Norwalk middle schoolers ‘work toward a brighter future’
West Rocks, Nathan Hale, and Ponus Ridge students use artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality in new labs
NORWALK — Three Norwalk middle schools now include labs for students to use the latest technology — virtual reality, 3D printers, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and more — as a part of their educational journeys.
West Rocks, Nathan Hale, and Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy each have a Verizon Innovative Learning Lab that will be incorporated into classes and courses on a rolling basis. A select group of students have already been trained in the equipment.
“It’ll change everything incredibly,” said Alexander Amann, an eighth-grade student with early access to the lab. “To be able to actually experience events instead of just hearing about them and just having a more hands-on approach to learning will really help some kids, especially the kids who might struggle a bit, really grasp the subjects and learn any subject.”
West Rocks hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday to officially open all three labs, which the principal of each school attended. Also in attendance were state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, state Rep. Dominique Johnson, D-Norwalk, and Norwalk Superintendent Alexandra Estrella, who spoke about the impact these labs will have on the students’ futures as they prepare to enter the changing world.
Adam Reynolds, the principal of West Rocks, said the technology can be used in partnership with traditional lessons.
“The idea is for students not only to be exposed and experience the technologies of the future, but really apply what they’re doing in our curriculum, in their classroom in a different way,” he said.
For example, Reynolds explained that if a student has a unit in social studies about Rome, after the traditional paper or research, then the class could go to the Learning Lab to experience Rome in virtual reality and create something new with artificial intelligence.
“We’re really taking the traditional experience of learning and, as our curriculum is growing, applying it and allowing our students to really create using their
21st century skills,” he said.
Preparing for jobs that ‘haven’t even been discovered’
These skills will propel students ahead for their careers, said Damon Lewis, the principal of Ponus.
“The jobs that the students are going to do haven’t even been discovered yet,” Lewis said. “The careers that (the students) are going to engage in and work upon are going to be found in those labs.”
Eric Jackson, principal of Nathan Hale, looked toward education changing and the importance of positioning Norwalk students on the forefront of emerging and innovative technologies “that will prepare them to be future ready.”
“Giving our students a head start with learning through technological interaction is paramount to their future success,” he said. “Imagine students have the ability to go to a foreign country, explore outer space, create physical items from their imagination, all while learning how to market and sell those items ethically. This is a powerful way to harness technology for formal learning and to work toward a brighter future.”
Verizon Innovative Learning, the company’s education initiative, partners with nonprofits for the program. Heart of America is responsible for the lab’s creation, and Arizona State University will train the teachers in how to use the technology with students.
Norwalk received multi-million dollar grants from the program after working with Verizon previously for connectivity and devices for students who did not have them. Estrella said that she had partnered with Verizon at her previous district and continued the relationship in Norwalk. When the district applied for the innovation labs, they did not expect for all three to be approved.
“We have a very strong team that put forward a very good application,” she said. “And I think Verizon saw that. They saw that we were great partners from our initial relationship with the hardware and broadband connectivity partnership, and I think all of those pieces allowed them to see that we were a good fit for them to make an investment beyond just one lab.”
As part of the grant, Verizon offers a stipend to a lab mentor, who will be hired to facilitate classes and train teachers, Reynolds said. Each lab will run a bit differently, but a couple classes will start using the technology immediately with a goal of all students in the Learning Lab in the spring.