- This Middle School Pre-Engineering Gateway to Technology (GTT) course is a precursor to the national Project Lead the Way (PLTW) high school curriculum classes
- Students in this project-based learning class use a design process to research, design, build, improve and report on their learning. They will be given a multitude of activities to challenge and build their problem solving and critical thinking skills.
- Students are introduced to the growth-mindset concept where intelligence grows with perseverance and effort. The students are taught that mistakes and failure are part of learning and in order to be successful they need to be resilient and have grit.
- Students learn about the shop, how tools work, and that safety is based on good decisions and attitude.
- In addition to Pre-Engineering they will also build many computer skills and be introduced to a variety of software programs such as Solidworks (a computer aided design (CAD) program).
- For reporting their learning, students build a Jeffco Google Web site with many pages which is an electronic portfolio of their work, efforts and accomplishments.
- Students learn a multitude of progressive skills from Pre-Engineering, project building/shop/tool time, and computer/software to foster their natural curiosity and instill life long learning.