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Superintendent’s Highlight of the Week: April 8, 2016
Superintendent’s Highlight of the Week
April 8, 2016
What could possibly bring 120 Middle School Scholars out to school on a Saturday and keep them engaged for 7 hours? If you thought a Hackathon, you are correct. So what is a Hackathon? It is an exciting day of learning and using 21st century skills. POB’s First Annual Hackathon, hosted by the organization We Connect the Dots, brought students in grades 5-8 together for a day to learn about the basics of webpage design using the platform Square Space. Students used mind mapping to introduce themselves to their team mates, constructed towers using toothpicks and marshmallows in order to nurture problem-solving skills, researched a social cause, and created a solution for that social problem on a website.
Volunteers from POB JFKHS’s Science Honor Society and coding classes served as ambassadors for the day, troubleshooting issues that students encountered and serving as role models for the youngsters. Newly issued Chromebooks were used to personalize the event for all of the participants, making the experience truly individualized and interest-based.
This event highlights POB’s ongoing commitment to STEAM education and the development of important career related skills for the 21st century, including digital literacy, collaboration, entrepreneurship, leadership, communication, and problem solving. We salute the teachers and many administrators who brainstormed this idea with Ms. Gierasch, Deputy Superintendent, for making this exciting learning experience a reality for our POB scholars.