During the next 15 days I will use this ITEEA / CSL Discussion Forum to showcase what we are doing here in Manatee County, Florida at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in regards to technology and engineering facilities.
Some background first…..Manatee County School District is ranked 99th in student population of the 15,000 school districts in the country. We educate 47,000 K-12 students; in addition to the our post secondary technical institute (Manatee Technical Institute) which enrolls just over 7,000 adult students. Our district has 32 full time technology and engineering teachers at the K-12 level and over 100 technical teachers at the post secondary level.
During the next few weeks we will look at the facilities at all four levels and spend a few days with each. Any comments will be appreciated and are encouraged to be shared with the group
Thank you,
Doug Wagner
Welcome,
ReplyDeleteI would encourage you to participate and speak with Doug. I will be sending a reminder out to the CSL Forum and to the Technology and Engineering Education Supervisors at the State Level. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Luke Rhine
We are going to start today by talking about our K-5 engineering program that is currently found in seven (7) of our elementary schools. Each engineering lab is found in a classroom that has been converted to a full blown engineering lab (well as full blown as it can be given the size of most classrooms).The idea behind these labs is to give EVERY student in the school the opportunity to apply and supplement math and science skills through hands-on real world problem solving engineering activities. We call these labs “Inspiring Elementary Engineering” or IE2 for short. We started down this road about 6 years ago with the conversion of one classroom in a school and now have 7 labs in seven schools staffed with full time, fully certified teachers. The student's rotate through the lab each day as one of their special classes. The neat thing about this idea (to start students down the road of engineering at the kindergarten level) is we have created a 12 year design process ; the elementary level encompasses 1. Ask, 2. Imagine 3. Plan, 4. Create, and 5 Improve. We will talk about the MS and HS process when we get to that area next week. I have will posted some photo's on the web so you can see the design process and what one of the labs looks like. Take note of the windows to the outside hall so everyone can see what is going on in engineering. Also note the drill press in the back, the blue laser and all of the bins and stuff around the room that used with the students. This will give you a better idea of what I am talking about. Here is the URL for the short PDF.
ReplyDeletehttp://act.manateeschools.net/documents/csl/CSL%201_19_2012.pdf
Thank you,
Doug Wagner
This is very interesting. A couple questions:
ReplyDeleteDid your school system design the elementary curriculum?
How did the conversation about engineering education at the elementary level begin?
How is the course staffed?
Thanks,
Luke
Great questions…
ReplyDeleteAs to your first question… our school system started with the great stuff from (ITEA-CATTS), EdB and some of the K-5 TSA events. As we went along we had to design new elementary engineering curriculum that went with our required state standards so the program would support what all of the other teachers were doing in the school with the students and help with the high stakes testing that is going on in our state.
As to your question about how engineering education at the elementary level began. It started with the wife of one of our high school engineering teachers who liked what her husband was doing and wanted to see if the K-5 kids would enjoy learning about engineering. So she started adding engineering activities to her class and it took off where all of the students wanted to be her in class and learn engineering. The school decided that having a REAL lab was one way to have all students take part in the learning that they could rotate through once a week for the entire year!
To your last question about how is the course staffed? I ask that each school have a full-time, fully certified teacher that is 100% assigned to the engineering program and lab. If the school pays for the staff we will cover the cost of the lab and everything in it, travel for the teacher, and cover the cost of inservices and summer and professional development workshops.
It is a great deal for all of the students at the schools and now we have many schools in this district who what to do the same thing with a engineering lab and an engineering program.
Thank you,
Doug Wagner
In looking at what photos I had here on my computer I have made a second PDF so everyone can see some of the cool things that are going on with the K-5 engineering program. In keeping the focus on Leading and Managing Facilities, it is important to note that with this kind of program the use of being outside the lab is critical to success of the learning. If you do not have access to other areas of the school you cannot do many of the things that are going on with engineering. The school has to be behind these facilities efforts. Note: the photos, where they are taken, and the kinds of activities the students are doing. Like the first URL I posted; to view, you will need to copy this and paste this link it in your internet browser to view the PDF on-line.
ReplyDeletehttp://act.manateeschools.net/documents/csl/1_20_12_post.pdf
Thank you,
Doug Wagner
This is great stuff Doug. How has the level of acceptance been with the elementary staff? Often times when we have discussed the addition of activities or subject matter at the elementary level, we get push back from the teachers as they feel that they already have a difficult time fitting in all of the current curriculum requirements. How have you begun to sell them on the value of this lab and activities? What level of collaboration do the classroom teachers have with the engineering teacher in terms of preparation for their students to engage in the engineering activities? Thanks, Matt
ReplyDeleteHi Matt
ReplyDeleteThe level of acceptance with the elementary staff was VERY slow at first (7 years back). I even remember offering a new engineering lab at a Principals meeting if the schools would just cover the cost of the teacher; and we had no takers. It was only after we had success with the engineering lab at the first school that other schools jumped on board. Now we have a waiting list of schools that would like an engineering lab. We also started implementing activities in the K-5 classrooms for the teachers who were interested in technology and engineering. But this never really worked since the State of Florida is always changing what is required and time during the day is very short when you start to add in things. The good news is the idea for engineering labs are selling themselves. The schools which are using them have increased the Math and Science scores on the state tests. As to your question about the “level of collaboration that the classroom teachers have with the engineering teachers” I have to say it is very high. The engineering teacher meets with all the teachers in the school and works up a full year of activities to match what the classroom teachers are doing. So when the teachers are teaching about Simple Machines in the classrooms the kids are doing a trebuchets and catapults in the engineering lab. It is a great system and is working very well. In closing I have to say that the MOST effective way to teach Technological Literacy at the K-5 level is in a full blown engineering lab, with a certified teacher who is in the lab all day long, and has every student in the school rotating through the lab. This is a great transition to Leading and Managing Facilities at the Middle School level.
Thanks
Doug Wagner
1/25/2012
ReplyDeleteWe have now shifting our focus to Leading and Managing Facilities at the Middle School level. Here in Manatee County we have a dozen engineering teachers at the middle school level. Some of our middle schools have 2 engineering teachers and labs while others have just one. If a school has 2 teachers we have two labs and one would be a true engineering lab and the other is a communications technology lab. If you are ever looking for a model lab to see in person we have them. Over the years we have moved away from the modular lab (see photo in the referenced PDF that I will post tomorrow) to more of a group instruction that centers on Technological Literacy while using the TSA events as the vehicle to learn the content (more photos will be posted tomorrow). As you know from reading this Blog we start at the kindergarten level with many of our students so when they hit 6th grade they have had 6 full years of engineering at the elementary level and are ready to build on their skills and knowledge. The facilities must be flexible in order to accommodate the program (which is changing each year).
What you will see in our labs here in Manatee County is student stations for learning and large open spaces that can be used for group instruction and also large projects. A new trend in facilities these last few years has been the linking together of rooms that are next to the engineering program in order to expand the labs. We are adding more rooms to our programs in order to build a full blown design lab that is linked with the engineering lab. Doorways have been created between rooms along with glass windows so one engineering teacher can manage BOTH the design side (SolidWorks) along with the production and engineering lab where the hands-on activities are taking place. Many of our students are proficient in SolidWorks at the middle school level and everything that is created starts with full drawings on SolidWorks. We can also accommodate more students this way in a safe and manageable environment. What kind of labs do you have in your schools?
Thank you,
Doug Wagner
1/26/2012
ReplyDeleteToday in the photos you will see examples of what some of our facilities look like at the Middle School level. Note the first photo of an example of a modular lab from the early 90’s here in Florida. Do you have labs like this still at your sites? The next four photos depict what labs look like today. Note the equipment, lab layout, and open space. Students are excited to be part of the engineering program and it shows in the enrollment, performance with TSA, and job satisfaction of our quality instructors. This is also an open invitation for you to come to Manatee County to see our labs in action as you will not be disappointed by what you will see and learn in person.
Like the first URL I posted; to view, you will need to copy this and paste this link it in your internet browser to view the PDF on-line. Let us know what you think?
http://act.manateeschools.net/documents/csl/supersized%20modular%20lab%201_26_2012.pdf
Thank you,
Doug Wagner
1/27/2012
ReplyDeleteAs for our discussion above; it is important to note that with this kind of program the use of being outside the Middle School lab is critical to success. Even if it's a lab the size of 5 or 6 standard size classrooms, students still need to be outside. If we don't have the access to other areas of the school we cannot do many of the activities that are related to engineering.
The photos in the PDF are just a few examples of some of the activities the students are doing and it is necessary that they have access to other areas of the school and outside of the building. What kind of outside or out of the classroom activities are your students taking part in? At the bottom of this PDF you will see the Design Process that we use here in Manatee County at the Middle school level. Go back and review what we posted for the elementary level and see how we build on what the students are learning at the K-5 level. You will need to copy this link and paste it in your internet browser to view the PDF on-line. Let us know what you think?
http://act.manateeschools.net/documents/csl/MS%20Photos%20Outside%20The%20Lab.pdf
Thank you,
Doug Wagner
1/30/2012
ReplyDeleteHigh Schools that offer engineering education are on the cutting edge. Our facilities are some of the best around with multiple labs, multiple teachers, and hundreds of students. A new idea we have been pushing here in Manatee County for the last few years, is that new high schools are built to focus on just a few CTE programs rather than trying to be everything to everyone. For example; our newest high school (1,950 students) has just 4 CTE areas; one of which is Engineering and has 4 full-time teachers. Many schools across the United States might have just one or two high school teachers because they are trying to offer more than just 4 of the CTE areas. In today’s discussion we have posted the 3rd and final graphic of the design process we use here with all of our engineering labs and also some high school engineering lab photos from one of our High Schools. Let us know how these compare to your high school facilities in your schools. To see the photos you will need to copy this and paste this link it in your internet browser to view the PDF on-line. Let us know what you think?
http://act.manateeschools.net/documents/csl/HS%20Lab%20Photos%201_30_2012.pdf
Thank you,
Doug Wagner
1/31/2012
ReplyDeleteToday is the final date for the discussion which ran January 17 -31, 2012 for Leading and Managing Facilities. I hope you have enjoyed reading about what we are doing here in Manatee County in regards to our facilities. Having adequate professional facilities is a key component to a program’s success. If we want to have tangible success with our students, teachers, and community we need to provide an environment that fosters that idea. The students deserve a engineering lab that is rich with industry standard tools and equipment that fosters a safe learning environment. This past Sunday the local paper ran a story about the engineering lab I used in some of the High School PDF photos. While they took many photos of the students, take a look at the front page photo…..the facilities and equipment draw people’s attention and sure enough it was used on the cover story. Here is the PDF of the story; like the other PDF’s, you'll need to copy and paste this link to your internet browser to view the on-line content. Let us know what you think?
http://act.manateeschools.net/documents/csl/BRHS_Sunday_Front_Page_Story_1_2012.pdf
In closing if you ever have any questions or would like to visit us here in Manatee County, do not hesitate to contact me at the address or phone listed below.
Thank you,
Doug Wagner, Director
Adult, Career and Technical Education
School District of Manatee County
215 Manatee Ave. West
Bradenton, Florida 34205
(941) 708-8770 ex. 2227
Fax: (941) 708-8686
www.ManateeACT.com
Glad to see the tables and what looks like teams in the elem. lab. How do they document the process? Writing must be essential along with drawing ideas and brainstorming.
ReplyDeleteAt the middle level.... I was right about modular, vendor driven classrooms wouldn't last. Glad to see they are gone. How or why are computers separated from the teamwork, work benches? Every team needs a computer to research and document. I mix the work benches with the computers. Having the machines/tools in a separate room reduces dust. But all in the same room promotes better teamwork and documentation. Without teams and documentation it isn't technology ed. how do you manage a design project? How do you deal with material and project storage? How many classes a day use the facility?
Beautiful facility.