On November 22, 2010 the Warwick Technology Education department had a rare opportunity to collectively attend a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Conference at the Penn State Berks campus in Reading Pennsylvania. The Warwick School District has slated the Technology Education department to undergo a curricular rev during the 2010-11 school year. Here was an opportunity to see if PLTW would provide an additional/alternate means to teach students how to use, understand and manage technology.
During the initial session, Tom Weiss, affiliate director of Project Lead the Way at Penn State Berks, discussed the PTLW Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program. PTLW affords students the opportunity to attain STEM knowledge through an engaging, hands-on curriculum much the same way Technology Education develops technological literacy. Tom highlighted three PTLW subprograms including Gateway to Technology at the middle school level and Pathway to Engineering & Biomedical Sciences at the high school level.
The first breakout session highlighted Radnor Middle School students demonstrating knowledge learned in their program. Instructors, both Technology Education certified and PTLW trained, presented how they teach students Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Language Arts knowledge through content-connected activities. These students actually spent a majority of their day in this self contained course while instructors team taught and directed the PTLW curriculum. Students maintained a performance journal (resume) highlighting their accomplishments throughout the PTLW program.
Latter sessions at the Parkland High School Intro to Engineering Design & Digital Electronics and Forest City Middle/High School programs further emphasized and showcased the PTLW program with student presentations and hands-on activities (e.g., replicating a logic circuit and creating a 3D design via AutoCAD Inventor). Students actually taught the conference attendees how to manipulate the PTLW tools and highlighted the benefits gained via the program.
The conference provided us with an opportunity to learn about PTLW and gain insight into how the program could serve the Warwick student. Although the PTLW program does have elements that were leading us to learn more, a program of this nature would be best spearheaded from the top down starting at the school district level. The Warwick Technology Education staff appreciated the opportunity to share ideas, gain perspective and prepare for this year's upcoming curricular revision.
