LEGO League Regional Qualifier

24 LEGO League teams from around central Iowa met at the Science Center of Iowa in one of nine regional qualifiers across the state. "LEGO My Eggo'" performed admirably. In our rookie season we managed to outscore five other teams and finish in the middle of the pack. Overall our second round score was our best.

 Students were required to design, build, and program a LEGO Mindstorms NXT robot to perform specific tasks for this year's challenge. In addition, teams had to research and present an original solution on this year's challenge, Food Factor. Students learned about food security, pasteurization, and local food sources. The challenge changes each year, shining light on a pressing global issue.

One thing I am proud of as the team's coach is that our highest non-robot game score came from the Core Values session. The Core Values session is when the judges see how well students worked together as a team over the course of roughly four months. Colfax-Mingo shined in this category. This was a testament to students hard work and dedication throughout this fall.


I am already planning for next year's season. Spring semester there will be a robotics club at the middle school were students can learn the ins and outs of the competition. Who knows what next year's challenge will bring?

ISU Trip

                     On Thursday, October 20th, we went to Iowa State University's campus for women in science and engineering. We went there for five sessions to teach us about careers in science and engineering. One of the sessions was called "Choosing Pharmacy as a Career" it was very fun, Mr.S.T. even broke out in dance! Another one was called "A 4D View of Textiles" the woman used to work at Disney World, and even designed diapers!

                    The lunch was very good we had spaghetti and other pasta a cookie, breadsticks, and pop. the last session that we had was called "Thunderstorms,Hurricanes and More: Choosing Meteorology as a Career" there was a tornado machine and we did an experiment. We also watched videos about alot of different weather catastrophes.

                  Thanks,
                             Reagan and Alexis:]




. 

AP Coursework Coffee

Advanced Placement (AP) coursework is a great opportunity for high-ability students. Unfortunately, the Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) through the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa is the only option for Colfax-Mingo High School students. IOAPA is subject to the volatile state legislature appropriations game each year.

It was in a AP US History class that my personal passion for American History was ignited. I went on to be a history major in college and graduate with honors. AP coursework sets students up for success in college. Regardless of one's AP exam score (1-5) or whether or not a student receives advanced standing, a strong grade in an a AP course has been proven to lead to higher rates of degree completion and higher average college GPAs. Taught at the undergraduate level AP courses teach students persistence and how to work through academic frustration. Unfortunately too many high-potential students have made it through high school without learning the necessary study skills that will aid them in college.

On-site AP coursework presents our high school with an opportunity for quality, rigorous, and meaningful academic work for all students who are up to the challenge. If you are interested in learning more about Advanced Placement coursework and its benefits for Colfax-Mingo High School and our district please join me on Wednesday, October 19th from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the high school media center. Refreshments will be provided.

Our special guests will be Maureen Marron and Clar Baldus both administrators from the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa. There will be time for a question and answer session as well.

Any questions can be directed towards me: zanest@mail.colfax-mingo.k12.ia.us | 515-674-4111

Robots Everywhere!

The middle school FIRST LEGO League team and the high school FIRST Tech Challenge team are both in full swing. Both teams are hard at work preparing for challenges in December and January. The middle school team is researching way to reduce food spoiling or contamination. Today at practice a student came up with using geothermal refrigerators. The programming experts for FIRST Tech Challenge have shown amazing persistence and are quickly learning programming skills with software used by real engineers.

Colfax-Mingo is able to participate in both of these robotics competitions thanks to a grant from Rockwell Collins, who is a national sponsor for both contests and sponsors rookie Iowa teams. Both of these contests take the math and science content students learn in the classroom and have them apply it to real world challenges. So far, students have used algebra, geometry, biology, physical science, as well as 21st century skills.

I truly enjoy watching the enthusiasm and commitment each team member brings with them to practice. It has been a joy so far to see the light bulb go off for students and them to become excited about their often excellent ideas. Who knew this would be the year of robots?

Note: This Saturday's (10/1) LEGO League practice is canceled due to an FTC conflict.

First Lego League Practice

Once again, First Lego League will practice from 1:30 p.m. till 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 10 at the middle school.

If students are late because of the Iowa/ISU game that is fine.

If you have not already checked out this year's challenge, you can find it at:
http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2011foodfactor

First Lego League Practice

Due to fall sports seasons and transportation our first FLL practice outside of RAPP will be held on Saturday, September 4th from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the middle school. If a student is unable to attend the entire practice, I am asking him/her to come for what he/she can. If you have a conflict due to the holiday weekend please let me know.

Parents/Guardians are welcome to attend as well.

Things to Remember:

• Snack for Saturday.
• Food Factor challenge is released this Friday at 12 p.m. ET!

A New Year...

A new school year is almost upon us. I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable summer! I cannot speak for students, but I know I am excited and anxious to be back in the classroom. This year, while the core of secondary ELP will not change, there will be many new and exciting contests, enrichment activities, and opportunities for students to take advantage of. Many of these will be integrated into the regular classroom, reducing pullout time. I hope this new blog will be one new avenue to keep students and families updated.

As we approach the beginning of another school year, I cannot help but be thankful for the amazing students and supportive parents I have the opportunity to interact with each year. I am looking forward to deepening the connections that I made last year. Please keep in contact with me as the year progresses.

See you next week!
Mr. ST

APTTI

July 11-15, I attended the Advanced Placement Teacher Training Institute (APTTI) at the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. As a trained social studies educator and gifted specialist, I learned techniques and strategies to use in an AP US History classroom. My attendance was covered by a $550 grant from the Belin-Blank Center specifically for schools trying to start an "on-site," AP program or expand a small, existing one. It was a wonderful opportunity to network with other educators and share some of the difficulties rural schools face in implementing AP courses.

A brief history: The Advanced Placement (AP) program begun in the mid-1950s during the "space race," to expose America's top students to college level math and science concepts. The College Board (SAT exam), a non-profit, has run the program since 1955. Like dual-credit courses, students can earn college credit through a qualifying score on an exam in the spring. Unlike community college courses, however, AP courses are meant to be taught at the same level as an undergraduate survey course at a 4 year post-secondary institution. Since the 1950s, AP has ballooned into over 20 different courses, with just over 850,000 high school seniors taking an AP exam in 2010. It is the College Board's belief that any student planning (or seriously thinking about) attending college, should be exposed to at least one AP level course. 

Currently, Colfax-Mingo students are able to take AP courses through the Iowa Online AP Academy at the Belin-Blank Center. While this is a fantastic opportunity and extends AP's reach into every corner of Iowa, the Iowa Online AP Academy's funding is tied to the state education appropriation each year. At present, the Colfax-Mingo Extended Learning Program covers the cost of the spring AP exam, $87. Next year, two students will take advantage of this opportunity. For comparison, Newton Senior High School, offers five AP courses on-site.  

There is no one AP curriculum. AP classrooms across the country look wildly different, but all have two things in common: a college-level curriculum and high expectations. The Iowa Online AP Academy is a year-long course commitment, if you have questions regarding IOAPA enrollment for 2012-2013 feel free to contact me at the high school.

More information on the AP program can be found here:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html

What I'm Reading This Summer

Having spent a large portion of my childhood in libraries, one of my favorite things to do during the summertime is catch up on my reading. I've been a big fan of travelogues since I was a kid, such as Bill Bryson. This summer is a strong mix of recent fiction, classic travel stories, and some educational texts. Here's a sample of what I'm reading this summer:

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin

Developing Math Talent by Susan Assouline & Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik

The New RtI: Response to Intelligence by Penny Choice and Sally Walker

I still have not jumped on the e-reader bandwagon (my home can attest to this) but if anyone wants to try to sway me, feel free. What are you reading this summer?