NSF-funded PBL Scenario Development Fosters Curriculum

AlignmentNCPN 2012

SC ATE and

South Florence High School

Tressa Gardner – Project Manager and Co-PI, SC ATE Center of Excellence, Florence-Darlington Technical College, Florence, SC

Andrew Bell – Science/Physics teacher, South Florence High School, Florence, SC

SC ATE Center of Excellence

Focus → producing technicians in advanced technology fields that drive our nation’s economy

National Science Foundation funding since 1995

SC ATE Center of Excellence

To increase the quality, quantity, and diversity of Engineering Technology graduates in support of economic development

Program improvement through PBL - problem-solving, teamwork, communication

Integrated, multiple-disciplined, problem-based curriculum comprised of workplace scenarios

Increases the opportunity for high school students to become “college ready”

Bridges disconnects, helps “at-risk” students graduate and enter higher education

Technology Gateway

Promotes on-time graduation to increase retention and success

Provides clear pathways to technology-based careers

Ramp to technology-based, post-secondary programs

Technology Gateway in HSs

Instructional Leadership Institutes

Began with Technology Gateway in 2007

Expanded to include teachers from South Florence HS, Florence, SC in 2009

Four SFHS teachers have participated to date

Roots and Wings ILITechnology Gateway Teaching

Team Training – 2009Facilitated Problem-based Learning

(PBL) Scenario Development – 2011Facilitators-in-training and Scenario

Builders at R&W2 – 2012March 2013 – Charleston, SC?

Statistics from Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGGYIw_pIj8

Problem Based LearningWhat types of students I teach?How do I go about selecting when to do a project

or not?How do I introduce the problem based scenario

into the classroom?What do some of your problems/projects look

like?

Problem/ProjectsToothpick BridgeMousetrap CarsRollercoastersGateway- Break roomGateway- Simple MachinesRube Goldberg MachineCatapults

Advise for projectsBe flexible both with materials and time.Be creative.Be prepared to be challenged by yourself,

students, parents and administration.Be over prepared.Be surprised.You will be exhausted.

South Carolina Course Alignment Project (SC CAP)

A statewide initiative sponsored by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, the SC Department of Education and the SC Technical College System

The goal of the project is to better align the courses taken by high school juniors and seniors with those taken in the freshman year at the state’s technical colleges and universities.

Questions?

Thank you!

Tressa.Gardner@fdtc.edu

Abell@fsd1.org