on board! - c10645061.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com · mousetrap car – winning suggestion ... • modules...
TRANSCRIPT
NETWORKTHE
PITS
CO
NETWORKTHE
PITS
CO
!SySTEM AlertApril-May 2014 • Volume 2, No. 5
Tomorrow is almost here.
Pull
out a
nd s
hare
SyS
TEM
Ale
rt! w
ith
your
stu
dent
s!
When someone calls another person “bird brain,” it’s usually an insult.
One species of bird called homing pigeons, for example, have brains
no bigger than pebbles. But a lot of mystery can hide in a small space.
Pigeon navigation is a classic case. Homing pigeons are known to have
an exceptional ability to find their way home even after they’ve been
transported hundreds of miles away to places they’ve never been.
Scientists don’t really know how pigeons do this. The secrets of pigeon
navigation have stayed secret despite the fact that humans have lived close
to pigeons for thousands of years, despite the fact that we’ve used them
to race and to carry messages between locations, and despite the fact that
many scientists have studied pigeon navigation.
Scientists have made all kinds of hypotheses about this throughout the
years. (A hypothesis is an explanation that can be tested with experiments
to learn if it is correct or incorrect.) One idea is that homing pigeons can
feel Earth’s magnetic field. Just as a compass arrow always points north,
pigeons might stay oriented with the help of iron particles in their beaks.
Another idea is that they are sensitive to smells in their environment. If
pigeons can remember the odors near their home, perhaps they can use
these to sniff their way back to their nests. Others believe that pigeons
navigate by sight, watching for landmarks.
The scientists have tested these hypotheses in many ways. They’ve
followed them in planes. They’ve attached headgear and sensors to
the pigeons. To test the hypothesis that pigeons navigate by smell, one
scientist even put pigeons in smell-proof boxes and transported them
to faraway areas. In that test, the pigeons were able to find home even
though they could not have possibly memorized the smells along the way.
Does this mean that pigeons don’t use smell to navigate? Not at all.
One complication to unraveling the mystery of pigeon navigation is the
fact that pigeons probably have multiple methods of finding their way. So
far the evidence has been a little contradictory. This is a normal part of the
process. Science operates like a long conversation between many people
who share their most clever ideas with one another. But because it is hard
to figure out which ideas are right, scientists often try to poke holes in
these ideas or work together to find evidence to support them.
One recent clever idea about pigeon navigation comes from scientists
at Oxford University in England, the Zoological Society of London, and
the Uppsala University in Sweden. In experiments with 31 pigeons, the
scientists found that homing pigeons were able to memorize routes
back home much better when the landscape they were placed in was
moderately complex.
That is to say that areas like empty fields without many features didn’t
offer pigeons many cues to remember. And areas like dense forests that
were so complex that specific details didn’t stand out were also hard for
pigeons to memorize. The areas that pigeons did best in were areas that
were a happy medium between these two. A small number of prominent
features like hedges or the clear edge of a town made excellent memory
aids.What happens now? Is the mystery solved? No way. Other scientists
might test the idea further. They might find new information that confirms
or complicates what this team found. And this can’t be the whole story,
because it only explains how pigeons might memorize routes home – not
how they can often find their way home from new regions.
It is exciting to find new clues, but as long as the mystery lives, the
great conversation continues.
Persistent mystery: New clues
about pigeon navigation
Career Fields• Ornithologist • Pilot
!
On Board!Okaloosa, Florida, school board members give full support to science, STEM labs page 14
April-May 2014
Learn about our professional developmentpages 3-5
STEM-FACS labs in Cherokee County, GApages 8-9
Art and engineering combine for innovation –SySTEM Alert! pullout
Ask a Pitsco Education consultant which package is best for your class: 800-835-0686.
Creating prototype components and other parts through 3-D printing is fast becoming a normal part of the engineering process. Both of our 3-D printing
packages include everything you need to easily prepare students for the realities of the workplace.
3-D PRINTINGExplorations In Innovation
Choose from Three Packages:1) Vehicle Engineering, 2) Design Solutions, or 3) Both 1 & 2
FeaturesProfessional development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
We are your source for summer training
The Running Well Thief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Take a closer look at a Pitsco MATH Expedition
Learning by ‘doing’ in STEM labs . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Jackson Academy challenges students to embrace STEM
STEM-FACS labs in Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9Everything that’s old is new again
Phonics A to Z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Animals in Motion program is a dream realized
Mousetrap car – Winning Suggestion . . . . . 11Teacher David Joseph shares his activity details
Pitsco makes connecting easy . . . . . . . . 12-13Community page features social networks, blogs, and more
Hardware Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Ace Hardware offers Pitsco products as home projects
President focuses on careers, skills . . . 24-25Education emphasized in State of the Union address
Meyer achieves rare feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Accomplished teacher and family man excels on diamond too
Departments/ColumnsFrom the Executive Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Dave the Science Guy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Social Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13Administrators’ Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Product Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Funding Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25Modules Customer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Missions Customer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
CONTENTS
On the cover – Photo by Melissa Karsten
8
Learning by “doing”
ONLINE
Meyer achieves rare feat!
7
26
22
STEM-FACS labs in Georgia Hardware Science
Padlet – Take Your Modules SocialTeacher shows how to leverage free Web 2.0 tool in your Pitsco lab (story on page 27). See for yourself at: www.padlet.com/wall/ModulesGoingSocial
April-May 2014 1
Your success is our satisfaction
It’s not the cover story for this issue of Network, nor is it a great leap forward in the development of STEM or modular learning. Still, I’d like to start out by directing your attention to an article by Joel Howard that you’ll find on page 26. Many of you reading this know Joel, Pitsco’s Senior Customer Service Representative. Over the years he has forged many strong relationships with educators in the field. In this issue, Joel reflects on his friend Pete Meyer, a teacher and one of the “early adopters” of the Pitsco approach. Though Meyer has had many successes in the classroom, these aren’t the successes Joel is focusing on here. Meyer is also a baseball coach and – well, I’ll let Joel tell you the rest of that story.
The point I am getting at is that the relationships Pitsco employees build with the teachers and administrators on the front lines go deeper than just business. Many of us have formed lifelong friendships with educators we’ve met. In issue after issue, we bring success stories to you through the Network. Each is a cause of celebration, but not simply because it means a boost to our bottom line. Pitsco employees take personal satisfaction in the positive stories our products and services make possible.
A glimpse of the successes you will read about in these pages:• Science test scores are flying high at five elementary schools in Okaloosa County, Florida,
where labs have been funded through a Department of Defense grant.
• In Cherokee County, Georgia, science and math teachers agree: an approach combining STEM and Family and Consumer Sciences promotes core learning.
• Students are gaining deep understanding through hands-on learning in Jackson, Mississippi.
• Phonics: Animals in Motion program is a 20-year dream realized for STEM in the Gym creator Cindy Jones.
Several of our articles focus on the paths to success for Pitsco teachers:• STEM professional development by Pitsco is designed to be relevant, engaging, and
educational. The more you know about the tools before you, the more effective you are.
• And don’t just take our word for it: Teachers share their own tales of how training prepared them for success.
• Modules Lab Facilitator Tim Sexton suggests an open-ended Discovery Day to channel personal passions of students.
• Science Teacher David Joseph shares a mousetrap car project to promote engineering skills and give struggling students a chance to stand tall.
• Facilitator Nicholas Keith provides the scoop on Padlet, a tool that helps students communicate their knowledge.
• Social media provides many great resources to network with Pitsco and fellow educators.
Matt Frankenbery Vice President, Education & Executive Editor
Volume 15, No. 5April-May 2014
NETWORKTHE
PITS
CO
NETWORKTHE
PITS
CO
Pitsco’s vision: To lead educational change that positively affects learners
CEO:Harvey Dean, [email protected]
President, Pitsco Education:Lisa Paterni, [email protected]
Vice President, Sales:Robin White-Mussa, [email protected]
Vice President, Education & Executive Editor:Matt Frankenbery, [email protected]
Communications Manager & Editor:Tom Farmer, [email protected]
Customer Service:Joel Howard, [email protected]
Pitsco Education Marketing:Mike Sparlin, [email protected]
Lead Graphic Artist and Layout:Ben Gaddy, [email protected]
The Pitsco Network is published by Pitsco, Inc., five times each year (bimonthly, except June-July). Information and articles are geared to Pitsco Education facilitators and administrators.
Article submissions and story ideas: Story ideas, suggestions, and full-text submissions are welcome. Please send them to Editor Tom Farmer at [email protected] or P.O. Box 1708, Pittsburg, KS 66762.
Change of address: To report a change of address or name of recipient, contact Editor Tom Farmer at [email protected] or P.O. Box 1708, Pittsburg, KS 66762.
© 2014 Pitsco, Inc., P.O. Box 1708, Pittsburg, KS 66762
From the Executive Editor
Get the PD you need so you can help your students
David MeadorCurriculum Specialist | [email protected]
Dave the Science G uy
Being a science teacher, I have walked into a room for the first time and found some piece of equipment that I have never used before or, for that matter, even seen.
There are a few categories that these pieces of equipment fall into, including old equipment that has
been around for years but hasn’t actually been manufactured since before World War II. Unfortunately, a lot of the time this is the category where mystery equipment falls, but it still functions and can be used to teach. So, sometimes it is worth the effort to figure out how to use it.
Another type of mystery equipment is the opposite of this – the new technology that the most recent teacher purchased because they saw it in a catalog or magazine and ordered it before they left. I have to admit, this type of equipment definitely fascinates me, and I have spent untold hours trying to figure out some of these because of the benefit my kids would get from using this up-to-date technology.
Other items might fall into the realm of an interest that the previous science teacher had that I didn’t necessarily share with them. A lot of this equipment ends up being used in industry in a field that relates to the subject, so once again it is worthwhile to figure it out.
But one thing that all of these pieces of mystery equipment I have run into in the past have in common is that there is no one to show me how to use it. Imagine if you could just turn to someone next to you and have all of your questions answered. What a perfect world that would be.
For more than two decades, Pitsco Education has conducted professional development for teachers at its headquarters in Pittsburg, Kansas, as well as on site at locations across the country. During the past decade (2003-2013), Pitsco teacher education specialists have trained 4,718 teachers on the use and implementation of STEM curricula and equipment/materials.
We have even provided professional development on a statewide level for some of our solutions. This is something that every teacher, but especially those who use exploratory equipment, can relate to needing. Let’s face it, if we go into a classroom with the most engaging piece of equipment on the planet and have no idea how to use it, then its only useful purpose is probably as a paperweight.
If you’re in need of professional development as a first step or as a refresher, don’t put it off. The end result will be you knowing exactly what to do with all of that newfangled – or oldfangled – equipment.
Professional Development
Educators learn by doing in a professional development session held in 2013 on Pitsco Education’s campus in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Other stories in this series:• page 4: Teachers explain how proper preparation
has made a big difference.• page 5: We can customize STEM professional
development to meet your needs.
April-May 2014 3
By Ruthie Muller, Educational Service Manager • [email protected]
Teacher enablement: How are they faring now?
I’m not a mathematician and this isn’t very scientific, but we provided training for a lot of teachers in 2013! The definition of a lot in this case is 652. If these 652 teachers reached an average of 24 students each using our curriculum, then that would mean that we indirectly reached a lot of students last year.
The definition of a lot in this case is 15,648. Many teachers have five or six class periods of students, so let’s go ahead and multiply this number by five: 78,240. Most of these teachers teach two semesters, so if we double that number, that gives us 156,480. Now, that’s a lot of students reached solely by the teachers trained in 2013!
Reaching that many students is incredible, but reaching that many students effectively is even better! Our teacher education department works to ensure that teachers are prepared to teach in the unique Pitsco environments – whether in a Missions lab, Modules lab, Pitsco math lab, or Star Academy; whether it’s STEM, FACS, tech, math, or engineering; whether it’s implementing Engineering or STEM units . . . we work hard to prepare teachers with management strategies and management system understanding.
Teacher enablement is one of our four company pillars. Providing solutions for the classroom to ease decision making, clear instructions to speed preparation, and professional development to prepare teachers is what guides Pitsco and all its employees, not just those who work in teacher education.
It is refreshing to read in teacher seminar evaluations that we have accomplished this pillar of teacher enablement. Many teachers are excited to get students started, as was Amanda Davis from Paul Knox Middle School in South Carolina.
“I can’t wait for my students to begin working in the lab. This is such a great opportunity in learning for all students,” Amanda said about her Modules professional development experience. Others, such as Missions teacher Vicki Koller of Temple Beth AM in Pinecrest, Florida, developed confidence in training. “I went from concerned and worried at first, feeling like a new teacher again, to confident and ready to usher in a new wave of scientists. Bring them on!”
This year we decided to follow up with some of the teachers to see if they still agree with their statements after teaching the program to students for almost an entire school year. We followed up with Peter Schaul from Rosemont Elementary School in Illinois, who began his first year in a Modules Technology lab in August.
Upon the conclusion of the Modules seminar he attended last summer, Peter had these kind words to say, “Through all the seminars that I have been through in my life, I sincerely state that the professionalism, thoroughness, structure, and accommodations that Pitsco put forth far exceeded anything that I have ever experienced. I cannot speak more highly of the Pitsco staff, our seminar host, to any other Pitsco employee that I encountered during the two days. The most satisfying aspect of the training was getting to know and putting a face to the names of the people that I will be encountering in the future while working with the Pitsco equipment.”
We followed up with Peter and learned that he still wholeheartedly agrees with what he stated last summer. Peter added that he thinks the training environment was one-of-a-kind. “Everyone was friendly and cooperative with the overall goal of the course. I wish I could come out to continue the training in the future. I think it would be nice to be retrained and to learn more of the system every five years or so.”
Peter also offered some advice to other Pitsco teachers: “The advice that I would offer for future teachers would be to obviously take the two-day session at Pitsco and to run through the training sessions, just as the students do. I would also advise the teachers to have close proximity to the students as they go through the sessions and to watch the students complete the sessions as the instructions are pointed out. The more familiar you may get with the Modules, the easier troubleshooting and understanding the Modules can be.”
These are just a couple examples of how we enable teachers who then enable tens of thousands of students to succeed in school – and in life. That makes it all worthwhile.
Facilitators reflect on how training prepared them for reality
Professional Development
Through all the seminars that I have been through in my life, I sincerely state that the professionalism, thoroughness, structure, and accommodations that Pitsco put forth far exceeded anything that I have ever experienced.
Contact us to schedule PD• workshops.pitsco.com• 800-828-5787
4 The Pitsco Network
Raise your hand if you’ve ever sat in a teacher in-service or professional development and thought, “This is a waste of time and I’m getting nothing out of it that I can use in my classroom!”
I’m guessing that many of you mentally raised your hand. Obtaining relevant and engaging professional development for teachers is a real challenge for most administrators. Let’s be honest, you can only sit through so many standards-related or classroom-management sessions before you become numb to the information.
Pitsco is ready to meet this challenge with its newly created STEM professional development. Our Teacher Education team has created an experience based on a few simple goals:
• Relevant – The content needs to be something you can actually use in your classroom.
• Engaging – This isn’t a sit-and-listen professional development.
• Educational – Yes, we actually want you to learn something.
Working closely with you, Pitsco Education develops tailored professional development that meets the specific needs and unique challenges of your students and school. Sessions during the professional-development seminar focus on topic-related STEM connections, and participants will also gain a better understanding of STEM, learn strategies that will help teach STEM concepts to students, join in group discussions with other teachers, experience practical applications that transfer directly to the classroom, and leave with product that is ready to use with students.
The professional development is delivered in either a half- or full-day experience, and topics can be specific to grade ranges K-10, with teachers grouped accordingly.
If you’re looking for STEM professional development that is relevant, engaging, and educational, then it’s time to put the power of Pitsco Education to work for you today. Contact me directly at [email protected] or visit us at pitsco.com.
Tim CannellEducational Relationships Manager | [email protected]
Professional Development
The professional development is delivered in either a half- or full-day experience, and topics can be specific to grade ranges K-10, with teachers grouped accordingly.
We customize STEM professionaldevelopment to meet your needs
April-May 2014 5
By Selma Claxton, Educational Program Designer • [email protected]
In the February-March 2014 issue, we introduced Expeditions – Pitsco Education’s newest math product. This offering is designed to build robust mathematical thinking in all students by marrying the Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Content with the standards for Mathematical Practice. Each Expedition, such as Running Well Thief, is built around specific standards.
As students navigate through the Running Well Thief Expedition, they are asked to justify their reasoning mathematically while developing functions based on evidence found at a crime scene. As they travel from one destination to the next, students use various mathematical tasks and resources to help identify possible suspects.
At Destination 1, students are introduced to the crime scene where they develop an initial working theory about who could have committed the crime. As they journey through Destinations 2, 3, and 4, students use mathematics to collect and analyze blood spatter data, shoe length vs height data, and coffee cooling rates. Using mathematical thinking and reasoning, students then develop conclusions based on their analysis of the data. In Destination 5, students use evidence in the form of mathematical models, witness statements, and crime photos to develop a final theory.
Each Expedition is developed using this same framework of destinations and seeks to answer one Essential Question that sets the focus and helps to guide students’ thinking. What students need to understand and be able to do is clear as soon as the journey begins.
Learn more about Expeditions in general and about specific topics at pitsco.com or call 800-828-5787.
The Running Well Thief ExpeditionEach topic built around specific standards, carried out through destinations
6 The Pitsco Network
By Patti Wade, Director of Marketing and Communications • Jackson Academy, [email protected]
Learning by ‘doing’ in STEM LabsJackson Academy challenges its students to embrace STEM
JACKSON, Mississippi – How does wind work? What does skin do to protect us? What is an “intelligent home”? Students in second through eighth grades at Jackson Academy are not only asking these types of questions, they are answering them in tangible ways through experiences in three STEM labs installed by Pitsco Education last summer.
The labs, coupled with a supporting, robust curriculum, expose students to science, math, and other subjects, such as robotics engineering, in ways that are fun and engaging. STEM education helps build the life skills necessary for success in the 21st century.
“Exploration in STEM curriculum enables students to make sense of the math and science they previously had learned in isolation. In STEM, the subjects are brought together, often through the use of technology, in hands-on, real-world applications that show students how and why things work,” said Pat Taylor, headmaster. “STEM is a course where the proverbial lightbulb comes on in the minds of most students.”
In STEM labs, students experience subjects by “doing,” which increases understanding and retention of core academic concepts. “We are seeing a great deal of excitement as students get to touch the instruments and models used in STEM labs,” said Matt Morgan, Middle School dean. “Students’ cognition and sensory skills are engaged through the STEM experience, enabling students to connect core content knowledge with tactile experience and learn collaboration and critical thinking along the way.” The kinesthetic experiences ignite the interest of students, helping them connect concepts to real-world applications.
READY FOR TAKEOFFIn the STEM Missions lab, second- through fourth-grade students
work in teams of four, following a NASA crew model on topics such as space, electricity, skyscrapers, rocks, and rockets. Serving as commander, materials specialist, information specialist, or communication specialist, students develop skills of communication and collaboration while observing how their contributions affect the results of the entire team.
“It really has been a huge hit with the kids, and I’m having a blast as well!” said Cliff Powers, Lower School STEM instructor and 21st-century learning specialist. “The STEM lab is incredibly stimulating, interactive, and engaging.”
YES, IT IS ROCKET SCIENCEUnderstanding rocket science is the focus of one of the hands-on
workstations in the Middle School STEM lab. Fifth-grade students make
use of 12 workstations that illuminate subjects through explorations on aquaculture, climate and biomes, and even garbology. Sixth-grade students experience 12 workstations that include heart fitness, carbon footprint, and plastics and polymers. Seventh- and eighth-grade curriculum includes microbiology, applied physics, and robotics engineering.
“By implementing Pitsco Education’s STEM programs that have been used in more than 5,000 labs across the country, Jackson Academy is positioning itself as a leader in STEM education in the state of Mississippi,” said Peter Jernberg, president.
IMMERSION AND SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING“The Pitsco Education STEM labs are unlike any other classroom on
campus. First of all, the level of activity, interaction, and cooperative learning is at an all-time high,” said Katie Chustz, seventh-grade science teacher. “Students work in small groups to share knowledge and ideas as they problem solve and conduct experiments to learn how the academic concepts they’ve been taught in math and science classrooms apply in the real world. The projects are so engaging and meaningful that students often don’t realize they are learning.”
When a question arises beyond students’ capabilities, the teacher guides students to the next step. “STEM education definitely requires teachers to change the way they deliver subject content,” says Barbara Neely, science department chair and a leader in developing STEM education at JA. “No longer can a teacher be ‘a sage upon a stage’ and depend on students to learn solely from lectures. STEM teachers are facilitators. They help students learn by guiding and questioning. Much of the responsibility for learning is placed on the student. Not only must STEM teachers be knowledgeable in the science and math content, they must also be confident in the use of technology and the engineering processes.”
In the end, it all comes back to preparing students for their future. “The STEM labs and robotics curriculum are designed to ignite and stimulate the intellectual curiosity and creativity possessed by all children. By encouraging and promoting student engagement and autonomy over their own learning, the STEM experience helps students become lifelong learners, a promise of our mission statement,” concludes Cliff Kling, JA president elect.
That’s definitely an outcome that students will appreciate in years to come.
April-May 2014 7
By Cody White, Communications Assistant • [email protected]
As a course, Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) is often valued – and rightly so – because it teaches timeless life skills and imparts knowledge about the relationship between the individual and the community.
Though the name has changed (the course was once more commonly known as Home Economics), the broad applicability of the subject matter has made the course a longstanding classic throughout the country. But the classics often speak to new generations in unexpected ways, and that is exactly what is happening at the new Pitsco STEM-FACS labs in the middle schools of Cherokee County, Georgia.
STEM and FACS are both common acronyms in schools, and in fact, the Cherokee County school district was already moving toward a greater emphasis on STEM. Deliberately combining the two concepts into one course is a fairly unique approach, however. But as facilitator Mary Chapman makes clear, the connection is quite logical.
“People definitely underestimate the type of education you receive to be a FACS teacher, with all the heavy science in college. That is totally what makes the world go round in FACS. In textiles as well as in foods and nutrition, even in something as simple as interior design with the color schemes and things like that – it is all science.”
A PROGRAM WITH A PURPOSEChapman piloted the program for the district in her lab at Freedom Middle School
before it grew to half a dozen STEM-FACS labs over several middle schools. She also worked with the county’s curriculum director to carefully choose the 16 Module titles that compose her lab (other schools have slightly different sets of titles). While there was a definite desire to keep the course tied to its roots (hence such Module titles as Food Science, Snack Nutrition, Confident Consumer, and Fashion & Textiles), Chapman sought titles that also had strong math and science components. On these grounds, she and the curriculum director bypassed several titles that would have likely been in a traditional Pitsco FACS lab.
This resulted in a program that, despite possible knee-jerk expectations to the contrary, reaches deep into the core. And the effect is that the whole school is stronger for it because the lab reinforces the relevance of core knowledge – both for careers and for life. And as Chapman has learned, these connections are something that many students don’t take for granted.
“My biggest shock was how many of the most simple math skills they don’t have because they don’t think they’re important. They learned proportions in the sixth grade, so they think they don’t need to remember them. Yes you do! Look, you’re using it right now!” Thanks to the lab, Chapman says, students “are able to understand why their math class is important, why their science class is important in the careers as they go – and they are still learning the family and consumer science skills.”
But you don’t have to take Chapman’s word for it. The program has proved popular among math and science teachers at Freedom Middle School, and they will tell you so.
Everything that’s old is new againSTEM-FACS labs in Cherokee County, Georgia, prove that classics are still in
THE INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL LAB
Facilitator Mary Chapman has seen the field of Family and Consumer Sciences from multiple perspectives. After getting a degree in FACS, she taught the course for several years before working at a curriculum company as a traveling teacher trainer. Since then, she has come back to teaching, first in special education and now as the head of a Pitsco STEM-FACS lab. So it is no surprise that Chapman has a few ideas about what makes a FACS lab successful.
Chapman says that she has always been a strong supporter of module-based curriculum. To her, it just makes sense because the de-centered, self-paced approach can serve a diverse range of students all at the same time. She singles out Pitsco Modules in particular for her praise because of the performance assessment component. The students verbally answer questions and explain their thoughts to the teacher.
“It is their opportunity to explain and show a true understanding, even though it is hectic and crazy. But that is what it is all about. Students are able to really learn something.”
That is the curriculum and student part of the recipe – but what about the facilitator’s contribution?
“You’ve got to be actively engaged. . . . And you have to have fun with it. I love when my students say, ‘Ms. Chapman, come look at this.’”
STEM-FACS Labs
8 The Pitsco Network
SUPPORT ACROSS THE COREMelissa Christensen, science teacher at Freedom Middle School (and the school’s
2014 Teacher of the Year), knew when she first laid eyes on the lab that there was spectacular potential. She said it was “vibrant and exciting! Students were engaged in the Modules, and student interactions were about the Modules.”
But has the presence of the STEM-FACS lab helped reinforce her efforts as a science teacher? Yes, she says.
“One of my students called me over when I was visiting the FACS lab and showed me how what we had just learned in science was being applied in the cooking Module. As I went around the room, I saw students using math and collecting and interpreting the data they had collected. The students were truly excited and engaged. They were enjoying working through the Modules and ‘putting all the pieces together.’”
Math teacher Jacki Campbell, whose classroom is next door to Chapman’s lab, also sees a benefit. “The STEM connection with FACS is wonderful,” she says. “I love that the students can see the real-life applications of concepts they learn in math.”
When a course becomes as ubiquitous as Family and Consumer Sciences, it can become difficult to think of it in a new way. But as Pitsco demonstrated with Industrial Arts a generation ago, there can be new and illuminating ways to approach classic courses – ways to retain their original spirit while also tuning them specifically to the times.
Here are the titles that Mary Chapman chose for her STEM-FACS lab. Labs in other schools in the district have slightly different sets of titles. These titles were chosen because they were both strong in FACS skills and strong in science and math relevance.
• Confident Consumer• Entrepreneurship: Child Care• Fashion & Textiles• Fitness & Health• Food Science• Garbology• Heart Fitness• Home Makeover• Horticulture• Hotel Management• Interior Design• Math Behind Your Meals• Microwave Cooking & Nutrition• Money Management• Snack Nutrition• Weights & Measures
STEM-FACS Labs
April-May 2014 9
By PJ Graham, Technical Writer • [email protected]
After the success of STEM in the Gym™, developing another program might not seem like a big deal. But for Cindy Jones, Phonics: Animals in Motion isn’t just a sophomore project – it’s a 20-year dream realized.
Though just released in March, Phonics: Animals in Motion has been fine-tuned over the last two decades. Jones, a physical education teacher at Clover Hill Elementary in Midlothian, VA, as well as the director for the Children’s Council of ITEEA and Children’s Outreach Chair of the Virginia Children’s Engineering Council, originally developed it not for the classroom but for her own children. Her daughter has ADD and her son has ADHD, so she was trying to teach them phonics in an active way.
“They enjoyed my kinesthetic teaching method so much, it motivated me to test it with my classes, and I realized that my students enjoyed learning this way also,” Jones said, adding that one parent said that they couldn’t get their child to stop doing it at home. “It became so popular, a local TV station did an interview with me and the kids.”
Using kinesthetic activity to teach and reinforce phonics learning, the program keeps students active and engaged. Using a video featuring students executing the activities and animal animations, different flash card sets, a teacher’s guide, and student workbook, Phonics: Animals in Motion also incorporates counting and sign language into phonics and physical activity. There is a version for both the regular classroom and physical education in the gym – both are geared toward students ages 4 through 8.
According to Jones, Phonics: Animals in Motion has such a strong effect on students because it combines audio, visual, and kinesthetic learning styles into one program. “You are doing everything to imprint it into their memory,” she added. “They’re moving, they’re learning, and they’re having fun – it’s a win-win-win.”
Though it might seem an odd fit for Pitsco Education’s traditional STEM focus, Bill Holden, Pitsco product development specialist, and Pitsco CEO Harvey Dean thought otherwise.
“Pitsco was founded on the idea that students learn best through hands-on activities,” said Holden. “And while phonics is certainly outside of our normal topical area, Harvey thought that the program had merit and would help students learn phonics better through a kinesthetic program.
“Additionally, the potential for Pitsco to assist in moving this concept from the idea stage to a real product was worth pursuing, as Cindy has a proven track record of incorporating kinesthetic learning within academic topics in her physical education courses.”
Compared to the original program, Jones and Pitsco’s version is much more visual through the addition of the flash cards and animal animations in the video.
“The best part was when I got the huge flash cards of the animals that my friend and former Clover Hill parent Kelly Cleary had drawn and Pitsco had blown up to be beautiful flash cards,” Jones said. “Students love, love, love the animal pictures and that the animals have names. So, it was an amazing experience to see how much more they enjoyed the program with the visuals.”
Jones is also thrilled that after a couple less-than-satisfactory videos in the past, the current one surpassed her expectations, especially having children lead the program.
“That made it the best that it can be, because kids like to see kids,” said Jones. “I prayed that that would happen – that was the icing on the cake for the kids to be the stars.”
Adding a sign language component was a no-brainer for the educator as well.
“I used to teach my children sign language, and it was just a fun twist to keep them so completely absorbed with fun and movement that they don’t realize they are learning,” Jones added. “My son had to have sign language because he wasn’t talking, and I just think it is great for kids to be introduced to it at a young age.”
Interest from both teachers and administrators for the phonics program at a recent conference made Jones realize she has another winner on her hands. To learn more about her Phonics: Animals in Motion or STEM in the Gym programs, visit www.pitsco.com.
Animals in Motion program brings action to phonicsNew program is a dream realized for PE Teacher Cindy Jones
10 The Pitsco Network
The goal of a teacher is more than to give his or her students a passing grade at the end of each school year. The goal is to know that those students can not only say what was taught, but that they can do what they learned because they understand the why. In some cases, that requires more work than hanging a foot outside of the proverbial box; it means ditching the box altogether for a mousetrap, adding wheels, and launching across the finish line.
In fact, that is just what David Joseph of Hanscom Middle School in Lincoln, Massachusetts, achieved in his Science and Applied Technology class. David explained that six years ago, he, a science teacher, was approached to cultivate an engineering course that would set the sixth- through eighth-graders on a path to achieving state standards.
Being a bit outside of his comfort zone, Joseph started with what he knew – hands-on learning works. With that piece of experience in hand, he studied and he researched and with time, patience, and dedication, created an evolving curriculum that set his students on track and a Mousetrap Car Project that would become Pitsco’s Winning Suggestion.
“One of the engineering topics was transportation technology, and in doing the research, I came across mousetrap cars, which have become the signature project for this course. Mousetrap cars were also a great vehicle to teach about motion, forces, and energy – a major unit in the sixth-grade science program.”
But that isn’t the only bridge the mousetrap car crosses in his project. The students apply the engineering design process through researching, planning, building, and testing their creations, while fulfilling another requirement of the class: “to familiarize students with the proper and appropriate use of hand tools.” For all the forming, shaping, designing, and assembling that goes into each car, there is no shortage of hand-tool tasks.
Joseph also has noticed that students who might struggle in core classes seem to stand tall and really accomplish above and beyond other classmates.
“The personal investment and satisfaction each student gets while creating a physical model that actually works has been a powerful outcome of this class and it’s been the same for me. . . . as I get ready to retire and reflect back on my long career, this project and the ones like it will be at the forefront of those memories.”
By Denise Overstreet, Technical Editor • [email protected]
Winning Suggestion: From David Joseph • Teacher • Hanscom Middle School • Lincoln, Massachusetts
Mousetrap car project typifies Massachusetts teacher’s extra effort
David Joseph created the Mousetrap Car Project containing the design challenge, criteria, constraints, materials, key points and terms, and of course, the competition guidelines – but that is just the first page. His project includes and explains the learning targets the students should achieve in their research. He allows opportunities for the students to relate their work into words and to relay the directions into work. The students draw prototypes based on research and trial and error. They log their observations and key data as well as the test results. They learn why a prototype was unsuccessful. Understanding is challenged, and the students are able to experience the project from every aspect and every angle imaginable. And David Joseph is now sharing his project in a PDF with you. It can be found on the Pitsco website (www.pitsco.com/network).
Download mousetrap car materials
(Editor’s Note: Teacher David Joseph of Hanscom Middle School in Lincoln, Massachusetts, will receive a $50 Pitsco Education gift certificate and a T-shirt for sharing the following Winning Suggestion. Submit your idea/activity to Editor Tom Farmer at [email protected].)
April-May 2014 11
If you’ve visited Pitsco Education’s website recently, you’ve probably noticed a few changes. Our new Community page, which went live in February, gives viewers one-stop access to our social networks, blogs, publications, teacher tips, and the company feedback form. The new page can be accessed at www.pitsco.com/community or by clicking the Community tab at www.pitsco.com. Here’s a preview of what you’ll see after you’re on the Community page.
Pitsco makes connecting easyNew Community page features social networks, blogs, publications, more
The Social Network
?
BLOGSWithin the Blogs link, viewers will find a new streamlined look that makes
our blogs much easier to navigate. With one click, customers can read the most recent posts from Pitsco’s blogs.
• The Education Highlights blog encompasses many different aspects of Pitsco and education in general. • The In the Classroom blog contains articles, tips, and product reviews from Pitsco’s Teacher Advisory Group (TAG) members.• The Homeschool News blog includes news and helpful information for homeschoolers.
Each blog stream has a Subscribe link that allows readers to sign up for newsletters that highlight the most recent posts. More than 13 different writers contribute to the blogs, creating a nice variety of subjects for our readers to choose from.
SOCIAL NETWORKSA very popular link on the Community page is Social Networks. We have recently begun increasing our social network presence, and this link
leads to all our company social network pages – old and new. “Pitsco Education started focusing resources for social networks in July 2013,” said Melissa Karsten, Pitsco’s online marketing coordinator. “We had a presence before then, but we fine-tuned the look and feel and increased our effort on the number and consistency of posts to keep viewers aware and interested.”
This new focus included adding Pinterest and Google+ to our social network repertoire, providing promotions for social network users to participate in and increasing the amount and variety of content on our existing platforms. Pitsco can now be found on six major social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
“The variety of education products and solutions we offer allows us to appeal to different audiences,” explained Karsten. “Having a plan in place that identifies what content to use on which platform has helped us increase the value of the content for all our audiences across all platforms.”
By Patty Cooke, Communications Assistant • [email protected] Stephanie Manes, Research Assistant & Social Networking Junkie • [email protected]
12 The Pitsco Network
wwwPUBLICATIONS
Another component to the community pages is the publications. If you’re reading this issue of the Network magazine, then one of our publications has already landed in your hands or inbox. However, what you might not know is that Pitsco has other publications and they can all be found in one spot.
In addition to the Network, from this link you can access SySTEM Alert!, an informative STEM-centered publication written and designed for middle-level students. You may also be interested in Leaders in Education, a magazine geared to administrators that is published periodically throughout the year. The final publication available is Rising Stars, a newsletter that chronicles noteworthy events, people, and successes within Star Academy Programs across the country.
TEACHER TIPSIf you’re looking for new ideas
to use in your classroom, the Teacher Tips link is one you won’t want to miss. Here you will find out what other educators are doing in their labs. A recent example is an activity created by teacher Marlena Bleau, in collaboration with Pitsco Curriculum Specialist Ray Grissom, for Sessions 1 and 2 of Pitsco’s new Composites curriculum. In addition to learning about activities created by other teachers, you’ll find items such as tips and tricks from Pitsco regarding the Synergy management system. Be sure to check out this page as we add new tips!
SUGGESTIONSFor those with questions or feedback, the new page has a Suggestions
link as well. Simply click the link and complete the short form to make suggestions and/or ask questions. Give it a try – we’d love to hear from you!
We hope this new streamlined website makes navigation easier and more enjoyable. Don’t forget to subscribe to your favorite blogs, and be sure to tell us how you like the new look!
b ft
www
Tube
April-May 2014 13
Florida
FORT WALTON BEACH, Florida – When a science experiment is well planned, carried out with fidelity, tracked closely, and fully documented, the end results are reliable and revealing.
The implementation of Pitsco Education Mission science labs at five elementary schools within the Okaloosa County (Florida) School District is not a science experiment, but it has all the makings of one – including revealing data.
Funded through a Department of Defense Education Activity grant three years ago, the five Pitsco labs have been maintained and overseen by a pair of full-time science coaches, and a recent report shows the labs’ effects have far surpassed desired results.
A goal of the grant was for 80 percent of the military students (identified by having a parent or a family member working on a nearby military installation such as Eglin Air Force Base) to show at least two-percent growth on the Discovery Education Assessment (DEA) in science from 2012 to 2013.
As it turned out, military students – who make up at least 60 percent of the student population at each of the five schools – increased their DEA scores an average of 14 percent. The results were reported in the “Okaloosa County School District Interact, Investigate, and Transform DoDEA Grant 2013 Annual Report.”
By grade level, test results showed a 20-percent gain for third graders, a 9-percent improvement for fourth graders, and a 14-percent gain for fifth graders. (See more data, comments, and report findings on page 17.)
In the report’s summary, the evaluator stated, “In my opinion, the Okaloosa County School District has highly qualified science coaches, teachers, and administrators that are making the program a model for the nation as it becomes an integral part of the curriculum and instruction provided not only to the military students, but to all students in Okaloosa County.”
Okaloosa County, FL, elementary schools see great gains in science scores, according to DoDEA grant report
This science experiment is working!
By Tom Farmer, Editor • [email protected] Photos by Melissa Karsten, Graphic Artist • [email protected]
14 The Pitsco Network
Florida
PROGRAM MAKES THE DIFFERENCEDistrict officials, teachers, and students
back up the findings of the program evaluator. Science Coach Sandy Palmer has worked with the Missions program since its inception in the district more than two years ago.
“I think it’s the program,” Palmer said of the vastly improved test scores. “It’s set up really well. There’s reading every day, and there’s science content.”
Dennis Samac is principal of Eglin Elementary School, which is located on Eglin Air Force Base and boasts 100 percent military students. He says the Pitsco science lab, which is set up in its own room where classroom teachers bring their students for one week each month, is a big boost to the teachers.
“That takes a little bit of pressure off of the teachers to enjoy science and teach science,” Samac said. “It’s not that the teachers don’t like science. It’s not their forte. It’s number three or four on the list.”
Fourth-Grade Teacher Tracy McClelland of Mary Esther Elementary School says the lab, with all of its student-centered and self-paced activities, is a big help to her. “Honestly, in the classroom, doing these activities, I probably wouldn’t get to them quite as often. But having this monthly visit to the science lab, I’m able to get to them. It benefits me. . . . Things that I honestly wouldn’t be able to have time for, students are getting it in here. I love that opportunity.”
As indicated by their improved test scores, students are making the most of their opportunity with the earth, physical, and life science activities designed for specific age groups. Says Cassidy, a fourth grader at Mary Esther, “I saw all the materials, and I thought it was going to be fun. I thought we were only going to get to do one experiment for the whole week, but we each do an experiment every day.”
EMPOWERING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS Third-Grade Teacher Renee Laney of
Eglin Elementary says she likes the well-rounded design of the Missions science program. Students fill roles – Commander, Information Specialist, Materials Specialist, and Communications Specialist – and sharpen their reading, math, and science skills simultaneously as they cooperatively complete hands-on activities in small teams.
“I’m not standing in front of them and they’re listening to me,” Laney said. “They are actually reading. They are being told what to do within the text. So, one, they’re independently reading. Another, they’re having to actually finish the job on their own, learn a step-by-step process, and hand me a finished product at the end – all without me intervening.”
School Board Member Melissa Thrush periodically visits the science labs and, as a former professional engineer, enjoys seeing students sharpen their 21st-century skills. “Playing roles in Mission labs, it puts people outside their comfort zone,” she said. “Even at the elementary level, students need to have that autonomy to grow their confidence. It helps them grow up to be able to make decisions on their own, really pursue their interests.”
Cosner, a third grader at Eglin, displayed his growing confidence when describing what he likes most about the lab. “There’s things that you don’t know and you get to predict what you think would happen. . . . I think science is fun.”
Students interact as Mission Crew members while completing activities in the science labs at Eglin Elementary School, left, and Mary Esther Elementary School, right.
Sandy Palmer, Science Coach,Okaloosa County School District
Renee Laney, Teacher,Eglin Elementary School
“So, one, they’re independently reading. Another, they’re having to actually finish the job on their own, learn a step-by-step process, and hand me a finished product at the end – all without me intervening.”
April-May 2014 15
East High School, Memphis, TNFlorida
SCIENCE BECOMING A PRIORITY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
It’s common knowledge that math and reading are viewed as the primary subjects in the primary grades, but science – thanks to a national push for STEM education – is gaining momentum. When national science testing is mandated at the elementary level, just as it is now for math and reading, officials predict science will move to the forefront. For now, though, thanks in part to the DoDEA grant, Okaloosa officials are moving ahead on their own to make elementary science a priority.
A strong military presence in the region is one reason science is being emphasized more and more. “You have to understand where we are,” Samac says while standing in the science lab at Eglin Elementary. “This is a research and development facility, Eglin Air Force Base. This is where they made the MOAB – the mother of all bombs – the one they dropped through the bunkers there in Baghdad. It was created here on the base.”
Plus, there’s a desire to prepare elementary students for the STEM opportunities ahead in Okaloosa middle schools, including Pitsco Module labs. District Career and Technical Education Director Patti Bonezzi took time to observe elementary students in the Mission labs even though her realm of influence is in secondary education, and she was excited about the future.
“They’re embracing science at a young age,” Bonezzi said as she watched fourth graders eagerly build and explore at their lab workstations. “So when we’re drilling it in them in middle school, it’s just a continuation. It’s not like I’m starting at middle school, saying, ‘OK, now we’re going to learn science.’ It’s already embedded. . . . They’ve already learned they love it, and they don’t realize you’re ramping up the rigor as they go.”
Dennis Samac, Principal,Eglin Elementary School
“They’re embracing science at a young age,” Bonezzi said as she watched fourth graders eagerly build and explore at their lab workstations. “So when we’re drilling it in them in middle school, it’s just a continuation.”
16 The Pitsco Network
Florida
The Interact, Investigate, and Transform Grant focuses on raising student achievement and improving teachers’ instructional practices in science by developing students’ critical-thinking skills in schools heavily impacted by Base Realignment and Closure Committee decisions. The primary strategy centers on the strategic use of cutting-edge, hands-on lab experiences and comprehensive teacher support.
Each school involved in this grant has established a science goal and set a percent proficiency level on their School Performance Plan. In order to achieve this goal, students are participating in Missions curriculum developed by Pitsco Education, which offers a rich science experience to students in a teacher-friendly solution. Activities are based on grade level or course benchmarks of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and follow the progression outlined in the Okaloosa County School District Curriculum Guides.
PROJECT GOALThe goal of the project is to raise military student achievement in science in Grades 3-5 of
the five targeted schools with at least 80% of the military students making a 1% gain in 2012, a 2% gain in 2013, and a 2% gain in 2014, for a total of 5% gain in proficiency as measured with the Discovery Education Assessment.
THIRD-PARTY EVALUATOR APPRAISALBased on the data that has been provided to me and my visits with the science coaches and
science labs themselves, it is my belief the Okaloosa County School District has done an excellent job of increasing student achievement and teacher professional development through the use of hands-on activities in the science labs.
Teachers are very pleased with the overall setup and maintenance of the labs and of the activities/content of the experiments. Missions are varied in complexity, and teachers are pleased that some of the Missions carry over to what is being taught in the classroom. Some lessons have been reworked to be more grade-level appropriate, and the science coaches continue to fine-tune activities on an ongoing basis. More than 90% of teachers felt like the activities were grade-level appropriate, that students were engaged while in the lab, and that visiting the lab did in fact help raise student achievement in science.
(Editor’s Note: Following are excerpts from a report submitted to the Okaloosa County [Florida] School District by third-party evaluator Debbie Buchanan as part of a Department of Defense Education Activity grant-evaluation process. Five elementary schools in Okaloosa County implemented Pitsco Education Science Missions for Grades 3-5 in 2011. The report shows results during the first two years of the three-year grant.)
Interact, Investigate, and Transform DoDEA Grant
TEACHER SURVEY RESULTSWhen asked what activities used in the labs were
most beneficial to their overall science program, teachers included the following among their comments:
• “The overall setup was appealing to a variety of learning styles. The hands-on activities paired with trade books and written responses were great!”
• “The Missions were wonderful and the students enjoyed using them and I was surprised how independent they were able to be.”
• “The Missions were helpful. The hands-on experience and the ability to have the students think beyond the activity was helpful. I enjoyed the lab as well.”
• “Missions, particularly air power, space, and soil and rocks. These were a great reinforcement for complex ideas.”
PARENT FEEDBACKAll parent feedback to date has been favorable
about the program and Mission activities. Jill Hooten, a parent at Mary Esther Elementary School, had this to say about her daughter’s experience in the lab:
• “All Olivia has talked about this week is the robotics program. She has explained how she programmed the robot to move and make sounds. She loved it.”
2013 Annual Report – excerpts from narrative by third-party evaluator
The Okaloosa County School District did meet their goal of 80% of the military students gaining 2% using the state percentage on the Discovery Education Assessment. As seen in the chart below, third grade had a 20% increase, fourth grade had a 9% increase, and fifth grade had a 14% increase, for a total increase for Grades 3-5 of 14%.
2013 RESULTS – PROJECT GOAL ONE
Percentage of Proficiency on DEAGoal = 2% Gain Grades 3-5
Year 1 Year 2 2011-2012 2012-2013
Antioch 81 86 5%
Bluewater 82 96 14%
Eglin 68 95 27%
Florosa 83 93 10%
Mary Esther 55 74 19%
% ChangeBy School
Percentage of Proficiency on DEAGoal = 2% Gain by Grade Level
All 5 Schools Year 1 – 2011-2012 Combined (2nd semester only)
3rd grade 67 87 20%
4th grade 75 84 9%
5th grade 78 92 14%
All three 73 87 14%grade levels
% ChangeYear 2 – 2012-2013
April-May 2014 17
Florida
FORT WALTON BEACH, Florida – Superintendents, curriculum directors, and principals are perceived to be the decision makers who steer the education ship, but there’s another entity that often has the final say – the local school board. Elected to represent the people’s interests, school board members often cast the votes that determine the types of programs taught in classrooms.
In Okaloosa County, Florida, the school board’s strong support for career and technical education – now often referred to as the application of STEM – has been constant for many years. This has resulted in the formation of one of the state’s top CTE programs.
School Board Member Cindy Frakes has touted the merits of CTE for every one of her 16 years in office. In 1998, she entered her first political race on a “career technical platform.”
“In every speech I made, I said, ‘It’s imperative that we do something to address the students who are not going to college. They’ve got the right to have the American dream just like everybody else, but they’ve got to have a decent job in order to do that.’”
Enter career exploration, training, and certification that collectively have yielded a well-established CTE program. Unwavering school board support has given administrators such as Okaloosa County CTE Director Patti Bonezzi the latitude to create programs aimed at providing enough experience and skills by graduation that entry right into a skilled job is not uncommon.
Another member of the Okaloosa County School Board, Melissa Thrush, fondly recalls her days as a student in the Okaloosa School District where she received an education that propelled her to earn an undergrad degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering. She went on to work in manufacturing environments
from the health care industry to a diesel engine plant before opting to stay at home and raise her four children.
However, Thrush said the path for her – and many others – would have been better had more hands-on educational opportunities existed when she was in school. “I could have only dreamed to have some of these hands-on courses,” Thrush said as she observed high-achieving middle school students immersed in STEM curriculum from Pitsco Education. “When I went to school, you were a vocational track student or a college-bound student. These courses could have enabled me to understand things better in college. If I had been able to take an electrical class in high school or had similar experiences in middle school, I would have understood resistors and conductors, their purpose. . . . I think career tech classes may enhance everybody’s opportunities whether they’re college bound or going directly into the workforce.”
Also spurring CTE growth in the district during recent times has been the active involvement and influence of local business and industry leaders as well as superintendents such as Don Gaetz who now serves as senate president in the Florida legislature, where he advocates for increased funding for programs that lead to industrial certificates in high-demand fields.
“It’s in our county’s best interest to value CTE,” Thrush said. “At the end of the day, we want our students to be as successful as they can be. That might mean going straight from high school into a career field. They might go off to college and then on to graduate school. Eventually, we want those students to come back to our community. . . . We need researchers and physicians, but we also need lab technicians. We need assembly line personnel. Those jobs are very technical. We can’t lose sight of that.”
On board!Okaloosa County school board members work to elevate CTE to level it deserves
Okaloosa County School Board MemberMelissa Thrush
Okaloosa County STEMM Center students gather after demonstrating their robots.
18 The Pitsco Network
Florida
Introduction: Career Technical Education directors often tout the real-world aspects of their programs, so it should not be a surprise when they boast a background of diverse experiences. Patti Bonezzi, CTE Director for Okaloosa County (Florida) School District, started her career as a vocational program teacher in Cleveland, Ohio. After seven years in that capacity, she helped her husband get his business off the ground in Florida and then returned to teaching in a high school program. When her children reached middle school age, she stayed home with them for four years; then came another stint teaching at Ft. Walton Beach High School before her superintendent, Don Gaetz, put her in charge of the IT portion of the district’s CHOICE program. When the CTE director’s slot came open last year, Bonezzi took on that assignment. Following are insights and comments about her CTE program that uses several Pitsco Education products and solutions including Missions Science, STEM Modules, robotics, and whole-class STEM activities.
What are your primary goals for CTE in the district? BONEZZI: I believe that we owe every student that comes through CTE the
skills to be able to get a job. They may not want to use them, but they need to have
those skills so they can always be employable. . . . Whatever it is we’re teaching
them, they can use it part-time at some point in their life. . . . I don’t consider us
successful if they get a diploma. They need to have the skills to get a job. That is my
goal. That’s the bottom line is to make kids employable.
Why do you network with business leaders in the community and attend chamber of commerce functions and economic development meetings?
BONEZZI: My students can’t get a job if I don’t know where the jobs are
going to be in four years when they graduate. So by going to those meetings and
seeing the direction of our county, I’m able to choose programs to put in that the
kids will be ready in four years to take care of the talent supply that is needed in
our area. That, to me, is my job.
Give an example of a business connection you’ve made that has opened doors for students.
BONEZZI: We have a very tight relationship with a gentleman that runs
Ft. Walton Beach Machining, and we take our engineering students over there.
They make a lot of parts for planes for Boeing. And we take the kids over and let
them see the people actually using AutoCAD and designing, and they have just
thousands of square feet of CNC machines and laser cutters and anything you
can imagine of the latest technology. So I work closely with him, and he’s on the
Manufacturing Council. He’s the one who keeps pushing me. He needs employees.
Why did you opt to use Pitsco’s STEM Module program at the middle level?
BONEZZI: We’re adding in the STEM because we’re seeing a big push there.
Our kids are weak in math and science, and they can’t go on to high school and
be successful in engineering if they don’t have those skills. So our drive right now is
for STEM in middle school. We have three middle schools using (Pitsco Modules),
and next year, as I find the right instructors, we’ll gradually add until we have
STEM at every middle school.
Why is it so important to integrate math and science into CTE courses?
BONEZZI: Certification is written by the industry, so we have to get those
skills for those kids or they’re not going to get the certification that industry wants
before they’ll hire them. So math and science are a part of our curriculum. To us,
it is just a main component and always has been a big part of it. How can you be
a welder without math skills? How can you be a veterinarian without science? So
every program we have is heavily saturated with one or the other and some with
a combination.
What is Career and Professional Education (CAPE) Act funding? BONEZZI: CAPE funding comes from the state of Florida. Workforce
Innovation determines what certifications are needed to get jobs, so it has to
be approved by the state and Workforce Innovation to make the CAPE funding
list. Then, once it’s on the list, part of it is how much demand there is for that
certification and the rigor of it to determine the weighting of it. The most you can
earn for a certification is $900 (per student). . . . And now the state is funding those
starting in seventh grade. So you can be getting certifications in seventh grade,
and the middle schools earn the funding for that.
What do you look for in a Module lab teacher? BONEZZI: Everything I do is about the teacher. So if you don’t have a passion
for kids, enthusiasm for your job, you’re probably not going to enjoy working with
me. I’ll probably make your life miserable. But when I go to do a STEM lab, I’m
looking for a person who is quick, alert, has a lot of with-itness, and is not afraid
to be challenged by a student or a little bit of chaos. Because what appears to be
chaos to some is simply the learning process to that instructor. And as long as that
chaos is directed at learning and the activity, that’s enthusiasm to me.
A mover and a shaper
Patti Bonezzi • CTE Director • Okaloosa County, FL
Administrators’ Corner
ONLY ONLINE: Visit www.pitsco.com/Network to read more of the discussion with Patti Bonezzi.
Okaloosa County’s Bonezzi puts her imprint on Florida CTE
April-May 2014 19
Florida
Winning Suggestion: By Tim Sexton • Module Lab Facilitator • Davidson Middle School, Crestview, FL • [email protected]
I wonder what it would be like if students had a chance to wonder, investigate, and reveal on anything they were interested in. Well, in my classroom they get to do just that. I have read about the “20% project” by Google and also read books dedicated to genius hour such as Daniel Pink’s Drive and The Passion-Driven Classroom by Angela Maiers.
I took concepts from the readings and have applied them to my curriculum. This year I had the opportunity to begin a new curriculum starring the Pitsco Modules along with LEGO® Education curriculum. I call this class Robotics Integration in STEM Education (RISE), and I thought this would be a great class to begin my version of genius hour that I call “I Wonder.”
I explain to the students that they will have nine days to complete a project of their choosing. “What do you mean, Mr. Sexton?” I repeat myself along with the following statement, “Have you ever wondered how something works, or how to build something, how to fix something? . . . Well you will have 20% of your grading period to learn about anything you wondered about, to learn something you have always wanted to have a chance to learn. Here is the catch; you must work on it in class. You must reveal your outcome at the end of the nine days given. You must explain your research, failures, and how you overcame them. You must present an end product.”
The students looked around and said, “OK, so what if I wanted to look inside a laptop?” “DO it!” I say. “What if I want to learn how to create a stop-motion video?” “DO it!” I say. “What if I …” “Wait, stop asking and just DO it! If you need something, I will try to get it to help you be successful.” So the first day, I had them write down three things each on separate color paper and put it on our class Wonder Wall. They did!
The outcome? Well, students have taught themselves how to do the following:
• Play a guitar• Create a stop-motion video
(took more than 350 pictures and three hours to make)• Write code to make a game• Write code to create a webpage• Explore the kitchen and learn how to cook food
from another culture• Learn how to dissect a frog (Girls wanted to do this.)• Learn the history of the telescope• Learn how to fix small electrical items such
as my pencil sharpeners• Learn sign languageThese are just a few examples. I wanted them to find something they
are passionate about and give them a chance to share that passion. They have taken on this challenge and have looked forward to the presentation days and the “I Wonder” work days. To begin each new I Wonder period, the students have to complete the first three columns of the KWHLAQ form and explain what they want to do and how they are going to get the project done. They then bring this to me and we conference. I read and go over expectations with students and sign off. At the end of the nine days, they will have filled out the remaining columns and turned in the rubric.
There might be some who would like to switch to another topic in midstream, but they have to fill out the preconference form again to do so. I do not grade the students on their completed project; instead, they are graded on the process used to get to the completed project. They are graded on how they present their end product. I have implemented the presentation days in between Module rotations so the students must sign up for their presentation day. I make sure they get the nine days promised. I sit and watch as they use their noggins to learn what they want to learn.
The ultimate Discovery Day: “I wonder . . .”
(Editor’s Note: Teacher Tim Sexton, Davidson Middle School, Crestview, FL, will receive a $50 Pitsco Education gift certificate and a T-shirt for sharing the following Winning Suggestion. Submit your idea/activity to Editor Tom Farmer at [email protected].)
I WONDER PRE-‐PLANNING
For my I WONDER project I will be working with:
________________________________________
Our project will be: ____________________________________________________________________
We are going to: Learn About (like history or a place, or about water issues)
Learn To Do (like computer skills)
Learn to Make (like a trebuchet, or windmill)
Learn to Create (like an art project or a story)
Learn to Test (like a science experiment)
Learn to Change (like an environmental project)
Other? For my I WONDER project I will: ___________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
___________ This project is a good project because: _____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
My final product will be____________________________________________________
I will be expected to write a synopsis of what worked and what didn’t and
how I met my goals.
“Instead of just coming to an adult and going, ‘How does this work?’ they’re finding resources and learning how to research and how to look for stuff and how to find out whatever they can.”
- Teacher Laurie Allen on her I Wonder experience
20 The Pitsco Network
Florida
One of the most formidable hurdles for special-needs students in a mainstream classroom is socialization. Getting them to interact openly and naturally can be a chore for their teachers. James Reid says his hands-on Pitsco STEM lab at Meigs Middle School in Shalimar, Florida, is an exception for special-needs students.
“They are actively engaged in everything that we’re doing, especially in the hands-on portion,” Reid says. “And the biggest difference is getting them to work with other students. At each Module they’re partnered up with a different student. Some of these students aren’t used to interacting with other students, but this has brought them out of their shell.”
So much so that they are even comfortable doing something most students fear – presenting in front of the class. “At the end of every Module, I have students come up and present to the class what they have done in that Module. I’ve got special ed students who hate to speak, and to get them up here and just let them talk about what they’ve learned and what they are able to accomplish in the Module, it’s such a great help. . . . I believe they feel a little more confident in the knowledge they’ve gained.”
Getting special-needs students ‘out of their shells’
There’s no two ways about it. Building and launching a water rocket is fun. It’s one of the most-anticipated activities in Tim Sexton’s Robotics Integration and STEM Education (RISE) classroom at Davidson Middle School in Crestview, Florida.
After every few Module rotations, Sexton allows students to step outside onto a patio adjacent to their classroom. There they set up an Aquaport Water Rocket Launcher, fill the one-liter body of their rocket with water, secure it to the launcher, pressurize, and then pull the launch cord. Up, up, up it goes, eventually reaching its highest point and then slowly descending to Earth with the aid of a parachute. The smiles on students’ faces, their unmistakable excitement, and their banter about whose rocket is best are all reassuring signs to Sexton that the Rocket Science Module engages students. But what’s happening inside his students’ heads is what has Sexton really excited.
“My main thing is I want them to apply math,” Sexton says. “When they go back to their math teacher, they can say, ‘We learned how to do this, and we used tangent, we used multiplication.’”
Though the students won’t be fully introduced to trigonometry until high school, the rocket launch gives them an introductory and highly relevant experience with the previously foreign subject matter. They discover, possibly for the first time, that seemingly abstract math concepts have important applications in everyday life. Says Sexton, “At least they’ll have an idea of angles using tangent, if they want to know – if they get a career where they’ve got to find the distance between the ground and the height of a rocket or a tree or a power line.”
In addition to Missions and Modules, Okaloosa County schools use several of Pitsco’s whole-class curriculum activities/solutions that enable teachers to focus on specific math and science concepts that need to be reinforced.
For example, Tim Sexton, a middle school teacher, plans to use a hydraulic arm activity near the end of the year. “Probably the last half of the fourth nine weeks, toward the end of the year, we’ll do it. They’ll be learning STEM-type activities – how to create the hydraulic arm and get it to move and do different tasks,” Sexton explained. “Also, we’re going to be doing robotics at the end too, which teaches them about the STEM activities because they’ve got to measure, with the robot, distance and speed, acceleration, and stuff like that.”
Whole-class curriculum zeroes in on specific concepts
A fun introduction to trig
“My main thing is I want them to apply math,” Sexton says. “When they go back to their math teacher, they can say, ‘We learned how to do this, and we used tangent, we used multiplication.’”
James Reid, Teacher,Meigs Middle School
Tim Sexton, Teacher,Davidson Middle School
April-May 2014 21
By PJ Graham, Technical Writer • [email protected]
What child or parent hasn’t raided the kitchen or garage for a last-minute science class project? To assist in this endeavor, Pitsco Education kits are appearing across the country in Ace Hardware stores that offer Hardware Science projects.
Hardware Science is a program available to Ace retailers that encourages children to explore science in an everyday setting, using products and instructions found at their neighborhood hardware store. Teachers can also take advantage of their neighborhood store to provide project suggestions for those in search of hands-on science connections. Each project provides children with a fun and engaging science experience, teaching them the basics of thinking like a scientist and providing a supplementary learning experience to their in-school science education.
Ace retailer Wayne Kamitaki developed the Hardware Science concept with Steve “Jake” Jacobs (Wizard IV), who was the science director and writer of Mr. Wizard’s World on Nickelodeon for 25 years and currently serves as one of the science consultants for MythBusters on the Discovery Channel. The pair looked to Pitsco Education to help bring the prepackaged product line to fruition. Jacobs also developed project-based video demonstrations that local retailers can play in stores. Always open to new ways to bring hands-on STEM projects to students, Pitsco came on board.
“Our typical school market is what we have always focused on, but we’ve been looking to increase our business in retail,” explained Bill Holden, Pitsco product development specialist. “No other opportunity has looked as good and as promising as this one, partly due to it being in conjunction with Wizard IV and the video demonstrations. There is a definite educational component within this venture.”
Some of the Pitsco kits available through Ace include the hydraulic-powered T-Bot® Robotic Arm, solar cars, mousetrap vehicles, and catapult and trebuchet kits. There are also a number of project components such as wheels, axles, gear fonts, and solar panels. To help the Ace stores take advantage of the Hardware Science program, Jacobs is also offering his expertise for in-store demonstrations.
Currently, more than 200 Ace Hardware stores offer the Hardware Science kits and materials.
Hardware Science puts a twist on home science projectsAce Hardware offers Pitsco products as projects for kids and parents
SunEzoon Solar Car
Blinky Robot
T-Bot® II Hydraulic Robot Arm
Trebuchet
Torsion Catapult
KaZoon Kite
Wind Gen
Crane
22 The Pitsco Network
CO2 DragsterACTIVITY
By Angie Henderson, Editing Coordinator • [email protected]
There are numerous great activities geared to dragsters on
Pitsco.com. Read on for a sample activity you and your class
can use to explore the fast world of CO2 dragsters.
SOURCE: CO2 Dragsters Activity (http://www.pitsco.com/
Activities/Dragsters_and_Race_Cars?art=6819)
LEVEL: Beginner
DURATION: 2-4 class periods
GRADE LEVEL: N/A
AUTHOR: Pitsco
TOPICS: Acceleration, drag, aerodynamics, friction,
alignment, bearings, thrust, finishing, design, problem
solving
MATERIALS: DragPak (Balsa Wood)
REFERENCES/RESOURCES: Science-of-Speed.com:
The CO2 Dragster Authority! (http://www.science-of-speed.
com/)
OBJECTIVE Design and engineer a CO2-powered dragster
to go down a 20-meter track in the least possible time.
DESCRIPTION Extraordinary acceleration! Dragsters
are known for their power and speed, and these model
dragsters are no different! Students design and engineer
their own dragster from a wood blank with hopes that
the vehicle will travel down a 20-meter track as quickly as
possible!
PROCEDURES
1. The dragster must have a mass of 50 grams
or more.
2. The completed dragster must have a
maximum length of 310 mm.
3. The completed dragster must have a
maximum width of 80 mm (from the outside
of each wheel).
4. The dragster must have a cartridge hole
depth of 51 mm ± 1 mm.
5. The dragster must have a cartridge hole
diameter of 19 mm minimum, 20 mm
maximum.
6. The height of the cartridge hole (from floor
to centerline of the hole) must be 33 mm
minimum, 43 mm maximum.
7. The dragster must have a minimum of 3 mm
of wood around the entire cartridge hole.
8. The dragster must have two screw eyes, one
toward the front and one toward the back of
the centerline, on the bottom of the dragster.
9. The dragster must be made of solid or
laminated wood of sufficient strength to
withstand racing.
10. Bearings, bushings, and lubricants may be
used in the construction.
11. The dragster must have at least three wheels
with a maximum diameter of 2 inches.
12. Wheels must be made of plastic.
13. The dragster must have two axles.
14. Axles must go through the body of the
dragster. External axle tubes are not
permitted.
15. In the opinion of the judge(s), any dragster
deemed unsafe will be disqualified.
Friction, acceleration, aerodynamics!CO2 dragster activity features all that and more
Kids love competitions, especially those in which they’ve built the entries! Dragsters are a time-honored way to test your students’ mettle at car design and experimentation. If you haven’t tried a dragster activity and would like to attempt one or even if you’re an old pro at CO
2 dragsters, Pitsco has a few new products in addition to the oldies but
goodies (http://www.pitsco.com/Dragsters_and_Race_Cars&loc=mm1a). Dragsters are useful (and fun!) tools to teach your students about the concepts of
friction, acceleration, mass, and aerodynamics. Your students will get their hands on these concepts while experiencing the process of building their own dragsters.
Following are Pitsco’s newest dragster products that you can use whether starting a dragster activity or breathing new life into a classic activity.
• Wheel Lathe (http://www.pitsco.com/Wheel_Lathe) With the Wheel Lathe, your students can mold their wheels to exacting specifications to get the edge on other cars. They can put the finishing touches on their wheels by making them perfectly round using the Wheel Lathe. It requires a 120 V outlet to run. (Note: The Wheel Lathe cannot be used with Delrin wheels.)
• Dual Lane Race Timer (http://www.pitsco.com/Dual_Lane_Race_Timer) The Dual Lane Race Timer lets you race your dragsters and give the competitors a visual when the winner crosses the finish line. The time of both cars is indicated, and the winner’s flashes so there’s no question as to who is the victor! All you need is a 120 V outlet or a 9 V battery (included) to power the Dual Lane Race Timer. It can be used with the Pitsco FasTrak or a floor track, and you’ll need a launcher to blast your dragsters across the finish line!
• Win-Win Detector (http://www.pitsco.com/Win-Win_Detector) The Win-Win Detector provides another easy way to judge your students’ races. It’s easy to set up and use and works for races in which the cars run on a line. This detector is powered by two 9 V batteries, and the winner is indicated by a blinking LED light in his or her lane.
ONLY ONLINE: http://www.pitsco.com/Activities/Dragsters_and_Race_Cars?art=6819 to read more.
April-May 2014 23
Funding Opportunities
President focuses on careers, skills
Pat ForbesEducation Liaison | [email protected]
The United States is seeking to retake the lead in the education race, a goal that has been in place for many years now. In President Barack Obama’s 2014 State of the Union address, he emphasized some key endeavors that lean more toward skill acquisition and career readiness than pursuit of a four-year degree to help close the gap.
The president stressed the importance of high schools offering more real-world education and hands-on training. He spoke at length about getting students ready with the skills they need to go straight into community college programs designed in part by business and industry. The president has articulated a clear priority for STEM education, thus enabling a stride toward the top of competing nations in science and math.
Pitsco’s STEM continuum will fill many of these requirements beginning at the elementary and middle school levels with curriculum designed to engage students in core science concepts early in their education. The model encourages students to think, create, analyze, evaluate, and apply new knowledge. Real-world learning is emphasized in hands-on activities. Pitsco curriculum challenges students to problem solve, explore concepts, and practice key 21st-century skills.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has characterized a variety of flat scores as a “picture of educational stagnation.” We must invest in early education, raise academic standards, and do more to recruit and retain top-notch educators. Albeit the far turn might be ahead as there are additional STEM initiatives that Pitsco might contribute to accelerate the
sprint toward an envisioned finish line. The thrust today is to ensure technology is an integral element in student development.
Great emphasis has been stressed on 21st-century skills, such as problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and global awareness. To enter that circle, Pitsco has introduced the TETRIX® Building System curriculum. TETRIX is a complete design system for students who are serious about their future in a technology-related field. Featuring heavy-duty, aircraft-grade aluminum elements for construction, powerful drive motors, and expandable capabilities, TETRIX provides the ideal platform for hands-on creativity. The TETRIX system enables students to create their own robot design using only the base set.
US leaders recognize that today’s students will be competing with peers from other nations so the proper administration of STEM curriculum is essential. The thrust today is to ensure technology is an integral element in the development of the student, and it is essential that students can attack complex problems and become critical thinkers. The advantages of the Pitsco curriculums is the extensive usage of the language and hands-on learning environment that will “break the tape” toward their future educational and career choices.
Barack ObamaPresident of the United States
Arne DuncanSecretary of Education
24 The Pitsco Network
May S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
June S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
July S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
May1 American Honda Foundation
The grant range is from $20,000 to $75,000 over a one-year period. They support youth education with a specific focus on the STEM subjects and the environment.http://corporate.honda.com/america/philanthropy.aspx?id=ahf
21 Dollar GeneralCompany supports literacy programs directed at libraries in cities where its stores are located. www.dollargeneral.com
30 Target Store GrantsGrants support programs and activities that benefit education at all levels. https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility
June1 Pentair Foundation
Supports organizations involved with arts, culture, education, and health. http://www.pentair.com/about-us/index.html
4 RGK Foundation Primary interests are grants that focus primarily on math, science and reading; teacher development; and literacy. http://www.rgkfoundation.org/public/guidelines
25 Halliburton Foundation The Halliburton Foundation will accept grant proposals from US-based nonprofit organizations that serve the following areas: education, health, and social services.http://tinyurl.com/kmv35j8
30 Captain Planet FoundationPromotes understanding of environmental issues and focuses on hands-on involvement.www.captainplanetfdn.org
July31 Asbury-Warren Foundation
The Foundation primarily funds educational and religious organizations in Appalachia. http://asburywarren.org/
GRANT TIPSSchool officials should be aware of the English Language Acquisition
State Grants that are distributed by formula based upon the number of immigrants and Limited English Proficient (LEP) students in each state. The grants are designed to help LEP students increase their knowledge of the English language and to ensure that they meet state academic requirements. Deadlines are listed, and significant leeway is suggested in making the application.
Another grant awarded to states on a formula basis is 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a multiyear grant, and each year of funding has its own unique cyclical application process. States award the grants to local educational agencies on a competitive basis. The grant provides academic enrichment opportunities for children, particularly those who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools.
Grant Application DeadlinesTODAY
7
April-May 2014 25
By Joel Howard, Senior Customer Service Representative • [email protected]
Those of you who know me know that I have worked in Pitsco Customer Service for many, many years. During that time, I’ve had the opportunity to visit literally hundreds of schools and meet
thousands of teachers. Many of those were brief acquaintances that lasted only the duration of the teachers’ involvement with Pitsco, but a few others turned into friendships that transcended a business relationship, even after their retirement or a new stage in their life that no longer involved Pitsco.
One of the oldest friendships I have, both personally and professionally, is with Pete Meyer, who teaches at Lisle Junior High in Lisle, IL. Pete and I first met more than 20 years ago; honestly, at this point I can’t recall exactly when it was. Modules were just being introduced as part of the Pitsco product line, and Pete’s school was one of the early adopters of the concept. Pete was a young teacher and a perfect fit for the lab. I was a young customer service representative just starting my career at Pitsco, so we hit it off right away.
We’ve worked together frequently through the years, and Pete has been instrumental in helping us to improve our products. He’s visited Pitsco several times, I’ve been to his school several times, and we’ve met up at various locations around the country for conferences and meetings. As we’ve grown older, we’ve gotten married and had kids, and we’ve tried to keep each other informed of major life events while maintaining our friendship. So I can honestly say that Pete is my longest-standing “Pitsco friend.”
So that’s a little history about Pete and me, but that’s not really what I want to share with you. This is about Pete’s latest accomplishment.
BASEBALLBesides teaching and his family, I would say that Pete’s greatest love is
baseball. These days that means coaching baseball at Lisle High School. If you don’t know, Lisle is a small town in the Chicago area with a population of less than 25,000. Pete started as an assistant coach many years ago and was promoted to head coach several years back. Teaching full-time, having a family, and being the head baseball coach are each demanding individually, but somehow he excels in all three areas.
Although his teams have had several successful regular seasons, postseason success had mostly eluded them until this year. Posting a 16-10 mark in the regular season and finishing second in their conference, even winning their regional tournament appeared to be a big challenge. However, the Lisle Lions made it through the regional and then the sectional. Next up for Lisle was the super-sectional tournament, one step away from the state tournament. The Lions beat Beecher 5-4 to earn their first state berth.
In the semifinals, Lisle had to face the top-ranked 2A school in the state, the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes. The Shoes entered the tournament with an impressive 29-3 record for the season, so the Lions would have their hands full. In a dramatic and well-played game by both teams, Lisle came out with a 2-1 win and a trip to the championship game.
The championship game would appear to be their biggest challenge yet, but the Lions saved their best play for last and easily defeated perennial powerhouse Pleasant Plains 10-1 to capture the first state championship in school history.
Pete Meyer – an accomplished teacher, coach, and family man
(continued page 28)
Pete Meyer and his family – wife Kendra and daughter Hannah – hold the hardware after winning the state title. Here, Pete throws out the first pitch during a Major League baseball game at Wrigley Field.
26 The Pitsco Network
By Nicholas Keith, Modules Lab Facilitator, Lancaster (Texas) ISD • [email protected]
LANCASTER, Texas – Deep in discussion, pondering a blank (virtual) wall, partners debate, deciding how best to blend everything they have learned into one concise explanation. Suddenly, a square the size of a sticky note appears on-screen from the Module across the room, followed by another post next to it. Soon, monitors begin filling with the collective knowledge of an entire Modules lab as partners reflect, rethink, and reconsider how best to relate their seven-session experience to those around them. This concentrated moment of collaboration and communication is being brought to you by the power of Padlet.
Padlet is a free Web 2.0 tool that, among other things, allows students to practice communicating the main ideas of their Module. Why is this so important? Because we are trying to build students who don’t just know, but who can also tell. It’s a skill used by entrepreneurs when creating a 30-second pitch hyping their new startup and by software developers who have to quickly explain a complicated new program to the CEO. (It’s also what Modules facilitators have to be able to do when someone asks us what we do for a living.) Being able to break down complex ideas to their essential parts is a mark of understanding, and Padlet allows students to share what they have learned in the social media style that is familiar to them.
Start by signing up for a free account at http://padlet.com. (Students don’t need an account, they just double-click to post.) Then, create your first wall and enter a prompt at the top, such as, “You have 100 words to explain your Module to a complete stranger. Go.” Final step: give your students the link and watch the wheels start turning. Discussion breaks out like pockets of wildfire as students reach for their notes, Module Activity Sheets, and assessments to debate the most important concepts that need to be included in their explanation. Paring down seven sessions to 100 words is a challenge, but the analysis and reconstruction of ideas that it takes to get there is where the true value of the task lies.
Beyond posting their own insights, students see in real time the posts of their classmates, motivating them to communicate in a more polished way than they would if it was for a teacher’s eyes only. Also, anticipation builds as students get a taste of what goes on in the other workstations in the lab, priming them to attend to the important details when their rotation comes.
Module summaries are a great first step, but the possibilities offered by Padlet’s simple, flexible, and intuitive social interface are limited only by your adventurous spirit. In fact, you can go to the wall created for this article (padlet.com/wall/ModulesGoingSocial) for more ideas and to post ways you are using Padlet in your lab. As you plan your next rotation, expand your students’ opportunities to review, synthesize, and share. Try taking your Modules social with Padlet.
Take your Modules social with free Web 2.0 tool
April-May 2014 27
Quick Contact ReferenceCustomer Service• Phone: 800-828-5787, 800-774-4552
• Fax: 620-231-2466
• Email: [email protected]
• Contact us online: www.pitsco.com/support
Websites• Home page: www.pitsco.com
• Shop online: www.pitsco.com
• Curriculum: www.pitsco.com/curriculum
• Network magazine (current issue and archive): www.pitsco.com/Network
• SySTEM Alert! for students (current issue and archive): www.pitsco.com/SySTEMalert
• TETRIX Robotics: www.tetrixrobotics.com
Sales and Professional Development• Main phone lines: 800-828-5787
• Web: www.pitsco.com/curriculum
• Professional Development: workshops.pitsco.com
• Contact us online: http://tinyurl.com/kffpnrj
Pitsco’s family of companies will be represented at education shows and conferences across the country in the coming months. If you attend any of these events, stop by the Pitsco booth. Our representatives look forward to meeting you!
May14-17 NSTA STEM Forum, New Orleans, Louisiana
29-31 CHEA Homeschool Convention, Anaheim, California
June15-18 American Society for Engineering
Education, Indianapolis, Indiana24-26 SkillsUSA, Kansas City, Missouri
27-July 1 Technology Student Association, Washington, D.C.
28-July 1 International Society for Technology in Education, Atlanta, Georgia
July14-17 Texas Career Education Conference,
Houston, Texas14-17 North Carolina Association for Career Technical Education, Greensboro, North Carolina
UPCOMING EVENTSTODAY
7
If you are a Missions facilitator, you are well aware of the many pieces, parts, and components contained within the curriculum. We hope you have a handle on the inventory and how it all should be set up.
Perhaps, though, your lab has become a little scattered, or maybe you are taking over an existing lab that could use a refresher. If you weren’t involved with the initial setup of the Missions, then you are likely not familiar with the Bin Preparation documents.
Bin Prep documents do not exist for all of the Missions, but the majority of the Missions require a specific setup in order for the students to be able to follow the curriculum. Some of what is contained in these documents is simply the assembly instructions for a piece of equipment or some other instruction that, once completed, should not need to be repeated.
However, much of the contents of the Bin Preparation documents are very specific. For instance, there could be instructions telling you to label and place a specific piece of equipment into the green bin (as opposed to red or blue) and then label the bin with certain Interval numbers. This isn’t just for organization purposes. The curriculum will actually instruct students to locate the green bin labeled Interval 1 or whatever the case might be.
The instructions are written expecting certain items to be in certain bins, therefore minimizing the time students spend looking for what they need. So if the bins are not properly prepared and labeled, students will be confused and valuable education time will be lost. In most Missions, the bin preparation is less than a 10-minute process, but there a few are considerably more in depth.
So, if your students are frequently saying, “I can’t find what I am supposed to have,” or “It isn’t in the bin it is supposed to be in,” it might be time to break out the Bin Prep documents and have a redo! You can find the documents in your Teacher’s Guide, along with all of your other teacher materials. If you are unable to locate them, just give us a call and we can send them to you electronically or in hard copy. A little bit of maintenance now could save you a lot of headaches in class later.
Don’t forget bin prep!
By Joel Howard, Senior Customer Service Representative • [email protected]
DESERVED ACCOLADESFor those of you who are sports fans, you can imagine that there are many “stories behind the
story” about players who overachieved, unbelievable plays made in the field, hardships overcome, and a team meshing at just the right time. But mainly I just wanted to share with you the success of Pete Meyer: coach, teacher, father, and husband.
Due to Pete’s success on the baseball field, he has won or been nominated for multiple awards. He was voted the IHSA (Illinois High School Association) Coach of the Year and the Illinois Coaches Association Baseball Coach of the Year. He has also been selected as one of eight finalists for National Baseball Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association. He will be traveling to Jackson Hole, WY, this summer to attend the awards ceremony.
I might be putting words into Pete’s mouth, but I imagine this is all a dream come true for him and his team with the achievement of a goal they might have thought unattainable.
So congratulations, Lisle Lions, but especially to you, Pete! Keep on teaching and keep on coaching. You are a success in both arenas!
(Pete Meyer continued from page 26)
28 The Pitsco Network
• Intuitive – Easy to design and build projects for both the experienced robot enthusiast and novice hobbyist
• Educational – Used in classrooms and competition events around the world
• Powerful – Ideal for creating rugged, competition-level robots
• Flexible – Compatible with a variety of robot controller platforms
• Innovative – Unique, patented hole pattern for virtually unlimited design possibilities
• Limitless – Huge variety of components and continuing to expand
• Robust – Precision quality, high-grade aluminum-component building system
800-835-0686© 2013 Pitsco Education. All rights reserved.
As Flexible As Your Imagination
• Compatible with LEGO® MINDSTORMS® – TETRIX® is the only metal building system endorsed by the LEGO Group for use with LEGO® MINDSTORMS®.
* Model of the Mars Curiosity Rover built from TETRIX.
www.TETRIXrobotics.com/Robot
P.O. Box 1708Pittsburg, KS 66762
PRSRT STDUS Postage
PAIDPRAdMar Corp
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Pitsco is the STEM company!
View back issues of The Pitsco Network at www.pitsco.com/network.
NETWORKTHE
PITS
CO
NETWORKTHE
PITS
CO
Pitsco Education’s comprehensive professional development includes classroom resources, STEM content, and instructional methods designed exclusively to provide the most positive and productive learning experience possible.
What does our professional development look like?
• Seminars can span either a half or full day.
• Teachers are grouped by grade ranges.
• Seminar sessions are specific to grade ranges.
• Seminar sessions are 60 minutes in length.
• One STEM topic is covered per session room.
• By utilizing multiple rooms, more than one STEM topic can be offered simultaneously.
As a teacher, what do I take away from the seminar?
• A better understanding of STEM
• How to teach STEM concepts to students
• Group discussion with other teachers
• Practical applications that transfer directly to the classroom
• Product that is ready to use with students
PD
Through a consultation process, Pitsco Education can design seminars around the STEM concepts your district desires. 800-828-5787 • www.pitsco.com
See related articles on pages 3-5.