Strategies for Learner Engagement
Week 3 Case Study –
Authentic Learning Environments at Carl Wunsche Career Academy in Spring, TX
Stephanie H. Galloway
Full Sail University, Winter Park, FL
Authentic Learning Environment
Carl Wunsche Career Academy is a non-traditional high school in Spring, TX located in Harris County in Spring Independent School District and has approximately 1500 student enrollment. Students choose a specific career pathway and participate in a coherent sequence of career and technical education courses that follow the 16 National Career Clusters® Framework. Students receive authentic learning in academic and realistic tasks that are set in both the academic and real workplace environments. This Instructional design strategy is outlined in Chapter 35 - Keep it Real: The Benefits of Authentic Tasks in Contemporary Learning Environments in Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (Dempsey and Reiser, 2018). The Carl Wunsche authentic learning environment utilizes the micro-learning hands-on activities and flipped classroom model with online textbooks, videos, interactive content instructional materials, project-based learning curriculum, and practicum experience. Students meet Professionals from their desired careers through on-site and off-site field experiences, internships, and obtain Industry-based certifications. You may find additional information about the Career Pathway Opportunities at Spring ISD's Carl Wunsche Sr. High School thru the YouTube video https://youtu.be/Ao4Pc634GdA.
Authentic Learning Capstone Projects
The students at Carl Wunsche Career Academy complete a Capstone Project. This Capstone Project is an authentic learning experience that enables the students to research and create solutions to real-world problems that they have chosen in their desired career field. In their 12th grade, the students will complete their three-year intense study with a research paper discussing their discoveries and achievement in their fall semester. During the spring semester, they will present an oral 10-minute presentation of their contribution to the project, the knowledge gained, internship review, and future career application in front of a panel of community and business partners. In the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Career Clusters, students have completed Capstone projects related to Engineering Design 3D modeling, Ground and Aerial Drones, Renewable Energy, and NASA Space Exploration to Mars. The following Spring ISD (2019) YouTube video highlights some of the Capstone Projects at Carl Wunsche Sr. High School, https://youtu.be/whEe15PJ9mg. This Capstone learning product can be based on a project-based authentic learning strategy, collaboration strategy, reinforcement strategy, adaptive learning strategy, simulation-learning strategy, and a gaming strategy.
Authentic Learning with Collaboration
During the 2019 Spring ISD summer Teach Up training session, the senior level Career and Technical Education (CTE) Engineering and Veterinary Science Teachers from Carl Wunsche designed a mini Capstone Project for their students. The students were going to collaborate together to develop a prosthetic design for an English Bull Dog named Tootsie who had her front paws amputated after her birth. The Engineering and Veterinary senior students met with the owner of Tootsie in August 2019 to discuss the learning goals and the potential constraints of the project. The objectives of the project were for the students to work in teams to solve a problem that had a positive impact on the community, research, design, create a prototype, and document their technical drawings in a research notebook. Upon completion of the team project, the students would present their project prototypes to Tootsie’s owners in using the Engineering Design Capstone Research Project PowerPoint presentation rubric and evaluation criteria. The students would then work with Tootsie’s owners to select the best prototypes, schedule fittings of their prototype, and create redesigns as Tootsie gained weight and size. The Team Tootsie project was featured on the Spring ISD Social Media Pages and the local news stations. Although the project had been delayed due to Global COVID-19 Pandemic, two of Carl Wunsche graduates returned to school in June 2020 to complete their final fitting of Tootsie’s Prosthetic Paws as shown in the YouTube Video https://youtu.be/ytztLf2krq0.
References
Dempsey, R.A.R.J. V. (2018). Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780134237039/
Kemple, J. J., Snipes, J. C., & Manpower Demonstration Research Corp., N. Y. N. (2000). Career Academies: Impacts on Students' Engagement and Performance in High School. https://login.oclc.fullsail.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED441075&site=ehost-live
Spring ISD (2019) - Capstone Projects at Carl Wunsche Sr. High School, YouTube video https://youtu.be/whEe15PJ9mg
Spring ISD (2018) - Career Pathway Opportunities at Spring ISD's Carl Wunsche Sr. High School, YouTube video https://youtu.be/Ao4Pc634GdA
Spring ISD (2019) - The Pet Clinic at Carl Wunsche Sr. High School, YouTube video, https://youtu.be/4h0E2T6cuQc
Spring ISD (2020) – Wunsche Graduates Return to School to Complete Prosthetic Paws, YouTube Video https://youtu.be/ytztLf2krq0. Article, https://www.springisd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=8&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=31296&PageID=1
Spring ISD (2019) –Wunsche Students are Building Paws for Tootsie, YouTube video, https://youtu.be/Gh2xMlNshE4
Osguthorpe, R. T., Osguthorpe, R. D., Jacob, W. J., & Davies, R. (2003). The Moral Dimensions of Instructional Design. Educational Technology, 43, (2), 19–23.
Nakeisha Sanders
Week 2: 2.2 Project
IDT 520 Class Blog
Review Case Studies
Blog Response #4
1/17/2021
The Case Study Blog article, Authentic Learning Environments at Carl Wunsche Career Academy in Spring, TX was very motivating to review. As a dedicated and compassionate Math Teacher who values the relevance of Math and open to providing students with many opportunities to apply their experience and knowledge as real Math solutions in their personal lives and careers, I can appreciate Stephanie’ role as a STEM Instructor. The principle she applied in providing her students with an authentic learning environment was counterproductive when she encouraged them to apply and put to practice the engineering skills that they have learned to create a 3D…
Authentic Learning at Carl Wunsche Career Academy
Carl Wunsche Career academy employs authentic learning to prepare their students for career and college readiness. CTE academies use the 16 clusters, which is a broad group of careers and industries created by the United States Department of Education to organize career and technical education programs. The success of these programs lies in the motivation of the students.
CURIOSITY
Students have the opportunity to express and pursue interest in a career. They can ask, “What do I want to do? What would happen if I followed my instincts? What does the path to mastery in this case look like? What does achievement look like?” When students have the opportunity to take control of…
Curiosity
Authentic learning environments are a great way for high school learners to experience real-world problems and design solutions that address these problems using technology, academic skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. In this case, the learners’ curiosity was observed as they watched Tootsie walking uncomfortably on hard surfaces since her paws were amputated at birth. These high school learners were curious enough to design and print a 3D prototype or product that would grant Tootsie partial mobility in her front paws. Presented with the problem, we observe learners engaged in discussions as they brainstorm and share ideas of possible solutions. Curiosity or a “gap in knowledge” (Keller and Deimann, 2018) drives the interest and motivation for the young learners…
This group grabbed my interest because of my personal love for animals. I have been rescuing dogs for a while and recently brought one into my classroom for the past month. I’ve found that a dog in the classroom really changes the dynamic in the room.
After watching this video, it reminds me of the prosthetic tail that was built for the dolphin named “Winter” back in 2011 (Press, 2011). The processes were very much the same in solving the problem. I have a feeling they may have used this as an example when presenting the project to the high school students.
1. Motivation to Learn is promoted and Maintained when learners employ volitional strategies.
Students strive for multiple goals…
Nakeisha Sanders
Week 2: 2.2 Project
IDT 520 Class Blog
Review Case Studies
Blog Response #3
Sun. 8/16/2020
The Case Study Blog article, Authentic Learning Environments at Carl Wunsche Career Academy in Spring, TX was very motivating to review. As a dedicated and compassionate Math Teacher who values the relevance of Math and open to providing students with many opportunities to apply their experience and knowledge as real Math solutions in their personal lives and careers, I can appreciate Stephanie’ role as a STEM Instructor. The principle she applied in providing her students with an authentic learning environment was counterproductive when she encouraged them to apply and put to practice the engineering skills that they have learned to create a…