High school classes continue to provide students with job skills In high school classrooms throughout Renton School District, students are learning hands-on skills that provide knowledge and insight into the world of work. Students take classes that provide an academic foundation, while also instilling a useful framework to aid them in career exploration and study based on personal interests. High school students can choose to study architecture, construction, aerospace engineering, careers in health fields, business management and administration, teaching and education, finance, and many more. Students use these classes to help them plan their education through high school and beyond. Lindbergh High School for instance provides classes that give students hands-on, real-
world experience, and connects education to life skills and future employment. Some examples are: · Students in Creed Nelson’s Aerospace class are working on airplane construction training racks that are the same used at the Boeing plant in Renton. Because the students learn and train on the same equipment that new hires at Boeing are trained on, the Renton students have an advantage over other applicants if they choose to work at Boeing immediately after graduation. · Students in the high school construction program are learning how to set up an electrical system for home wiring. Student work includes building walls to resemble a room in their home, and learn
to wire a full electrical system for that room. · Students in Deborah Williams’ robotics class are designing and programming robots, including motor control, gear ratios, torque, friction, sensors, timing, program loops, logic gates, propulsion systems, and binary number systems.
Students who have a career focus will continue their education beyond high school including community and technical colleges, apprenticeship programs, and 2- and 4-year universities. The work is part of Renton School District’s efforts to ensure all students graduate many options for their future, ready to participate in our democracy.
Technology in classrooms provides another tool for meaningful teaching and learning Nearly everyone nowadays has access to some type of computer—a cell phone, laptop, tablet, etc. Computer skills open a world of knowledge, skill, and future earning potential. In schools, students are developing the skills of computer use well beyond just doing Internet searches. With technology, teachers have different types of teaching practices and even more ways to actively involve and engage students in their learning.
intentionally in class to access content, to learn and research, and to demonstrate and share their learning with teachers and other students. Many technical pieces go into supporting this work, and the team at Dimmitt have partnered with others in the district to make things go smoothly, like holding regular meetings with a technical/ logistical team and an instructional team. In staff meetings, Dimmitt staff use Google classroom for their learning and have embedded digital learning strategies into their professional development. In addition to using technology regularly in classes, students at Dimmitt are learning about how to care for their devices; how to use, create, and store digital learning artifacts; and are learning about digital citizenship and their digital footprint. Dimmitt students say they like having access to their learning tools (Office365 and Google apps, the internet, teacher websites, etc.) all the time, and how it’s meaningful to have their own space to store and share their own work and ideas.
One school where teachers and students are using technology differently is at Dimmitt Middle School where this year they are piloting a 1:1 laptop model, meaning every student is provided their own laptop (most other schools have a laptop or computer for every two students). Students carry their own devices with them all day and use them
Next year, the district will expand the 1:1 laptop program to the three additional middle schools: McKnight, Nelsen, and Risdon. Renton High School will pilot a 1:1 laptop program in 2018-19; and in 2019-20, all secondary schools will have the 1:1 laptop program. (Elementary schools will maintain the current ratios of about one laptop for every two students.) This technology is available to students and teachers thanks to voter support of 2016 Technology Levy.