8 EDCAL November 5, 2018
Students learn coding from ‘Scratch’
South Pointe Middle School seventh grade students Trey Rosales and Jas Singh, shown with teacher
Crystal Dira, design a coding game with Scratch.
MCNEIL
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so that I continue to grow professionally
to develop skills and content for what is
possible. ACSA has been a key part of my
professional growth to gain skills and con-
tent knowledge from colleagues and experts
within the field, as well as ACSA’s support
and advice to advocate on behalf of our
needs with government entities.”
Addressing issues of equity and poverty
has increased student achievement for all of
Needles’ student populations. The district
has a nearly 100 percent high school gradu-
ation rate, including continuation high and
community day school, with 40-50 percent
of the senior class going on to college. The
superintendent hopes that many will return
to enrich the local economies and com-
munities.
An active self-starter, McNeil has said
she has sought help and support from
the governor and federal government to
work with local Native American tribes and
other federal agencies to move forward on
the building of a K-8 school in Big River
that has been in construction since 2001.
Through these efforts, this school will be
open in August 2019.
In 1992, McNeil joined ACSA as a stu-
dent member.
“I have significantly improved my per-
sonal skills as an administrator through
ACSA Academies, workshops at the
Leadership Summit, mentoring trainings
and as a region board member,” she said.
As a region president, she gained oppor-
tunities to participate in legislative advocacy
and develop relationships with key stake-
holders that have made a difference for her
as a superintendent but also in dealing with
Students in Diamond Bar have been
designing interactive stories and games with
Scratch, an online programming commu-
nity.
“All students, some having no experience
with coding, are given an opportunity to be
creative with the smallest of details about
their game or story and it is amazing to see
what they can do,” said technology teacher
Crystal Dira.
Students have been experimenting with
ideas as they use programming blocks to
create movement and animation effects.
“Our project is like a Flappy Bird game,”
Jas Singh said.
“There’s a bat that’s traveling across
these trees while trying to get to the end of
the level,” Trey Rosales said.
Another design team, Helena Tran and Aayati Sangal, collaborated to create a
catching game with balls and meow sound-
effects.
“You can’t catch the orange ball,” Sangal
said.
Throughout the year, students will par-
ticipate in numerous hands-on activities
and projects that integrate the areas of
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and
Math. STEAM 2 students will also be cod-
ing robots along with stop-motion anima-
tion, music, and short story videos.
The class has been designed to expose
students to both Engineering/Computer
Science and Video Production, which are
two different paths in Technology available
for eighth grade students.
“They really are using technology to cre-
ate their future,” Dira said.
the unique issues of her school district.
McNeil has also been active in the
Women’s Leadership Network for two
decades.
“I have had opportunities to serve female
leaders through annual conferences, work-
shops and connecting growing leaders with
others that can support their pathways to
leadership,” she said. “I am very proud of the
work that our female leaders in education
and in ACSA have accomplished to support
women in the highest levels of administra-
tion within education.”
For many leaders, it can be hard to access
the same level of motivation every day.
McNeil stays inspired by consciously help-
ing others build their capacity for growth
and by connecting colleagues so that they
can find success through collaboration. She
also enjoys witnessing moments of student
success or families cheering on their chil- dren and making sure that her plans are
actionable and come to fruition. She said
one way to connect the job to her values
is by ensuring that her schools are good
enough that she would enroll her own chil-
dren or grandchildren.
Like all the best leaders, McNeil values
freedom and a positive attitude.
“My inspiration rests with my goal to
ensure that our students have an option that
will support their success to their chosen
lifestyle with their desired college and/or
career choices at 25, 45 and beyond,” she
said. “I want my students to live a happy,
healthy and prosperous life the way they
want to live with the ability to make posi-
tive choices.
“To empower innovative leadership and
to redefine what’s possible, you first must
believe that this is possible.”
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