Information for parents...
This page has been created for you to help your student succeed in the Technology Education (PLTW) class!
Welcome to Linden Avenue Middle School's Technology Education class.
This Tech Ed website is designed for students, but is available for parents, too. Feel free to bookmark the site and check in as often as you want. More resources will be added in the future to better assist students. I welcome questions and concerns from parents, so feel free to contact me. During one of the quarters this year, your child takes a Technology Education, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) class, as a part of their creative arts rotation at LAMS. This can be exciting and nerve-racking for students. Technology Education class is different from their other classes, focusing more on the basics of engineering, STEM/STEAM, and project-based learning. With a focus on STEAM, it incorporates skills from many of their other classes: science, art, math, English Language Arts, social studies, and even health, and will also touch upon technology career opportunities. But Tech Ed can be challenging. Many might consider it an advanced class merely for the topics addressed. Work is approached in a different manner, rooted in problem-based learning. This means that students will not just be learning the concepts, but they will be putting them into actions to develop solutions. This class requires asking questions, thinking critically, communicating & collaborating in writing, through drawing/sketching, and orally with their team, trying new things, and solving real world problems. We use computers in Tech Ed, but they are a tool, rather than the focus of the course. And while many students are proficient with tablets and smartphones, many struggle with using a traditional computer. In PLTW, failure is most definitely an option. We work together to achieve viable solutions to problems, and we encounter bumps along the way. It is part of the process, but it's the part that makes students uncomfortable! We use the engineering design process to solve problems, iterate, test, and improve. So how can you, as parents, best help them succeed? Be involved! Ask questions about what they did in Tech Ed that day! Be sure your student is prepared for learning! Support your student in their learning! Click the buttons at the top for more information about the class! |