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?