TM Case Studies: Video Games & Robots for CTE Student Engagement Cliff Zintgraff President, Innology LLC

TM Reminder: Why Engage? Context Informal Learning and Engagement Into the Classroom

TM Reminder: Why does CTE engagement matter?

TM

Courtesy Jim Brazell,

TM “60% of the jobs in the Texas biotechnology cluster require only an associates degree or certificate.” Dr. Mae Jemison Chair, Texas Biotechnology Cluster Courtesy Jim Brazell,

TM Courtesy Jim Brazell,

TM Systems Thinking: The Workforce Ecosystem Two-Year Colleges Four-Year Colleges Graduate Programs Summer Programs After School Programs Assessment Services Articulation Agreements Policy High Schools Middle Schools Magnet Schools Academies Cities Counties States Economic Developers Workforce Boards INDUSTRY

TM How important is the workforce ecosystem?

TM Pressures on the Workforce Ecosystem More Indian college graduates than U.S. high school graduates More English speakers in China than in the U.S. “This is a story about the big public conversation the nation is not having about education … whether an entire generation of kids will fail to make the grade in the global economy because they can't think their way through abstract problems, work in teams, (and) distinguish good information from bad …” Time Magazine, December 2006 Quoting the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce Houston Community College organizing to graduate 500 bio- technicians Houston stands up Robotics Education Support Center Arlington organizing to recover manufacturing base with state grants San Antonio Greater Chamber Survey indicates corporations hire IT graduates from outside San Antonio GLOBAL WARMING – WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION VERSION “This is a story about the big public conversation the nation is not having about education … whether an entire generation of kids will fail to make the grade in the global economy because they can't think their way through abstract problems, work in teams, (and) distinguish good information from bad …” Time Magazine, December 2006 Quoting the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce

TM How do we explain this to students in terms they can understand?

TM Slides courtesy and © Numedeon, Inc.

TM Whyvillians Meet a VIP for Discussion at the Greek Theatre

TM Ion Engine Design © numedeon, inc. 2006

TM Whyville Beach © numedeon, inc. 2006

TM Learning-based virtual world for teens and tweens 100,000 unique users a month, 3.3 million served since Its own newspaper, economy, government Educational games in math, science, journalism, art, government and economics

TM In late 2006, The Texas Workforce Commission funded Whyville to help attract “tweens and teens” to Texas high-tech, high wage careers in Biotechnology & Advanced Manufacturing. Here’s what Whyville has done to accomplish that goal …

TM Whyville Biotech

TM © numedeon, inc Whyville Biotech

TM Whyville Planeworks

TM Whyville Planeworks

TM OUTREACH CAREER SIMULATION Career Pipelines JOBSJOBS Schools for biotechnolog y Schools for advanced manufacturing

TM 20,000 Engaged 1,000 Referred

TM WHYVILLE.NET -- PROFILE Ages 11 to 16 Engage students in STEM Engage students in careers Refer students to career pathways Free

TM How do we explain this to students in terms they can understand?

TM TIER The Texas Institute for Educational Robotics

TM What is TIER? Robotics summer camp, Grades 3 to 12 Teacher Training Robotics Support Center Online Robotics Competition Connection to regional career pathways Sustainable, scalable model

TM Why Robotics? Math Mechanical engineering Electrical engineering Computer science Architecture and design Systems thinking Teamwork Art + Science

TM Teacher Training Hands-on instruction in robotics systems Apply lessons learned to mini-challenges Using this technology to teach TEKS

TM The Robotics Support Center Robotics clearinghouse Outreach Regional tournament Interface to industry Connection to pipelines

TM

Career Pathway Programs Referrals 2/4 Year College K-5 { 2/4 Year College Advanced Manufacturing Aerospace Biotechnology Business & Financial Energy Homeland Security Information Technology Work Model: Career Pathways Regional Career Pathway List ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TM Demographics 2006 Students Students Students (est.)165 Elementary GenderMale 49%, Female 51% Elementary EthnicityHispanic 94%, Black 4%, White 2% M.S. GenderMale 56.5%, Female 43.5% M.S. Ethnicity Hispanic 82.6%, Asian 8.7%, White 6.5%, Black 2.2% % Low SES70%

TM Sustainable model Price of robot hardware Local competitions Shared funding responsibility Appealing to sponsors

TM Workforce Connection Robots Business Model Levels of TIER Participation

TM TIER -- PROFILE Grades 3-12 Engage students in STEM Connect high school students to workforce needs Statewide network Participate in creating a sustainable model that scales

TM How do we explain this to students in terms they can understand?

TM

How do we explain this to students in terms they can understand?

TM BEYOND ENGAGEMENT INTO THE CLASSROOM WhyTexas.com Waco ISD & Career Exploration in Whyville AIM – Robots for 4 th Year Math

TM

WHY-TEXAS STATS initial outreach efforts 350 classes signed up – all over Texas 200 active classes 1,000 active students 7,900 students completing an activity 1,475 click through to educational sites About C$3m earnings Whyville overall

TM Waco Whyville ISD Pilot Adopted by Donna McKethan, CTE Director Being integrated into 8 th grade Career Connections curriculum Piloted in multiple classrooms in school year Presenting at five CTE summer statewide conferences 58 semester long classes 1,010 students Smoked everybody in the Whyville Texas Challenge

TM Q: How do you make sure the math taught in high school leads to college and good jobs?

TM A: Find out what math is being used in good jobs. Teach it in high school.

TM AIM Analytical Integrated Math Find the math used in medium to high paying jobs Build a curriculum Use exploratory learning techniques Include weekly online assessments Bridge exploratory content to success on Accuplacer Accelerate learning; accelerate the workforce

TM Analytical Integrated Mathematics is a Career and Technical Education course where students solve and model robotic design problems. Students use mathematical methods to represent and analyze problems involving data acquisition, spatial applications, electrical measurement, manufacturing processes, materials engineering, mechanical drives, pneumatics, process control systems, quality control, and robotics with computer programming.

TM AIM Analytical Integrated Math Robots Learning kit with software used in industry Online learning and assessment tool Accuplacer-like end-of-week questions Industry-inspired questions and applications Capstone – build a robot to meet challenges.

TM AIM Analytical Integrated Math Goals for Conduct Year 1 as innovative course 9 schools in four locations (six in WISD) Teacher training in July Use experience to scale

TM Engagement leads to good jobs Engagement addresses national challenges Video games encourage career exploration Robots engage students in CTE Both help move students into pathways All coming to a classroom near you Wrap-Up – What You Learned

TM Wrap-Up – Opportunities Whyville – WhyTexas Challenge – Use Whyville in the classroom for career exploration – Do informal educational robotics – Andrew Schuetze, Move robots into the classroom –

TM Case Studies: Video Games & Robots for CTE Student Engagement Cliff Zintgraff President, Innology LLC