Science : Technology : Engineering : Math
Invest in your child’s technology education and enrichment today to set them on a path to excel in the technologically accelerating world of their future.
- Transforms students into Creators of Technology, not just consumers.
- Every student builds a Digital Portfolio. Click the link to see what our students have created!
- Comparable costs, commitment to other enrichment programs like music and sports
- Project-based curriculum focused on 5 core skills: Problem Identification, Learning to Learn, Critical Thinking, Solutions Design and Project Management
SPRING 2020 Registration is Open now! Classes start January 14th, 2020.
Classes offered after school 5:00pm – 6:30pm and Sundays 2:00pm – 3:30pm.
- Programming I – Web Programming with HTML/CSS
- Applied Math Tutoring
- Scholastic Chess (new course!)
- Junior Robotics
- Digital Media Intro
- Open Programming, Robotics and Digital Media Labs for returning students
Class Listings and Registration Portal: Register Here.
Programming 1, 2, 3 are courses with deep, structured curricula for students ages 10+ with certification pathways in specific programming areas such as Web Programming, Database Development and Mobile Application Development from recognized developer certification organizations.
Robotics 1, Junior Robotics-Web and Digital Media courses provide a technical foundation and starting digital portfolio that then allows students to create multiple projects with progressive complexity at their pace. Open Makers Labs – provide continuing students access to numerous robotics kits and parts and digital media tools to continue to build their skills and portfolios. Programming students will be given problems to solve to practice and refine their programming skills.
The goal of Applied Math Tutoring is to of build the math foundation required to support more advanced technology courses. Sessions include one-on-one tutoring to focus on student-specific math gaps and goals, supervised student practice and games/activities that use applied math and logic.
Iowa Tech Chicks and StairWay5 Partnership
All GIRLS coding classes sponsored by Iowa Tech Chicks. We’re proud to partner with Iowa Tech Chicks as the provider for the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Innovation Fund Grant Award. In Spring 2019, the Fund provided scholarships with support from Iowa Tech Chicks and StairWay5 for 6 girls to attend the Web Programming I course at StairWay5. Please contact Iowa Tech Chicks for future scholarship programs to support Girls in Tech.
Technology Education Curriculum Highlights below:
Web Development I (Ages 10+) Take a bold step into the world of programming. Build critical coding knowledge that will serve as the technical base for further programming languages. Create a Digital Portfolio. Learn and practice:
- Information flow, Internet and website architecture and elements – how web pages, servers and browsers function.
- HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript within the industry standard Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
- Design, plan, implement and present multiple web page projects that increase in complexity.
- Code concepts such as inputs, variables, data processing and functions as well as debugging and testing code
Follow this link for additional course details. Students will be provided space to begin their Digital Portfolios to showcase their projects.
LEVEL II: Students in Web Development II will launch into building more complex Web applications utilizing JavaScript. These include highly interactive websites and game development. More advanced software application design, algorithm development, coding principles and tools will be practiced through individual projects.
LEVEL III: Database Programming introduces students to the highly integral skill of organizing managing, storing and querying data using a relational database. This course adds the next step to becoming a full stack developer and also the basis for more advanced programming projects and courses such as machine language (AI).
Robotics I (Ages 10+) Delve into the world of robots and learn to make them function to accomplish desired results. This class covers multiple plan, design and build projects to gain a basic understanding of robotics through the following:
- Mechanisms that push, pull and lift – using wheels/axles, inclined planes, wedges, lever, pulleys and screws.
- Machines with motorized movement – motors, gears, drive-trains. Understand speed and torque.
- Machines that use plows, scoops and friction grabbers for object manipulation mechanisms.
- Articulation such as rotating joints and linkages.
- Programming the robot’s computer for processing inputs and performing tasks through simple visual programming
- Sensors to detect inputs such as light, color, objects and motion
Variations from design intent, issues encountered, and lessons learned will follow each project to instill the 5 core skills. Follow this link for additional course details. Students who have completed Programming I can add their Robotics projects to their Digital Portfolios. NEXT LEVEL: Students in Robotics II will build more complex robots and graduate from graphical interface programming to ROBOTC, a powerful C-based programming language which is a cross-platform solution that is used in advanced courses and professional applications. Programming I is a prerequisite.