Fall201711-2-17
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Technology by Heidi Roberts<br />
The 3-D Printers are here!<br />
Never before has God provided such a vast array<br />
of tools to be used for the advancement of<br />
His kingdom. As a school, LCCS has been immensely<br />
blessed to be able to utilize resources in such a<br />
way that we can provide our students with some of these<br />
tools, and teach them how to use them as Christians in an<br />
ever-changing technological landscape. We are committed<br />
to continuing to use prayer and discernment as we<br />
always seek to provide an environment and tools to prepare<br />
students for lifelong learning and service to Christ.<br />
Providing students with a rich learning environment,<br />
that includes reliable access to the Internet and technology<br />
tools, has been a top priority for LCCS over the last<br />
four years. Every year, we review the equipment we have<br />
and evaluate the best way to utilize the resources available<br />
to make investments that will allow for the continued<br />
commitment to this priority. Many hours of research<br />
are done to determine what will be a good fit for LCCS.<br />
Based on this research, we have made some significant investments<br />
to move toward a technology-rich environment<br />
each year for the past four years. Some of those significant<br />
investments have included:<br />
• piloting and then continuing 1:1 (one device for every<br />
one student) Chromebooks in grades 7-8<br />
• purchasing 200 laptops and beginning a bring-yourown<br />
device program (BYOD) to extend 1:1 to grades<br />
9-12<br />
• increasing the number of school-owned iPads to<br />
provide each K-3 classroom with a small set for use in<br />
learning centers<br />
• providing each grade 4-6 with a cart of Chromebooks<br />
• increase Internet bandwidth and install more powerful<br />
access points to reduce the likelihood that wireless devices<br />
would be dropped from the network and Internet<br />
connection<br />
• combined what were separate wired and wireless networks<br />
to provide one strong, robust network that provides<br />
continuity of access to materials and better network<br />
security<br />
Providing students who have an interest in computer<br />
science opportunities to learn and grow has been a priority.<br />
Last school year we began the Advanced Placement<br />
Computer Science Principles course in the high school,<br />
started a high school robotics team, and piloted a Principles<br />
of Digital Arts Production course. These courses<br />
saw expansive growth after just one school year, a clear<br />
indicator of their need for our high school students. Our<br />
focus is not just on high school. We are working to improve<br />
the integration of the engineering and design process<br />
in our junior high and elementary computer courses<br />
as well. We purchased two 3D printers, one for the secondary<br />
and one for the elementary, to provide<br />
15 The Light Fall/Winter 20<strong>17</strong>/2018<br />
a way for students to be able to turn what they design<br />
on the computer into an item they can touch and hold.<br />
Here is a glimpse of some goals for the next four years:<br />
• pilot and implement a tool that will give parents<br />
control of internet filtering of school-issued devices<br />
at home<br />
• maintain the technology at LCCS<br />
• pursue grants that will provide additional funds to<br />
maintain technology<br />
• continue to research how new technology fits goals<br />
for students at LCCS<br />
• explore courses and curriculum that can be offered<br />
to support student interest and 21st century careers<br />
• continue training for our teachers.<br />
Please check our website at www.lccs.com.<br />
Robotics go global<br />
by Crystal Maarschalk<br />
The elementary robotics teams are in full swing!<br />
We have three 8-10 member teams comprised<br />
of 4th - 6th grade students. This year is our<br />
first year having an all girls team, which is very rare<br />
in the STEM field! All three teams will work together<br />
to explore a real world problem with how humans<br />
interact with water, develop a realistic solution to that<br />
problem, and explain their solution to a panel of judges.<br />
Students will also meet with industry experts in<br />
order to solidify their solution to the problem. In addition,<br />
all three teams will create an autonomous robot<br />
and program the robot to perform tasks assigned by<br />
the First Lego League. These three teams will be competing<br />
on December <strong>17</strong> in Warren, Ohio. For more<br />
information about First Lego League, please visit firstlegoleague.org.
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