Published February 17, 2020
Leadership Perspective
TPN: The Pitsco Network
JL: Jon LeDoux, Superintendent, El Centro Elementary School District, CA
Introduction: For the past 31 years,
Jon LeDoux has served
as an elementary school
teacher, assistant principal,
state and federal projects
director, principal, assistant
superintendent, and
superintendent, a role
he has filled for the past
eight years for El Centro
Elementary School District
in El Centro, California.
The district is 95 percent
Hispanic, with 50 percent
being English language
learners and 89 percent
qualifying for free or
reduced lunch. LeDoux’s
philosophy? “As long as I
feel that I am making an
impact on student learning
and the learning experience,
I feel I have been successful.”
TPN: Explain why it’s better to teach via
hands-on experiences rather than
just a lecture or book.
JL: Our students currently live in a time where
information is very easy to obtain. A few
clicks of a mouse, and they can find an
answer to all their questions. Unfortunately,
this sort of learning is too passive and does
not offer a depth of understanding that can
come from only experiences provided to
them. Students who move about, actively
explore, have meaningful discussions with
their peers, and perform experiments with
purpose will have a deeper understanding
than those who merely look for an answer
online. They will also retain the information
longer and utilize that information in future
problem-solving and exploration. Hands-on
experiences also teach our students that
exploring and getting your hands dirty to
learn is not only a positive thing to do but
also enjoyable.
TPN: Why is it important to get students
comfortable with and enjoying
integrated science and engineering
activities at an early age?
JL: Young students are interested in the
world around them. They seek out
answers to their questions about how the
world works. This makes it an opportune
time to capture their attention and
imagination. As their young minds adapt
and process the world around them,
providing interesting activities that spark
their imagination and challenge their
thoughts adds to the promise of them
becoming lifelong learners.
TPN: Your district purchased a mix
of hands-on STEM and STEAM
curriculum and materials from
Pitsco, including Missions,
Expeditions, KUBO, and UBTECH
(coding and robotics). Briefly
explain how each of these solutions
is being used.
JL: All of these products are supplemental
to our district-adopted science kits. The
Pitsco Missions science labs are used in
Grades 3-6 (one hour per day, per class for a
two-week period). KUBO and UBTECH were
purchased recently, and we look forward
to incorporating them into these Pitsco
labs. Expeditions is used exclusively with
seventh and eighth grades. The Pitsco lab
curriculum is the core of the Expeditions lab
with its STEM-themed Expedition units that
cover electricity, sound, Earth science, food
safety, weather, botany, thermal physics,
wind energy, dragster design, and more.
The Expeditions curriculum is structured so
students can work independently – reading
selections, watching short videos, and
applying that knowledge through hands-on
experiments or explorations. In addition, due
to the large space of the lab, we have been
able to create a makerspace where students
can explore other hands-on concepts like
robotics, electronics, and 3-D printing. Daily,
students will either be assigned a STEM
Expedition® or an activity at the makerspace
area. Our robotics program is second to
none in the Imperial Valley. We start students
off using robots with iPads to learn to code
the robots to maneuver through maze
challenges. Later, students learn more
intermediate coding and robotics skills
with the Arduino microcontroller, using the
industry standard C++ language. Students
learn to create robotic hands, mechanical
faces, and devices to measure the
environment such as temperature, humidity,
and ultraviolet light. In addition, students
learn to code the Arduino board to create
music and more advanced autonomous
robots. . . . Our Pitsco STEM lab prides itself
on promoting computer science through
robotics and Tynker Coding Curriculum.
Students work toward learning coding and
computer science each Friday. Students are
exposed to block coding and then move on
to Python® and JavaScript. By the time our
students leave ECESD, they will have received
more computer science and robotics than
any other school in Imperial County.
TPN: How do these all-inclusive Pitsco
products (teacher’s guides, lessons,
curriculum, materials) ease the
burden on elementary teachers
who might not be as confident and
comfortable teaching science, coding,
robotics, and engineering concepts?
JL: With the heavy emphasis on teaching basics,
such as math and reading, teachers often do
not receive the training they need in subjects
such as science. With training comes not
only knowledge but also confidence in
the subject matter. There is also a feeling
that there is not enough time in the day to
prepare and implement the district science
curriculum. Pitsco, by providing our teachers
with a fully inclusive, hands-on lab with
built-in curriculum, enables our teachers to
participate and teach without hesitation or
lack of confidence. It also makes sure that
time is set aside and honored for science.
TPN: What is the hope for students
with these experiences when
they get into high school?
JL: It’s not a hope but an
expectation that students will
be prepared for the rigorous
high school curriculum. Through
a comprehensive educational
program at the elementary
and junior high school, we
expect that each student will
be instilled with the skills,
knowledge, and curiosity it takes
to be outstanding learners in
high school and beyond.
TPN: Why did the El Centro district
go with Pitsco Education for
these hands-on STEM and
STEAM solutions?
JL: We found the Pitsco program
a good fit for our district for
many reasons. The idea that
the lessons were high interest
and high quality was most
important. Beyond that, we
appreciated the completeness
of the program – from the
furniture and classroom setup
to the high-quality lessons
designed with student interest
in mind. Having a teacher be able to
walk into the lab and deliver the lesson
with little preparation and easy-to-follow
plans was also a major contributor to our
decisions. Our district invested in full-time
lab assistants to set up the lab each day
for each teacher. The Pitsco professional
development provided also ensures that
the program is being utilized in a proper
way with fidelity.
TPN: What’s your next planned step to
increase hands-on, standards-based
STEM and STEAM experiences for
students?
JL: Our district supplements this program
through high-quality field trips and school
activities. Our plan for this particular
program is to continue adding one or
two schools per year until we have full
implementation across the district.