An Introduction and Things to Come

To all that will read this, thanks for taking a few moments to check out this blog and welcome to the adventure. My name is Josh Worthy and I'm the EAST Facilitator at Sonora Elementary. Sonora is a small community just East of Springdale, Arkansas, right along the southwestern region of Beaver Lake.

More importantly, let's talk about EAST and the kids. EAST stands for Environmental and Spatial Technology; it's a student driven class that empowers students to use professional grade technology to solve problems in the local community and the real world. In our classroom, we give our 2nd through 5th grade students access to programs like ArcGIS mapping software by ESRI, Adobe Photo Suite, Final Cut Pro video editing software, AutoCAD design software, Unity Pro game engine software, and 3D Vista design, just to name a few. In just the last 16 months, Sonora EAST kids have worked with the likes of KNWA News, the Arts Center of the Ozarks, Air Control Heating and Air, the Nob Hill Fire Department, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Arkansas Department of Education, and the 2012 ISTE Convention, just to name a few. You can find out more about the EAST Initiative at www.eastinitiative.org. Check out our Sonora EAST kids at www.facebook.com/sonoraeast or www.youtube.com.sonora east.

Also, check out the video below. It was created by a 3rd grade Sonora EAST student.

Check back frequently for news, updates, and student testimonies.

JW