Sevier County Junior High School computer science teacher Shelby Woods surrounded by some of her students.
Oak Ridge, Tenn. — After winning ORAU’s $25,000 Extreme Classroom Makeover in the spring, Sevier County Junior High School computer science teacher Shelby Woods finally got to reveal her upgraded room. ORAU’s Extreme Classroom Makeover is a competition that started in 2009 and invites East Tennessee teachers to apply to win new technology.
Woods teaches about 300 7th and 8th graders each week. This school year, the state of Tennessee’s Department of Education has mandated new computer science requirements. All students are required to have computer science integrated into their learning, and specifically, middle schoolers like Woods’ students are required to spend at least one semester in a computer science class.
“Computer science goes far beyond computers,” Woods explained. “It’s computational thinking. It’s analytical skills. It’s digital skills. We want students to be the most computational thinkers that they can be. That skill is going to transfer into any career that they face in the real world.”
When Woods won the grand prize, her school’s computer lab didn’t have computers. Now that Woods has put her prize money to good use, not only does the room have desktop computers, but also iPads, 3-D printers, robots, hydroponic plants and more.
With all the new technology, Woods says it’s been a good push to move their program forward. “We’ve thought bigger. We’ve gone from it being a computer lab to a STEM lab,” Woods beamed. “We really want to make sure that we’re focusing students on the science, technology, engineering and mathematics behind the computer. It’s no longer just the computer but the research base behind why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Previously, Woods says she offered more direct instruction where she stood at a white board and taught. Since her purchases came in over the summer, she’s been trying more project-based learning where she presents a problem and tasks her students with finding solutions using technology. She says they go through engineering design processes to develop these skills, and that’s exactly what will propel them into future careers.
“This prize that ORAU gives is a pay-it-forward prize,” Jim Vosburg, ORISE director and senior vice president for ORAU, said. Vosburg surprised Woods with the $25,000 check in March and was excited to return to see her classroom equipped. “These students will be able to work on these machines, but really, it’s about the next group coming up. This classroom was empty, and now it’s full of technology, so it’s the future that will benefit.”
The applications for ORAU’s 2025 Extreme Classroom Makeover will be available November 18, 2024, on orau.org. Teachers who work for a public school within 50 miles of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and teach a STEM subject for 3rd through 10th grade are eligible to apply.
ORAU started the Extreme Classroom Makeover program 15 years ago as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to strengthen STEM education throughout East Tennessee. Since then, ORAU has awarded more than $525,000 to more than 30 East Tennessee schools.