QUARTZ HILL – Two recently graduated students from Joe Walker Middle School joined instructor Matthew Anderson to educate California teachers on 3D printing and vex robotics at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Anderson, a Joe Walker Middle School teacher, educates teachers from around the state each year on the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Gateway education program. This year Anderson invited students from his Vex Jet Robotics team to help.
“As an educator I want to provide my students with endless opportunities,”Anderson said. “It’s a wonderful experience seeing our future leaders educate teachers on today’s cutting-edge PLTW programs.”
Students Noah Okada and Devon Woolston volunteered their time to educate teachers on programming robots, Vex robotics competitions and 3D printing. Okada and Woolston had the opportunity to educate 96 teachers over the course of four weeks.
“Matt [Anderson] is constantly implementing new ideas to expose Westside students with hands-on experience that will prepare them for the real world,” said Westside Union School District Superintendent Regina Rossall. “These opportunities empower students to reach their full potential.”
Anderson, who is a PLTW Core Training Instructor and also this year’s PLTW Gateway teacher of the year, is currently working with Cal Poly Pomona to allow Westside Union School District students to assist instructors each year at its PLTW core training.
Project Lead The Way is the nation’s leader in K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs. Cal Poly Pomona is the host of a core training PLTW program each summer. The intensive program provides teachers an overview of the PLTW courses to be taught to elementary, middle and high school students.
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