“Being able to have a lab that’s open and we have easy access to is crucial, because a lot of the computers here live in classrooms we don’t have access to. That is why having a computer lab that’s for the school community is so important. Especially in our area where you have a lot of students who don’t have Wi-Fi access at home and they’re just on the district hotspot or students have to go to Starbucks or McDonald’s to do their homework. They’re going to be able to come to the Learning Studio and not just do homework, but like, oh, let’s go design something. Let’s work through some coding and I think that’s going to be something that’s going to open the doors and kind of essentially get our kids off the streets. Because a lot of students are going home to issues…and this is going to keep them out of the house, keep them involved in something, and essentially build up their resumes and post-secondary plans.”
The quote above from Andrew, a 12th-grade student at Anaheim High School, summarizes the potential of a dedicated high-powered lab space that isn’t restricted to any specific content area or pathway. A universally accessible lab such as this empowers students to align their passions and interests with their school’s offerings. Numerous research studies have highlighted the challenges historically and systemically excluded (HSE) youth face in accessing high-value occupations, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Despite the growing demand for STEM jobs, pathways from schools to careers in these fields often lack effectiveness, especially for HSE students.
The Reinvent the Classroom initiative, a collaboration between Digital Promise, HP, Microsoft, and Intel, aims to address this pathway challenge by integrating high-powered and effective technology into education. The initiative focuses on the idea that for students to meaningfully find their way to and through career and technical education (CTE) pathways, they must have the opportunity to find synergies among their interests, talents, and skills, and gain access to the required high-powered technologies that fuel powerful learning experiences. During the 2023-2024 school year, the Digital Promise Reinvent the Classroom team launched a HP Learning Studio at Anaheim High School in Anaheim, California. Our new white paper explores the ways in which the HP Learning Studio serves the unique needs of Anaheim High School and the surrounding community by providing access to high powered technology for students who may be lacking sustained and meaningful experiences of powerful learning.
Our white paper provides a framework for how to think about moving educators and students toward the goal of expanded awareness, interest, and engagement in CTE pathways by examining examples from Anaheim High School. While schools often have dedicated facilities and technologies for their CTE programs, these tools and spaces are rarely accessible to the entire student body. These limitations inhibit the ability of students to use versatile, higher-powered equipment for core coursework and exploration of their passions, creating potential missed opportunities for students to discover their talents and prospective college and career pathways. The HP Learning Studio shines a light on innovative practices and technologies that are available to Anaheim High School students by opening up a space that is not tied to any one teacher’s class or club. By providing a space with access to broadcasting, graphic design, podcasting, computer science, audiovisual, and esports equipment, students who are not currently enrolled in CTE pathways can explore their interests and perhaps decide to pursue CTE coursework going forward. The studio provides all students, regardless of their enrollment in CTE coursework, with access to high-powered technology and resources, fostering authentic, challenging, and collaborative learning experiences.
Our white paper shows that by providing access to powerful learning opportunities and high powered technology, schools can empower students to pursue their passions and effectively prepare for future careers.
Want to learn more about integrating high-powered and effective technology into education? Find more resources here:
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