Project Lead the Way
Grayslake Rotarian Michael Marassa hosted several Grayslake Central High School teachers and students as our luncheon guests and the featured speakers for the Dec 16th meeting of the Grayslake Rotary Club. Visiting our club were Barb Georges, Department Chair for Science & Career Tech Education, Tom Kim, Associate Principal for Curriculum & Instruction, and four students, Will Mock, Kasey Wanek, Katelynn Weidman, and Brian Zador. Barb and Tom introduced two programs recently introduced at Grayslake Central High School, the first being Project Lead the Way, and the second an initiative to introduce iPads into the classroom.
(l to r) Assoc Principal Tom Kim, Dept Chair Barb Georges, students Katelynn Weidman, Kasey Wanek, Will Mock, Brian Zador, and Grayslake Rotarian Michael Marrassa
STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education is at the heart of today’s high-tech, high-skill global economy. For America to remain economically competitive, our next generation of leaders -- the students of today -- must develop the critical-reasoning and problem-solving skills that will help make them the most productive in the world.
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a provider of rigorous and innovative STEM education curricular programs used in schools. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, PLTW exists to prepare students for the global economy through its world-class curriculum, high-quality professional development, and an engaged network of educators, students, universities, and professionals. PLTW’s comprehensive curriculum has been designed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals, and school administrators to promote critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and real-world problem solving skills in students. The hands-on, project-based program engages students on multiple levels, exposes them to areas of study that they typically do not pursue, and provides them with a foundation and proven path to college and career success.
STEM education programs like the one offered by PLTW engage students in activities-, projects-, and problem-based (APPB) learning, which provides hands-on classroom experiences. Students create, design, build, discover, collaborate and solve problems while applying what they learn in math and science. They're also exposed to STEM fields through professionals from local industries who supplement the real-world aspect of the curriculum through mentorships and workplace experiences.
Both Will and Brian detailed their participation in PLTW; the integration of their mainstream academic classes, particularly math and science, with what have been traditional vocational trade classes such as wood or metal shop. They discussed the use of concept engineering software such as Inventor in their projects, as well as the use of 3-D printing technology to fabricate mockups or one-off parts for their projects. The merging of these disparate disciplines has allowed them to complete projects from concept stages through to production, as in the case of a charcoal chimney project they have worked on.
Kasey and Katelynn gave an account of their experience with a new iPad initiative being implemented in the school biology program. The school provides students with iPads in class as textbook proxies; this capability is supplemented by the iPad's further use as a research tool, as well its use to collate and analyze data from experiments and projects. Both young ladies were enthusiastic in their assessments of the devices, describing the synergistic effect they have on course curriculum. Barb did also address the concerns these devices can raise about over-fascination with technology; considerable thought has gone into ensuring these technological aids augment real learning versus just shining the apple.
What can these kinds of programs do to improve actual learning? Here are the outcomes the national PLTW has observed:
• PLTW alumni are studying engineering and technology at five to 10 times the average rate of all students.
• PLTW students have a higher retention rate in college engineering, science, and related programs than other students in those areas.
• 97% of PLTW seniors intend to pursue a four-year degree or higher, whereas the national average is 67%.
• 80% of PLTW seniors say they will study engineering, technology, or computer science in college, whereas the national average is 32%.
• PLTW students achieve significantly higher scores in reading, mathematics, and science than Career and Technical Education (CTE) students in the same schools in similar CTE fields.
Overall, this was a interesting insight into innovative new programs offered to our community's students - it is encouraging to see experiments like these that try to break out of the objective/test-oriented education philosophy to address real-world application of school-based learning. For more information about PLTW, see their national website at http://www.pltw.org