Source: Melissa Kaye
Dec 5, 2024, 11:12 AM CST
Nekoosa, Wis. (WFHR, WIRI) – The Tech Ed program at the Nekoosa School District looks a bit different than it did in years past. They now have a fully outfitted classroom with twenty 3D printers for students at the Alexander Middle School. Students in grades 6-8 have an assigned printer that is their work station while in class. Their teacher Mr. Benjamin Peters designed and implemented the new CAD Fab Lab at AMS. However, many have participated in the journey to achieve this vision. One of those is Keith Johnson.
Keith Johnson is the Principal at Nekoosa High School, holding that position for the past 9 years. His experience in the District includes 5 years as Principal at the Elementary School. He also spent several years teaching Social Studies for grades 6-12. During his time in the District he saw the Tech Ed program struggle with budget cuts and teacher retention. The referendum in 2020 had money earmarked for Technical Education and the creation of another position in the program. The passing of the referendum allowed the district to update their Tech Ed program with newer equipment.
Principal Johnson said, “We realized what we really needed to do was find someone who could work at the K-8 level who would be able to get students excited about technology, engineering, and science.” He said that getting the kids excited about STEM at the middle school level was the goal. That way, once they got to high school, they would already have an idea of what STEM classes were about. The excitement would already be there to expand on what they learned in those younger grades.
The upgraded Tech Ed Program is already paying off. Mr. Benjamin Peters and Mr. Marcus Wilcox are leading the Tech Ed department. The increase of excitement by students can already be seen as they come into the high school after only one semester last year. This is the first year of having 3D printers at Alexander Middle School on a one-to-one basis.
“Mr. Peters and Mr. Wilcox are the two who have really run with things. And the excitement and the energy that they’ve brought to the Tech Ed program is really what’s driving that interest. So these are students who only had that experience in 8th grade who are coming to us more excited,” said Mr. Johnson. He continued saying he’s really excited to see what happens when students who will be participating in the program throughout their middle school grades get to the high school. “When those students are coming to us with a much deeper level of experience I think they’re going to come with a much greater level of excitement.”
All students at AMS will take a semester of Tech Ed at Nekoosa School District during 6-8 grades. Mr. Johnson said that while all students may not all turn out to be engineers, having an engineering mindset will help them in any career field they enter. “What are now being called durable skills, those communication skills, collaboration skills, those are probably the most necessary and important skills that students are going to be coming out with.”
The goal is to help students develop the ability to see problems and identify solutions with the tools they have on hand. “And then there is a level of self awareness that is going to be very important for students to come out into the market with.” Mr. Johnson said it’s important for students to understand what they’re passionate about, what their strengths, talents, and interests are. “I think having a flexibility and an entrepreneur’s mindset to be willing to be flexible and maneuver is going to be extremely important in the job market of the future.”
You can learn more about the Tech Ed at Nekoosa School District by tuning into Community Stories Jr. Two episodes have focused on the program, airing on November 14th and December 5th.
