Desert Sands Unified School District Superintendent Scott Bailey has often noted that, “We need to teach students the way they want to learn, not necessarily the way we were taught.” This philosophy has driven a number of new attitudes and projects since he joined the district almost two years ago.
One of those innovative ideas was to award funding to students and their teachers to implement their own innovative ideas to improve education outcomes. He based the concept on the popular television show Shark Tank and invited local business persons, entrepreneurs, and celebrities to become the pool of “goldfish”, the DSUSD term for the judges. The program was introduced during last school year. Of the many applications received for the November 2018 competition, five were selected as finalists and went on to face six of the eight goldfish. For a list of goldfish, visit the school district’s website at www.dsusd.us/goldfish-bowl.
Seated in a living room configuration, much like the one on the original Shark Tank, goldfish listen to a presentation, ask questions such as “Why would this be a good idea?”, and they can even offer personal assistance. Goldfish then retire to deliberate, and return to inform the requestors of their decisions, based on program criteria.
The innovative ideas presented at this event came from two elementary schools and two high schools. Abraham Lincoln Elementary School asked for funds to purchase 30 Sphero Bolt Balls. The programmable robots will assist in the learning of coding end encourage collaborative learning. Students at Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Jr. Academy will use their funding to create the school’s first yearbook, leading not only to increased creativity but providing digital learning experiences. Both schools each received $4,000 and were asked to return in the spring to report on their progress and success.
Students from La Quinta High School brought forth the idea of manufacturing a device placed on desks and controlled by students which would use a series of lights, (red, green, and yellow) to notify the teacher of their level of understanding of the work. The devices will promote real-time feedback of student understanding and progress toward mastery of lessons. While intrigued by the concept, the panel awarded a token amount of $300 so the team could build a prototype and Beta test it in a classroom. They will return to face the goldfish in March to showcase their work and request final funding.
The term “non-traditional” is applied to three Desert Sands schools. The concept is that these schools provide a path to graduation in a way that is more personalized. One of these schools, Amistad High School, had two teams requesting project funding. The first was the creation of a student-led, staff-facilitated program using peer-to-peer interaction to commit students to graduate. Eagles SOAR to Graduation (Successful, Open-Minded, Active Learners, who are Respectful) will establish student recognition programs that support attendance and involvement. Principal David Gustafson, in the audience, could see the panel struggling with the idea and stepped up to explain the mission of his school. That turned the tide and the full $4,000 was awarded in quarterly distribution.
The second Amistad High School presentation was equally innovative as students and their teacher proposed the idea of a Mindfulness Project. Students can utilize the services of the Mindfulness Room in order to increase focus through self-reflection and self-management. Understanding the health and wellness benefits of such a space, the goldfish not only fully funded, they offered to assist and plan on touring the facility when complete.
A variety of successful project pitches from manufacturing to health and wellness to robotics and more lead the way into the second Goldfish Bowl scheduled for March 26, 2019.
