NSF-funded PBL Scenario Development Fosters Curriculum Alignment NCPN 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 nations 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 ILI Technology Gateway Teaching Team Training – 2009 Facilitated Problem-based Learning (PBL) Scenario Development – 2011 Facilitators-in-training and Scenario Builders at R&W2 – 2012 March 2013 – Charleston, SC?

Statistics from Video

Problem Based Learning What 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/Projects Toothpick Bridge Mousetrap Cars Rollercoasters Gateway- Break room Gateway- Simple Machines Rube Goldberg Machine Catapults

Advise for projects Be 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 states technical colleges and universities.

Questions?

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