| Las Vegas: Environments |  |
| In Clark County, NV, two schools have built unique learning labs with help from community members. One school built a 1 million dollar rainforest biosphere and a second built a replica of a silver mine. Students learn about concepts in history, earth science, geology, etc - all while having a fun, hands-on learning experience. Community members funded and built both labs, and they often volunteer as guides in the labs. |  |
| Online Learning: School Goes High Tech | |
| The Florida Virtual School started in 2000 and is the first internet-based public school in the country. In Florida, some students are faced with a lack of qualified teachers or access to courses, and FLVS fills these gaps. The school serves grades 7-12 but does not offer a diploma. Teachers like FLVS because they feel that they can relate to their students more while online and get to know them better. Students enjoy the flexibility, increased support, and one-on-one attention that FLVS provides; however, they caution that procrastination is not acceptable in this environment. | |
| Hula To High Tech | |
| Nuuanu Elementary School in HI integrates technology and hands-on learning into lessons at every grade-level. From producing a newscast to following sea turtles to studying streams, every student is exposed to technology at an early age to become comfortable with the tools, and to connect them to the world. The community is involved with the school, and they can view the many videos that students post on their website. | |
| Success Spoken Here | |
| The John Stanford International School fosters an appreciation of diversity among its students. The school provides a multicultural perspective to children, technology is integrated into art and music, and there is a great deal of parental and community involvement. The most important feature of the school is its language immesion program though; students learn math and science in either Spanish or Japanese. | |
| Elementary School: Part One (PDF) | |
| Mobile technologies are becoming ever more sophisticated, with expanded computing power and connectivity with external devices, which increases their usefulness in schools. These technologies can help make learning science more meaningful, authentic, productive, and motivating for students and teachers. Strategic integration of mobile and classroom technologies can enhance learning across the curriculum. | |
| Elementary School: Part Five (PDF) | |
| Teacher collaboration is a significant contributor to successful technology integration. Through collaboration, teachers support one another as they learn how the software works. But what is perhaps more important, working together provides opportunities to discuss how technology can be applied to the curriculum and how the material should be taught. By working together, teachers strengthen each other and provide more consistent experiences for students. | |
| A New Way To Teach: Begin With The End | |
| At the Marin School of Arts and Technology, teachers have implemented a project-based learning curriculum. Students work in the field, take their data back to the labs, and ultimately present their findings through digital media. School administrators believe that the students should be doing the learning work in project based learning, not the teachers. However, this curriculum requires teachers to brainstorm and work together to develop questions and projects for their students. | |
| Beginning The Journey: Five-Year-Olds Drive Their Own Project-Based Learning Projects | |
| At the Auburn Early Education Center, kindergarten students engage in learning by completing long term projects as a class. The kids decide on the theme of each project, based on their own curiosity and experiences. The teachers then guide them to resources, and the students learn how to cooperate, solve problems, and critically think and write about their solutions and experiences. The activities have meaning and value to the students, which makes them more engaging. The Center also incorporates technology into the classroom by using smartboards, which gives students access to a wide variety of information. | |
| High Expectations: Students Learn To Rise To The Occasion | |
| The teachers at Faubion Elementary School are the ones responsible for the high performance exhibited by their students. Three quarters of the student population at Faubion qualify for free or reduced price lunch, however 97% of fifth grade students meet or exceed state expectations in reading and math. Teachers cite the fact that they set high expectations for all students, they engage parents as partners and visit students at home before the school year starts, the teachers work in grade level teams to plan lessons together or even teach together, they incorporate a social emotional learning curriculum called Life Skills into every grade in order to teach students how to be good citizens, and they enhance their lessons through technology use. | |
| Elementary School: Part Two (PDF) | |
| Using images, simulations, and video, teachers can explain complex concepts that are otherwise difficult to convey. Images, applets, and movies can be displayed on a variety of devices, including desktops, laptops, and handhelds. On-demand access to technology can foster student creativity and create learning situations almost anywhere. This ability to share and connect creates teachable moments and enables students to be teachers as well. | |
| Elementary School: Part Three (PDF) | |
| Technology can personalize learning opportunities even in group settings. Providing each child access to a computing device linked wirelessly to a projector can help make students' thinking visible, enable teachers to assess student progress in real time, and foster collaboration. | |
| Elementary School: Part Four (PDF) | |
| Advances in technology have dramatically changed how and where students access information. Technology has also transformed how they participate in the learning process. Mobile technologies enable students to access the Internet and other online resources from home, school, or in the community. They can also contribute to online information sources from those places. In addition, online simulations enable students to experience and experiment in ways never before possible. | |