Alex Hartley's
E-portfolio
The experiences of a science educator in the Boston Area
Learn 2 Teach, Teach 2 Learn is a nationally recognized exemplar STEM Education program.
Learn 2 Teach is run out of the South End Technology Center @ Tent City (SETC). Each spring, we hire high school aged youth who live in Boston and reflect the demographics of the city. They spend Saturdays from April-June learning different technologies, like computer programming, physical programming, graphic design, digital design and fabrication, and energy alternatives. In the first half of the summer, they build something that solves a community problem using the technologies they learned (an interactive pitching machine, a video game about recycling, and a bookmark that keeps track of how long you've read for were among the many awesome projects completed in 2013 and a automated recycling machine, a key locator and an app that gives you a recommendation for what to wear based on the weather are some of the projects form 2014. ) . In the second half of the summer, they teach what they have learned to hundreds of elementary and middle school aged youth across Boston.
Learn 2 Teach, Teach 2 Learn
Program summary:
-Out of school STEM enrichment
-Values youth as co-teachers and leaders
-Constructionist pedagogy
I was a college mentor in this program, which means I designed and taught workshops for the youth teachers on a variety of topics including physical programming and alternative energies, mentored youth through project building, and supported youth in teaching elementary and middle school students. I also assisted with the administration of the program, helping with the scheduling and grant writing. In the spring of 2013, I spent 3-8 hours each week (April - June) preparing a Physical Programming and 4 hours teaching. During July and August, I worked from 1-7 at the Archdale Community Center hub Mondays-Thursdays. In the spring of 2014, I spent 3-8 hours each week (April - June) preparing a workshop (Alternative Energies or Computer Programming) and 4 hours teaching. During July and August, I worked from 9:30-3:30 at the South End Technology Center Mondays-Thursdays. During the summer, I mentored high school youth through building a project that integrates the technologies they learned during the summer and assisted the youth teachers with teaching elementary and middle school students at community organizations around Boston.
During the 2012-2013 school year, two groups of students from the McKinley South End Academy came to SETC twice a week to participate in a during-school version of the program. From January-June 2013, I worked about 20 hours a week planning lessons for and teaching these students.
My take-aways:
-Designing STEAM lessons (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math)
-Creating useful project-based activity plans
-Knowledge of how to do and teach physical programming and Scratch
-Organizing STEAM camps
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.
~ Buckminster Fuller
What are the pros and cons of near peer mentoring? How can you structure things to maximize the benefits and minimize the challenges?
How do you help young people develop creative confidence? Do you have to have creative confidence to help other people find theirs?
What is the role of making and maker education in schools?
How can you blend hard science (equations, theories, etc) and creative making type projects?
What have we learned from successful out of school enrichment programs that can be brought back into schools?
Summer 2013 Youth Teachers and College Mentors
Building Beetlebots for the Engineering Design Challenge, Summer 2013
Summer 2013 Project Building
McKinley South End Academy Students facilitating a race for the Lego cars the 5th graders at their school built and programmed during their lesson
One of the youth teachers building her model during the Drawbot Physical Programming activity
