21st Century Ed, and regional employers have made clear that STEM-related roles continue to go unfilled. Suffolk’s strategy is to provide early exposure and sustained opportunity so students can see what STEM careers look like long before they are forced to choose a path. In practice, that includes robotics competitions, coding initiatives, 3D printing across multiple grade levels, and project-based experiences that connect learning to real-world challenges. Gordon points to STEM camp examples where students design and code robotic solutions—such as building a “moonwalker” that must navigate obstacles through precise measurement and programming. These activities are not just engaging; they teach students how mathematics, science, and logic converge in the technologies that shape modern industry. TECHNOLOGY AS THE BLOODSTREAM OF INSTRUCTION Gordon views technology not as an accessory, but as the connective tissue of modern learning. It links classroom work to home reinforcement, supports collaboration, and helps students build digital citizenship skills that will be required regardless of career choice. Suffolk uses a blended approach to curriculum resources, with roughly three quarters of textbook adoption digital and the remainder print-based for flexibility, accommodations, and accessibility. At the elementary level, Chromebooks are not sent home for the youngest students, but technology remains embedded in classroom practice through interactive environments, specialized tools, and structured learning platforms. What matters most, Gordon emphasizes, is not the presence of devices, but how they are used to create 441 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 01 SUFFOLK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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