An Innovative STEM Instructional Solution with GenTech

It is a serious problem in education that we do not have teachers with technical proficiencies to teach real world STEM; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, instruction in today’s classrooms. 

All of America’s children should have the opportunity to advance career options, fill STEM positions and contribute to the global economy that is in high demand for tech, science and engineering fields. But our current education system is only providing that opportunity to a small percentage of its students.

In response to numerous requests for information regarding the status of K–12 STEM education in the United States, Horizon Research, Inc. conducted the 2020 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME+).  According to EdWeek’s summary of findings: 

 “Despite a push for greater STEM instruction, students and teachers continue to experience inequitable access to STEM-related classes and resources, according to this survey that represents a cross section and national average: “26 percent of elementary schools offer computer science, while 38 percent of middle schools and 53 percent of high schools do the same.”

In reality and locally the scale of these numbers is far less than statistics indicate. Less than 9% of the schools in Maricopa county, Arizona offer any continuing computer science course work. The largest unified school district in the county announced at a recent school board meeting that all STEM courses have been discontinued and two teachers were furloughed. The problem is getting worse.  

Much attention has been given nationally in this area via national grants, industry and donor organizations. So, why has quality STEM instruction been unsustainable for so long in schools? Considering how many years, how many grants, how much legislation, how many high-level discussions, how much corporate support has occurred in the last decade to address this instructional challenge – very little progress appears to have been genuinely accomplished across all demographics. 

One of the biggest factors may be that so many agencies are trying to fix the problem internally. More school grants. More teacher training. More teacher incentives. The major focus is on teachers in schools today.

Here are a few examples contributing to the problem:

• Schools get grants and train teachers, buy STEM equipment and initiate programs. When the teacher leaves (retires, moves, disillusioned, promoted) the program dies. Money is wasted and equipment gets buried in closets. This cycles over and over and teacher longevity is at an all time low.

• Schools provide professional development for STEM topics to teachers. Many teachers operate at full capacity managing large student populations on a day to day basis. Being commissioned to learn trending STEM topics in addition to their workload overwhelms teachers.

• Most teachers do not have a comfortable understanding of technical concepts. It is not a credible scenario for most teachers to have the skillset to teach advanced STEM content.

• STEM professionals, or teachers who might be proficient in coding, scientific principles, or engineering content, do not seek or stay in education as a career when they can make five times more income in corporate tech jobs.

Overall the problems continue: teacher shortages and lack of instructional expertise to teach STEM. 

It is time for creative solutions to fix the overall problem and authentically transition students from K-12 into real world STEM jobs in America.

The biggest problem of all is convincing educational institutions to think outside the box, open the walled establishment and expand its teaching models in innovative ways to serve students.  

What if STEM staffing came from a different direction with a collective solution that would provide expert personnel to teach today’s students? What if a creative, young, bright, culturally diverse workforce taught our students and brought in and maintained cutting edge technical equipment into classrooms and was economically efficient?  That solution would significantly disrupt educational frameworks and potentially solve a large scale problem.

GenTech is a technology hub comprised of computer science majors and brilliant techs. This storefront serves the general public in technology support, as well as, KidsTech programs instructing in coding, robotics and computer science.  

In three years, GenTech expanded into several school districts and established a workforce pathway that placed bright, technical staff as instructors into classrooms impacting over 2700 children in low socioeconomic areas. 

GenTech discovered through staffing its tech hub, that there is untapped personnel qualified to teach children in specialized content areas.  Undergraduate engineering, programming, and computer science majors who are in the mix of trending technologies and are passionate about STEM concepts are perfect candidates to fill part time specialized STEM teaching positions. These semester-long or summer teaching positions can be planned to be compatible with college schedules and can easily facilitate after school or special programs in elementary, middle and high schools. 

The personnel are sophomore, junior and senior college majors who possess the educational credentials through Career & Technical Education (CTE) protocols defined through the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) which encompasses the necessary 6000 hours of specialized training. 

Many undergraduate students find that becoming GenTechs and working as a coding or robotics instructor is meaningful employment to enhance their technical resumes.

This idea is not inherently new. There are many programs that have implemented college students in STEM sessions, robotics camps and volunteer workshops in schools. But those programs are temporary. 

The solution proposed here is a complete organizational methodology that develops an entire workforce process and pathway that is sustainable, professional, academically masterful and efficient.

The pool of candidate STEM teachers is vast. There is a sizable community of college students in every university who are interested in tech internships, experience in related fields or are intrinsically motivated to share their passion for technology with others.. 

Here is the process:

• Recruitment: GenTech develops and maintains professional collaborations with area universities who refer student candidates. GenTech recruits candidates at tech clubs and job fairs. GenTech instructors refer friends.

• Vetting. GenTech thoroughly vets all candidates, initiates application process, orchestrates credential verification, fingerprinting, CPR safety, bonds, insurance.

• Onboarding. GenTech hires tech candidates, completes all state, federal and HR paperwork, sets up payroll. 

• Training. Candidates undergo comprehensive training at the GenTech hub in; instructional pedagogy, behavior management, safety and STEM course content to become GenTech instructors or “GenTechs”

• Curriculum. GenTech has developed an extraordinary curriculum for instructors to follow that is sophisticated, hands-on, highly active, standardized, and engaging. GenTechs periodically collaborate and offer new content as trending technologies emerge. 

• STEM Instruction. Current GenTech Curriculum focuses on six STEM areas:

     1) Cool Coding - Python, JavaScript, HTML, C+/C#, MinecraftED
     2) Radical Robots - JavaScript, Robotics
     3) Mighty Microcomputers - Raspberry Pi, Microbits, Circuitry
     4) Cyber Defenders - Cyber Security, Ethical Hacking, Networking
     5) Crazy Computer Builds - Hardware, Electronics, Networking
     6) Modeling to the Max - 3D, Laser Printing, CAD Design 

• Materials. All materials are provided and maintained for each course by GenTech.
  

• Scheduling. GenTech instructors are deployed to schools with attentive scheduling considerations.

• Deployment. The GenTechs that enter classrooms represent a diverse, young, enthusiastic group of individuals ready and qualified to teach sophisticated STEM concepts. Many GenTechs represent the same ethnic and racial identities as their respective student populations and are immediately perceived as inspirational role models. 

• Support. GenTech maintains support to all instructors, provides subs as needed, coordinates all protocols with schools, and develops longstanding partnerships with districts. 

• Funding.  As schools acquire federal 21st Century Grants to accommodate STEM mandates, GenTech offers a full service solution to facilitate the requirements. As State money emerges earmarked for STEM instruction GenTech seeks to secure funds for inexperienced or less grant savvy school districts in need. A future goal will deliberate on the development of a corporate network that would segue collaboration with student candidates as interns. 

In this model from the school perspective, GenTech provides staffing to schools for a fraction of a teacher or program cost. No contract salary, taxes, benefits provisions, or retirement expenses. No equipment to buy, maintain or service. GenTech provides and rotates high tech materials, robots, makerspace equipment, computers and digital devices from school to school offering a variety of devices that kids experience during a single course. GenTech has the expertise to purchase, manage and maintain large quantities of tech equipment efficiently. 

The per hour fee that GenTech charges schools is an economical solution in providing student services at all schools. At an average per seat hour cost of $7-13.00 per student, the GenTech solution is substantially below national averages. 

GenTech is completely self-sustaining as an entrepreneurship that is collaboratively operated by all of its members. 

When GenTechs begin their teaching experience as a STEM teacher, as trite as it sounds, for both the kids and the teachers, something magical happens. GenTechs become tech wizards. 

Integrating GenTechs into America’s classrooms is a genuine and unique solution to STEM staffing that is scalable and sustainable.

We are currently targeting students who are receiving little to no computer science or STEM instruction at their schools in our immediate area surrounding GenTechs first community tech hub.  We are serving four school districts that represent over 50,000 students. 

To date we have personally impacted over 2700 kids by providing coding, robotics and computer science instruction in afterschool programs. Many students and families have ventured to the GenTech store seeking additional services or have been inspired by the potential career opportunities in programming.

Several students aspire to work at GenTech and launch tech careers by expanding the team.  

GenTechs represent a cross cultural, diverse community of college undergrads and techs who are inherently and collectively motivated to make a difference. In that all GenTechs have remarkable skill sets in programming, engineering constructs, complex technical concepts, computer hardware and software, trending and emerging technologies, these individuals represent examples of remarkable talent to staff schools. GenTechs are able to genuinely fill a vital position in schools and have the competencies to teach 21st century students.  

It is our sincere goal to prepare today's kids for tomorrow's technologies. It’s clearly evident when we present in conferences or participate in school events that we have a passion for this mission. Through these encounters we have identified that many schools do not have a clear understanding of the impact technology will have on future generations. The age of automation is already upon us.  Artificial intelligence, augmented reality, cybersecurity, block chain, the Internet of Things, programming, cryptocurrency, and more, are advanced technologies that are important for next gen kids to understand. Especially low socioeconomic areas, kids can garner an equity position and be successful in potential STEM careers that may not necessitate college degrees. These are opportunities that are life changing. We have engaged in many discussions with school coordinators and administrators. And especially kids. They want the opportunity to learn about things they see on YouTube and innovations they research in science and tech. In all the schools we serve, district personnel have observed our courses and discovered the depth and sophistication of our curriculum and understand the value in this instruction. We communicate regularly to coordinate efforts to best serve students.

We have specifically addressed the needs of certain communities in providing a ‘Crazy Computer Build’ course. In this class, students learn hardware, software, networking, operating systems, safety and the inner workings of computers by taking practice computers apart. Midway through the course, students are given refurbished computers to take home and keep forever. For most of these families it's the first computer their family has ever owned.

Currently GenTech has one location. As area school districts continue to contract our services, GenTech aspires to develop more tech hubs across Arizona and beyond.  

We have seen the success of our innovation. GenTech is a community tech hub. There are countless individuals that seek tech help and do not know where to look.  For the purpose of this proposal we are focusing on the needs of children. Many kids are underserved and unprepared for their future. Educational methods have been stuck in old ideologies and are not solving this current crisis.   

The largest obstacle we are facing is that we are simply a small company that jumped in and is attempting to solve a big problem. We are a former tech teacher and about twenty five amazing techs that are bootstrapping this enterprise. While we are sustaining our business our current growth is minimal. We are submitting dozens of proposals. The potential is terrifying. 

Another significant barrier is school funding and grant allocation. More relevantly, the initiation of contract discussions with school districts about considering GenTech STEM programs in lieu of business as usual. The GenTech model calculates to over forty percent less than employing a teacher and purchasing equipment. Schools are accustomed to hiring teachers and buying stuff. It’s the way it’s always been done to teach every content area. It’s not efficient for STEM instruction and that’s the argument schools apply to cut the program.

Our motivation in applying to Solve is to share an idea worth evaluating with creative thinkers. We’ve tested the model. It works brilliantly. We’d like to take this solution and scale it. It’s a bold disruption to educational institutions. There are certainly financial and market barriers we are facing but none we feel are insurmountable. It’s the pace we’d like to increase. 

A favorite quote by Tom Goodwin states: “Uber, the world’s largest taxi company, owns no vehicles. Facebook, the world’s most popular media owner, creates no content. Alibaba, the most valuable retailer, has no inventory. And Airbnb, the world’s largest accommodation provider, owns no real estate. Something interesting is happening.”

I question why the educational industry doesn’t step outside the box and outsource talent to serve its clients.

We’d like to partner with mentors who want to make a difference with us and truly solve the inequality in STEM education. 

The GenTech solution is an all inclusive means to provide quality STEM instruction in a sustainable manner by outsourcing programs into the educational arena. If scaled and implemented effectively this solution could be catalytic to changing educational methods across the U.S. 

Exploring alternative methods and contracting specialized instruction to serve the evolving needs of today's students should be a paramount consideration of educational institutions.

The goals of GenTech is certainly to expand our outreach and serve more schools and students by deploying GenTech programs and instructing students in STEM contexts.

Without question there is little more to say that ramping up relevant content in schools, providing authentic STEM instruction to students will have an enormous impact on individual and collective potential to obtain more lucrative jobs and develop skill sets that contribute positively to our country's global economy.

Our overall business growth indicators fluctuated a bit initially but we evolved and adjusted to develop a successful model by changing up our instructional methods to include take home tech kits and online instruction during the pandemic with instruction that was supplemented with safe wide spaced events. Our solution has grown from 7 schools to over 30 in three years in lieu of school shutdowns. All of the districts we serve continue to expand programs and reinstate our services.

Academically, all of our instructional courses involve pre and post testing.  The mean difference in three categories:

1. content understanding 
2. socio-emotional well being relative to content  
3. general awareness and life application of content

indicated significant student achievement was obtained in over 95% of all students involved in GenTech STEM courses. Further, students felt more confident in technical communication, technical usage and overall understanding.  For many students there were certain fears associated with technology and were worrisome about technology in the future.  Over 98% of all students reported they were more confident and felt happy about their futures and interactions with technology after GenTech instruction.

A key challenge faced by enterprises such as GenTech who are aimed to enact change in STEM education is understanding what actions are likely to result in the desired outcomes within the targeted system. There are few baselines to compare notes because few institutions are enacting meaningful changes to the levels we are proposing.

The general action of teaching hopes to challenge a student to think differently after an instructional session. It is somewhat arduous to ascertain what, how or to what end a student will use the instruction to their benefit, if at all in most cases. Teachers are generally assumed to be change agents as part of their definitive job description.  

Authentic STEM instruction is a conundrum for today's educational arena. The content continually evolves with the emergence of new technologies. The impact we provide is genuine expertise in delivering the instruction.

Of the constituents that GenTech has served we have observed informally that student demeanors in handling technology is vastly improved. Students have a more confident presence, can articulate tech terms eloquently and share positive comments about their experience. 

Considering that we may still be in the pilot stages, the only indicators we can truly evaluate are; the majority of students who engage in STEM classes want to continue with more classes. The vast majority of students remain engaged throughout the course, are thoroughly interested in the subject matter and physically contribute to teamwork.

Because school districts are beginning to refer other districts to evaluate our programs we might ascertain we are effecting change and making a difference.

gentechsupport.com/schools

Its abundantly evident throughout our website we are culturally, racially and comfortably inclusive of all walks of life and embrace diversity.  

Our company consistently and wholeheartedly operates with mutual respect for each other and with an never ending attitude of genuine care for our mission and each other.

About us

We will continue to market to school districts and reinvest income derived to grow the business.

We received an initial start up grant from Cisco for $65,000. 

The initial concept was for tech students to provide tech support to the community at the GenTech store.  We incorporated KidsTech and began teaching coding and robotics at the GenTech store.

This was not sustainable overall and we expanded the concept to schools which proved profitable.  We will continue school expansion and expect steady growth. 

Thank you very much for your evaluation and consideration.