Introducing the
WCSD Computer Science Bus
(proposal)
Creating the Ultimate Mobile Classroom
Not every school is able to offer the same STEM or computer science classes for their students. In our mission to create computer science opportunities for all grade levels and across all schools, we are proposing a mobile classroom capable of reaching each and every student. Our mobile classroom would offer condensed versions of the CS opportunities we offer across the district and assist schools with intergrating CS foundations into their established classroom curriculum.
It Saves Money
The mobile classroom can provide the ultimate team of paraprofessionals to schools who don't have the staffing to provide computer science experiences themselves. This team could cover the need for roaming paraprofessionals teaching CS across the district.
Local Support
This is an opportunity to showcase CS activities and extracurricular opportunities available for students in Washington County. The bus could also promote local tech and computer science companies as a 'job fair' for high school students interested in local job opportunities.
We aren't the first to have this idea. Below are examples of school districts and other organizations who have turned their busses into portable facilities that fit the needs of their community.
Fayette County Public Schools CS Bus link
In 2017, FCPS had a crazy idea to turn an old school bus into a mobile classroom. While they were not the first to think if it, their approach was innovative and unique. The FCPS STEM Bus, designed and fabricated by Nomi Design, a group of educational architects and fabrication specialists, is a mobile, trans-formative space which also functions as a learning tool."
Mobile Academic Classroom, Poudre School District link
"This classroom on wheels packs a lot of punch in a small space and both financial and in-kind donations brought the unique learning experience to life. The project’s program was to design a mobile classroom to support elementary students during the summer months, enabling continued continue learning and preventing loss of knowledge, known by teachers as the summer slide."
5 Keys Charter School, San Francisco link
"Thousands of high school dropouts in San Francisco would like to return to the classroom, but for many, the short distance from home to an adult school might as well be a hundred miles given turf wars, gang ties or other safety concerns. That’s the challenge described by local education leaders who, starting next month, will bring a classroom to those potential students in the unusual form of a revamped Muni bus stocked with computers, Internet access, and a teacher."
Mobile Innovation Lab, Baltimore County Public Schools link
"On Dec. 1, Baltimore County Public Schools unveiled what it calls its Mobile Innovation Lab, a mobile classroom and “makerspace” built on a school bus. The lab gives students the opportunity to learn about coding, programming, robotics, and circuitry in a hands-on environment. The lab features six computer stations and indoor and outdoor presentation screens and audio. Equipment on board includes 3D printers; a vinyl cutter; a computer numerical control (CNC) router for cutting hard materials such as wood, steel, and plastics; mini-drones; Legos; a flat-screen television; and robotics and electrical components. The back of the lab also has space for two 6-foot “L”-shaped activity tables. Work carts can be used inside the lab, outside under its retractable awning, or taken into school buildings.
The lab will rotate among elementary schools throughout the district, staying at each one for a weeklong residency. The lab also will be available on request for school and community events. Maker learning, which stems from the maker movement, is a new initiative designed to inspire students to explore, develop, create, and build using real industry tools"