Designing Student-Centered Projects To Incorporate AAI

• Decide on a Learning Goal.
  Many teachers feel trapped by a curriculum and feel there is not enough time for projects. This was especially a problem in PYAP, since teachers and students only meet three days a week. Therefore, well-planned integrated projects became a necessity. A project learning goal may include one or more objectives in a curriculum. Using the AAI and Student Outcome Statements helped the Peabody team to launch a project on bridges. Some learning goals met within this project included designing, building, and testing a bridge that would hold a specified amount of weight. To reach this goal, students completed tasks which can be identified within the AAI guidelines. (See Rubric in "The AAI Project" section of the Pennsylvania Youth Apprenticeship Program in the Supporting Materials.)

• Define a Product To Manufacture that Incorporates this Goal.
  The product is merely the item that demonstrates that learning has taken place. It may be a physical object, a report, a poster, and so on. Students should be included in the decisions leading to the goal and the product so that they may feel ownership of the project as well as the process. This aspect of the Bridge Project gave renewed vigor to the students and teachers at Peabody. A product was developed and built by four teams of students. Positions assigned within the teams included engineer, draftsperson, accountant, supply clerk, carpenter/builder, and lawyer. Tasks assigned to each were identified and modified as needed.

• Investigate the Background Information with a Participatory Process.
  Students should investigate on their own as much as possible. Their appetites can be whetted with just enough information to make them want to seek out more. By investigating, rather than taking notes from lecture, they learn how to learn. Background for the Bridge Project was obtained through several field trips and self-conducted research gatherings. Historical facts about the bridges surrounding Pittsburgh were supplemented by observations and details that gave each bridge its own identity. Students investigated the role of the Department of Highways, the Department of Environmental Resources, the Fish and Game Commission, OSHA, various unions, as well as the concepts of right of way, eminent domain, aesthetics, and the securing of all necessary permits.

• Set a (Flexible) Time Line, but Ensure Closure.
  Students and teachers must learn to plan and budget time. In the Bridge Project, the teaching team tried to rely as much as possible on methods which would eliminate unexpected occurrences. Because the plan included fines for not meeting deadlines, students realized early that they must work faster than they were accustomed to and had to be more involved in the project to avoid shoddy work and the consequences attached. On each team, an individual is assigned to monitor progress and adjust team assignments as necessary.

• Have a Method To Gather Feedback and Monitor Progress.
  Short meetings with students, supported by their journals, may be necessary to monitor progress and solve problems. Make sure that it is clear among the students whose responsibility it is to report problems. During the Bridge Project, Peabody teachers met twice a week (and more when necessary). At times, it became necessary to redefine roles or duties.

• Develop an Assessment Rubric.
  Assessment should include a clearly defined rubric. The rubric should be made available to the students as early in the project as possible. This can serve as a guide throughout the project. Assessment may include traditional means such as tests and quizzes, but should provide choices in how students can demonstrate mastery or competency. The Peabody teachers used a combination of the AAI Assessment Routine and Student Outcome Statements. (See "The AAI Project" in the Pennsylvania Youth Apprenticeship Program section of the Supporting Materials.)

• Involve Others in the Evaluation Process.
  Student attitudes can change when they realize that their work is going to be evaluated by someone outside their classroom. At Peabody, employers, stakeholders, administrators, educators, and others are involved throughout the year in all aspects of the evaluation process, not just in specific projects.

• Provide a Means for Students To Reflect and Self-Evaluate.
  Because students were introduced to the AAI Assessment Routine and the Student Outcome Statements, they can identify what is expected of them and what they must be able to demonstrate. They maintain documentation of what they can do in their individual portfolios. From this documentation, teachers can produce individual career education plans for students. Videotaping the presentations is also an excellent means for self-evaluation, which must be part of the assessment routine.

This kind of flexibility makes the concept of block scheduling obsolete and removes labels from learning. Teachers often fear a loss of control when the labels are gone, but what actually happens is that they then become the most important resource for learning. They become the means by which students learn to learn--the most important skill on any job.

For additional information, contact

Diane Coumos
Guidance Counselor
Peabody High School
515 N. Highland Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 665-2050
Fax: (412) 665-2097

Margaret Holder
English/Spanish
Elizabeth Forward High School
1000 Weigles Hill Road
Elizabeth, PA 15037
(412) 384-5600

Dave Pacolay
Cooperative and Vocational Education
ATCD Student Placement
Peabody High School
515 N. Highland Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 665-2069
Fax: (412) 665-2097

Jean Simcic
Science/Math
Schenley High School
4410 Bigelow Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 622-8214
e-mail: simcic@pps.pgh.pa.us