I got published!
 

Here is my article that I sent in to the AUVSI Foundation

http://www.auvsifoundation.org/FOUND...denHighSchool/

written by Faridodin "Fredi" Lajvardi, teacher and mentor at Carl Hayden High School

For over twenty years I have worked at Carl Hayden High School, a school whose demographic profile, according to conventional thinking, does not translate into high student achievement. While it was never my intention to build my career in a high needs, low socioeconomic community, I have stayed in large part because of the gratification that comes from seeing conventional expectation tossed on its head. I am an idealist who believes in education's potential to change lives.

When I first started working at Carl Hayden I was struck by the defeatist attitude of too many of the students. I was confronted with a pervasive tone of indifference and complacence. Coming from a family of physicians, I did not immediately identify with the predominately Hispanic working class immigrant population, where attending school is a compulsory part of life's routine rather than an avenue to fulfill higher aspirations. Missing school to tend to sick siblings so that parents would not miss work is commonplace, and most parents have no concept of college as a goal for their children. While putting food on the table and paying the bills is nothing to be demeaned, the inevitability of living on the brink of poverty must be challenged. I realized early on that this cannot be achieved within the fifty minute time slots that structure the school day.

In order to challenge our students' preconceptions about their future it is not enough to tell them about opportunities available beyond their immediate environment. They must experience it. Otherwise, for our kids, it remains unreal. Our Science and Technology Club is the vehicle that brings them into the larger world. Students compete in a variety of events, like the AUVSI Foundation's Robosub Competition, that require intellectual perseverance, creativity, and cooperation. Whether they win or lose, our students learn that they are capable competitors in the big arena.

While critics note that these activities occur outside the classroom under the “extra- curricular” designation, I maintain that this distinction does not diminish its educational punch. Increased self confidence from extracurricular STEM generalizes to the classroom, and engaging in real world challenges brings relevance and meaning to the content learned.

Extracurricular STEM can happen at any time at any school anywhere across the country. All it takes is for a teacher to step up and begin. So what prevents more after school STEM programs from forming? When I began my teaching career I was also an athletic coach and was paid for my time and efforts after school. When my focus shifted to the Science and Technology Club I lost that compensation. It speaks volumes about the priorities of our society when an athletic coach is financially compensated and a robotics “coach” is not. Until this changes we will not see sufficient numbers of teachers willing to extend themselves to the degree that is necessary to create strong after school STEM programs.

Another obstacle is an unfortunate mindset that leaves many teachers filled with apprehension. Teachers have told me they are not prepared to start a program because their knowledge base is too limited. The irony is that not knowing is actually an advantage because students, alongside teachers and mentors, participate first hand in the process of research, testing, and learning from mistakes. Students see adults acknowledge that they don't have the answer and then pursue a solution, working towards completion of a project that is meaningful and exciting. We are not dispensing knowledge so much as we are demonstrating the process of discovery. It is the emphasis on process that has made Falcon Robotics successful.

While administrators and academics debate the next effort at educational reform, extracurricular work with students allows us to side step these politicized issues as we take advantage of a degree of freedom not permitted in the structured class setting. I believe participation in after school STEM improves academic skills regardless of the philosophy or methodology used in the classroom. The opportunity to participate should be readily available, especially for those who do not have educated role models in their lives. But our system of education is not designed this way. It assumes a uniformity of needs among students, and in the end falls short of what is necessary for those in struggling communities to succeed.

So why do I do what I do? Like anyone, I enjoy seeing that my efforts result in success. And I have found that my teaching is enhanced beyond measure by STEM after school activities. My students have learned that you don't back away from a challenge because it appears daunting. Easier is not necessarily better. As a result, our students are resilient and passionate. Despite the 50 % drop out rate among engineering students at Arizona State University, so far none of our Falcon Robotics alumni have dropped out. It's not because they have the highest standardized test scores. It's because they are committed problem solvers who will no longer settle for just getting by in life. They are the kind of people that you want by your side when the chips are down and you find yourself stranded on that deserted island.

Re: I got published!
 

Hey Fredi,

There is just so much awesomeness in that article, thanks for sharing.

I particularly like this statement. I have noticed this characteristic of many FIRST students I have worked with.

You represent an elite slice of society, a FIRST mentor. A person who has direct influence over the future of our world. The challenges are great, but so are the rewards. Keep on inspiring.

Re: I got published!
 

Great article, Fredi.

I've distributed the link to mentors and friends of Team 980 as a reminder of why we do what we do.

As a group, we've all got work to do to change the culture. The fact that athletic coaches are compensated for their after-school hours, while teachers coaching a robotics team aren't is an enigma within our educational system.

With the "i.am.FIRST" airing, comes the prospect of much broader public visibility of the FIRST program. We should be prepared to use this opportunity to get the "powers that be" to recognize the value of the program to students. It's time to get much more than passive endorsement of teachers' involvement with teams. Stipends are certainly in order.

Thanks for your inspiration to all of us!

Re: I got published!
 

Congrants. A great article.

Many students go into engineering without knowing what to expect. The FIRST experience makes a huge difference with these students.

Re: I got published!
 

That pretty much sums up why I do it. No, not getting published, but the bit about the kids.
Nice, Fredi. Very nice.

Re: I got published!
 

Fredi,
Great article and as always, you are someone to look up to. Congrats.

Re: I got published!
 

Fredi,

Great article. Many teams, I suspect, across the FIRST community experience the same results. Many teams, I also suspect, need to have their Admins read this. Mine is one and it will be passed on to Rosie's new Superintendant.

Thank you for putting together the words I have been struggling with for months.

Re: I got published!
 

Glad you all liked it!
Just as a disclaimer, the school district pays 3/4 of coaches stipend now. it took seven years to get to this point. Hope to equal a coach some day...
The article was written for a different group than First, it was for AUVSI
I get paid 300 a month, I joke that I get to go to work for free...

Re: I got published!
 

Congratulations Fredi,

I think your quote bellow speaks of a wider issue of culture not only about STEM, but about education in general.

When I began my teaching career I was also an athletic coach and was paid for my time and efforts after school. When my focus shifted to the Science and Technology Club I lost that compensation. It speaks volumes about the priorities of our society when an athletic coach is financially compensated and a robotics “coach” is not."

A good movie I watched recently that really got me thinking was, American Teacher : http://www.theteachersalaryproject.org/index.php

I don't think it is any national secret that teachers are not paid well, and that many need to take a second job just to make ends meet. That many times a lot things needed for the classroom come from their own pocket. I think the list of issue can go on.......

But I feel we do have hope, specially thru teachers like you who step up to the plate, and won't give up. For that I say Thank You.

We are still in the planning stages, but a group of citizens in Missouri is trying to identify school districts along historical highway 66 with a STEM after-school program going from the Arch to Joplin, MO capable of improving a robot no more than 30 minutes away from each other and have them exchange robots so each team can improve on the robot as it travels west or east, hopefully one day other states like NM, OK and KS will jump on this idea and a robot will be going across your state !!!!. The idea is that when likeminded folks get together they will be able to impact change.

Cheers,
Marcos. :)