Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/2866
and letting us go through this wonderful experience.” Parent volunteers John and Maggie B est, r etired IBM engineers, have a s on on the team and devote time to helping out. They agree that the robotics program would n ot be t he enrichment wonder program it is without Arrington. “It wouldn’t exist without Hel- en,” John Best said. “She dedicates an incredible amount of time with nothing in return. She works in- credible magic to get funding.” In high-tech Silicon Valley, en- gineers are in demand, he noted, and many had their start right here at Leland. “This is a really ex- citing program. It’s the kind of thing that will enable the future of our country. It’s getting kids really excited about engineering and technology.” Maggie Best — who worked on the 1991 IBM team that invented The robot that Team Quixilver 604 built speeds around the track at the Atlanta competition last spring with ball in tow. the DVD — said all of the team members go on to college, another tribute to the love of knowledge that Arrington sparks in the kids. “The kids love her and respect her. They will do anything for her. They know that she loves them.” She points to the team’s other skills, such as building its own website at www.lelandrobotics. com, which documents in an ar- ray of photos, local news story archives and other methods all of the team’s recent victories and goals. The website also links to www.usfirst.org, the robotics or- ganization that coordinates com- petitions and the rigorous rules involved. The website will need to be up- dated soon because the San Jose City Council on Dec. 2 added to the tributes and honors enjoyed by Team Quixilver 604. Mayor Chuck Reed and Council mem- ber Nancy Pyle, who represents the area that includes the school, presented a special commenda- tion to dozens of the team mem- bers at San Jose City Hall. The city honored the team for its “ingenuity and each student’s extraordinary commitment of time and energy” and for “out- standing achievements in the field of robotics.” It cited some of the team Continued on page 34 Programs for California Professionals in Education Designed to advance your career Credentials and Certificates u Multiple and Single Subject u Administrative Credentials u CTEL u Education Counseling u School Psychology u Special Education u Reading and Language Arts u Child Life Specialist Bachelors u Liberal Studies u Child Development • Small classes with professionally active faculty • Programs in La Verne and numerous campuses throughout the state • Flexible scheduling • Nationally recognized, CCTC approved and WASC accredited programs Celebrating more than 100 years of excellence in teacher education Not all programs offered at all locations. Masters u Educational Management u School Counseling u Special Education: Mild/Moderate u School Psychology u Reading u Special Emphasis u Child Life u Child Development u Advanced Teaching Doctoral u Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.) University of LaVerne COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP 1950 Third Street La Verne, CA 91750 Call toll free: (877) GO-TO-ULV or email: degreeinfo@ulv.edu www.ulv.edu/welcome december 2008 • january 2009 | www.cta.org 23 Photo by Peter Fang