|
What a school has to do to join the PLTW network:
- The school must register by the March 15 deadline.
- The district has to sign an agreement by the June 1 deadline.
In order to start teaching PLTW in the fall:
- The school needs to determine which PLTW course(s) to offer *
- A teacher has to register for PLTW, take the online self-assessment and register for the summer training institute of choice.
- The school has to sign the software lease agreement.
- The school has to figure out how to recruit students into the course(s).
- Teachers go to summer training with their laptop computers.
* If a school decides to start with the Principles of Engineering course, the teacher should order the Fischertechniks Kits as early as possible to ensure delivery by September. PLTW does not accept orders in August.
The laptop and the LCD projector must be available to the teacher at the start of school. All other equipment, if needed, can be purchased after the teacher returns from summer training and has a better idea of what the program entails.
The school registration and the district agreement are not legally binding and no money changes hands – these are intents to implement the program and not contracts.
**********************************************
Middle schools: The middle school program has four modules which can be implemented as a full year of 8th grade science or technology, or can be spread over the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. If added in one grade, only one teacher needs to attend the summer training. The only mandatory ongoing expense would be the annual software lease.
High schools: The PLTW course sequence is usually implemented one course per year. The school determines in what order to implement the courses and what, if any, prerequisites will be required. Courses can be taught or co-taught by math, science or tech ed teachers. Some schools work with other districts or with local colleges to ensure access to all the courses.
|
