Monday, November 13 Field Trip
5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. local time
Professional Conference attendees will have a chance to experience the most advanced merger of pedagogy and virtual reality at the Dreamscape Lab on the campus of Arizona State University.
Buses will leave the hotel starting at 5 p.m. Attendees will visit the Alien Zoo, a unique virtual reality lab, and enjoy light snacks.
Tuesday, November 14 Field Trips
8:30 a.m. – noon local time
Two Field Trips are available for Tuesday, November 14 from 8:30 a.m. – noon local time: Bioscience High School and Phoenix Coding Academy. When you register for the Field Trips, you will visit both schools during that timeframe. There will be an A Group and a B Group, and the groups will visit one school and then switch and see the other school. You can learn more about the schools below.
There is a one-time $15 flat fee for the Field Trips to cover transportation costs to both schools. Seats are limited to the first 200 registrants.
Individuals who wish to “stand-by” should arrive 15 minutes prior at the departure site and add their name to a list at that time. If there are “no-shows” for the visit, as many on-site stand-by individuals will be accommodated as possible.
Bioscience High School
Bioscience High School has evolved from an ambitious STEM public magnet high school in 2006 to a National Blue Ribbon School today. Years of intentional planning, research and focused dialogue, and revision with community members, post-secondary institutions and leaders from business and industry have contributed to its multifaceted mission statement which remains at its core in 2022-2023:
BHS provides a rigorous, collaborative, and relevant academic program emphasizing an innovative, problem-based curriculum that develops literacy in the sciences, mathematics, and the arts, thus cultivating critical thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and compassionate citizens, who are able to thrive in our increasingly complex and technological communities.
Bioscience High School educators believe that students learn best in diverse communities, where the exploration of complex challenges provides an opportunity for students to experience substantive learning and intellectual growth. Through inquiry and constructivist practices, students are empowered to demonstrate their learning, to continuously refine their understanding of the world through reflection, application and discourse. Supporting the core beliefs are four design principles, developed and articulated during the planning of the school but equally relevant today. Those design principles are: Multiple Perspectives, Scholarly Endeavors, Authentic Experiences, and Personalization.
Phoenix Coding Academy
This innovative specialty small school, focused on computer coding and multiple technology pathways through an inquiry-based instructional design, is one of the first public high schools of its kind.
As the needs of industry and workforce constantly change, our students will be prepared to enter a job market where technology and computer science skills are a basic requirement. Employment opportunities in technology-related careers are growing at a faster rate than other industries.
Inquiry design and project-based learning provide the instructional framework, innovation and computer science are the focus, and academic courses are integrated to offer a dynamic, student-centered academic experience. Students receive a full high school curricula of core academic classes and electives, including career and technical education (CTE) classes, at Phoenix Coding Academy.
Community and industry partnerships facilitate guest instructors and workshops, field trips, mentors and job-shadowing, and internships for students and staff. CTE pathways such as software development (game, app, and web development) and computer networking and cybersecurity may lead to select industry certification and college dual enrollment, and will prepare students for success in college, career, and life.