When rollout is in person, it is designed to be an event for schools and families to connect through the exciting opportunities provided by always-available access. During rollout, learning opportunities take the shape of activities organized through a series of STEM-focused stations for parents/guardians and students. Schools should also include opportunities for students and their families to learn about the device, including basic functionality, resources for safety/monitoring, digital citizenship, and ways to connect with teachers and the school.
Schools should ask these two key questions while planning their rollout event:
Here are a few examples of STEM station ideas that any school can use:
Little Bits (Link to Lesson by LittleBits)
Materials: LittleBits Code Kit
Guiding Question: How do you create animations using loops?
Sphero STEM Challenges (Link to directions)
Materials: Masking tape, SPRK Sphero (or any Sphero-type device)
Guiding Question: What angle do you need the Sphero to move so it can draw a shape with a straight line?
Additional Resources: Sphero Lesson Resources
The Verizon Innovative Learning Coach at Madrid Neighborhood School, a kindergarten-8th grade campus within Alhambra Elementary School District in Phoenix, Arizona, noted that empowering student tech team members to lead STEM station activities made it possible to conduct device distribution and celebration simultaneously. Students collected their devices through a multi-staging process in the cafeteria, and upon completion, students went to the celebration area to participate in the STEM stations (see layout below). Participating in the stations was optional, but most families participated, the coach said.
The coach also mentioned that one of the very first stations that families encountered was a series of QR codes that brought the students to Flipgrids created by each staff member introducing themselves to the students and parents.
STEM stations are a great way to bring forward the learning opportunities that come with the new portable devices students are receiving at rollout. The activities engage the students as well as the parents. It’s a great opportunity for your tech team students to lead and serve as primary instructors at the stations and provides additional excitement to the rollout event.
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Verizon Innovative Learning Schools