I was gonna be when I was older. So that's the interesting thing, with the transition to high school that changed so much."

Hear about the projects Ian's been working on inside the STEM Academy and out, how cool it is to make e-textile costumes for school performances and what it's like to be a student teaching other students STEM. A full transcript of the podcast appears below.

Audrey (narrator): In this episode, research fellow Mark Olofson talks with a senior at Essex High School who is not just taking part in the school's STEM Academy, he's actually teaching it. Welcome to The 21st Century Classroom.

In our last episode, math educator Leanne Smith told us about the Essex High School STEM Academy where students can choose to pursue self-directed STEM projects and community internships during the school day.

Leanne: So, there's the Advisory. We also have a lecture series. So, about once a moth after school somebody comes in, and you need to do 10 of those throughout the course of the 3 years. You need to enroll in the STEM internship class, and do research around your specific career. You go out and do your internship, and then you put all of that together in a digital portfolio.

But one student's digital portfolio will feature his journey from Arduino learner, to teacher.

Ian: Yeah, so, my name's Ian. I'm a senior at Essex High School, and I'm a big member of the STEM community here. I'm all about computer science and electronics. And, yeah, that's my thing: I help out.

This is my first year in The STEM academy. I'm sort of their 'pilot senior.' Normally, seniors wouldn't be in it, I'm actually the only one right now. But, I decided to join after looking at the STEM internship class, and Ms. Smith, she approached me and asked me if I wanted to join up 'cause she knew, you know, I could help out and I could kinda be the experiment. But, I also knew that they'd be doing very interesting stuff in the advisory classes, with Arduinos, and all that. So I knew that I could help out, help people program, and stuff.

Mark: So, what are some of the things that makes the STEM Academy different than the high school at large, for you as a student?

Ian: Right, so, in the STEM Academy you get to participate in different projects that are all about science. First off, they require you to take all science and math classes, so, one each year. You also get to be in the STEM Advisory which, in there, you get to learn about your specific STEM tract. You get to just work on, you know, whatever's there on the day. Like, for instance, in ours, we do lots of electronics, and do lots of programing stuff with Arduinos.

Mark: And so, do you, as students, get to make some of the decisions about, you know, what things you're going to investigate?

Ian: Yeah, definitely. So, in my advisory, I am one of the leaders along with one of my friends, and we pick what we're going to teach the kids that day.

Mark: We've heard that you work a whole bunch with Arduinos. How did you get into working with that technology?

Ian: Pretty much it all started through my robotics club. At the very beginning of the year, I wasn't into, really, tech at all. But then, through the robotics club, I learned all about the engineering process, and I learned that it's pretty cool that you can program al...