An important word in the Navajo language is “ho′zho′,” which means harmony, beauty, and balance. To be ho’zho is to be aware of and part of the world around you.

From March 27-31, 16 Utah Valley University School of Education students toured Utah’s San Juan County elementary schools to instruct K-6 students using robotics, network with professional educators, and find ho’zho.

“This trip provides our UVU preservice teachers, the elementary school students, and the K-6 teachers with an opportunity to witness how engaging robotics can be and how computer science can be integrated across the content areas,” said Krista Ruggles, elementary education professor and director of the UVU Creative Learning Studio. “The educators observed the lessons and learned that computer science doesn’t have to be taught in isolation. They also learned that they are already implementing a lot of these concepts. The next step is for them to use the computer science vocabulary across content areas.

“For me, the trip allowed me to help my students connect what they have been learning in my equitable technology integration course with what is happening in the real world of education,” Ruggles said. “I am so thankful that the San Juan School District provided us with this engaged learning opportunity.”

San Juan County has 12 schools, six of which are in the Navajo Nation, a Native American reservation that occupies a portion of southeastern Utah. UVU students taught at three elementary schools in the Navajo Nation: Tsébii'nidzisgai Elementary School (TES), Montezuma Creek Elementary School, and Bluff Elementary School.

Faculty instructed UVU students about navigating cultural differences while teaching in Navajo Nation classrooms. UVU professors believe these skills will help students build awareness of the world around them.

“Every one of us has a single story of what we thought going to the Navajo Nation was going to be,” secondary education Professor Bryan Waite told students. “And it’s based on limited information. This experience debunks all of that because, for a week, you're going to see all kinds of stories. That's what's so amazing about doing trips like this — now you become open to the fact that there are more stories than the only one that you were given.”

Students on the trip will earn the global/intercultural distinction on their transcripts, demonstrating that they have graduated with global and intercultural competencies and skills necessary for future employment and graduate school.

“We’re not here to save the Navajo,” elementary education Professor Mike Patch told the students. “We’re here to give students experiences with computers, and we’re here to learn from them. That’s not a selfish thing; it’s what this is about. Because the better we can learn from the students and staff in these schools, the more capable we can be, both as educators and future educators.”

Elementary education students and twin sisters Sarahi and Arahi Salgado took this instruction to heart and developed a kinship with the Navajo students they taught.

“Teaching at [TES], I was able to relate to the kids because I am a person of color,” Arahi Salgado said. “And not just because of that, but also because of my experiences at home. Some teachers have told [me] that a lot of students are absent much of the time, and that was our situation. Growing up, we were going through a hard time; our parents just got divorced. We were absent so much that we were behind.

“There wasn't someone there to help me progress in school,” Ahari Salgado added. “Learning is hard for me, too, but because of my experiences, I have that extra understanding with the children. And that's why I wanted to become a teacher. I want to be the one person in the room that says, ‘Hey, you're struggling. Let's do it together. Let's work. Let's break it down. It doesn't matter how many weeks it takes, but let's work.’”

Sarahi Salgado recalled a similar experience in TES.

“I loved noticing how special our differences can be,” she said. “When we went into one of the classrooms, I started asking the kids questions like ‘What does your name mean?’ Because they all have unique names like my sister and I do. And ‘What other languages do you speak?’ And they told us that they speak Navajo. I told them, ‘Well, I speak Spanish.’ They were so shocked! They asked us both to speak Spanish, and we agreed to as long as they showed us the Navajo language.

“We exchanged languages, and it was so beautiful to see the connections even though we're so different in a way,” Sarahi Salgado added. “I kind of saw myself in the kids.”

The student-teachers used lesson plans incorporating robotics from the UVU Creative Learning Studio. One such lesson was the Robot Mouse, which can be used to teach children lessons in geometry, algorithms, problem-solving, and coding.

Arrows on top of the robotic mouse indicate the direction the mouse moves. Push the right buttons, and the mouse will move in the indicated sequence. But the robots aren’t just there for the sake of having robots; they’re there to teach important STEM principles.

“There are several reasons why the lessons that we implement involved robotics,” Ruggles said. “First, the state of Utah adopted new K-12 computer science standards in 2019. Due to the pandemic, many districts across the state have just started integrating the standards. Over the past few years, the San Juan School District purchased robotics for their schools for teachers to use, but training is needed for them to be integrated across the content areas. This is why UVU and the school district partnered to provide professional development and support for teachers.

“In addition, robotics also provides young students with a more concrete understanding of computer science concepts. There are several free online block coding tools that schools have been using, like code.org, Hour of Code, and CS First, but building algorithms on a screen is too abstract for young students. It is more appropriate for them to physically input code by pushing buttons to build an algorithm and watching the robot respond.”

While UVU students worked with children in classrooms, School of Education faculty Krista Ruggles, Mike Patch, Joey Foote, and Dean Vessela Ilieva worked with district staff to see how schools could integrate robotics into teachers’ lesson plans.

“This effort is beneficial for both sides — for UVU and for our school district,” said San Juan School District Assessment Director Shannon Dewsnup. “I think it's beneficial for the students to come down and see something different that they've never seen before and get that hands-on experience to go into the classroom and work with these students. Our district is so unique; you'll never find another across the whole United States. I also think it's beneficial for our district. One of our big challenges has been that the teachers need to integrate computer science standards into our lessons, and the teachers are already overwhelmed with everything that they need to do. Having the teachers be able to see a model of these UVU students working with robotics with our students — and having the teacher say, ‘Oh, this is stuff we're already doing, that's not so bad. We can do that.’ — is especially beneficial.”

In just five days, UVU students experienced a kind of engaged learning no college class could ever teach. The student-teachers had full reign of their classrooms; their time often extended beyond the lesson, giving them opportunities to practice skills in classroom management and adaptability.

“With technology, it can either go really well, or it can go really bad,” elementary education student Madison Pond said. “This trip is a hands-on learning experience of how I can be more flexible in my teaching, and it's giving me that practice. This has inspired me to make my lessons more engaging, more hands-on, where we can learn together. So it's not so much like ‘just do a worksheet,’ but to be creative and make it fun.”

Nontraditional student Jenny Spencer shared Madison’s sentiments, saying that her time in the classroom reminded her that, despite cultural boundaries, “kids are kids.”

“I have loved this experience,” Spencer said. “I thought it would be harder than what it was —  more of an adjustment — and it hasn't. I love these kids. I’ve learned when we boil it down, there really is no difference. People are people, and yes, we all come with our own values, culture, and background. But … we all want to grow and be loved, taught, and accepted.”

Learn more about the UVU Creative Learning Studio.