Area Spotlight: Carver High School’s TSA Program Prepares Students for STEM Careers

Disponible en:

It has been almost seven weeks since the school year began. And engineering and technology students at [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Carver High School are deep in their studies. That isn’t slowing them down. Many are members of the Technology Student Association. And these students are already preparing for competitions and their future in STEM fields.

Dr. Porcia West describes TSA students as driven. West is an engineering instructor at the campus and is one of three sponsors of Carver’s TSA. She teaches the Principles of Engineering (POE) course.

“I would describe TSA students at Carver High as focused and competitive,” said West. “At Carver, we offer students a diverse curriculum. But we also give students ample opportunities outside the classroom.

[quote]They work on hands on projects to apply what they have learned. And we are seeing positive results. We again had students advance to compete in the National TSA Conference.”[/quote]

Last summer, three students advanced to nationals after placing in the top five at the state competition. The team of Samir Hassam and Tobin Barnes competed in the Computer Numerical Control Production event. And peer Héctor Alanís entered in the Flight Endurance event. In 2013, the team of [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Tobin Barnes and Robert Kyle placed in the top 10. The national conference brings in participants from across the country. At the 2014 conference, more than 6,800 educators and students attended. The five-day conference also provided more than 60 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) competitions.

West remembered Tobin and his passion for TSA and the competition.

“Students love the types of projects they are working on to enter for competition,” said West. “I remember Tobin. You would see him walking around carrying his project everywhere. He was constantly working to ensure he submitted the best project for competition. Now he is studying engineering at Prairie View A&M University.”

The 2014 TSA team from Carver High didn’t place in the top 10, but the team was very competitive among the more than 15 teams from across the country.

“This was my first time competing at the national event,” Samir said. “I know there is room for improvement but it was a great experience. I hope to advance again this year.”

Samir is an articulate young man who aspires to be a mechanical engineer. West praises the work that Samir, Tobin and Héctor did at nationals.

“TSA students work extremely hard during the summer,” said West. “While other students are taking a break, the TSA kids are working on their projects. Before going to Washington, D.C. for the national event, former engineering instructor Ronald Hitriter and I worked with the students at a community college to work on the projects. I couldn’t be more proud of the students that advanced.”

The engineering program at Carver High uses Project Lead the Way or PLTW. The PLTW curriculum comprises a set of STEM project-based activities in which students must solve problems. These activities provide hands-on experiences for students. The goal is to teach key elements and skills of STEM-based careers. To achieve this, teachers immerse students in rigorous problems.

Watch a video of Dr. Porcia West and Samir Hassam as they describe a project students worked on.

[vimeo url=”http://vimeo.com/108276846″ width=”560″ height=”315″]

 

Engineering students at Carver must take a Principles of Engineering course. At the end of the course, students take a PLTW end-of-course assessment. The highest possible score on this national test is a nine. Two years ago, Samir was one of a few students who earned an eight. West uses Samir as a peer tutor to help other students.

“I use Samir as a peer tutor,” said West. “He has a great understanding of what he is doing, he is detail-oriented and uses the technical jargon needed in STEM fields. He articulates his thoughts and ideas well. No matter what we are doing, Samir sets out to gain a complete understanding of the theory or principle.”

West adds that TSA is competitive at all levels. To take part and compete in TSA events, students must maintain their GPA.

West credits a lot of [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Samir’s success to his parents who instilled in him a love of reading. Even Samir admits that reading is important to him.

“Their involvement in Samir’s education attests how important parental support is,” said West. “Parents help our students grow and develop. Reading is vital to a student’s success in school, in college and later in the professional world. Reading helps anyone become more articulate in his or her writing and speech. Reading helps people understand concepts and helps them handle practical life situations.”

“Reading is important,” said Samir. “Not because parents make you read or teachers or Aldine ISD with summer reading requirements. If you never open up a book, you never know what is out there for you to explore. It doesn’t matter whether you read books or the Internet. There is information everywhere and resources you can take advantage of to get ahead in a competitive job market. So from that perspective, reading is important.

“For me, there is a connection between reading and engineering and technology. Outside of novels and stories, there is a lot of technical information that you can use. In learning principles of technology, there are concepts behind these that you have to learn. So if you don’t open a book or take the time to read the information and use it, then you won’t have the opportunity to understand the concept or principle.”

Samir is a great example of a student at Carver High. Currently, almost 400 students are in the Magnet engineering/applied science strand at the campus. According to the school counselor, many former students majored in STEM fields. Other students are currently majoring in a STEM field.

“We have students go on to study at major universities,” said West. ” A few off the top of my head are Texas A&M University, the University of Texas, the University of Iowa, Texas Tech and Rice University.”

Samir is a senior this year. When asked if he would recommend Carver, he smiles.

“I do recommend the Magnet engineering and applied technology program at Carver,” said Samir. “It also offers many activities.

[quote]“Carver is different from other schools. It offers different types of engineering programs. Students interested in engineering or applied technology should consider Carver. And not just because of the curriculum. The campus also offers opportunities like TSA and other extracurricular activities. These allow you to diversify skills, improve them. This is where I grew. I grew through improvement and learning.”[/quote]

West couldn’t agree more with Samir. Carver High’s TSA typically has a membership of 60 students and approximately 30 advance to the state level of competition. West is proud of the Carver students.

“The students work hard throughout the year to reach the capstone level of competition,” said West. “The National TSA Conference is the goal for each of these students.”

“After-school programs and associations such as TSA help students focus on school. They also give students a chance to learn through hands-on problem-solving projects. And it gives them the opportunity to focus in their fields of interest that can help them later in life. After-school activities such as TSA are great to help students develop essential skills. They learn leadership and communication skills. They also improve their social skills. In many of the TSA projects, students work in teams. They come to realize the importance of teamwork and communication if they want to succeed. And they also use creativity and critical thinking skills. And they gain perseverance skills. These are all skills they can take into college and into their professional careers.”

“The skill and knowledge demonstrated by all students at this year’s conference was remarkable,” said Dr. Rosanne White, TSA executive director. “It is proof that the breadth of opportunity to gain hands-on career preparation in the STEM disciplines through TSA and its competitions has been embraced and is valued by students and educators alike.”

Principal Rosalyn Sweat lauds West and the TSA students.

“Dr. Porcia West, Landy Fair and Suresh Shah have been excellent sponsors of the TSA after-school program,” said Sweat. “And they are all excellent educators. Dr. West for example has a knack of discovering how students learn more effectively. For example, some students learn through verbal communication others are more visual or hands-on. Whatever a student’s learning style, she supports it and encourages students to find their style.

“I am proud of our students and staff for achieving at such high levels. Students strive to be successful and strive to be the best in everything that they do. Our engineering students and staff work hard. Their efforts are paying off. It is important to have students advance in competitions. This builds their confidence and experience. What is just as important is helping students discover their passion for a STEM career that they decide to pursue in college. That is success!”

 Hear Samir Hassam talk about the National TSA Competition and his thoughts about his experience at Carver High School.

[vimeo url=”http://vimeo.com/108276845″ width=”560″ height=”315″]