"There is a Chinese curse which says "May he live in interesting times." Like it or not, we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also the most creative of any time in the history of mankind. And everyone here will ultimately be judged - will ultimately judge himself – on the effort he has contributed to building a new world society and the extent to which his ideals and goals have shaped that effort."
- John F. Kennedy, 1966
Once again, we find ourselves in interesting times. Before I look ahead, however, I'd like to take a look back.
It's hard to believe that we're approaching the one year mark of this journey Apple and Lamar University have taken my colleagues and I on. While the waters have been a bit murky from time to time, I've found that the adversity ultimately brought out the best in our team over at Elsik. After our brief introduction into the program last June, we were suddenly thrust into planning our own coding camp, with nothing but a basic outline of what it might look like. Fortunately, we were all diligently able to collaborate and put together a great camp, with a sizable attendance and positive feedback.
Next came the innovation plan. For months, my colleague Duane Daigrepont and I collaborated on a plan that would help spread awareness and detailed information about our program across various parts of the district, with plans to bring information to administration, counseling and faculty. While we continue to refine our plan and begin a phased implementation, we feel optimistic that it'll communicate relevant information to people involved on all levels.
Lastly, there's the future. While I did not teach a coding class this year, and although I am scheduled to teach one next year, the current state of worldwide affairs has changed everything. Honestly, I wish I could say I feel completely optimistic about what lies ahead. While material and equipment aren't necessarily an issue, I do find myself struggling to find a pacing calendar and exemplars of what a full year of coding should look like. Also, I do hope that some coding-related training will soon be offered for program participants; many are starting with zero coding experience and feel understandably uneasy about what's next.
To further cloud things, there's the ongoing public health emergency we find ourselves in. If social distancing is to remain in place for some time, our district will need to find a way to make accommodations for students with no internet access at home. Still, Alief ISD does go above & beyond for its students, and being part of the Alief family does offer a silver lining of sorts. Regardless of whether the instruction will take place in the classroom, or if pacing calendars exist, or whether or not we'll ever fully feel ready to teach the course with the resources we've been given, this wonderful Alief family I find myself part of will keep the main thing the main thing: students.
I don't know where we're going, but I'm on the road to find out.