Building Non-Traditional
Career Competency
Opportunities
Mary IwanskiSTEM and Innovation Coordinator
★ Work for Merton
Community School
District (K-8)
★ Google Innovator
★ STEM Elective Teacher
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Dr. Ron RussSemi important guy
★ Does some stuff
★ Works in places
★ Talks about some things
★ Sometimes has busy days
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Merton Community School District at a Glance
▪ 4K-8th Grade District located in
Western Waukesha County - High School
is Arrowhead Union High School
▪ 2 Schools - Merton Primary/Intermediate
▪ Lowest per pupil spending in Waukesha
County
▪ District Significantly Exceeding
Expectations on the report card - In
the top ten of the state every year
▪ ACP Challenge - Highly Educated
Families who “Did School Well.”
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OUR THOUGHT PROCESS
Message from Businesses
Opportunities for Students
Our Mission Statement
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WI State Mandate
We want our students to be strong critical thinkers, collaborate and solve real-world
problems, and persevere when things aren’t quite going their way.
6(“Academic & Career Planning (ACP),” 2013)
Foster academic excellence
while inspiring curiosity
and personal growth
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Merton Mission Statement
What We Heard From Businesses
Communication
▪ Speaking
▪ Writing
▪ Listening
Organization
▪ Individual
▪ Group
▪ Time Management
Creativity
▪ Idea Generation
▪ Thinking outside the
box
Critical Thinking
▪ Problem Solving
▪ Analysis Skills
Collaboration
▪ Teamwork
▪ Idea sharing
Grit
▪ Resiliency
▪ Strength of Character
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How do we ensure that our school meets the
state mandate, lives our mission, and gives
students opportunities to practice the
things businesses value most?9
Start YoungNot just our 6th - 8th Graders
Think CreativelyNot just adding more of the same
Live the Mission Academic Excellence Inspire Curiosity Personal Growth
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1Primary (K-4) MakerSpace
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By Definition
We Are Teachers:
A makerspace is a room that contains tools and components, allowing people to
enter with an idea and leave with a complete project. The best part is that
makerspaces are communal. The goal is to work together to learn, collaborate,
and share
(“What Is a Makerspace?,” 2018)
The Making of a MakerSpace:
Makerspace is more than a space itself, it is a mindset that can and should be
taught
(Roffey, Sverko, & Therien, 2016)
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Merton Primary School MakerSpace14
Merton Primary School MakerSpace15
16All students work through a module in each category
C
R
E
AT
E
Career CompetenciesStudents in MakerSpace focus their reflection on the 4 C’s
Communication * Collaboration * Critical Thinking * Creativity
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5K Example (Focus on 1 a day)
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Parade Float Engineering
Static Movement
Picture
1st Grade Example (Portfolio Reflection)
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2nd & 3rd Grade Example (Portfolio Reflection)
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4th Grade Example (Goal Setting)
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Other Opportunities
Connecting our kids to professionals
Skype with a
Genetic
COunselor
2Occutry Virtual Internships
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Shift in Thinking
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● We need more elective class opportunities
● School districts should be able to share elective classes between them
● We should teach a wider variety of industry valued skills
● We need electives that connect directly to the post secondary world.
● School districts should be able to access electives for their students that have been co-created by educators and industry.
● We should ensure that courses are not just about the content but also the soft skills that are valued most by employers.
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New Vision!School Business
Provide an expert insight into content
being taught
Provide insight into non content skills to be interwoven into the course
material
Provide time for students to take
class
Provide instructor to share
assignments and grade student
work.
Online coursework that students complete
independently during the school day or outside of
school. Courses include:● New Content● Soft skills valued by
professional workplaces
“Real” InternshipsFor Middle School Students
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Current Partnerships
▪ Sales
▪ Client
Communication
▪ Framing
▪ Plumbing
▪ Electrical
▪ Resume
▪ Cover Letter
Writing
▪ Client
relationships
▪ Design
principles
▪ Blueprinting
▪ Design Board &
Presentation
▪ Job
Application
▪ Estimating
▪ Project
Management
▪ Superintendent
Communication
▪ Accounting
▪ Letter of
Interest 28
The electrical part would be fun
because I like to work with
circuits and create cords from
somewhere to make something work
so I would definitely think about
maybe being an electrician.29
Overall the experience led me to learn that
if you work hard on things you can really get
stuff done. One final thing I learned about
myself is that I really like to build things
and it was fun to work on this project.
30
I think that I could become a carpenter now because of the virtual internship because I learned some of the
rules and regulations that it takes to become a carpenter. I still want to try out more woodwork because
of the virtual internship it taught me a lot and inspired me to try and become a woodworker. 31
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A catalog of courses made available to area middle schools to enhance elective course offerings with classes, created in partnership with businesses, that have content and soft skills infused
throughout.
Other Opportunities
Connecting our kids to Post-Secondary
Thanks!
ANY QUESTIONS?
@maryiwanski34
Reference List
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Academic & Career Planning (ACP). (2013, December 3). Retrieved December 2, 2019, from Wisconsin Department of
Public Instruction website: https://dpi.wi.gov/acp
Roffey, T., Sverko, C., & Therien, J. (2016, April 3). The Making of a Makerspace: Pedagogical and Physical Transformations of
Teaching and Learning. Retrieved December 2, 2019, from
http://www.makerspaceforeducation.com/uploads/4/1/6/4/41640463/makerspace_for_education_curriculum_guide.pdf.
What Is a Makerspace? (2018, June 27). Retrieved December 2, 2019, from WeAreTeachers website:
https://www.weareteachers.com/what-is-a-makerspace/