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New School. New Opportunities
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ith the opening of a new school there are many new things; new books, new desks, fresh paint, and new and exciting classes. Among the new classes is Project Lead the Way. The program includes classes such as Engineering and Biomedical Science. Last week, I had a great occasion to witness firsthand the exciting atmosphere of both classes.
Taught by Mr. Hawkinson, Intro to Engineering offers, “Hands on project and problem based challenging curriculum, which adds rigor to traditional technical programs.” The students first found out about the class last year via teachers, flyers, and the East Ridge Festival at Woodbury High School. One student, Brad Schmit said, “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this class, but my mom really pushed me to do it; now I love it.” The semester long class continually challenges students with various projects; collectively, the class favorite was Puzzle Cubes. Within the ten days it took to complete the project, the students were exposed to the lazer cutter which sliced the wooden block pieces into the correct size and shape. Once that was finished, each intricate puzzle piece was glued together. Other equipment used in the workshop is the 3D printer, molded printer, the plastic printer, and the lazer beam. Although the class is competitive and very hands on, “it gets tiresome, its hard work, and sometimes the projects can be boring. Overall, though, it’s fun and I’m learning a lot” says Kory Weide.
The other class I had the privilege to sit in on was Mrs. Berg’s Biomedical Science Class. In this class students interested in a job in the medical field are presented with the opportunity to see what the field is all about. The class is designed for students who excel in math, science and an interest in the human body. “It is designed to augment the high school science and math college preparatory programs to establish a solid background in biomedical science.” An early lab taught the students to take blood pressure and experimented with activities that affect blood pressure. In a more recent lab, students dissected a fetal pig and in a continuation of the lab, dissected a cow heart. Erika Bolhke says, “I kind of plan on doing this later in my life, so this class is really beneficial. I’m hoping to be a Pediatric Doctor, so I’m hoping this helps.” Mrs. Berg is a very enthusiastic teacher and is looking forward to teaching infectious diseases because, “I know a lot about them.”
In the future, Project Lead the Way will be very beneficial to East Ridge, as it takes math and science out of the confines of the textbook and demonstrates to students the endless possibilities that are before them. According to the PLTW website, “Studies have shown that PLTW students become the prepared, competent high-tech employees U.S. industries need to succeed. Mathematics and science are huge fields, and thousands of career openings are waiting for students with the right skills and dedication to fill those positions and move our national future forward.” Including Project Lead the Way in the curriculum at East Ridge will open doors to endless new opportunities for students.
By: Kaeleigh Wilson
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January 29th, 2010 at 11:20 am
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