Service-Learning PIE ….

Entrepreneurial Productive Innovative Engine (PIE) Teams are a framework for proactively creating products, processes or services.  The Connecting Students to the Future Economy proposes that the PIE framework be utilized to develop service-learning experiences.   This blog explores this as applied to the Guilford County Schools (GCS) Service-Learning Program.

This diagram shows the interaction of Industry Partners and the Service-Learning Experiences. PIE and Future 4 Kids is also shown as part of the diagram.

It would be expected that the PIE Team would establish interfaces with relevant Industry Partners for Service-Learning mentors.

Future 4 Kids also relies upon Industry Partners.

The GCS Service-Learning Handbook defines “Service-Learning as a way of teaching that connects positive and meaningful action in the community with academic learning, personal growth and civic responsibility.  Service-Learning helps develop citizenship and good character while providing direct connections to the academic curriculum.”  It brings relevance to education.

GCS has identified 5 Priority Areas for Service-Learning as follows: (Note Google Links have been provided for convenience)

·         Community Renewal

·         Health & Nutrition

·         Energy & the Environment

·         Education

·         Safety & Security

A Service-Learning Example makes a distinction between service, learning and service-learning:

·         Picking up trash on a riverbank is service

·         Studying water samples under a microscope is learning

·         Science students collecting and analyzing water samples, documenting their results, and presenting their findings to a local pollution control agency is service-learning.

More information is available at the GCS Service-Learning Resources website.

Types of Service Experiences are depicted in the diagram as:

·         Teach Others (Could the youth teach what he/she is learning to benefit others?)

·         * Product or Performance (Could the youth craft a product or performance to benefit others?)

·         * Problem Solving (Could the youth’s learning be applied to solve a real concern in the community?)

·         Apprentice (Could the youth apprentice/volunteer in a local non-profit?)

·         Public Policy (Could the youth research a public policy issue and make recommendations to public officials?)

Initially PIE will be focused on the Product/Performance and Problem Solving since PIE framework is tailored toward this end.

Entrepreneurial Processes for PIE, IPARD Service-Learning and Graduation Project (PDF) are illustrated in a Mind-Map Format. Investigation, Preparation/Planning, Action, Reflection and Demonstration/Celebration (IPARD) process is advocated by the K-12 Service-Learning Program.  The Graduation Project advocates Research, Product, Portfolio and Oral Presentation process. 

Entrepreneurial Productive Innovative Engine (PIE) stresses the following Team:

• Research - Scientist Hat
• Design & Development - Engineer Hat
• Production/Service - Technologist Hat
• Marketplace - Customer Hat
• Entrepreneurial/Manage - Business Hat
• Global Supply Chain - Logistics Hat   

PIE and FIRST Robotics processes (PDF) are also illustrated in a Mind-Map Format. Examination of the FIRST processes shows emphasis on iterative processes.  The PIE shows this as Focus on Continuous Improvement.  The Technology to Product Example shows a Three Dimensional (3-D) diagram with input:Y-Technology, output:Z-Product and Process:X; this is a universal diagram which applies to products as well as education.  For education the input:Y is students, Process:X is the Education Process and the output:Z is the educated person.  Note that the output:Z can become the Process that teaches or can be recycled through for higher learning.     

For comparison the Scientific Method is illustrated in a variety of charts that are synergistic with PIE and processes depicted in the above PDF documents.  The Steps of the Scientific Method and Steps of Engineering Design Process are examples that relate to processes discussed above.  A Comparison of The Scientific Method and the Engineering Design Process shows the synergistic between methods. 
Hopefully these processes will be helpful to participants in establishing the approach that will best support the Service-Learning projects.  Other ways of thinking may be found in the author's blogs and M21C concepts.