Modern Blanket Toss: Findings and Observations

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED
Teacher Support
During the school year, teachers need to be able to rely on an
online curriculum for students who might fall behind to “get up to
speed” with the rest of the group.
These teachers also need to sign off on student progress on the
hands-on portion of the flight school curricula in the form of a
rubric.
Teachers need to be concerned with outreach into the community
to find individuals who are willing to present to the students and
possibly pitch ideas for projects.
Teachers need to set up ceremonies each quarter where students
are celebrated for their accomplishments within their local
communities and as part of a network of other schools doing similar
work.
We realized that teachers need instruction on how to do this kind of
community organization and outreach.
It is also crucial that teachers are comfortable with the growth
mindset and the engineering design process where every
experience is a learning opportunity.
Lastly, if teachers are to monitor their students, they need to be
familiar using the chosen Learning Management System (LMS).
When this comfortability exists, technologies have the power to be
can be the vehicle whereby students make a meaningful difference
in their community. Many STEM professionals cite that inspiration
for their career choice came from the ability for them to contribute
and give back to their communities.
Summer Sessions
It is easier to control the student experience during the summer
sessions. Therefore those times should be spent with students
involved in community projects that follow the successful model
that we observed in summer of 2016.
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