Contextualized Classroom:
Math for Advanced Manufacturing
Steve Schmidt
Today’s Quote
“If you can think it, you can make it.”
- Bill Terrill, Director of Industry Training, Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh NC
You Can Write on the Packet!
You can find everything from this workshop at: abspd.appstate.edu Look under: Teaching Resources, Contextualized Classroom: Math for Advanced Manufacturing
Today’s Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Define contextualized instruction
- List the benefits of contextualizing instruction in high demand career pathways for students
- Experience healthcare related contextualized math/science learning activities
- Plan contextualized lessons using backward design
Understanding Advanced Manufacturing
“Advanced manufacturing is very conceptual like math. Our motto is, ‘If you can think it, you can make it.’ Much of the modern equipment to make things comes from computer files made with program like SolidWorks. We make prototypes with our 3D printers and then go final with our CNC Mill/Lathe. All three of which we can simulate before going final.
“Then in our automation lab, we build circuits from a schematic, which again is very conceptual like math. Machines today have three components, mechanical, electrical and digital. Understanding and configuring them is a conceptual process. Now, these aren’t hard skills to learn, but they are sequential and therefore require considerable effort to get to the level of our advanced manufacturing companies. There is a definite link between the conceptual processes in manufacturing as there is in the math processes.
“We recommend both math and computer skills for the same reasons. Computers skills are recommended also as a tool in learning and in necessary administration.”
Bill Terrill
Director of Industry Training
Wake Tech Community College, Raleigh NC
What is Contextualized Instruction?
“An instructional strategy that integrates the teaching of literacy skills and job content to move learners more successfully and quickly toward their educational and employment goals.”
Source: Wider Opportunities for Women
Why Contextualize Instruction?
Research has shown that contextualized instruction:
- Is a promising practice for strengthening basic skills whilesimultaneously providing career content for lower-skilled adults. Contextualization enhances students’ motivation, engagement, persistence, and success while improving their career knowledge and readiness (Jobs for the Future, 2013)
- “Promotes short-term academic achievement and longer-term collegeadvancement of low-skilled students” (Perin, 2011)
The WIOA legislation says that adult basic skills education programs should provide instruction in career pathways that use “occupationally relevant instructional materials.” (WIOA, 2014)
What Does Contextualized Instruction Look Like?
Teachers Are: / Students Are:Linking instruction across disciplines / Learning collaboratively with problem based and project based learning
Choosing authentic materials for career exploration / Developing academic persistence and grit as they move through challenging work
Facilitating instead of lecturing / Experiencing real world situations in career pathways
Aligning instruction to College and Career Readiness standards and High School Equivalency exams / Exploring college and career options
Designing scaffolded activities to develop students’ skills / Building deep conceptual knowledgeand analytical skills across the curriculum
(Adapted from Ferdinand, 2014)
Adult Education and WIOA’s Integrated Education and Training
The finish line has changed for our programs. It is no longer get your GED and see ya later!
Now it means developing career pathways so students can earn credentials allowing them to get jobs that pay family sustaining wages.
Integrated Education and Training is:
- Literacy Instruction (We have always done this but now with contextualized instruction)
- Workforce Preparation Activities (Employability Skills)
“Help participants acquire a combination of basic academic, critical thinking,
digital literacy, and self-management skills including: using resources, using
information, working with others, understanding systems, and gain the skills
necessary for successful transition into and completion of postsecondary
education/training/employment”
- Occupational (Job) Training
Use partnerships like a technical college’s continuing education and curriculum
programs and SC Works
Contextualized Instruction
Three main areas of contextualization:
1. Career pathways - “Use occupationally relevant instructional materials”
2. Transition to postsecondary education/training
3. English literacy/civics and career pathways (ESOL learners)
“The adult education component of the program must be aligned to the State’s content standards”
Contextualized Lesson Planning Using Backward Design
1. Begin with the End in Mind - What should students know/be able to do at the end of the lesson?
- Look at the College and Career Readiness Standards
- Look at the skills necessary for success in career pathways/transition to post-secondary
education and training
- Set objectives Example: Students will find the mean, median, and mode of a data set
2. How Do We Know They Know? – What assessment will I use to measure understanding?
Example: Given a prompt, students will write an email to their boss using a professional tone
and formal style
3. Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
- How will I help my students meet the learning goal?
- What instruction and activities will help them learn the curriculum?
- Contextualize lessons with REACT:
Relate: Examples I will use to link this concept to what my students already know
Experience: Authentic hands-on activities I will use to make this concept real for my
students
Apply: Activities I will use to show how this concept is used in career
pathways/transition to postsecondary/integrated English and Civics
Cooperate: Group problem solving activities that help students reinforce their learning and
build team work skills
Transfer: Students take what they have learned and apply it in new situations and contexts
Lesson Planning Guide
Title: / Time Required:Lesson Contextualized Toward: ☐Career Pathway: ______☐Postsecondary Transition
☐English Literacy/Civics ☐Other
Content Standards Benchmarks Taught:
Digital Literacy Skills Taught:
Objectives/Learning Goals:
Rationale: Why should my students learn this?
Materials/Resources Needed:
Procedure/Instructional Outline:
Please Include:
Explanation/Modeling (I do)
Guided Practice (We do)
Application (You do)
Assessment (How do I know my students learned this?)
Contextualization Guide:
Relate: Examples I will use to link this concept to what my students background knowledge.
Experience: Authentic activities I will use to make this concept real for my students.
Apply: Activities I will use to demonstrate how this concept is used in daily life and/or careers.
Cooperate: Activities I will use to engage students in team building/cooperative learning.
Transfer: Activities I use to help students know application of this concept to other areas/careers.
Homework Assignment: Activities my students will use outside of class to apply this concept.
Creating Contextualized Curricula
- Talk with subject matter experts in the career pathway about the skills and real world knowledge students need to be successful in that area
- Work backward from the skills/knowledge required into the learning strategies students need to know and be able to do to perform those tasks/gain the knowledge
- Continue to reinforce the knowledge and skills in a series of real life tasks people encounter in the career pathway
Contextualized Curricula Kit
We will use a portable, inexpensive kit of materials to explore some hands on contextualized activities. These activities are available on the ABSPD website. Look under Teaching Resources, WIOA Friendly Lesson Plans (Contextualized Curriculum) /Contextualized Lesson Plan Resources:
ABSPD Website Look under Teaching Resources, WIOA Friendly Lesson Plans (Contextualized Curriculum)
Carman, R. & Saunders, H. (2015).Mathematics for the trades: a guided approach. Boston MA:
Pearson.
A scope and sequence of math skills necessary for advanced manufacturing is available at:
Evidence Base:
Jobs for the Future (2013).Contextualizing adult education instruction to career pathways.
Retrieved from
Career%20Ladders%20Project%202014/Section%205%20Resources/Contextualizating%20A
dult%20Education%20Instruction%20Career%20Pathways.pdf
Perin, Dolores. (2011). Facilitating student learning through contextualization (CCRC Working
Paper No. 29, Assessment of Evidence Series). New York, NY: Community College Research
Center, Teachers College, Columbia University.
Wiggins, P. & McTighe, J. (2005).Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development
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