New Lockstep Engineering Program Promotes Collaborative Learning at Kenston Middle School,
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
According to class teacher Larry Klimkowski, the new Lockstep Engineering Program at Kenston Middle School is helping students become confident collaborative learners, using the latest teaching and learning technologies.
We asked him to tell us more about this innovative program that combines both hands-on activities using real hardware, with computer-based simulators that allow students to perform the same experiments in a virtual environment.
Innovative, flexible lab “This is a very different program to our previous technology education program, where we had ten different modules in the lab with students all doing different activities at the same time. Back then in 2005 I felt more like a facilitator than a teacher. Today it is very different, I am back at the centre of the instruction and I am teaching again. All my students are following the same lessons and learning activities and I have time to work more directly with them.
I like the flexibility the lab has to offer the many different types of learners who participate in the class. I approach this class with the philosophy of exposing students to the skills and ideas associated with the various engineering modules I teach. I also look to enhance and develop their ability to collaborate with one another, identify problems, carry out tasks, and implement solutions.
By exposing students to the ideas of how technology is used in the real world and providing them with opportunities to discover solutions, we can develop both their self-learning skills and their co-operative learning skills.”
ENGINEERING PROGRAM - SUCCESS STORY
“I love this class it’s so much fun using the presentations and making things work!”
Sierra, Student at Kenston Middle
Exciting presentations with instant response keypads!
According to Larry Klimkowski this obvious enthusiasm and enjoyment is based on the structure of the lessons and the LJ Create resources he has.
“I begin each lesson with the ClassAct SRS presentations. I begin the grading period by completing the first couple as a whole class, conducting a pop corn reading type activity. As the classes become familiar with controls and the format, I then use the SRS’s presentations as 10 point graded assignments. Students complete each assessment at their own computer with their SRS controller, we then move on to the lesson activities and work in collaborative groups. I usually allow the students to complete the trainer activities in groups of four and the simulator activities in groups of two. Assessments are then completed individually or in groups of two.”
Simulators that actively engage students!
“I try to promote as much collaboration as possible. Each student must contribute. No free rides! The students are actively engaged in the hands-on and simulator activities. Working in cooperative groups and using technology-based teaching methods with the simulation-based activities really makes a difference.
Thanks to the support I have had from Buckeye Educational and LJ Create, I now have a fantastic engineering program that enthuses my students and lets me teach the subject in a collaborative way that engages students of all abilities and interests.”Larry Klimkowski
Kenston Middle School
Jennifer Payne, a Medical Careers instructor at the Center, has been using the HealthCenter21 programs for two years now:
• The Health Care Foundations program is consistently used with the junior class.
• The Multi‐Skilled Nursing Assistant curriculum is used with juniors as part of Ohio’s program for nurse aides. Mrs. Payne uses the MSNA course to reinforce the difficult aspects of the program and to enhance skill development. HealthCenter21 curriculum is available for:
• Health Care Foundations
• Multi‐Skilled Nursing Assistant
• Medical Office Assistant
• Emergency Medical Services
• The Medical Office Assistant course is used mainly with the seniors.
Mrs. Payne points out that her students like the ability to work at their own pace and in turn, she appreciates the flexibility that this style of learning affords her. Students can listen to the narration and, when necessary, go back to previous pages, in order to ensure that they have the required knowledge, prior to taking the quizzes. The “call teacher” feature also allows for easy communication between student and instructor. With regard to absences, Mrs. Payne talks about the fact that she had a senior student on medical leave, who missed a large portion of what was happening in the classroom. The HealthCenter21 curriculum enabled this student to catch up much quicker than previously since the unit was assigned as a self‐instruction unit upon the student’s return to class.
The HealthCenter21 curriculum allows for multiple teachers—all displaying an array of different teaching styles—to be able to manage their system in the way that best suits their needs. Mrs. Payne points out that the way she manages the curriculum is entirely different than the way her peer manages it across the hallway. The end effect, however, is that students are engaged, and more importantly, they are learning. When asked about the National Healthcare Foundation Skills Assessment, Mrs. Payne explains that some of the key components in the assessment were not emphasized in their core curriculum. The HealthCenter21 modules have provided the necessary link to incorporating this knowledge into the courses, and Mrs. Payne is anticipating that her students will be successful at the end of the year. With regard to the webTRAC management system, provided with her HealthCenter21 programs, Mrs. Payne adds that this system allows her to track students’ progress easily and quickly. “I can get a real‐time assessment of how far they are in the unit, and how well they are actually learning the information. I can also see when a student is struggling, and assist them with the content.” Mrs. Payne uses the messaging capability, within the management system, to communicate with the class, or individual students, and she schedules a pop‐up message to inform her students that class is soon over, and that it is clean‐up time. “My experience with AES and their representative, Buckeye Educational Systems, has been great! The training, provided by Buckeye, gave us the tools we needed in order to manage the classroom, and I have never had to use the remote assistance capability that AES offers to their instructors.”Jennifer Payne
Pickaway Ross Career & Technology Center