Ballard Elementary School: Changing Trajectories with STEM and Science

Supporting Student Growth

Ballard Elementary School lies a few miles away from Bashaw Elementary School in Bradenton, Florida and is part of the thriving STEAM ecosystem that is Manatee School District. We caught up with Principal Rudy Keezer to get the inside story on all things happening in STEM and Science.

Keezer has been in the educational space for many years and has held a variety of positions within the district. He taught fifth grade, was a peer evaluator, and Ballard’s Assistant Principal before he became principal. He is coming up on his fourth year as the leader of the school and is passionate about providing a way forward for his students, many of whom would not have access to resources and opportunities if it weren’t for school.

All students take part in STEAM and Science courses at Ballard. With trained Woz ED STEM and Science teachers, a STEM Block in the fine arts rotation, after school and before school programs, and friendly school competitions, there are plenty of opportunities for students to get involved with STEAM and Science projects. Rudy and his teammates at Ballard are committed to providing necessary support for their students. He says,

”A child is a three legged stool and they need all three. We can be the educator, they have to be the child, and if they don’t have that traditional support, we can also act as that third leg to change the trajectory of our student’s paths forward.”

He believes that Woz ED contributes greatly to their ability to be that “third leg.” Because of its accessibility and versatility, resources that were once only available to affluent schools are now available to schools, like Ballard, that rest in less affluent areas. Teachers don’t have to spend hours gathering materials and rehearsing new lesson plans because these kits are already laid out for them. This is key when it comes to implementing new material into the existing curriculum.

A Deep Dive into STEAM and Science at Ballard

Like most Manatee Elementary schools, Ballard has a fine arts rotation where students have a series of classes in creative subjects. This is where STEM has been worked into the equation. Each week for fifty minutes students in grades K-5 have a STEM class where they use Woz ED STEM Kits and other STEM resources. This class is taught by Ms. Giannopolous who recently became a Woz ED STEM Certified Teacher. Students explore concepts in computer science, drones, animation, and more. 

The students have a science class every day. In another fifty minute class, students at all levels visit the Woz Science Room where Ms.Horne teaches them lessons from Earth Science, Physical Science, and Chemistry Pathways. Ballard is well into their advanced science curriculum as they were one of the first schools in the district to earn Woz ED Science Pathway status. Horne was previously an ESC Teacher and transitioned over to a Woz Science Teacher in recent years.

A favorite of both the students and staff at Ballard is the yearly science fair. Students complete the project in groups and perform traditional science experiments. This happens first at the school level. Winners go on to compete in the district wide science fair and then have opportunities to continue onto state-wide and national competitions.

Along with STEM and Science exposure within the instructional day, Ballard students also have the chance to participate in after-school and before school enrichment activities. 25% of Ballard students attend after-school STEAM programs where Woz ED specified teachers instruct them in drones, coding, robotics, and animation.

The school also has a before school drone program. Keezer tells me how excited students are to be part of these clubs and how they are already beginning to think about what they can do with drones and technology beyond elementary school. 

The Outcomes Are Incredible With Hands-On Learning

Keezer talks about the power of hands-on learning in combination with reading and traditional comprehension. Both are necessary for effective learning. Without the context, exploration is disjointed, but without hands-learning the retention and engagement drops. He has seen a major improvement in student engagement both with testing and with other soft-skill development. 

In terms of testing, Ballard has seen incredible improvements in reading proficiency scores since they began using Woz ED Curriculum five years ago. The scores have been steadily increasing, and, this past year, 51% of students exhibited proficiency. This proficiency level compares favorably to other schools serving a similar demographic in the state.

When we talk about engagement, nothing speaks more to this than the increase in attendance rates and a decrease in tardies, both of which Ballard has seen at their school in recent years. Students are fired up about what they are learning and they want to be there to catch every minute. Keezer attributes this partly to the before-school drone club. Since students are getting to school earlier to participate in the drone club, they are already there when classes start. Plus, for those not directly involved, the open campus nature of Ballard creates a culture of excitement. Students want to get to school and see what their peers are doing.

After COVID, many schools experienced significant drops in attendance. With the help of the Technology Student Association or TSA, Ballard has achieved almost perfect attendance, especially for students who participate in before school activities. In traditional schooling, standards testing has been the sole sign of improvement, but that’s not necessarily the best way to evaluate student growth. Keezer comments on this saying,

“Sometimes we think about the stuff that is tested as the end all be all. STEM and technology isn’t necessarily tested, but it is the future and it is incredible to see how students are conceptualizing this.”

The Future and Why Ballard Keeps on Pushing Forward

Rudy Keezer and fellow Ballard team members are gearing up for another year of innovation, exploration, and engagement. In the future, they hope to expand after-school opportunities and get more students involved. They hope to adjust scheduling and include students of all ages in these programs.

They are also seeking out opportunities to participate in more district level and state-level STEM and Science competitions. Student’s love to compete against each other, but to have competitions with those that they don’t see every day might raise the bar. Not to mention, this could assist with opportunities for scholarships and financial aid for future educational endeavors. Ballard is looking to take a deeper dive into other STEM pathways inside and outside of the instructional day. They tend to focus a lot on coding and drones, but they have resources to explore animation, robotics, and cybersecurity.

Keezer grew up in an area similar to Bradenton. He was surrounded by poverty and he didn’t have the brightest hopes for his future. He tells me he rarely thought about the consequences of his actions, whether they be positive or negative ones. He was lucky to have a few teachers that believed in him and provided him the extra support he was craving.

He tells the story of a fifth grade teacher at his elementary school that took a group of kids to McDonalds every week and how this teacher let him come into his classroom whenever he needed. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but to him, a child that lacked direction and stability, it made an impact.

That’s what he seeks to do in his position. To be that cheerleader and support system for the students at Ballard and to encourage his teachers to do the same. In a recent science competition, students at Ballard created a water tower engineering project and they took first and second place. For as long as he can remember, it was always the most affluent schools that were taking the prizes home at these competitions. They had more access to resources and opportunities to explore technology, of course this would be so, but there are ways to level the playing field. 

Steve Wozniak talks a lot about access. He wants to create an educational world that provides the same opportunities to students of all backgrounds. Keezer points out the statistics supporting the theory that  “poverty breeds poverty”, but he knows it’s possible to break this cycle and it’s up to educators to help with that. This is what he appreciates most about Woz ED. He says,

“The Woz experience really does this. It shows students that there is a path to move forward and to give back.”

Published: July 12, 2024

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