Students Teaching Students (Graphic Arts Software Workshops)

Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] - Crespo Fine Arts Academy Mentorship Workshop

[January 13, 2010]

Thirteen middle school students from Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] traveled to the Crespo Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School to mentor 26 fifth grade students in the use of graphics software to create digital art.

The RYSS students learned how to use the software from Tom R. Chambers, Technology Applications teacher. They used the software during the first semester of the school year to make digital art for a vocabulary building project based on the Grade 7 TEKS/TAKS Science vocabulary. The digital art creations of Chambers' students have been on display in galleries for the last two years, locally, as well as internationally at the 4th and 5th Annual Carnival of e-Creativity and Change-agents Conclave in the new Himalayan Indian state of Uttarakhand, India.

Chambers takes student engagement and empowerment so seriously that most of what is learned and produced transcends the classroom and school system to have community and international impact. As a result, his students are motivated to do more, and in this case, they became mentors for students at another school.

This mentorship process involved an intensive morning session of learning and practicing, and an afternoon session of project application to make digital art. The RYSS seventh grade students succeeded in not only keeping the attention of the fifth graders, but also making the students comfortable with the software and producing gratifying results. The two groups were so engaged throughout the day that the teachers present during the process seemed secondary. The RYSS students had successfully gained a skill and were empowered to convey what they knew to others.

Chambers believes this mentorship project between RYSS and Crespo Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School is a first, at least for Houston's East End, where these schools are located. Whatever the case, the program set a precedent, and there is discussion of it being implemented at other schools. Chambers stated, "I'm always proud of all of my students, but I am particularly proud of these 13 seventh graders who eagerly took on the challenge of doing more for themselves, their school and their community."

Photographs follow to indicate the degree of activity and working relationship between the RYSS and Crespo students:

Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] - T.H. Rogers School Mentorship Workshop

[December 15, 2010]

Twenty-nine middle school students from Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] traveled to T.H. Rogers School to mentor their photography/art students [9-12] in the use of graphics software to create digital art.

The RYSS students learned how to use the software from Tom R. Chambers, Technology Applications teacher. They used the software during the first semester of this school year to make digital art for a project based on Grade 8 TEKS/TAKS Social Studies; and they used it last school year to make digital art for a project based on Grade 7 TEKS/TAKS Science. The digital art creations of Chambers' students were on display [slide show] at the 5th Annual Carnival of e-Creativity and Change-agents Conclave in the new Himalayan Indian state of Uttarakhand, India, February 2010; and their work will be displayed [slide show] again at the 6th Annual Carnival of e-Creativity and Change-agents Conclave in the new Himalayan Indian state of Uttarakhand, India, February 2011.

This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning/practicing, and project application to make digital art. The RYSS eighth grade students succeeded in not only keeping the attention of the T.H. Rogers students, but also making them comfortable with the software and producing gratifying results. The two groups were so engaged throughout the day that the teachers present during the process seemed secondary. The RYSS students had successfully gained a skill and were empowered to convey what they knew to others.

This mentorship project between RYSS and T.H. Rogers School is the second student workshop. The first one was held last school year at Crespo Fine Arts Academy.

Photographs follow to indicate the degree of activity and working relationship between the RYSS and T.H. Rogers students:

Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] - Harmony Hills Elementary Mentorship Workshop

[May 11, 2011]

Nineteen 7th grade students from Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] traveled to Harmony Hills Elementary [San Antonio] to mentor nineteen third grade students in the use of graphics software to create digital art.

The RYSS students learned how to use the software from Tom R. Chambers, Technology Applications teacher. They used the software during the second semester of this school year to make digital art for a project based on Grade 7 TEKS/TAKS Language Arts vocabulary.

This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning/practicing, and project application to make digital art. The RYSS seventh grade students succeeded in not only keeping the attention of the Harmony Hills Elementary students, but also making them comfortable with the software and producing gratifying results. The two groups were so engaged throughout the day that the teachers present during the process seemed secondary. The RYSS students had successfully gained a skill and were empowered to convey what they knew to others.

This mentorship project between RYSS and Harmony Hills Elementary is the third student workshop. The first one was held last school year at Crespo Fine Arts Academy, and the second one was held first semester, this school year at T.H. Rogers School.

Photographs follow to indicate the degree of activity and working relationship between the RYSS and Harmony Hills Elementary students:

Message from Yolanda Vanness, third grade History teacher at Harmony Hills Elementary School:

"I want to take this opportunity to thank you and your fabulous seventh graders for making the trip to Harmony Hills and teaching my third graders how to use the GIMP software. My kids were thrilled about the experience and learned so much today! It was so exciting to see the kids (seventh and third graders) interacting and learning from each other. I am so happy with what they were able to do in such a short time. I have saved their biography projects and will print them out in the next few days. The RYSS students are so fortunate to have such an outstanding instructor that provides such real-life experiences for his students. Several of my kids went home, and downloaded GIMP onto their home computers, and created some awesome pics! They were so inspired and empowered! I can't wait to do something like this again!"

Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] - Junior and Primary Academies Mentorship Workshop

[December 13, 2011]

Seventh grade students mentored fifth grade students in the use of graphics software [GIMP (freeware Photoshop equivalent)] to create digital art.

The students learned how to use the software from Tom R. Chambers, Technology Applications teacher. They used the software during the first semester of this school year to make digital art for a project based on the Junior Academy's "Core Values" [Honor, Responsibility, Commitment, Citizenship] theme.

Chambers takes student engagement and empowerment so seriously that most of what is learned and produced transcends the classroom to have an impact. As a result, his students are motivated to do more, and in this case, they became mentors for students at the RYSS Primary Academy.

This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning/practicing, and project application to make digital art. The RYSS seventh grade students succeeded in not only keeping the attention of the fifth-grade students, but also making them comfortable with the software and producing gratifying results. The two groups were so engaged throughout the session that the teachers present during the process seemed secondary. The RYSS students had successfully gained a skill and were empowered to convey what they knew to others.

Photographs follow to indicate the degree of activity and working relationship between the RYSS students:

Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] - Junior and Primary Academies Mentorship Workshop II

[January 23-26, 2012]

Eighth grade students mentored fifth grade students in the use of graphics software [GIMP (freeware Photoshop equivalent)] to create digital art based on Grade 5 Science content.

The students learned how to use the software from Tom R. Chambers, Technology Applications teacher. They used the software this semester of this school year to make digital art for a project about bullying.

This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning/practicing, and project application to make digital art. The RYSS eighth grade students succeeded in not only keeping the attention of the fifth-grade students, but also making them comfortable with the software and producing gratifying results. The two groups were so engaged throughout the session that the teachers present during the process seemed secondary. The RYSS students had successfully gained a skill and were empowered to convey what they knew to others.

Photographs follow to indicate the degree of activity and working relationship between the RYSS students (Note: this workshop took place in Chambers' Technology Applications classroom.):

Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] - Dublin [TX] Primary and Middle Schools Mentorship Workshops

[April 11/12, 2012]

Nineteen eighth grade students from Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] traveled to Dublin Middle and Intermediate Schools [Dublin, TX] to mentor fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students in the use of graphics software to create digital art.

This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning and project application to make digital art for the same project based on Space weather and the NASA MMS [Magnetospheric Multiscale] 2014 Mission. The RYSS eighth grade students succeeded in not only keeping the attention of the Dublin students, but also making them comfortable with the software and producing gratifying results. The groups of students were so engaged throughout the two days [middle school - day one; primary school - day two] that the teachers present during the process seemed secondary. The RYSS students had successfully gained a skill and were empowered to convey what they knew to others.

This mentorship project between RYSS and Dublin [TX] Middle and Intermediate Schools is the sixth and seventh student workshops.

Photographs follow to indicate the degree of activity and working relationship between the RYSS students:

Primary:

Middle:

Message from Jennifer Miller, Instructional Technologist at Dublin Independent School District:

"I am so proud of your students, and our Dublin ISD students. As soon as you left, I went to the junior high, and I found all of the students completing and finishing their digital art. Many said that they stayed up late last night inspired. Thank you. I will be sending you examples next week. Your students were so professional, and they are excellent teachers. They are fantastic!"

Message from Nancy Crouch, Special Education/ Intervention Teacher, Dublin Middle School, Dublin Independent School District:

" My class struck a gold mine when they drew Ramon Meza as their teacher/mentor. He was unbelievable. There was one short moment when his face registered shock as he realized that we used Mac laptops, and I forgot to hook up a mouse. I'm so used to the little track pad for most of what I do on a daily basis. He covered his discomfort well, and only required a little assistance to get going. Seriously, he was unbelievable. At first, I thought he was going to be too shy. He was soft spoken, but it didn't take him long to problem solve that the Smart Board was NOT the way to go. It did help in the very beginning to get all the students on the right page, but when it came to the more difficult parts, he started working with the students individually and in small groups. My students were totally engaged in every word he said. The funny thing was that he didn't say very much. He gave a few directions and modeled what to do, and then watched as they worked. His only words of praise were, "Yes, that's right." He was extremely patient and calm. He never criticized by word or expression. That's a rare quality, especially in a teenager.

I have to do a dog and pony show to even be heard, and this young man had my students sitting on the edge of their seats with hardly a word. You are certainly correct in saying that the best teachers are other students. They sure got lucky. They enjoyed Ramon. It was a wonderful afternoon. They were all still working when the 3:45 bell rang. Unbelievable!"

Representatives from NASA [MMS 2014 Mission], El Paso ISD Administrators/Teachers, Sandra Wozniak and her students, representatives from ISTE [International Society of Technology for Education], and others tuned into the "Summit Challenge" via Adobe Connect video conferencing to showcase the Digital Art workshop process, and discuss other methods of challenging teachers and students to participate in dynamic curricular activities for greater understanding and retention of Space weather concepts and the NASA MMS mission approach. ePals Spotlighted the process.

Nineteen RYSS students participated in this significant event:

Brandon Aleman, Kevin Gonzalez, Jesus Gomez, Ariel Salazar, Francisco Rosas, Gabriel Bahena, Edwin Mendiola, Ramon Meza, Raul Martinez, Kevin Martinez, Lizbeth Salas, Janet Mendiola, Dulce Ramirez, Destiny Buendia, Evelyn Guajardo, Ariadna Suazo, Esmeralda Gutierrez, Alejandra Martinez, Emily Lopez.

The above students received special recognition at the Junior Academy Award Ceremony near the end of the school year.

Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] - Harmony Hills Elementary Mentorship Workshop

[October 9, 2012]

Twenty-two 7th grade students from Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] traveled to Harmony Hills Elementary [San Antonio] to mentor twenty-one second grade students in the use of graphics software to create digital art.

The RYSS students learned how to use the software from Tom R. Chambers, Technology Applications teacher. They used the software during the first semester of this school year to make digital art for a project based on other RYSS students' nature photographs via the Houston Audubon Society. They also made their art for silent auction at the Tejano Center for Community Concerns/Raul Yzaguirre School for Success Gala to help raise money for education and community programs.

Chambers takes student engagement and empowerment seriously. What is learned and produced transcends the classroom and school system to have community and international impact. As a result, his students are motivated to do more, and in this case, they became mentors for students at another school.

This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning/practicing, and project application to make digital art. The RYSS seventh grade students succeeded in not only keeping the attention of the Harmony Hills Elementary students, but also making them comfortable with the software and producing gratifying results. The two groups were so engaged throughout the day that the teachers present during the process seemed secondary. The RYSS students had successfully gained a skill, and were empowered to convey what they knew to others.

This mentorship project between RYSS and Harmony Hills Elementary is the sixth student workshop at various schools.

Photographs follow to indicate the degree of activity and working relationship between the RYSS and Harmony Hills Elementary students:

Message from Yolanda Vanness, second grade teacher at Harmony Hills Elementary School:

"A million thanks to you and your students! They are such leaders and positive role models!"

Raul Yzaguirre School For Success [RYSS] - Harmony Hills Elementary Mentorship Workshop

[May 22, 2013]

Twenty-one eighth grade students from Raul Yzaguirre School for Success [RYSS] traveled to Harmony Hills Elementary [San Antonio] to mentor twenty third grade students in the use of graphics software to create digital art.

The RYSS students learned how to use the software from Tom R. Chambers, Technology Applications teacher. They used the software during this semester of the school year to make Digital Art re: homelessness. They used images of situations to not only call attention to the plight of the homeless, but also celebrate their humanity through the Digital Art treatment of the images.This activity was in response to a learning service (campaign) initiative by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). A core group of the students attended the Houston Coalition for the Homeless (HCH) "Three Decades of Achievement" event downtown Houston, April 5, 2013. They displayed a selection of the eighth-grade class: Digital Art.

This mentorship process involved an intensive session of learning/practicing, and project application to make digital art. The RYSS eighth grade students succeeded in not only keeping the attention of the Harmony Hills Elementary students, but also making them comfortable with the software and producing gratifying results. The two groups were so engaged throughout the day that the teachers present during the process seemed secondary. The RYSS students had successfully gained a skill, and were empowered to convey what they knew to others.

This mentorship project between RYSS and Harmony Hills Elementary is the eighth student workshop at various schools.

Photographs follow to indicate the degree of activity and working relationship between the RYSS and Harmony Hills Elementary students: