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April 12, 2019Students Build Computers as They Hardwire Their Future Successes
Students in the innovative Capital Region BOCES Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) put their computer knowledge to the test recently, building a computer from scratch.
Students in the P-TECH East and West campuses took deconstructed computers, identified the various physical parts of the computers and reconstructed them. They also worked collaboratively to “wipe” clean the hard drive and install new operating systems, said teacher Matt Battisti.
In the future students will be learning about the various types of networks and will be networking the computers they built.
Students in the P-TECH program praise not only the technical skills they learn – like construction – but the work-place skills they learn, such as collaboration.
“I like the team work at P-TECH and how we all work together towards a solution,” said Noah Hatch, of Cobleskill-Richmondville who attends the P-TECH West Campus.
P-TECH is a four- to six-year program (grades 9-14) offered to students throughout the region through a consortium that includes Capital Region BOCES, the Capital Region Chamber, Hudson Valley Community College and SUNY Schenectady County Community College.
The program’s two campuses – East Campus is at Watervliet High School, West Campus at the Center for Advanced Technology at Mohonasen – provides pathways for students to earn free college degrees in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems and Cybersecurity.
The P-TECH curriculum focuses on engaging students in hands-on, project-based learning – such as coding – to be successful in careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and providing students with workplace skills that will ensure success, no matter the career path they are applied to. Through the program, business partners provide students access to cutting-edge technologies and innovations that allow them to see the real-world application of the knowledge they are gaining at P-TECH.
