A local high school teacher was selected last week as a Project Lead the Way Master Teacher. Sentinel math and computer science teacher Daniel Lande said PLTW is the curriculum used by Missoula County Public Schools for a lot of STEM curriculum.

"To become a Master Teacher you have to apply, go through a process and then once you're selected, it allows a number of things," Lande said. "First, I'll be trained as a Master Teacher which allows me to have summer training where I train other teachers to be able to teacher these PTLW computer science courses. It will also allow us to pilot its future computer science courses."

Lande said he was one of two teachers picked in the state to attend the PLTW summit next month, and the only high school teacher selected.

"In addition to going out for the training they're going to give me, it also gets me access to a lot of professional development material," Lande said. "Basically it will help shape the future of PLTW computer science programs to meet the needs of our students."

PLTW is a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers across the U.S. PLTW empowers students to develop indemand, transportable knowledge and skills through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW’s teacher training and resources support teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning.

"Mr. Lande is our fourth PLTW Master Teacher in the District," Superintendent Mark Thane said. "We are so proud that MCPS now has PLTW Master Teachers in elementary, middle and high school. They are strong teachers in their own classroom and they provide leadership and mentorship to their peers within the District."

More than 8,000 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs.

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