Moving into the How and Why: The Raspberry Pi Project at Eastwood International School
Focused View on Today’s Needs
Part of being educators entails equipping students with skills that move beyond knowledge, comprehension, and application. A core duty that educators possess is their ability to have students critically think, reflect, and create. We have reached a time where rote learning is unproductive in prompting societal advancements. It is, therefore, empirical that students become independent thinkers who are no longer concerned with what things are but are mostly intrigued by how and why they are that way.
At Eastwood International School, we commit to equipping students with the tools and techniques necessary to uncover how and why things work the way they do. We want students to create their own learning journeys through experimentation, investigation, and creation, among other desirable, intellectual processes. One way we can do so is through introducing one the latest projects in the fields of education and technology, which is the Raspberry Pi Project.
The Raspberry Pi Project
A prominent project that education has called for is the Raspberry Pi Project. The Raspberry Pi is actually a credit-card sized computer, which is plugged into a monitor. It uses a standard keyboard and mouse. With this Raspberry Pi Project, students start exploring computer software design using programming languages, such as Python and Scratch. Moreover, young computer scientists can create symphonies, robots, virtual pets, mythical creatures, and so much more!
Raspberry Pi Project at Eastwood
Eastwood International School is a pioneer in implementing the Raspberry Pi Project in Lebanon. Below are two ways the Raspberry Pi Project is being used in Eastwood’s very own classrooms.
1. Boosting collaborative learning through the Raspberry Pi Project:
Collaboration is a requirement at Eastwood International School. Because we believe in teamwork and the benefits that it yields, the Raspberry Pi Project is one way to introduce students into the field of collaboration and innovation. Subsequently, students can produce worthwhile learning experiences.
Educators rely heavily on project-based learning, whereby students are given authentic situations to find solutions for using Raspberry Pi computing. Projects require the combined efforts of the different team members and are, evidently, hands-on. Educators are amending classroom settings in order to give the students the space they need to collaborate and share ideas.
2. Developing computational skills and thinking processes through the Raspberry Pi Project:
With the Raspberry Pi Project, students start learning programming languages, coding, and computing. All of which are essential in prompting computation skills. Those skills enhance thinking processes, such as reasoning, problem solving, and pattern recognition. It is worth noting that those processes move beyond the Raspberry Pi Project to be applied in core subject matters and in real life situations, as well. Studies have shown their desirability in today’s fast evolving world. Students possessing such powerful skills and processes are more likely to adapt to changes happening around them.
Creativity and Beyond!
It is undeniable that the Raspberry Pi Project has promoted a stronger sense of creativity within Eastwood’s walls. Students are showing great enthusiasm when partaking in computing sessions. They are addressing authentic projects with an open mind and through employing innovative strategies.
What we thought was inconceivable in education is now very much conceivable. At Eastwood International School, we vow to never settle for the ordinary and move beyond the boundaries to seek more knowledge and skills. We seek to uncover the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of our world.
Michel A. Khoury
Eastwood Schools Director
[email protected]
@michelsworld
