This report on the I2Tech at Brookland-Cayce High School first ran on June 23. It is being republished as the I2Tech classroom at BCHS gets a renovation as the 2016-17 school year kicks off. 

The I2Tech program at Brookland-Cayce High School is helping prepare students for careers.

Brookland-Cayce High School has been offering an I2Tech program for two years.

Lexington School District Two adopted the TransformSC, 1-to-1 technology, project-based learning to teach students how to be effective communicators and collaborators.

The program includes a range of students, from every level of ability.

I2Tech classes are not taught in a traditional method. It involves group learning.

Those groups may get a visit from the S.C. Department of Natural Resources to solicit solutions regarding wild boar control. At other times, students have traveled to industry-leading Nephron Pharmaceuticals, outside of Cayce, to learn about the type of employee the company will need to produce life-saving medications. That trip was sponsored by the West Metro Rotary Club.

“I2Tech produces students who can face challenges and solve real-world problems,” said Bonnie Moskos, director of I2Tech at Brookland-Cayce. Moskos said it’s a different approach, but students still learn the core subjects of biology, algebra, and English.

And the results are what educators had hoped for. Students in the I2Tech program at BC are scoring at highly proficient rates on End-of-Course (EOC) biology tests. The same quality in scores holds true for (EOC) algebra and English exams.

“The test scores are really significant,” Moskos said. “They are impressive numbers.”

In addition to core subjects, I2Tech students, via group projects, are exposed to engineering, with assignments that require clear communications and other soft skills. The students discuss ideas and coordinate. Every person has to do his or her part. Students draft group contracts and they can terminate a member from the group for not meeting standards.

“We keep it as realistic as we can,” Moskos said. “And they remember what they learn. We feel it is a very effective way to learn.”