Arkansas Year One Report (2016-17)

Leading the Nation in Computer Science and STEM Education

In Partnership with

PROJECT HISTORY

The goal of this project is to increase student interest in and access to computer science(CS) and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers and to assist in academic achievement in every middle school the state of Arkansas.

Learning Blade® is a supplemental online curriculum for middle and early high schools that is uniquely focused on increasing awareness and interest in STEM careers.

The pilot program began in partnership with the Arkansas Public School Resource Center (APSRC) to implement Learning Blade in schools in AR.

June of 2016 - After a successful pilot, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced the statewide Learning Blade initiative, supported through a grant from the Arkansas Department of Education to the APSRC, tying it to the Governor’s groundbreaking computer science efforts.

Governor Asa Hutchinson

In collaboration with the APSRC, we continue tremendous efforts to introduce teachers and administrators to Learning Blade as a supplemental STEM education resource.

Student Engagement in Computer Science and STEM Careers

• 232,000 STEM Lessons Completed• 41,900 Hours of Instruction• 26,290 Registered Students, an Increase of 7,424

since December

Teacher Professional Development in Computer Science and STEM

• 79 Training/Demo Events, both In-Person and Online • 704 Educators Received Professional Development• 20 Events Scheduled for Summer 2017• Arkansas Academic Standards have been Updated in

the Learning Blade System

Teacher Professional Development in Computer Science and STEM

• Developed and Deployed a New Curriculum “Mission” introducing Computer Science Careers and Technologies in cooperation with TATA Consultancy Services (TCS)

• We are 83% of the way to meeting our White House Computer Science for All Commitment in Arkansas

YEAR 1 RESULTS

71%LEARNED ABOUTNEW CAREERS

RECOGNIZINGWHAT THEY LEARN IN SCHOOL

WILL BE USEFUL LATER ON IN LIFE

69%

Learning Blade increases STEM career awareness and interest while demonstrating the relevance of academics to real-life jobs. Research-based student data from Arkansas, and other states, demonstrates Learning Blade’s impact.

Learning Blade introduces STEM careers and technologies to a wide

range of students.

After using Learning Blade:• 71 percent of students said they learned about new careers.• 75 percent of students said they learned about technology.

Learning Blade demonstrates the relevance of academic studies to

future careers and life.

Using Learning Blade increased the number of students who strongly agree:• “What I learn in school will be useful later in my life” by 69 percent.

• “Math is helpful when solving interesting problems “by 79 percent.

Learning Blade increases interest in following a path to STEM careers,

including appropriate academic preparation in high school.

Using Learning Blade increased the number of students who say:• “I would like to be an engineer or scientist in the future” (strongly agree)

by 97 percent.• “In high school, I plan to take advanced math classes or more science

classes than are required” by 56 percent.

THE LEARNING BLADE IMPACT

56%ADVANCED MATH CLASSES √

π×÷

INTEREST IN TAKING

IN HIGH SCHOOL

2x # OF STUDENTS WHO

WANT TO BE ENGINEERS & SCIENTISTS

519 Arkansas Schools have Registered for a Learning Blade Account

Approximately 82% of Middle Schools have an Account

(As of April 20, 2017)

SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT

ARKANSAS FEEDBACK

Leadership Feedback:Commissioner Johnny Key, Arkansas Department of Education

“We believe that all students should have the opportunity to experience STEM and STEM careers

at a young age, and have implemented this and other initiatives to ensure that Arkansas students and teachers have the tools necessary to pursue the high demand careers. We are pleased that the system is aligned to the state standards as well. ”

Scott Smith, APSRC Executive Director“ We are so pleased with the incredible success Learning Blade is having in its first year of statewide adoption. It often takes programs years to reach the level of penetration Learning Blade has

achieved. We are thankful to the many educational COOPS that have sponsored and continue to share Learning Blade professional development sessions.”

Student Feedback:Berryville Middle School Student

“The Learning Blade program has taught me many things about the career that I want to do in the future, … when the questions pop up, I am always

in deep thought when I try to answer them. They aren't always easy to understand and answer. I enjoy that part of it, and I would like to keep going with this mission.”

Star City Middle School Student“Learning Blade helped me understand more about certain jobs and careers that I did not know worked that way.”

Teacher Feedback:Jenna Jones from Covenant Keepers Charter, Little Rock

“After just a couple of weeks of students working with Learning Blade, I heard the conversation start to shift as to what careers the

students were interested in… I believe it’s all because of Learning Blade opening the door to those experiences and those different career paths in STEM.”

Cheryl Howard, an 8th grade Career Development teacher, Berryville“ I really am pleased with the way the missions are correlated to the state standards. I am able to show teachers and administration the areas the students are having difficulty in. By linking the various work they are completing with these standards we can look at specific areas in a different way. With Learning Blade the students are actually using concepts they should be learning in the classroom. Learning Blade is EXCELLENT!”

kBlade

Learning Blade’s 12 different missions introduce over 100 STEM careers and technologies to students.

LEARNING BLADE ONLINE MISSIONS

Mission Descrip on Career Clusters

Dolphin Rescue Help rescue rehabilitate an injured dolphin, including crea ng an ar ficial prosthe c tail

Biomedicine, Marine Science

Energy Sources Evaluate alterna ve or upgraded energy sources for a city that currently has an old coal-fired power plant

Energy Produc on, Environment

Entrepreneurship Set up a new business with a focus on entrepreneurship Finance, Business

Flu Outbreak How health and IT professionals can use data warehousing and analysis to predict flu outbreaks using GIS and social media data

Informa on Technology

Fresh Food Consider methods to increase produc on of local foods in a community Agriculture

Hack A ack Learn about methods to create and protect website, apps and social media a er a school’s website and media are hacked Computer Science

Hai Orphanage Design and build an environmentally-sound orphanage for children le homeless by an earthquake in Hai

Construc on, Sustainability

Heart Surgery Conduct heart surgery and therapy for a child with a heart defect; evaluate the use of ar ficial hearts or heart components Medicine

Lightweight Aircra Design a lightweight and easily maintained aircra for distant missions

Lightweight Metals Manufacturing

Manufacturing Concept

Use modern manufacturing techniques to design and build a new concept car

Advanced Manufacturing

Rescue Robot Explore technology used for robo cs design, such as sensors, electrical circuits, industrial design and computers

Electronics, Computer Science

Transporta on Conges on

Evaluate new transporta on methods for a city that has a traffic conges on problem Transporta on

©2017 Thinking Media All Rights Reserved. Learning Blade is a registered trademark of SAI Interactive, Inc.

NEW RESOURCES

Mission Challenges 3D Prin ng Maker Quests

STEM4ParentsLook for our new parent ac vi es also! The parent-ready handouts can s mulate STEM conversa ons, discuss career opportuni es, and include simple home experiments.

Learning Blade has released new supplemental materials that engage students and parents in hands-on projects in the classroom and at home.

Table Talk: These are ques ons you can ask your student without having any background knowledge in STEM. These will be easy conversa on starters.

Dig Deeper: These are ques ons with suggested links to learn more about different STEM careers to explore with your student.

Home Lab: This is an easy, hands-on ac vity to do with your STEM student.

The Mission Challenges provide simple, hands-on ac vi es emphasizing problem solving, cri cal thinking, teamwork and communica ons. These mission capstone projects require simple, readily-available materials.

These projects, for those with 3D printers, combine concepts from the missions with ready-to-print 3D model files. The printed objects can then be used for experiments or projects that demonstrate the STEM principles from the missions. Students can also modify the models themselves using free, online 3D modeling so ware.