3/4/2019 Making an impact at NISD ExpoStudents from every campus in NISD joined forces to make a big impact on student learning last week. The evening event is a yearly showcase of K-12 student knowledge and growth. Our CTE programs were involved on every level for this impressive evening from demonstrations, presentations, debates, robotics competitions, and interactive student showcases. Check out a few of the amazing things our CTE kids were involved in! Culinary Arts & Hospitality AcademyOur Culinary Arts & Hospitality Academy students served nachos, cream of mushroom soup, macaroni and cheese, and cheesecake as refreshments for all guests and presenters. The mac and cheese was a big hit with all visitors- yum! BusinessBusiness students shared their trade show booths in a demo site which allowed visitors to experience a VEI-like tradeshow and learn more about the student companies. Students also presented business models, student created brand constructs and business plans. An interactive demo site was set up to help visitors learn more about becoming Skilled. Credentialed. Ready. with CTE. Visitors were “surprised that there were so many certifications offered” to NISD students. Creative Media Production AcademyOur Creative Media Productions Academy gave tours of the newly updated, state of the art studio. Student producers were on hand to answer questions and explain the experience they gain from being involved in CMP. “It was awesome to see the behind-the-scenes parts of the studio” stated one tour participant. Architectural Design & Interior DesignWe had architecture and interior design students share their creative designs from master bathrooms to the NISD Aquatic Center. Each student showcased their design process and renderings from AutoDesk Revit. Software Design and DevelopmentSeveral students put their coding skills to the test by presenting their use of coding languages and apps created in courses at Eaton HS. Students enjoyed showing the audience the type of apps that were possible and the skills they gained through the creation. Cosmetology AcademyThe Cosmetology students from Shears of Steele were part of a demonstration zone and were braiding hair, doing nail art and make-up for guests. “We loved getting our hair braided!” stated several elementary guests. Microsoft MasterMicrosoft Master students were able to talk to EXPO attendees about the many certifications you can earn through Microsoft. Rachel Crawford, a Collegiate Academy and Microsoft Master student, was even interviewed live on NHSTV about her competitive advantage! These students are truly skilled, credentialed, and ready! Floral DesignThe floral design students from each high school campus were showcasing their floral arrangements based on the theme of the event “Impact Starts Here.” In addition, the students were sharing their eportfolios that showcase their growth as a student and floral designer. The portfolios are used in the certification process later in the spring. Guests were very impressed with the designs, proclaiming “I didn’t know flowers could be art!” Robotics ZoneThe Robotics zone had multiple presentations, a competition and build zone! There were several robotics and coding presentations from the elementary level all the way to high school, showcasing great learning on individual campuses. Our Elementary and Middle School Robotics competition was a BIG hit with visitors. Congratulations to the winning team! The Texan Robotics Team hosted a Lego build zone for learners of all ages to build and test their creations. “It was so fun to compete against other schools. We had a blast!” one middle school student exclaimed. Aviation and Aeronautics AcademyThe Aviation Academy was on hand to share their knowledge of flight and demo the flight simulators. “We had a great time sharing with the Expo attendees” stated Aviation student. AgricultureThe Agriculture programs were represented in various ways: one student presented their FFA project, a towable BBQ made from a 1960 Chevy, that has won multiple blue ribbons at stock shows. Visitors were overheard stating “wow,” “I want to buy it” and “what a great project!” The Bobcat designs, student enterprise at BNHS, showcased their metal works. A discussion on the aquaponics, a system that combines aquatic animals and plants , system at BNHS was held. Several agriculture students shared their competitive advantage by showcasing the skills, knowledge and certifications they have gained through their programs. Biomedical Sciences AcademyBiomedical Sciences Academy students hosted a night of demos and hands-on experiences over a variety of topics including diabetes, DNA electrophoresis and extraction, healthcare facility innovations, neural functions, antibiotic resistance, and an eye exam lab. In addition to several presentations that showcased student skills and introduced the world to “Todd the Mani” a mannequin used to help students learn more about the nervous system and human body. Health SciencesHealth Sciences students hosted a debate over euthanasia, sharing both sides of the argument based on health related research. Students also presented several projects showcasing the research on body systems and disease. The district EMT students hosted a demo space for guests to learn more about EMT, CPR and get their vitals checked! STEM AcademySTEM Academy students could be found in multiple areas including the Robotics Zone, presentations and demos. The 9th grade Intro to Engineering students held a live demo on designing in 3D using AutoDesk Inventor. Students were able to demonstrate to guests how to use the program and how to create technical drawings. The Civil Engineering and Architecture students presented their cross-curricular project with English on Banned Books - students designed houses based on characters in their books. The final designs were pretty cool! We also had students present their “Dream Bigger” projects from the summer reading and English course. This project helped students explore different career paths and what it takes to combine your passions and skills. Students in the Environmental Sustainability course hosted a panel discussion with the focus on “what can be do for our community to ensure food security?” Students shared results from their research, surveys and next steps to help the NISD community with food security. Two students presented their new business venture: custom 3D Printing! PLTW EngineeringOur Middle School PLTW Engineering courses were well represented with teams in the robotics challenge and presentations from the projects completed in class. Students presented their puzzle cube project where they designed individual pieces on SketchUp and then created a model of each piece that would fit together like a cube. Several teams presented their therapeutic toy designs for children with cerebral palsy. Students used the engineering design process to design, research and build prototypes of their toys. “I love this class! We have had so much fun learning about engineering” stated a Medlin MS PLTW student. Thank you!Thank you to all of our students who spent their evening sharing their passions and knowledge with the community. Special thanks to our teachers for helping grow our young CTE minds. Thank you to NISD Instructional Technology for hosting such an awesome event! Want to explore more NISD CTE stories? Click here!
Use the Categories at the bottom of the screen to filter by topic. 2/25/2019 CTE's Day of Industry VisitsWhen will I ever use this? The phrase every teacher dreads hearing from a student, unless you are a Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher. The CTE teacher has a unique opportunity to inspire young men and women as they prepare for their journey in training for the world of work. Applied classes that promote opportunities in business and industry have been the focus of this specialized group of instructors since the beginning. Preparing for the world of work and beyond requires students to understand more than just technical skills. It requires students to understand their role in the culture of a company or how to problem solve through an industry challenge. To maintain relevancy as it applies to business and industry and the professional skills needed to be successful, more than one hundred and forty CTE teachers visited twenty business and postsecondary education partners on February 19th as part of their professional learning. These visits were a focused opportunity for teachers and industry to interact and discuss the professional skills a student needs to be successful in our community. This feedback will be utilized in developing a self-assessment tool that students will use in honing their professional skills. This is one of the many ways Northwest ISD is committed to building a work-ready community. Agriculture
BusinessBusiness teachers had the opportunity to hear from a human resources panel of professionals, both through Zoom and face-to-face. The panel representing business and industry provided great insight into professional skills competencies; debunking myths and defining current trends and expectations for professional skills in the workplace. Additionally, industry experts in sales and marketing provided an insider’s look into their industry experiences and professional skills expectations. “It was nice to hear from industry professionals that having students work in a variety of groups and then writing and presenting feedback is preparing them for the future.” - Carla Felipe “I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to learn first hand exactly what employers are looking for in applicants and what we as educators can do to help our students give them those tools that will set them apart from the others.” - Melissa Dunaway “It was so insightful and beneficial to hear from various industry professionals on workplace skills that our students need to succeed as continuous learners.” - Patricia Tran Cosmetology“My experience visiting Brighton Barber Institute was very informative. The establishment was very professional. All the students were in uniform, well-groomed and polite. The Owner was very welcoming and took us on a tour of the facility. He had various productivity and motivational charts posted in the classroom. Professional skills were apparent in this establishment. Knowing our cosmetology students have the opportunity to enhance their cosmetology license by completing this program to earn a barber license, known as dual license, is a great benefit for their future." - Gabriella Lochridge Creative Media Production
Culinary Arts and HospitalityThe Culinary Arts and Hospitality Academy facilitators had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Joseph O’Donnell, Senior Lecturer and General Manager of The Club at Gateway Center at University of North Texas. He graciously accepted to meet with the facilitators, despite it being the first day of lab class for his students! The time spent with Dr. O’Donnell was very informative about the Hospitality and Tourism Management degree program at UNT and the facilitators were given a tour of their state of the art student training lab facility, The Club at Gateway Center, in which students learn how to run a successful restaurant. It was a great opportunity to share program experiences and get a fresh perspective of professional skill expectations within the industry and how important they are to implement when preparing students to be successful in the Culinary and Hospitality career fields. Early Childhood DevelopmentEarly Childhood Development teachers had the opportunity to learn from industry professionals in the field of Early Childhood at Denton ISD’s Virginia Gallian Child Development Center. Virginia Gallian Child Development Center is a Rising Star 4 Star Certified program that provides care for Denton ISD employee’s children and hosts Denton ISD Child Guidance High School interns. Teachers learned first-hand the industry requirements and skills Child Care Teachers need to possess to run a highly-qualified rigorous child development curriculum. Hugh Bolton, Child Development Center director, guided Teachers on a tour of the facilities and spoke about the administrative tasks behind running the center. One of the greatest takeaways for Teachers was hearing from Denton Guyer and Denton Ryan High School teachers and students about the professional skills needed for interns to be successful in an early childhood setting. Education and CoachingEducation and Coaching teachers were welcomed onto Texas Woman’s University to learn within the College of Professional Education. College professors shared desirable characteristics for incoming education students. Teachers learned about university requirements for incoming education students along with updates on state-wide changes to post-secondary education. Diane Myers, Dean of College of Professional Education shared changes for education students and advancements in technology and the classroom including the use of their interactive TeachLive Lab that allows students to interact with Avatar students and practice live classroom management. Engineering
I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet and learn about the many different types of engineering projects and services that Wade Trim engineers work on. They took the time to talk about the essential workplace skills that are necessary for success and how they have seen the benefits of applying these skills from our current and former STEM interns. I appreciated talking about current technology and collaboration tools that are used in the industry. - Kim Garrett Health ScienceNISD Health Science teams visited Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance and Medical City Alliance committees. This opportunity allowed for our industry partners to share their observations about their industry, express their immediate and future needs, while suggesting to teachers areas they felt we could make a huge impact in prepare students more for the next step. A common observation from both partners was the need to focus on professional skill development and culture. “Years ago we only hired skill and today we look more at how an individual fits into our culture and what they bring to enhance our culture because skill can be taught.” BNHS Health Sciences teacher, Frank Ceresoli, mentioned “it’s easy to forget about the value of culture, our contribution to culture, and just crank away at lesson planning and student assessment.” Our team goal going into these visits was to better understand what the needs are so that we can now be more effective in our curriculum development to ensure NISD students have a competitive advantage in securing a future in healthcare to fit the needs of our community! Huge thank you to Paige McLellan, Patient Advocate/ Community Integration Coordinator at Texas Health Methodist Harris Hospital Alliance and Matt Eiserloh, Director of Community & Public Relations at Medical City Alliance for organizing and hosting this opportunity! Information Technology & Software Design and Development
Interior Design
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Use the Categories at the bottom of the screen to filter by topic. By NISD Senior FFA Student Keara Renfroe This year, Northwest ISD held its 21st annual FFA Third Grade Agriculture field day at the Kelly Box Agriculture Center. This event has grown to be a very successful day of learning as 30 high school students from each FFA program, Northwest, Byron, and Eaton, worked together for three days to facilitate and present information about the agricultural industry. Third grade agriculture field day was a great experience for our high school students as they were able to share their passion about the agriculture industry to elementary students on numerous topics such as Beef Cattle, Swine, Sheep/Goats, Entomology/Horticulture, Dairy Cattle, Wildlife/Outdoor safety, Crops, and Equine. Throughout the three days we had students participate in third grade agriculture field day, we had a total of 12 schools with estimated 1300 third graders attending. Each group was given 10 minutes to present a presentation on the topics with important facts, pictures, and with the opportunity for the third graders to ask any questions about the agriculture industry. Third grade students were also given the opportunity to learn about the animals and get a visualization of how they are taken care of each day. We as a school district are very grateful for the opportunity to have our FFA members share their knowledge and the importance of agriculture with elementary students in our district. Want to explore more NISD CTE stories? Click here!
Use the Categories at the bottom of the screen to filter by topic. By Gary Gerhardt, Agricultural Science Coordinator
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CategoriesAll Agriculture Architectural Design Aviation And Aeronautics Academy Biomedical Sciences Academy Business Business Management And Entrepreneurship Academy Certified Medical Assistant Cosmetology Academy Creative Media Production Academy Culinary Arts And Hospitality Acaademy Early Childhood Development Education And Coaching Emergency Medical Technician Engineering Dynamics FCCLA FFA Floral Design Health Sciences HOSA Information Technology Interior Design Middle School PLTW Robotics Software Design And Development STEM Academy TAFE |