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The Fall 2006 special education contest is completed! Congratulations
to ten lucky winners. The prizes are:
5 Grand Prize Winner: One Olympus Digital Camera
($500), and $300 in Tool Factory Software!
5 Second Place Prizes: $200 in Tool Factory
Software.
Below are the grant applications of our second place winners.
Click here
to see the applications from the grand prize winners!
Score: 4.25 out of 5.00
Susan Becker
Jeremiah Gray Edison Elementary, 5225 Gray Rd., Indianapolis
IN 46317
317-789-4334 subecjer@indianapolis.edisonschools.com
Intervention Convention
I am a special education teacher at Jeremiah Grey Edison Elementary
School in Indianapolis, Indiana. This public school openly welcomes
a diverse group of students. Black, white or brown skin, green,
blue or brown eyes, one or two hands, fast or slow brains.
Jeremiah Gray-Edison is a K-5 school with 700 students with varied
social, economic and ethnic backgrounds. All of our special education
students are in a general education classroom. I co-teach with
the 4th and 5th grade general education teachers in reading, language
arts and math. I provide support, social skills and adaptations
to all subject areas. My students range in ability from mild learning
disabilities to students with autism. One of the most rewarding
aspects about my elementary school is our parental support
We love them all! My job is a joy and a privilege. I work with
special education students and general educations students. On
any given day I make hands-on accommodations, create learning
games and activities, teach basic skills, teach social and behavioral
skills to groups and individual students.
As a special education teacher I am confronted with students whose
learning needs exceed traditional teaching methods. I am continually
looking for new adaptations to meet the special and unique needs
and abilities of my students. I try to incorporate with this grant
I will provide a resource library for teachers, parents, and students
to be able to practice new skills, review skills, provide interventions
and adaptations.
I teach reading, language arts, and math in an inclusion setting.
I co-teach with general education teachers and provide support
to third, fourth and fifth graders. I also make accommodations
and adaptations for all subject areas and behavior modifications.
The students that I work with have a range of disabilities that
include autism, learning disabilities, mild mentally handicapped
and attention deficient. In order to meet the needs of all my
students I will create individual learning projects to meet each
student’s learning needs.
I would like to create a resource library for myself, classroom
teachers, parents, and students to use throughout the year. The
use of camera, software and technology will motivate students
and provide additional support for accommodations and interventions.
Since I work with students in different grades and with different
abilities my projects will vary throughout the year.
1. Current research indicates that students who have personalized
their work will have a greater success rate. Students will then
track their progress with the Tool Factory Workshop, which will
help them foster responsibility for their own growth throughout
the year in all curricular areas. Text Detective will also be
utilized to increase reading comprehension.
2. In math students can practice basic skills and track their
progress using Tool Factory Workshop. Students can also write
their own story problems using writing focus, and whole class
series while using the digital camera to help represent math concepts.
3. My older students in fourth and fifth grades are involved
in a tutoring program that I developed for them to work with younger
students in language arts and math. With the digital camera and
the computer software, these students will have an opportunity
to make books, computer programs, and learning games for the students
they tutor. This will have a positive influence on not only the
younger students, but the older students as well.
4. For my students with autism, I have individual behavior programs
and a social group. Using the digital camera, the Smart Alex software,
and the Writing Focus software, I will be able to create individual
behavior programs that can be supported by the classroom teacher
and parents. Students can also track their own progress on behavior
goals with the Tool Factory Workshop.
The social group meets once or twice a week to work on appropriate
social behaviors for students with autism. With this grant I can
make a book for each student with pictures to show them socially
appropriate behaviors. Students in the social skills group will
be able to use the workbooks to gain insight on use of the digital
cameras to take their own pictures of socially appropriate behaviors.
5. In science and social studies many of my students have a difficult
time understanding the vocabulary and retaining information for
their units of study. The can use the technology to make study
books for their subject content area units.
This grant will have a positive effect on my students, classroom
teachers, and parents by providing hands-on, interactive materials
that have been individualized with all the software that I will
purchase with this grant. Due to the fact that I work with all
grade levels, this grant will impact a large number of individuals.
I hope to be about to provide the additional resources and support
throughout all curricular areas.
Score: 4.17 out of 5.00
Mary Glatz
Brighton High School, 270 South 8th Ave. Brighton, CO 80601
303-655-4122 mglatz@brightonps27j.co.us
Working Together to Elevate the Learning
My students have multiple challenges, cognitive, developmental,
physical and emotional. Most are developmentally disabled. Some
have autism. They take general education classes to meet the requirements
for a diploma in a variety of content areas each year, including
Physical Science, English, Cultural Geography, Computer Applications,
Fine Arts and others. Students receiving special education who
can't read or write because of their physical or cognitive challenges
still complete modified assignments and contribute to their classes
with adapted and modified work. Much of this work is pictorial
or oral. My staff of para educators and I make the modifications
as inclusion facilitators. We want to promote more student interaction
and peer collaboration, since that is what is needed for the future
of my students in the work place and in life. General education
students can learn much from this project, as can my students
with special needs.
This project will teach student peer tutors how to make those
modifications with their peer partners who have special needs,
while still completing their own assignments. This project will
have multiple learning outcomes. Students in general education
will learn to use pictures and multimedia instead of words to
communicate and to modify assignments for their peer partners
with special needs. All the students will learn collaboration
and teaming skills. For some, this will be a career related activity
as they learn the technology and the people skills that may lead
to a future career choices. Many students, including my students
in special education, are in fact interested in multimedia as
a career. The student teams will present their work in our school
library to publicize the positive outcomes and multiple intelligences
that are tapped when we partner general and special education
students in the content areas. The entire school community will
have a positive learning outcome that promotes future inclusion.
All students involved will be recognized as leaders in the entire
school community, as they will set the example for future collaborative
learning and leading.
In each of the five classes of Physical Science, Cultural Geography,
Computer Applications, Beginning Drawing and Painting, and English,
all students will work in pairs of one student with special needs
and one without special needs, using digital cameras and Tool
Factory software to translate written assignments into pictorial
and multimedia assignments.
Students will also use MultiMedia Lab to set up and maintain
a web site to document their collaborative class projects. They
will coordinate this with our high school Self Advocacy Group
of students with special needs called "People First."
They will use Tool Factory Logo to advertise this self advocacy
group as the Brighton Chapter of People First.
Tool Factory Keyboarding Adventure and Tool Factory Spreadsheet
will be used by students in the Computer Applications, as this
curriculum teaches Keyboarding, Excel, Power Point and Word. The
students with special needs will use the multisensory, modified
learning tools within the context of this class to complete their
assignments. Students without special needs in this class will
be paired with my students to learn the technology as peer tutors
and to be included in the school wide presentation.
Tool Factory Painter will be used by students taking the Beginning
Drawing and Painting class as an alternative access to learning
the skills and activities of this Art class. General Education
student in this Art class will pair with my students for one class
project to be included in the school wide presentation.
Student teams will use Digital Voice Recorders to take notes
and organize content for specific class assignments chosen and
integrate the presentation of these notes into the school wide
presentation to demonstrate multisensory learning in the content
areas. Many of my students with special needs can think, but have
difficulties writing and recalling informing. They can process
auditory content. This auditory channel gives the student teams
a vehicle to recall, discuss and plan their projects.
Student teams will use Tool Factory Word Processor and Data Base
to put their projects into printed format for display. They will
also use Tool Factory's web site for clip art downloads. Students
will also turn in their projects to their general education teachers
who will save them to be used as modified, multisensory learning
modules for future students with special needs. Students will
also create a flyer announcing the library presentation and inviting
the entire school community, including the Board of Education,
to attend. Students will host the presentation in teams which
include students with special needs and their peer partners in
general education.
Our high school will be enriched and educated after the completion
of this project! The entire community will SEE the value of inclusion
in elevating the learning in all content areas in the general
education environment for ALL students. Students will learn content,
technology, teaming, communication, collaboration and interpersonal
skills needed for career success. Thank you for this opportunity!!
Score: 4.17 out of 5.00
Donna McGovern
Bradley Bourbonnais, 700 W. North Street, Bradley, IL 60915
Phone 815-937-3707 dmcgovern@bbchs.k12.il.us
Garden Power
Growing a garden is an awesome experience for multiple needs children.
It is a therapeutic lesson that covers all learning styles. Growing
up, I worked in my great uncle’s greenhouses and have always
had a love for gardening. I remember planting the seeds of many
plants, watering them and watch them come alive! I teach 13 wonderful
‘special needs’ high school students. Growing gardens
in the ground as well as on tables for my wheelchair students
will enable me to enhance the power of youth through horticulture.
The lesson will cover all curriculums from science (parts of plants),
math (measurements), language arts (vocabulary), art (designing),
technology (adapting to needs) to social science (interacting
with community).
For this lesson, students will work with their school peer buddies.
The students will begin to prep the garden as early as winter.
They will use Tool Factory Painter to design the lay outs for
the in-ground gardens and the raised flower beds. They will measure
and stake out the in-ground beds which they will cover with black
plastic. This will begin to prep the gardens for tilling in the
spring. As the process starts, the class will learn to use the
Olympus FE-200 Digital Camera to create an album. The album will
be used to show students in following school years, the beginning
steps of gardening. Pictures will also be used in the Touch It
Gardens program for my severe cognitive impaired students who
are learning cause and effect.
Within the classroom, students will learn about plant growth,
soil, watering, harvesting, insect and disease prevention and
appropriate plant selection. Microworlds will be used to help
my lower cognitive and physically disabled students increase their
matching and switch skills. Students will use Tool factory database
to enter in the crop they have chosen. Throughout the growing
season, they will enter information on what was to be done to
the soil, how much water was needed and the growths of the crops.
Tool Factory Word Processor will be used for each team to keep
a log and import pictures to share with other students.
Outside in the gardens the teams will work with master gardeners
from our University Extension on Agriculture. As the crops grow,
the teams will harvest the crops and will sell them. Tool Factory
Spreadsheet will be used to keep track of expenses used and needed
for next years growing. This will also help the students with
pricing each crop.
After all is done, everyone will be able to look through the
album created by Tool Word Processor. The album can be incorporated
into MultiMedia Lab V as a slide show and copied to CD’s
for each student to share with family and friends.
Garden Power will prepare my students to be contributing adults
in our community. They will develop life skills through team work,
problem solving skills and entrepreneurship.
Maybe some will discover a new and rewarding hobby!
Score: 4.0 out of 5.00
Cofoid High
South Salem High School, 1910 Church St., S Salem OR 97302
503-399-3252 cofoid@comcast.net
Inclusive Yearbook
When working with students with severe disabilities it becomes
necessary to create alternative ways to present materials as well
as alternative ways to demonstrate progress. Many of the students
in the classroom are non-readers who require concrete examples
in order to begin to understand basic concepts.
As an example we use pictures of safety signs to instruct students
on meaning and identifying things like ‘walk’ and ‘don’t
walk’. Once the students demonstrate the ability to identify
the signs we go into the community and do a scavenger hunt for
all of the signs they’ve learned using pictures to keep track
of the ones they find. This allows us to keep data on the ones
each student can identify in the natural environment.
Another example of how we would use pictures in our classroom
is through picture schedules so that those students who can not
follow a written schedule will know where they need to go during
each period. This can be expanded into the community by listing
job tasks, errands, or procedures for accessing public transportation.
This can also be used in cooking, cleaning, and other daily household
tasks. The possibilities are endless and with a combination of
software and hardware we hope to create a program that allows
the students to become more involved with their communities.
Historically students with severe disabilities tend to have a
lot of community pride and school spirit; this is very true in
the case of the students at South Salem High School. This is due
to their desire to fit in with their non-disabled peers and be
“normal”. They attend sporting events; cheer extra loud
during pep rally’s, and admire the student athletes who participate
in them. These students also make sure they purchase a yearbook
that might have one picture of them if they were there on picture
day. They spend $45 - $50 dollars per year on a book of strangers
doing things that they themselves had little or no part of even
though their school year was full of activities.
Utilizing the digital camera and combining it with the Tool Factory
Workshop these students will be able to put together their own
yearbook full of pictures of themselves participating in sports,
academics, and field classes. Their friends and teachers will
fill the book from cover to cover reminding them throughout the
summer and their lives of the good times they had in high school.
We will utilize their non-disabled peers to help teach them how
to use the applications and have a hand in developing this project
with our population promoting an inclusive environment. We are
hoping that by producing this project the first year it’ll
generate some interest by the yearbook staff to include our students
with disabilities in the yearbook more. Each part of the Tool
Factory Workshop along with the Multimedia Lab V will contribute
to the classroom with specific applications contributing to the
yearbook. The Tool Factory Word Processor will allow the students
to set up their pictures, title pages, cover and captions with
additional pages for personal stories they’d like to share
in the yearbook. The drawing/painting capabilities of this bundle
will allow them to decorate the individual pages with original
artwork or fun illustrations. The Multimedia Lab V program would
be used in our follow-up to the yearbook which would be to build
a school website that is inclusive of those students with severe
disabilities that would allow people from all over to see how
truly amazing our students can be.
Score: 3.83 out of 5.00
Dena Deen
West Coffee Middle School, 1303 S. Peterson Ave., Douglas, GA
31533
912-383-4100 ddeen@coffee.k12.ga.us
Everyday Science
OBJECTIVES
1. Create interactive Earth Books
2. Provide pictorial examples of Earth Science concepts in Earth
Books
3. Incorporate the River Club’s conservation activities into
corresponding Earth Book categories
4. Build a photo journal of local Earth Science examples like
local rocks, minerals, water systems, star maps, terrain, river
systems, pollution, urban sprawl, problems in the community created
by man made structures, earth strata, etc…
5. Create a website for an online version of a complied, student
run Earth Book/Conservation Log of River Club activities
6. Blog and discussion forum concerning any of the above.
7. Increase quality and understanding of science fair projects.
GEORGIA CURRICULUM ALINGNMENT
Our proposal is cross curriculum in that it will allow students
to improve their reading comprehension and writing skills in language
arts, in math our students will work on charts, graphs, and data
analysis, in social studies we will be able to track our findings
of our many Native American artifact such as arrowheads, and in
technology and art our students will be able to explore their
talents in either field with the design of the website and photo
journals, plus the use of the digital cameras will bring their
attention into a new realm of art with photojournalism. We will
be working on the following Georgia Curriculum standards which
can be found at www.georgiastandards.org and www.glc.k12.ga.us
Earth Science Standards
1. Uses process skills of observing, classifying, communicating,
measuring, predicting, inferring, identifying, and manipulating
variables. Also uses skills of recording, analyzing and operationally
defining, formulating models, experimenting, constructing hypotheses,
and drawing conclusions. QCC ES 1
2. Understands and applies laboratory safety rules and practices.
QCC ES 2
3. Defines and identifies standards of measurement. QCC ES 3
4. Selects and uses multiple types of print and nonprint sources
for information on science concepts. QCC ES 4
5. Recognizes the effects human beings have on pollution and the
environment.
5.1 Identifies ways human beings cause and can correct pollution
of water bodies, the atmosphere (acid rain, ozone layer, and greenhouse
effect) and the land (soil pollution, and chemical/nuclear waste).
QCC ES 5
5.2 Examines the effects pollution from cities have on weather
and the effect of burning fuels on the atmosphere, melting of
polar ice caps, and predicting earthquakes.
6. Identifies minerals by physical properties such as hardness,
shape, color, luster, streak, cleavage, and fracture. 7.1 Uses
standard mineral identification tests to identify minerals and
their characteristics from unnamed samples. QCC ES 7
7. Differentiates among rocks based on origins (igneous, metamorphic,
and sedimentary) and mineral content. QCC ES 8
8. Recognizes major symbols, series, scales, and colors conventionally
used to represent features on topographic maps and various Earth
models. QCC ES 10
9. Examines how land formations influence development of an area.
11.1 Relates the topography of land, climate, and resources to
economic development. QCC ES 11
10. Recognizes the use of alternate energy sources.
12.1 Identifies examples of solar energy being used (solar heating
in buildings, solar cells in calculators and solar battery automobiles).
12.2 Identifies other alternative energy sources (geothermal,
wind, nuclear, synthetic fuels and biomass fuels). QCC ES 12
11. Interprets the geology of Earth based on the principle of
uniformitarianism and the principles of superposition. QCC ES
14
12. Describes the water cycle and its relationship to the movement
of surface and subsurface water.16.1 Identifies parts of the water
cycle.16.2 Describes the formation of a river system.16.3 Describes
the distribution and quality of fresh water on the Earth. QCC
ES 16
13. Recognizes and investigates weather phenomena and their effect
on the Earth's surface. 19.1 Interprets weather maps and makes
forecasts. QCC 19
14. Describes atmospheric factors which interact to cause weather:
heat energy, air pressure, winds, and moisture.20.1 Identifies
the three basic types of clouds and their formation.20.2 Compares
the four major types of air masses and how they create fronts
that affect weather patterns.20.3 Identifies factors that determine
climate.20.4 Differentiates between the climate zones of the Earth.20.5
Defines and gives examples of microclimates. QCC ES 20
15. Describes the relationships of the motions between the sun,
moon, and Earth.
26.1 Describes how seasons are caused by the Earth’s revolution.26.2
Defines the phases of the moon.26.3 Compares and contrasts a lunar
and solar eclipse.26.4 Discusses the effect of the sun and moon
on tides. QCC ES 26
Georgia Studies Standards
1. Identifies important geographical features of Georgia and
describes ecosystems present in each: - Fall Line - Okefenokee
Swamp - Appalachian Mountains. QCC GS 3
2. Identifies geographical factors and explains how they have
influenced Georgia's exploration, settlement and economic development
emphasizing- location - climate - mountains - rivers, and- soil
and natural resources. QCC GS 5
3. Describes the Indian nations and tribes living in Georgia and
their relationships with the English colonists. QCC GS 9
4. Interprets environmental and geographic issues in Georgia and
analyzes the future effects of possible responses to these issues.
QCC GS 51
5. Develops and interprets charts, tables, timelines, graphs,
diagrams and other graphic aids. QCC GS 54
6. Formulates and defends positions on an issue. QCC GS 68
7. Recognizes the right of others to present different viewpoints.
QCC GS 69
8. Participates in planning for effective civic actions; demonstrates
effective civic actions. QCC GS 70
9. Organizes and participates in activities for effective civic
action within the community. QCC GS 71
10. Uses historical atlases to compare old and new maps. QCC GS
76
11. Analyzes and uses a variety of maps and globes for information
about an area. QCC GS 77
12. Uses physical maps of Georgia and the Southeast to explain
historical and current events. QCC GS 80
Mathematics Standards
1. Determines how changing a linear measure on a geometric figure
affects area and volume. QCC MA 26
2. Selects and uses appropriate customary and metric units of
measure for length (including perimeter and circumference), area,
volume, capacity, weight /mass, time, temperature, and angle measure.
QCC MA 28
3. Converts from one metric unit to another metric unit and from
one customary unit to another customary unit (length, capacity,
weight/ mass, time, and money). QCCM MA 29
4. Uses fractions, decimals, and percents interchangeably, and
recognizes equivalent representations. QCC MA 30
5. Expresses standard numerals in scientific notation and expresses
scientific notation as a standard numeral. QCC MA 31
6. Uses signs or symbols to represent words, phrases, numbers,
or quantities. QCC MA 5
7. Applies formulas (e.g., area, perimeter, circumference, volume,
surface area), including investigating and using the Pythagorean
Theorem. QCC MA 16
8. Solves problems, reasons, and estimates throughout mathematics.
- Selects and uses problem-solving strategies such as reading
the problem, drawing a picture or diagram, using trial and error,
making a table or chart, looking for patterns, making a simple
problem then generalizing, working backwards, etc. - Selects and
uses appropriate tools (such as mental computation, calculators,
manipulative materials, paper and pencil, computer) in solving
problems. - Uses appropriate estimation strategies (such as breaking
numbers apart, compatible numbers, guess and check, clustering,
rounding, compensation) to check the reasonableness of results.
- Solves non-routine problems for which the answer is not obvious.
- Relates concepts and skills to practical applications. QCC MA
1
9. Uses computer software and applications to research, investigate,
and analyze data and to represent this information using charts,
tables, graphs, or other presentation forms. QCC MA 4
10. Selects and uses appropriate problem-solving strategies to
solve single- and multi-step problems. QCC MA 40
11. Solves practical problems using ratio and proportion, including
constant rate. QCC MA 41
12. Solves practical problems using percents (e.g., sales tax,
sale price and commission, and discounts). QCC MA 42
Language Arts Standards
1. Uses information from a variety of consumer, workplace, and
public documents (e.g., job application) to explain a situation
or decision and to solve a problem. ELS8R1a
2. The student participates in discussions related to curricular
learning in all subject areas, ELA8RC2
3. The student acquires new vocabulary in each content area and
uses it correctly. ELA8RC3
4. The student establishes a context for information acquired
by reading across subject areas. ELA 8RC4
5. The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate
organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader,
maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying
closure. ELA8W1
6. The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres.
ELA8W2
7. The student uses research and technology to support writing.
ELA8W3
8. The student consistently uses the writing process to develop,
revise, and evaluate writing. ELA8W4
9. The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules
of the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate
application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken
formats. ELA8C1
The Georgia QCCs (Quality Core Curriculum) and the GPS (Georgia
Performance Standards) will be used though out the project. Our
students must master all of these guidelines and more to pass
their end of year exam which determines whether they get promoted
to the next grade, 9th, or not. We must teach our guidelines in
as varied ways as possible to increase student success.
DETAILS OF EACH OBJECTIVE
1. Create interactive Earth Books and provide pictorial examples
of Earth Science concepts in their Earth Books – Students
are currently required to keep an on going Earth Book with contains
all of their notes, labs, and science fair projects. Students
will use the digital cameras to provide real world examples of
their notes, such as notes on classifying rocks and minerals could
be enhanced by having pictures of examples of the different classification
categories such as luster, hardness, density, color, streak, etc.
Student will be able to take pictures of their labs and be able
to add more data/examples to their science projects. The digital
cameras will allow the students to take real life and practical
examples of what is often abstract science. Students will be able
to see how Earth Science plays a role in their everyday lives.
With the pictures in hand the students can utilize the Tool Factory
Word Processor to clean up their notes and incorporate their examples
especially for those students who have atrocious handwriting;
they can type their notes and incorporate their pictures to provide
them with better notes to study by, which will increase student
success in science and in local/state standardized testing. Students
will be able to utilize the Tool Factory Spreadsheet to create
better charts and graphs of science lab data. This will increase
their ability to follow the scientific method in exploring the
world of the unknown and ensure student success. The Toll Factory
Database will allow students to log their findings from their
labs and to search for validity of their own experiments by making
comparisons to other’s finding and hence increasing sharing
amongst their scientific community. The Tool Factory Administrator
and Bank Manager will allow for us, the teachers, to configure
how this information is accessed, control the learning environment,
provide more clip art/resources, and provide for an equal learning
experience for all the different levels of our students, currently
on grade level function ranging from 1st grade to about 10th grade.
We have a wide range of students with a wide range of disabilities
to accommodate for. Our disabilities range from learning disorders
to intellectual impairments, to autism, to various other health
related disabilities.
2. Incorporate the River Club’s conservation activities
into corresponding Earth Book categories – The River club
is an informal school based organization that writes letters to
lawmakers regarding water conservation issues, they do river cleanup
days, enter environmental contests, and will celebrate Earthday
with a clean river inner tube float trip. Their main community
service project this year will be to have a public boat landing
built to aid in conservation efforts and access to our local waterways.
The Olympus digital cameras will be used to document their conservation
efforts, increase the effectiveness of their letters sent to law
makers created in the Tool Factory Word Processor, be used to
build the River Club website using the Tool Factory Home Page
and Multi Media Lab V, create a photo journal to share with the
community regarding their conservation efforts and needs in our
community, and share their progress with the world. The Tool Factor
Database and Spreadsheet will be used to keep a log of their conservation
findings to track their progress in local conservation.
3. Build a photo journal of local Earth Science examples like
local rocks, minerals, water systems, star maps, terrain, river
systems, pollution, urban sprawl, problems in the community created
by man made structures, earth strata, etc… - Our student’s
wide range of intellectual capacities, learning styles, and sheer
gift need to be accommodated for, so we will create an in class
photo journal of the various concepts in Earth Science. When we
begin a new lesson we will have the ability to go out and seek
evidence of the concepts like rocks. We will take pictures of
the various kinds of local rocks and compare our science lesson
to what we find locally. Teaching our students about the science
in their lives will allow for them to see how and why learning
science is important. Without real world examples, students don’t
make the connections and are at risk for loosing interest, giving
up on that subject, and/or dropping out of school. By using the
digital cameras, Tool Factory software, and using technology like
printers, we are altering their view of education for the positive.
By making any assignment/subject more interesting, hands on, and
real as possible, you increase the chances of your students’
succeeding when they normally would not, that is if your students
are normal learners, which most of ours are not. We must differentiate
our teaching to make sure all students have an equal opportunity
to learn.
4. Create a website for an online version of a complied, student
run Earth Book/Conservation Log of River Club activities –
While doing all of the above we will be able to create materials
to make a classroom website available to all people to see, use,
and learn from. The Toll Factory Home Page and Multimedia Lab
V will allow for our students to learn more technology while creating
something that they can have ownership of. This will also require
the use of the digital camera, Fresco software, Word Processor,
Emailer, Painter, Spreadsheet, Database to create all aspects
of the website. They will create, manage, update, and publish
all of their findings, examples, and interests to their website.
This will completely be their undertaking to bring to life. They
will be able to see their work appreciated, published, and used
making them feel like they have some control over their futures,
lives, and education. If students feel like they own their education
the will care more about it. This website will be able to be added
to and modified as the years pass as new discoveries are made
by our students and world.
5. Blog and discussion forum concerning any of the above. –
The website will also have a student created, edited, and managed
blog and discussion forum of and about Earth Science issues that
they face everyday whether it is about their current lesson, lab,
community issue, etc…Anything is fair game here. The Tool
Factory Home Page and Multimedia Lab V will be used along with
the digital camera, Fresco software, Word Processor, Emailer,
Painter, Spreadsheet, Database to create any and all of the blog
and discussion forum.
6. Increase quality and understanding of science fair projects.
– Since we are a small, rural school that lacks funding for
most any aspect of school and our students do not have the resources
at home like a computer, the internet, a telephone, access to
books and magazines, etc we want to use our grant award to help
them create better quality and interactive science fair projects.
All materials from the digital cameras to the software will be
at their disposal. They will have access to this technology.
Our class is a mixed class of regular education students with
special needs students. The functioning grade level of our students
ranges from 1st grade to about 10th grade, so we have a great
deal of learning styles to accommodate for. Then there is the
challenge of teaching an abstract subject with a great and large
variety of subject specific jargon to introduce and educate with.
We teach, in just our class alone, about 150 students because
of the type of scheduling we have. We want to share, share, and
share some more. Next school year we will be merging with our
other middle school into one middle school of over 2000 students.
We will need to have all of our projects up and running to provide
for a smooth transition. Soon our students will be held accountable
for passing the science portion of the state mandated testing,
so we need to step up the learning environment to ensure that
all students, regardless of disability, are learning. Every time
our students turn on the new they hear how the U.S. lags behind
in science and math education in addition to female students lagging
behind, we have to increase their desire to learn, ability to
learn, variety of learning styles, and understanding of science
for their futures. Our plans will address all of our students’
needs on an individual basis.
Read the applications
of the 5 grand prize winners.
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