“This is a perfect example of
learning by doing,” says Shaker
Heights High School principal Eric Juli.
This type of student engagement
through hands-on learning was
precisely the reason District
administrators were enthusiastic
proponents of expanding the
curriculum to include these pathway
classes. The experiences they
gain epitomize the International
Baccalaureate (IB) framework the
District embraces at all grade levels:
an emphasis on creative problemsolving,
teamwork, hands-on projects,
and inquiry-based learning.
“As we look at the world our
students are entering into, it is
important, now more than ever,
to provide multiple pathways to
become successful adults,” says Marla
Robinson, the District’s chief academic
officer. “Education is no longer onesize
fits-all. I’m not sure it ever was.”
Whether students go on to study
engineering in college, or enter the
workforce immediately after high
school, the class builds the kind of
skills students need to be competitive
in a modern, global economy.
“Many good manufacturing jobs
cannot be filled because employers
cannot find qualified applicants who
have had the kind of training we have at
Shaker Heights High School,” Juli says.
Adds Robinson: “These are not
lesser-than options. These are very
viable options for all of our students.”
WWW.SHAKER.LIFE | WINTER 2022 67
Machining and manufacturing teacher Marty McGuan shows senior Aaron Witt
how to mark the center of an aluminum block before drilling.
Learning the tools of the trade: at left, students use a micrometer for precision
measuring; at right, senior Ben Witt adjusts his settings on the drill press.
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