Sharing this outstanding article written about the recently implemented program Project Lead The Way – Launch, a PreK-5 STEM curriculum! EPIC 2 in every way!

Rentz focuses on four Cs: collaboration, critical thinking, communication and creativity. She says her goal is to help students realize they are creative, they are deep thinkers and they can design and build things whether they want to be engineers or not. Her classroom is a fun, energetic and safe learning space, but she does not let students off easy.

“There was lots of dead air in class,” she says. “It’s much better now as students get accustomed to the activities, expectations and my way of questioning. I wait through the uncomfortable silence after I ask a question. I won’t jump in and give them the answers.” They must work through it, she says; they can, and they do. “They are learning it’s OK to try and to fail. I make sure they know we all are learning and we all are making mistakes as we go along.”

Safety amidst that "failure" in PLTW sealed the deal years ago for Pam Cole, an elementary teacher and PLTW trainer from Wichita, Kansas. She and her colleague, Karen Parisi, provided training for Walton County teachers in January.

“There is beauty in failure and recovering. This program changed my life,” Cole says of PLTW. “Different kids can shine and be leaders. When I first implemented it, two of my lowest level kids performed the best on coding. They were using different skills, thinking differently. Even those who can’t read well can be very successful.”

PLTW lessons can be implemented as a whole class, in small groups or in centers. In Walton County, teachers used standards to choose the modules they wanted to include in classes. Christine Petersen, Digital Learning Specialist for Walton County School District, underwent PLTW training along with teachers. “Teachers can infuse technology into their instruction throughout the lesson,” she says. “They were excited to begin their projects, and PLTW will enhance their current science lessons and develop technology skills needed for the 21st century.”

Students say the science classes are fun. "We get to build things," one girl chirps while another counts holes in a plastic part, comparing it to the schematic on her team's iPad. The small groups are engaged and full of energy, and all appear on task.

Project Lead The Way is in its first year of implementation in Walton County schools, says Crystal Appel, Coordinator of Instructional Support Services. “The goal is to help more students prepare for the global workforce…It aligns with many of our middle and high school CTE program frameworks. PLTW has partnered with AP, and the College Board and PLTW have partnered on a program to encourage student participation in STEM degrees and careers,” she said via email.

Walton County School District plans to implement the program at the high school level next year, and Bay Elementary's goal is to be STEM-certified. The certification process takes two years.

As for students at Bay Elementary and other Walton County schools (Butler Elementary, Emerald Coast Middle and Walton Middle), they will continue exploring, building, working together and becoming fluent in academic and technological language through PLTW.

And yes, a few second graders have sights on becoming engineers.

https://sway.office.com/UyznuMzy8jPZw2qG?ref=email

Congratulations to Paxton Art students for winning third place at the Florida State Spanish Conference in Orlando, Florida for their poster entry. Over 35 schools were represented at the Conference. Paxton art students and their teacher, Corinne Wilson, represented Walton County School District in EPIC2 fashion!

Picture courtesy of Corinne Wilson

WCSD recently hosted an inservice training developed by the Florida Department of Transportation for Florida Safe Routes to School (bicycle/pedestrian) at the WISE/Carlene Anderson Training Center in DeFuniak Springs.  The purpose of the professional development, led by trainer Caitlyn Cerame, was to train teachers to introduce children to safe pedestrian behaviors and the concept of traffic. The goal is to teach children the necessary skills to be safer pedestrians whether walking to and from school, to the school bus stop, or other common situations.

The training was designed to:

• Develop knowledge of the most current materials available for teaching bicycle and pedestrian safety skills (curriculum guides, lessons suggestions, equipment, videos) and how to obtain them for use with students. 
• Learn and demonstrate the life-saving traffic safety skills that can be taught to students. 
• Create learning outcomes so students will recognize safety rules and procedures for physical activities like walking and biking to school.
• Help trainers learn to implement curriculum that meets FDOE bike/ped standards for K-5th grade.

Bay Elementary Second grade has been busy with a broad curriculum of applied knowledge and problem solving using STEM and the recent celebrations of Dr. Seuss’ birthday and Read Across America Day through a series of daily centers.  Second Grade student, Rori, read The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss to the class, then each student colored a part of the piece to reveal the hidden message.  Students talked about how we are all different and unique which makes them special.  Teachers read aloud “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,” and then students used their themes from the book to work math problems graphing and plotting points with goldfish.  After reading “Cat in the Hat” students worked in groups to create a crazy hat for their teammates.  From “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” students were asked to complete a journal playing off of ELA-structured questions that asked students to form an opinion and make predictions about the author’s meaning.  

In STEM, students used applied knowledge of, “How Natural Disasters Can Impact Building Structures,” with hands-on learning.  They built structures and tested their strength with a hair dryer and then problem solved. Keep up the good work Second Grade! Submitted by Lindsey Harp