We caught up with Durant Independent School District Curriculum Director, Beth Bean, and STEM Coordinator Tonya Burgess this past week to find out the latest on the district’s STEM program which features all ten Woz ED Pathways. The 2024/2025 school year is the first year that they have fully implemented these pathways and the progress they have made is inspiring. 

They began their deep dive into STEM on the tail end of COVID 19. Many schools across the nation received federal funding during this time to go towards purchasing buses and other resources. Bean, Burgess, and other Durant administrators were considering what they would put this money towards. 

While laying awake one night, as Bean puts it, “worrying about the state of the world and education”, she performed a google search where she came across a STEM Bus that was created by a school in Alabama with the help of Woz ED partner, PowerUP EDU. She reached out to the wonderful Maggie Phillips and thus began the creation of Durant’s very own STEM Bus in 2021. 

Phillips, having had much experience with STEM implementation, suggested that the district purchase Woz ED STEM Kits for students to experiment with on the bus. Once Durant teachers and students got their hands on these kits, there was only one thing to do: expand the STEM program and purchase all ten Woz ED STEM Pathways. 

A True “AHA” Moment

Bean describes the moment she first opened a Woz ED STEM Kit box with the sound effect “ahhhh” and opens her hands with an awe filled look like in a Disney film where the heavens open to shine upon a golden treasure. She says, “When you open a Woz ED box, what you get is magic.” 

This feeling is present with each new day of learning at every school within Durant Independent School District. To see the students interacting with this material and truly engaging with it is a testament to how powerful hands-on learning is. This is especially true when teachers witness their neurodivergent or special needs students making connections and thriving in the classroom. 

Bean adds,

“If you have a bad day, and you go into a class of kindergartners who are using robots or whatever it is, that joy is so evident. Whenever you have students that are truly learning, you can see that they are engaged.”

The Day to Day

Durant is a mid-sized, rural school district in a growing town, Durant, which rests just an hour and a half outside of Dallas, TX on the far eastern side of Oklahoma. There are 3,200 students total. The district has one early childhood education center, three elementary schools, one intermediate school for fifth and sixth graders, one middle school, and one high school. 

Pre-K level Woz Kits  stay in an early childhood center where young students can tinker with them during exploration periods, facilitated by their teachers. The Level 1 kits are utilized in a rotating pattern and taught by dedicated STEM teachers; Mrs. Bennett, Ms. Boes, and Mrs. Hilburn, in all three district elementary schools.

Level 2 and Level 3 Kits are part of a STEM elective class taught by intermediate school STEM teacher, Mrs. Raile. Bean shares that fifth and sixth graders just completed the animation pathway and it is one of her favorite pathways to see kids interact with as they are always smiling and collaborating. 

Level 4 STEM Pathways are implemented in unique ways at Durant Middle School and High School. Here, they have electives like Aviation, that are taught by designated science and technology teachers. Teachers outside of science and technology also utilize kits within their classrooms as they find that there is relevant material across the board. This is true for each school within the district, all teachers are allowed and encouraged to attend Woz ED STEM Kit training so that they, too, can weave it into their lesson plans. 

The Outcomes Are Felt And Seen

There is not only a buzzing excitement amongst the kids since beginning to implement Woz ED STEM programming in Durant Independent School District, but also the teachers. Teachers in the district are enthralled by the accessibility and efficiency of the kits. They are easy to follow, fun to use, and keep students engaged with the material. 

Many teachers have discovered a new passion in STEM and some have uncovered new skillsets that they hadn’t thought possible for themselves. When the Drone Pathway comes along, it’s hard to tell who is more excited to fly them; the teachers or the students. 

Beth comments on how STEM Education has opened a door to the development of soft skills like collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity amongst Durant ISD students. The introduction of STEM learning has allowed many students an opportunity to picture themselves in professional science and technology roles later in life. Mrs. Raile has begun a segment of her class where she has community members come into her classroom to talk about their profession as they relate to STEM Pathways. A few weeks ago, a group of cyber security technicians employed by a local bank came in and, more recently, Raile brought in a relative who works as an animator at Disney. 

To be able to visualize themselves in a highly skilled and relevant role is an important first step in a student’s actualization process. When children have “role models” it is far more likely to see them reach their full potential and chase big dreams. 

Changing The World Through Future Generations

Beth Bean says it best,

“I’ve wanted to be in education since I was a little teeny tiny girl and it all goes back to those teachers who made an impact on me. Really, what I want to do is give back to those kids who are going to be our future. We have those kids at the forefront of our minds from the moment we wake up. At the end of the day, it’s the carrying on of that legacy that was given to us. When you want to make any changes in the world, you have to start with that next generation and give them the best opportunities to be successful.” 

Our student bodies, now, will determine how the world moves forward. It is critical for students to feel excited and empowered through their educational experiences. It is within school that the seeds of adaptability, kindness, communication, teamwork, creativity, and empathy take root. Burgess, Bean, and the entire Durant Independent School District Team work, always, with this in mind.