PLTW Webinar Push

Project Lead The Way used a webinar on April 21 to pitch a simple idea to elementary schools: stop teaching literacy, math, and STEM as separate islands. (pltw.org) The session, titled “Breaking Down Instructional Silos: Building Literacy, Math, and Future-Ready Skills in Elementary School,” was listed as a virtual event on PLTW’s events page. An edWeb listing for the same April 21 panel said it would show elementary and district leaders how interdisciplinary instruction can strengthen literacy and math outcomes without adding to teachers’ workload. (pltw.org) (home.edweb.net) PLTW said the webinar would focus on integrating STEM-focused literacy and math across existing curricula, with examples meant to help students connect English language arts, math, and science. The edWeb description said attendees would get strategies for problem solving, collaboration, communication, and schoolwide alignment. (home.edweb.net) The push lands as elementary schools face crowded schedules and pressure to raise core academic performance without carving out time for another standalone subject. PLTW’s event page framed the session as a response to that squeeze, saying the goal was not “adding more” but “unlocking more” through interdisciplinary teaching. (pltw.org) PLTW has been building that case through its elementary program, PLTW Launch, which it says serves PreK through grade 5 with hands-on modules tied to math, English language arts, and science. PLTW’s elementary curriculum pages say Launch includes 42 to 43 interdisciplinary modules, depending on the page, and is designed to fit into existing schedules and rotations. (pltw.org 1) (pltw.org 2) (pltw.org 3) On its elementary program page, PLTW says Launch is built to improve engagement and strengthen problem solving while connecting to state and national standards. The organization also says 96% of educators reported after training that they were confident students would benefit from the program. (pltw.org) The webinar pitch also fits a broader PLTW strategy of using on-demand webinars, showcases, and training schedules to help schools plan implementation, align to requirements, and expand access. PLTW’s webinar hub says districts can use those sessions for topics including scheduling, assessment, funding, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. (pltw.org 1) (pltw.org 2) For school leaders, the immediate sell is consistency: fewer disconnected lessons, clearer expectations across K–5 classrooms, and STEM work tied directly to reading and math blocks already on the calendar. That is the argument PLTW put in front of educators on April 21 as it tried to turn an elementary webinar into a districtwide planning conversation. (home.edweb.net) (pltw.org)