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design process, coding, drone technology,
cyber security, and mobile development.
As students complete the pathways, there
are other pathways for them to explore,
which are designed by level based on the
student’s grade. The program is planning
to add additional Pathway focus areas
such as data science, animation, and
artificial intelligence in the coming years.
Current Palm View Kindergarteners will be
among the first in the nation to complete
the full program. Current 6th graders
will be among the first to complete the
full middle school program. The Palm
View instructors and leadership team
expect this to be a great resume builder
and career development experience
for the students. Woz Career Pathways
students are able to work with high-tech
equipment – such as 3D printers, coding
Ozobots and Spheros, manufacturing
robotics, and more – in an explorative and
instructive hands-on environment.
The program is also expected to be a great
source for future students of Manatee
Technical College’s skilled workforce
programs. Principal Johnson notes: “The
business world is snatching those kids up
before they’ve even completed the MTC
program! Now we’re starting even earlier,
so hopefully students will recognize that
this is something they’re interested in and
pursue it.”
Ms. Lafontant explained that their first year
in the program is all about learning and
growing: “For this year, we’re seeing how
the kids take to the program and trying
to figure out how to make it as complete,
as enjoyable and as understandable as
possible for the kids, so that not only do
they want to come back for the next level,
but so that they’re telling their friends and
they want to come and do it, as well. So
that it thrives.”
Principal Johnson added: “The learning of
the engineering process is the foundation.
Then on the academic side, I need
students to be proficient readers; I need
students to be successful and college
career ready. When we think about
the content that they’re learning: how
can we integrate that into their core
math? Into their language arts? Into
their core science and world history?
You accomplish a lot by plugging into
something that interests them, but also
something that is going to prepare them
for the business world… which impacts
the community! And that’s what we want
to do, too – we want to strengthen our
community.”
“We’ll be bringing in guest speakers
from the community and beyond; the
students will be taking field trips; we’ll be
doing competitions…” Principal Johnson
continued. “We fully expect to expose our
students to everything that other middle
schools and high schools are doing.”