PHOTOS: Connecting the Classroom to the Real World of Aviation
Curriculum Photos

PHOTOS: Connecting the Classroom to the Real World of Aviation

By Jaclyn Borowski — May 17, 2022 1 min read
Students in the aviation program at Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., practice flying on flight simulators.
Students in the aviation program at Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., practice flying on flight simulators located in the school.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Copy URL

For most high school students, connecting what they’re learning in the classroom with their career interests and aspirations is vital for keeping them engaged in the material and learning the skills that are critical to their success.

A relatively new curriculum designed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation does exactly that. It features classroom lessons that incorporate relevant, real-world scenarios as well as field trips where students connect with professionals and experience aviation first-hand.

Here, a collection of photos of the program in action in the classroom and at a local airport with a group of students from Magruder High School in Rockville, Md.

Students from Magruder High School’s aviation program visit the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Students from Magruder High School’s aviation program visit the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Sophomore Byron Barksdale, left, and classmates from Magruder High School’s aviation program examine the inside of a charter plane at the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Sophomore Byron Barksdale, left, and classmates examine the inside of a charter plane at the Montgomery County Airpark.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Ben Berman, chief pilot and director of safety for the charter flight business OpenAir, speaks with students from Magruder High School’s aviation program during a visit to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Ben Berman, chief pilot and director of safety for the charter flight business OpenAir, speaks with Magruder students in a hangar at the airpark.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Oxygen masks come down from the ceiling as students from Magruder High School’s aviation program experience the inside of a charter plane at the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Oxygen masks come down from the ceiling as students experience the inside of a charter plane.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Roxanne Ober, director of admissions & outreach for the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, speaks with students from Magruder High School’s aviation program during a field trip to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Roxanne Ober, director of admissions & outreach for the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, speaks with students during their visit to the airpark.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Students from Magruder High School’s aviation program get a lesson on mechanical work during a field trip to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Students from the Magruder aviation program get a lesson on mechanical work at the airpark.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Sophomore Luke Moitoza, part of the aviation program at Magruder High School, takes a look at the landing gear of a plane during a visit to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Magruder sophomore Luke Moitoza, who is on track to earn his pilot's certificate, examines the landing gear of a plane during the field trip.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Students in the aviation program at Magruder High School take a look at the different parts of a plane during a visit to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Magruder students take a look at the different parts of a plane in a hangar at the Montgomery County Airpark.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Students in the aviation program at Magruder High School take a look at the exposed engine of an airplane during a visit to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Students examine the exposed engine of an airplane and try to locate the alternator, which supplies electrical power to key components of the aircraft.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Students from Magruder High School’s aviation program visit the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
After a lesson on the career opportunities and work of aviation mechanics, students walk toward the next segment of their field trip.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Sophomores in the aviation program at Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., work together to assemble a helicopter during class on April 7, 2022.
Sophomores in the aviation program work together in a Magruder classroom to assemble a model helicopter. The lesson is designed to teach them about concepts such as torque, force, and the rotational motion of a helicopter.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Sophomores in the aviation program at Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., work together to assemble a helicopter during class on April 7, 2022.
For the model helicopter lesson, students are encouraged to solve problems as a team.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Luke Moitoza, left, and Byron Barksdale, sophomores in the aviation program at Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., work together to assemble a helicopter during class on April 7, 2022.
Luke Moitoza, left, and Byron Barksdale are both thinking about pursuing the goal of becoming pilots in the military. Here, they use critical problem-solving skills to assemble their model helicopter.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Students in the aviation program at Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., use multimeters to test various batteries during a lesson on April 7, 2022.
Juniors in the aviation program use multimeters to test various batteries during a classroom lesson designed to teach them about the capabilities and lifespans of batteries, which are critical for flying drones.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Dan Howell, aviation and technology teacher at Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., gives a lesson on batteries as part of the aviation curriculum on April 7, 2022.
Dan Howell, an aviation and technology teacher at Magruder, leads a lesson on batteries and drones as part of the aviation curriculum.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week

See Also

Sophomore Byron Barksdale, part of the aviation program at Magruder High School, takes a look at the exposed engine of a plane during a visit to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Sophomore Byron Barksdale, part of the aviation program at Magruder High School, takes a look at the exposed engine of a plane during a visit to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Special Report Figure It Out: How to Teach Students to Be the Ultimate STEM Problem Solvers
May 3, 2022

Jaclyn Borowski
Director of Photography & Videography,  Education Week
Jaclyn Borowski is the director of photography and videography for Education Week.
Related Tags:
Career Readiness Career & Technical Education Maryland

Events

Wed., September 27, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar How to Leverage Virtual Learning: Preparing Students for the Future
Hear from an expert panel how best to leverage virtual learning in your district to achieve your goals.
Content provided by Class
Register
Thu., September 28, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
English-Language Learners Webinar AI and English Learners: What Teachers Need to Know
Explore the role of AI in multilingual education and its potential limitations.
Register
Fri., September 29, 2023, 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET
Education Webinar The K-12 Leader: Data and Insights Every Marketer Needs to Know
Which topics are capturing the attention of district and school leaders? Discover how to align your content with the topics your target audience cares about most. 
Register
See More Events

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs
Create Your Own Job Search

Read Next

Curriculum Shakespeare Works Should Not Be Removed From Classrooms, Florida Education Department Says
Plans in a Florida district to reduce the works of Shakespeare to excerpts were met with derision by state education officials.
Jeffrey S. Solochek, Tampa Bay Times
•
3 min read
The shadow of the hand of a Sotheby's employee is cast over a 17th-century calf bound 1623 copy of the First Folio edition of William Shakespeare's plays at the auction house's offices in central London, on March 30, 2006.
The shadow of the hand of a Sotheby's employee is cast over a 17th-century calf bound 1623 copy of the First Folio edition of William Shakespeare's plays at the auction house's offices in central London, on March 30, 2006.
Matt Dunham/AP
Curriculum Schools in Florida Cut Back on Shakespeare, Citing New State Rules
English teachers in Hillsborough County are preparing lessons with only excerpts from Shakespeare’s works to avoid anything racy or sexual.
Marlene Sokol, Tampa Bay Times
•
3 min read
The shadow of the hand of a Sotheby's employee is cast over a 17th-century calf bound 1623 copy of the First Folio edition of William Shakespeare's plays at the auction house's offices in central London, on March 30, 2006.
The shadow of the hand of a Sotheby's employee is cast over a 17th-century calf bound 1623 copy of the First Folio edition of William Shakespeare's plays at the auction house's offices in central London, on March 30, 2006.
Matt Dunham/AP
Curriculum This District Sees Big Benefits in Computer Science for All
Coding lessons begin as early as prekindergarten in the Mineola school district outside of New York City.
Alyson Klein
•
1 min read
Students practice digital animation in Skyline High School’s Computer Science and Technology Pathway.
Students practice digital animation in Skyline High School’s Computer Science and Technology Pathway.
Photo by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages
Curriculum School Districts Struggle to Implement New Laws on Sexually Explicit Books
Some districts are using that law to remove certain books from schools altogether.
Madyson Fitzgerald, Stateline.org
•
6 min read
Blue toned photograph of a school library with the -chairs placed upside down on tables and bare shelves in the background.
iStock/Getty Images
Load More ▼