Longwood Generative AI Workshop

On Tuesday, January 30, 2024, Longwood University ITTIP welcomed SVRTC members to campus for a Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Workshop. Teams of educators from 16 SVRTC school divisions attended the workshop: Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Halifax, Henry, Hopewell City, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Petersburg City, and Prince Edward. During the workshop, attendees engaged in understanding and using generative artificial intelligence, as well as reflecting on the impacts on our education landscape. The workshop was the first of a 4-part series of Generative AI that will be offered to SVRTC school division teams for strategic planning and implications of AI in their school divisions.

The workshop was hosted as part of a Strategic Planning Initiative that began last school year with SVRTC members. The initiative resumed this academic year after Dr. Paula Leach, Director of ITTIP, further explored collaboration among division leadership, including superintendents, to develop a learning series to support SVRTC needs through the 2023-2024 school year.  This led to a partnership with – Advanced Learning Partnerships (ALP), educational consultants who support innovation and leadership in education. As the work continues this year with Generative AI, potential themes for future strategic planning include innovation in  school schedule redesign, student help desk models, industry certification pathways, and intern-/mentorship programs around durable skills.

Any questions about this partnership initiative should be directed to Dr. Paula Leach. 

Moulding Project Director for the LEGO Visits Nottoway Students

Kevin Morales, the Moulding Project Director for the LEGO Group, visited students at Crewe Primary School on December 6th, 2023. This was Mr. Morales’ first visit to an American school!  Mr. Morales was asked to speak to 2nd and 3rd grade students through a collaboration with Annah Bowan, Nottoway Public Schools, and Dr. Stephanie Playton, Longwood University. This event also supports the grant partnership, ACSE:SVRTC, initiatives.

Mr. Morales agreed to not only speak to Nottoway students, but agreed to come in person to Crewe Primary School. Mr. Morales explained that he has worked for LEGO for 13 years — from Mexico to Denmark and now in Richmond, Virginia. He is in charge of all of the machines inside the facility that actually produce the bricks and explained how the ABS plastic is moulded into the many different sizes and shapes of LEGO. Students learned that the largest kit is the World Map, black bricks are produced more than any other color, and over 500,000,000 bricks are made every day. Students were engaged in asking Mr. Morales a number of questions! Crewe Primary School’s principal, Mr. Lloyd Page, also had a few questions and showed off his own interest in LEGOs while they compared matching LEGO sneakers with Mr. Morales.

Nottoway Public Schools and Longwood University are grateful for the opportunity to introduce such an amazing career to our youth.

WordPress Appliance - Powered by TurnKey Linux