Computer Science Office Newsletter

In an inspiring collaboration between education and entrepreneurship, Nivaro, a company founded by several Loudoun County Public School students, will be teaching students using a curriculum they created. Established with a vision of "Incubating teen innovators in technology, one project at a time," Nivaro is bringing their expertise to Mrs. Amber Lloyd’s CS Foundations classroom at J. Lupton Simpson Middle School. Her students will have the unique opportunity to delve into the world of Artificial Intelligence using a curriculum crafted by the Nivaro team to build products, including apps. This partnership bridges the gap between industry and education and empowers the young minds in LCPS to explore cutting-edge technology and innovation.

Recently, the collaboration took a tangible step forward as two members of the Nivaro team visited the Computer Science Foundations students at the AWS Think Big Space. In this engaging session, the Nivaro representatives provided an insightful overview of the upcoming project, setting the stage for a journey into the realm of Artificial Intelligence. The exchange not only enriched the students' understanding of technology but also exemplified how initiatives like Nivaro are actively fostering a culture of collaboration, mentorship, and hands-on learning within the local educational landscape.

We are indebted to the principal of the Academies of Loudoun, Dr. Tinell Priddy, for being the catalyst for this project taking place. Her strong engagement and rapport with her students made the strategic implementation of this project occur with ease and excellent communication with all stakeholders.

LEGO Spike Prime Essential is an educational robotics platform designed for elementary school students, featuring a programmable hub, sensors, and motors. Its Scratch-based programming environment, the LEGO Education SPIKE app, makes it user-friendly for beginners while still offering powerful capabilities.

The application also includes a curriculum with lesson plans, fostering hands-on learning in STEM subjects such as engineering and programming. Students work collaboratively, building and programming various designs with real-world applications. Competitions and challenges further engage students, making STEM education interactive and enjoyable. For the latest details, check out the official LEGO Education website.

During December, students across Loudoun County participated in various activities connected to Computer Science and Computational Thinking. Programs such as Minecraft Education, Google CS First, and iRobot Education were used throughout the K-8 classrooms to give students time to learn more about coding, robotics and artificial intelligence. Students also had the opportunity to video chat with experts in the field of Computer Science who worked for companies such as LEGO Education and Amazon Web Services. We held our very first CS Innovation Night at the AWS Think Big Space. Families were able to come to the space and try various tools and programs, speak to local experts in the CS field, and learn more about artificial intelligence. We are truly thankful for everyone who made Computer Science Month a great success. We look forward to seeing how students continue using the knowledge they gained during CS Month throughout the school year.

Lesson Overview

During their math lesson, students utilized the Blue Bot to reinforce concepts connected to number sense. Students worked collaboratively to program their Blue Bots with various algorithms to reach numbers that matched amounts on task cards.

Teacher Quote

"Computer Science fosters student engagement in all academic areas. This Blue Bot activity helped the students follow directions, identify and carry out their role in the group, take turns, and identify numbers."

-Staci Rihs

Lesson Overview

Students utilized their coding skills to program the iRobot Root to navigate a map while explaining the significance of specific geographical features in five continents: Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. For each continent, students read questions and then programmed their iRobot Root to the correct location on the map while providing explanations for the importance of the chosen geographical feature. This interactive approach integrated social science and computer science skills, encouraging students to understand the physical and cultural significance of key landmarks on a global scale.

Teacher Quote

"Integration is the BEST! It embraces diverse learning styles, fostering collaboration among students.”

-Kayla Flanagan

"At the Association of Middle Level Education Annual Conference this past November, the Belmont Ridge Middle School Leadership Team, in collaboration with our dedicated Instructional Facilitators Sharon Brandon and Sheila Steen, inspired others to elevate the rigor of their middle school lesson by the integration of Computational Thinking. This presenting team unveiled innovative strategies that empowered educators to cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving skills in every student's educational journey.”

-Katie Johnson: Principal of Belmont Ridge Middle School

"It was an honor being invited to showcase the merits of Computational Thinking with the Belmont Ridge Middle School team at the November AMLE conference. Belmont Ridge teachers have successfully used these strategies to increase student metacognition and deepen learning across all subject areas. Approaching all kinds of problems with Computational Thinking strategies, such as having to write an essay or determining what factors led to a certain event in history, gives students tools that raise their thinking to a higher level, opens up doors of creativity, and allow for more connections to be made!"

-Sharon Brandon: Instructional Facilitator of Computer Science

In honor of Computer Science Education Month, LCPS had 150 high school Computer Science students from 13 different high schools attend 30 different elementary schools. This was a joint effort between the Computer Science Office and the high school's Computer Science leads led by Kathryn Cossa. The initiative aimed to foster a supportive environment for coding education in elementary classrooms, demonstrating the commitment of both high school students and educators to promote Computer Science skills at an early age. Throughout the morning, high school students led lessons with a Blue Bot with our kindergarten and first-grade classes. With the older students, they led a lesson in Google CS First Scratch, where they animated the letters of their name using various coding blocks. This collaborative effort enhanced the coding experience for elementary students while providing valuable leadership and mentoring opportunities for the high school volunteers.

Teacher Quote

"I like the consideration it took from the high school students to try to understand the particular needs of a kindergarten student in order to explain to them what the application does and what they could do with it."

- Jose A Cavalier: DLI Teacher at Sanders Corner Elementary

Student Quote

"I still remember my very first Hour of Code: I was in third grade and learning how to make snowmen dance using Scratch coding! It’s crazy to think about how that one moment played a huge part in my decision to major in Computer Science. It was a spark that snowballed into a passion, and I hope I helped instill that spark into the amazing kids I worked with!"

- Sankya Ganesh: Independence High School Student

Elevate Loudoun, a single-day Student Conference tailored for LCPS high school students, was held on January 22, 2024, at Loudoun Valley High School. The continuous goal of this yearly event is to facilitate connections between LCPS high school students and leaders in STEM and Computer Science industries from Loudoun County and Northern Virginia. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with industry partners, discuss internships, experiential learning options, and job openings, and hone career-related skills such as resume review. 221 LCPS students registered for the event and 24 businesses participated.

Email: csforlcps@lcps.org
Website: https://www.lcps.org/Page/235030
Location: J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, Evergreen Mills Rd, Leesburg, VA, USA
Phone: 571-252-2854
Twitter: @csforlcps