LOGISTICS feature
students because it prepares them for employment in the field. “It opens their eyes to the fact that we all depend on transport of items to get to us,” said Pittman, adding that it helps students to see that “in economics, time is money.” Students analyze the costs, potential hazards, import and export laws, and inspection processes for the different modes of transportation. They also learn how to set up an intermodal transport facility to function as efficiently as possible. In Desoto County, students attend class in a brand new 2,500-square-foot warehouse facility using lab time to ship books for the non-profit organization First Books,
“Almost everything that we use daily was brought to us from another part of the world, typically traveling via multiple modes of transportation and being stored in one or more warehouses before it arrives at its destination.” which provides books to children in underprivileged situations. This creates a problem-based, hands-on learning environment for the students. “They are accepting the challenges,” said Doss, who is proud of the high-level thinking his students exhibit as they plan warehouse layouts and delivery routes. Students who finish the Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics program will be prepared for careers in the transportation industry, a growing business in the state of Mississippi. According to Doss, “It would be feasible [for students] to get a nice paying job right after graduation” because companies have already asked about when the first group of students will graduate. The industry ties to the program are strong, not only because it will feed the workforce, but also because logistics-industry representatives from Mississippi helped guide the curriculum development. National companies with local sites provided information about the transportation-logistics industry, including UPS, AAA, Cooper Transportation, Southeastern Freightlines, American Eurocopter, Williams-Sonoma, and Lockheed Martin. Teaching any new subject can be a matter of trial and error, but the two logistics instructors are participating in professional development opportunities as they implement their curriculum. In September, the instructors traveled to a national logistics conference in Utah with Lemond Irvin from the Mississippi State University Research and Curriculum
Unit. There, they interacted with top companies in the field, including Kellogg, SYSCO, and Wal-Mart, to learn about warehousing, supply chains, and best practices. Both Pittman and Doss found the conference to be valuable to their teaching, returning to Mississippi with information they have been using to teach current lessons and to plan future instruction. “Every class I took was beneficial,” said Doss. Introducing new secondary CTE programs takes time, and efforts are now being made to increase the number of schools and CTE centers that offer transportation logistics in Mississippi.
For more information about the program or to offer it at your school, contact Tim Bradford, MDE program supervisor for Transportation and Logistics, bradfordt@mde.k12.ms.us. Fall 2013 CONNECTIONS 21