SANDWICH – Instructors of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) summarized Project Lead the Way at the March 15 Sandwich School District 430 Board meeting.
“Students will trace the history, development and influence of automation and robotics as they learn about mechanical systems, energy transfer, machine automation and computer control systems,” according to Superintendent Rick Schmitt.
Beth Volpp, teacher at Sandwich High School, and Jenai Gregory, teacher at Sandwich Middle School, said both programs offered by the district were successful this first year. At the high school the course offered was Introduction to Engineering and at the middle school it was Design and Modeling.
Principles of Engineering will be introduced next year at the high school. It’s the second course in the scope and sequence, and adjusts the current curriculum to teach the three-dimensional cube project earlier in the school year.
The curriculum has been modified at the middle school to allow all students an opportunity to participate in the larger projects, and will introduce an automation and robotics unit. The students will be using robotics platforms to design, build and program real-world objects such as traffic lights, toll booths and robotic arms.
“For the past few years, the staff, administration and Board of Education have been examining a restructure of the technology and explore curriculum at the high school and middle school, ultimately deciding to incorporate STEM,” Schmitt said. “As we move through our first year, the staff must be commended for guiding the program towards a successful implementation, as well as for their time and effort to train and plan for the delivery of the STEM curriculum.”