Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] - Dublin [TX] Middle and Intermediate Schools Mentorship Workshops
[April 11/12, 2012]

Nineteen eighth grade students from Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] traveled to Dublin Middle and Intermediate Schools [Dublin, TX] to mentor fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students in the use of graphics software to create digital art.

The RYSS students learned how to use the software from Tom R. Chambers, Technology Applications teacher. They used the software during the second semester of this school year to make digital art for a project based on Space weather and the NASA MMS [Magnetospheric Multiscale] 2014 Mission:

DA_NASA_MMS_RYSS

Chambers takes student engagement and empowerment so seriously that most of what is learned and produced transcends the classroom and school system to have community and international impact. As a result, his students are motivated to do more, and in this case, they became mentors for students at another school district [middle and primary].

This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning and project application to make digital art for the same project based on Space weather and the NASA MMS [Magnetospheric Multiscale] 2014 Mission. The RYSS eighth grade students succeeded in not only keeping the attention of the Dublin students, but also making them comfortable with the software and producing gratifying results. The groups of students were so engaged throughout the two days [middle school - day one; primary school - day two] that the teachers present during the process seemed secondary. The RYSS students had successfully gained a skill, and were empowered to convey what they knew to others.

This mentorship project between RYSS and Dublin [TX] Middle and Intermediate Schools is the sixth and seventh student workshops.

Middle school workshop

Intermediate school workshop

Note: click on thumbnails to view larger images.


Message from Jennifer Miller, Instructional Technologist at Dublin Independent School District:

"I am so proud of your students, and our Dublin ISD students. As soon as you left, I went to the junior high, and I found all of the students completing and finishing their digital art. Many said that they stayed up late last night inspired. Thank you. I will be sending you examples next week. Your students were so professional, and they are excellent teachers. They are fantastic!"

Message from Nancy Crouch, Special Education/ Intervention Teacher, Dublin Middle School, Dublin Independent School District:

" My class struck a gold mine when they drew Ramon Meza as their teacher/mentor. He was unbelievable. There was one short moment when his face registered shock as he realized that we used Mac laptops, and I forgot to hook up a mouse. I'm so used to the little track pad for most of what I do on a daily basis. He covered his discomfort well, and only required a little assistance to get going. Seriously, he was unbelievable. At first, I thought he was going to be too shy. He was soft spoken, but it didn't take him long to problem solve that the Smart Board was NOT the way to go. It did help in the very beginning to get all the students on the right page, but when it came to the more difficult parts, he started working with the students individually and in small groups. My students were totally engaged in every word he said. The funny thing was that he didn't say very much. He gave a few directions and modeled what to do, and then watched as they worked. His only words of praise were, "Yes, that's right." He was extremely patient and calm. He never criticized by word or expression. That's a rare quality, especially in a teenager.

I have to do a dog and pony show to even be heard, and this young man had my students sitting on the edge of their seats with hardly a word. You are certainly correct in saying that the best teachers are other students. They sure got lucky. They enjoyed Ramon. It was a wonderful afternoon. They were all still working when the 3:45 bell rang. Unbelievable!"

RYSS - Dublin [TX] Middle and Intermediate Schools slide show.

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The students' [both RYSS and Dublin] Digital Art is under consideration for NASA publication, slide presentations, etc., and mention via the NASA Public Relations Office. Exhibitions will also be arranged for the students' Digital Art.

Representatives from NASA [MMS 2014 Mission], El Paso ISD Administrators/Teachers, Sandra Wozniak and her students, representatives from ISTE [International Society of Technology for Education], and others tuned into the "Summit Challenge" via Adobe Connect video conferencing to showcase the Digital Art workshop process, and discuss other methods of challenging teachers and students to participate in dynamic curricular activities for greater understanding and retention of Space weather concepts and the NASA MMS mission approach. ePals Spotlighted the process.

Challenge Summit: photos

Digital Art workshop and MMS Challenge presentation by Tom R. Chambers, Jennifer Miller and Sandra Wozniak at the ePals booth, Texas Computer Education Association 2013 Convention, Austin, Texas (February 5, 2013) ... photos: 1, 2, 3, 4

Dublin Historical Museum Tour

Nineteen RYSS students participated in this significant event:

Brandon Aleman, Kevin Gonzalez, Jesus Gomez, Ariel Salazar, Francisco Rosas, Gabriel Bahena, Edwin Mendiola, Ramon Meza, Raul Martinez, Kevin Martinez, Lizbeth Salas, Janet Mendiola, Dulce Ramirez, Destiny Buendia, Evelyn Guajardo, Ariadna Suazo, Esmeralda Gutierrez, Alejandra Martinez, Emily Lopez.

The above students received special recognition at the Junior Academy Award Ceremony near the end of the school year.


Other:

eSchoolNews Press Release

Education Notebook

Education World

RUMBO [website]

RUMBO [newspaper]

Channel 43/YouTube

Technical Education Magazine

ePals Teacher Spotlight