By Gerri Miller
Staff Writer
Not all learning happens in the classroom, so Autauga County is taking it to the streets!
The Autauga County Board of Education has partnered with Autauga County Technology Center (ACTC) to refurbish two school buses to make them rolling centers of learning. One bus will be designed for K-3 classes and will focus on STEAM Activities and the other bus will be for 4th-8th grades and will center on STEM activities.
STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. STEM learning focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The buses are expected to roll out for class at the beginning of the school year in August.
Autauga County School Superintendent Timothy Tidmore said that the idea was the brainchild of Prattville Junior High School Principal Janice Stockman. “Mrs. Stockman and her team have taken this on and are responsible for getting us to this point,” he said.
“This extends learning to take place outside of the classroom,” Tidmore said. “Each bus will be stocked with boxes of project materials. Students will work together as teams to solve different scenarios.”
He said virtual reality games and glasses will be used as well as CAD (computer aided design) programs.
“We are going to outfit the buses and take them to different schools to give students practice in real world activities,” Tidmore said. “The teachers are also excited because it gives them a chance to extend their learning environment.”
Tidmore said the first step was to gut the buses then retrofit them with necessities such as electrical work. The buses will have air conditioning and heat and awnings that will allow some teachers to have their classrooms outdoors. He said a concrete pad will be built at each school where the buses can be parked much like a recreational vehicle.
Tidmore said Autauga County students are involved and are integral to the project. ACTC students are gutting the buses and information technology students are helping wire them for internet service. He said students will also be used for welding, robotics, industrial maintenance, engineering and construction.
Students in Teresa Calhoun’s multimedia classes at ACTC are putting together pictures and videos of the process.
“Teachers will be trained on how to use the different modules available to them,” he said. “The kids are going to have fun doing these projects and will learn by using these modules.”
He estimated the project cost to be between $40,000 and $50,000. He is confident that the project will be successful and hopes that it will be expanded to add more buses to the fleet.
Stockman said she saw the idea a couple of years ago and she talked about it with other educators. Then, COVID happened and the project was delayed.
“We now have a collaborative effort between elementary (Christen Harry, Pine Level Elementary), secondary (Prattville Junior High School), and the ACTC to make this happen” she said.
“It’s a great way for students to truly have hands-on experiences,” Stockman said “We will be painting the buses for a WOW factor and are working to bid out several components of the bus to have them ready to roll in August. We are super excited to see this begin to come together.”
Stockman said it is important to expose students of all ability levels to a variety of experiences.
“With the pandemic, it is even more critical to help students get back to the business of school. We will need a variety of motivators for students,” she said. “Hands-on activities are proven to pique interest and result in better acquisition of skills. Teachers will have resources to supplement instruction in the classroom.”
She said the project can result in increased assessment scores and is a great way to partner with a variety of businesses. “Students at the ACTC are involved in real-life, relevant projects that will have an immediate impact on our community,” she said.
