PROJECT
LEAD
THE WAY
Advances
Teacher
Training Over
the Summer
O
ver the summer break, Franklin Regional’s 2nd
and 3rd grade teachers were trained by Project
Lead the Way (PLTW) Credentialed Launch Lead
teachers Ms. Megan Melucci and Ms. Renee
Ryan under the leadership of Newlonsburg Elementary
School Principal Ms. Tina Gillen. The training involved in-
depth collaborative experiences to prepare the teachers to
facilitate and deliver a transformative learning experience in
their classrooms.
PLTW is a K-12 curriculum that focuses on engineering,
biomedical science, and computer science. The program
was successfully launced at FR last year. Teachers at each FR
elementary school are being trained to use the curriculum
for PLTW activities. Students get a chance to build different
types of robots, solve real-world problems, use critical-
thinking skills, and learn how to program their robots and
other technological devices to perform specific tasks.
During the summer PLTW Launch Classroom Teacher
Training, 2nd and 3rd grade teachers integrated the “Activity-
Project/Problem-Based (APB) instructional approach, which
is the core of all 24 PLTW Launch modules. Teachers then
worked on module-specific training for The Changing World
in Grade 2 and Variation of Traits in Grade 3.
During The Changing World module, students explore
how the surface of the Earth is always changing. They are
introduced to different types of maps and explore how
these maps convey different information about the world
in which we live, including where water is found on Earth.
Students investigate the different forces that shape the
surface of the Earth and design solutions to limit the
impact of erosion on a fictional community. The Variation
of Traits module allows students to investigate the
differences between inherited genetic traits and traits that
are learned or influenced by the environment and then
model how the gene for a plant’s stem color is passed on.
Professional learning for Franklin Regional educators
continues after completion of the Classroom Teacher
Training. FR teachers have access to professional
development resources and support directly related to
the modules they will facilitate with students throughout
the 2018-19 school year.
All teaches who attended the summer training were
credentialed through PLTW. This is the second year of
implementation at Franklin Regional. Last year, 4th and
5th grade science teachers received comprehensive PLTW
training.
The teachers in the summer training pictured above are (front
row) Beatriz Battistoni, Renee Ryan, Bethany Weaver, Pam
Seymour, Karen Conners, Michelle Kimchock; (back row) Megan
Melucci, Angie Jageman, Gretchen Federbusch, Abbie Davis,
Janine Mickel, and Kristen D’eramo.
Teachers receiving
training in August were
Mary Cartwright-Sill,
Rebecca Vincent, Kelly
Jockel, Meg Morton, Errin
Kilbury, Tammy Gianvito,
Lisa Stewart and Emily
Krivoniak. Trainers for
the August session were
Mike Dibert and Carmen
Loughner.
MURRYSVILLE
❘
FALL 2018
35