MAXA A MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE ACADEMY FOR ARANSAS COUNTY ISD.

MAXA

A MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE ACADEMY

FOR ARANSAS COUNTY ISD

RATIONALEWE LIVE IN A DIGITAL WORLD WITH A HIGH

DEMAND FOR QUALIFIED TECHNOLOGY

PROFESSIONALS!

This technology-oriented era requires a new approach to learning.

The traditional K-12 curriculum has been slow to adapt to this.

The demand for qualified technology professionals and engineers is at its highest peak ever and will continue to increase!

We must start now and start young in preparing our students to meet this demand.

Many technology leaders, including Microsoft’s Bill Gates in a recent pep talk to UT computer science majors, urge schools to step up the technology learning process.

Waiting until college is too late!

The learning must begin earlier, and Aransas County is already leading the way in South Texas and statewide.

It’s time to take the next bold step and start younger with the brightest minds in the 5th through 8th grades who are hungry and ready to learn at this high level.

WHY MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE?

Because these two disciplines are the foundation of the IT world.

One cannot succeed without the other.

Engineers in all areas must be fluent in both in order to be productive and effective in today’s demanding world.

WHAT WILL BE TAUGHT?

MAXA will span a variety of learning threads, including math fundamentals, programming, robotics, and computer ethics.

MAXA will also teach and develop new calculator skills, reinforce proper keyboarding techniques, and sharpen quick-thinking mental math and number sense skills.

MAXA will teach both individual learning and team-based cooperative work, including research projects using the scientific method.

MAXA will teach advanced problem-solving, higher level thinking skills, and most of all, teach logical thinking, a topic largely ignored in the K-12 curriculum.

HOW WILL IT BE FUNDED?

A grant proposal has been submitted to The Education Foundation to help with startup and maintenance costs.

As a backup, all three involved campuses, Rockport Fulton High School, Rockport Fulton Middle School, and Fulton Learning Center, have committed a significant portion of their CAP money to support this effort.

HOW WILL MAXA WORK?

The MAXA class of the top 5th through 8th grade students in ACISD will meet for one hour each school day morning, before the regular class schedule.

MAXA students will work to achieve ranks or levels, very similar to how scouting works.

Each student will advance at his/her own pace.

Qualified high school students will serve as MAXA mentors and work with the primary instructor to teach and guide the MAXA students.

These high school MAXA Mentors will be able to use this experience as an advanced measure, applied towards the Distinguished High School diploma.

MAXA RANK #1

The first rank will possibly include the following items: Computer Programming – write

a simple output program using the language QBasic

Engineering – Build a 9-piece Lego Dacta Robot and make it perform simple tasks.

Keyboarding – Baseline test, minimum 35 wpm, 60% accuracy

Calculator - Learn the basics of using an RPN engineering calculator

Math Fundamentals – memorize multiplication tables from 1 X 1 to 12 X 12

Number Systems – Be able to count to 32 in base 2 (0, 1, 10, 11, 100, 101, etc.)

Ethics – Recite by memory the first 5 commandments of Ethical Computer Use

Computer Basics – Be able to identify the external and internal parts of a computer

Networking - Learn how to terminate a CAT5 network cable with an RJ45 jack.

Logic - Solve a simple logic problem.

Research - In a team setting, conduct a simple research project using the scientific method.

HOW ARE STUDENTS SELECTED?

We are currently at the end of a process in selecting students from the elementary and middle school ranks to be the charter members of MAXA.

Earlier this semester, teachers at Fulton and RFMS nominated over 60 children for MAXA.

A screening process was implemented, looking at grades, test scores, attendance, and discipline records.

59 Students who passed the first step were sent application packets.

38 completed packets were submitted.

A final interview process is currently underway to finalize the selection process and choose the final 20 MAXA students, a limit dictated by available lab space.

Invitations to join MAXA will be sent by the end of this month.

MAXA begins on the first day of school in August.

MAXA

It’s going to be a great adventure!