Written by Eric Kelliher, Career Readiness Consultant at Kent ISD
Love a challenge? If you are a Kent ISD area educator, grade 5-8 Science, Technology, Engineering-focused (CAD/CAM, etc.), Art, Math or general STEM teacher, this unique PD is for you. Come participate in a summer program that’s guaranteed to be unlike any PD you’ve ever experienced.
What to expect…
First, you’ll spend two days learning the Design Thinking process, a business model – supported by Fortune 500 companies like Apple, IBM and Steelcase – designed to walk teams and organizations through product design and systems thinking. This human-centered approach, to building and creating, lends very well to Education and encourages students to: be problem-solvers, embrace failure as a part of the learning process, engage through collaboration, creativity and relevance. And you’ll learn by doing.
You’ll then spend two days with different companies learning from them: what skills employers are looking for today, what the jobs of today and tomorrow entail and what they contribute to the local economy. They’ll show you what they do to solve their own business problems, and have you apply what you’ve learned to help them solve a challenge they’re currently facing in their workplace.
Complete the scaffolding process by practicing these new skills with actual students this summer through our two-day DC2 (Discover, Design, Collaborate, Create) Camp of incoming 5th/6th graders. Add in time to collaborate, reflect, and hear from other teachers who’ve been through our process or learned it elsewhere, and you have eight jam packed days full of opportunities to truly learn, understand and practice this game-changing classroom approach.
What’s next…
Of course, what good is learning innovative ways to teach if you don’t implement them? Apply what you learn this summer to your classroom in the fall and build community partnerships as you coach your students in classroom competitions for real prizes. Oh, did I mention a $2,000 stipend for training and implementing as well as money for classroom resources will be included? Now that’s action-packed PD! Only 15 spots are available, so click here to apply today! (NOTE: this link is just to APPLY for the program.) But hurry! The deadline to apply is May 1st!
What others have said…
Still not convinced? Here’s what some of the previous years’ participants had to say:
“The most meaningful component of this experience was how it relates to the professional world. Not only can I implement this process with my students, but I can share with them the relevance of it beyond the four walls of our classrooms.”
“This was a great PD. The application to the real world and chance to practice design thinking with students was immensely helpful. The materials provided helped contribute to the learning. The food and professional atmosphere was wonderful.”
“I cannot say enough positives. This has changed my approach in my classroom.”
“The summer training was hands-down the most valuable training I’ve ever attended. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
Click here to apply today! The deadline is May 1st.
This blog post was written by Eric Kelliher, Career Readiness Consultant at Kent ISD and edited by Amanda Walma, Professional Development Coordinator at Kent ISD.
Leave a Reply