89 Lighthouse Technology Grant Recipients for 2001-2002
The purpose of this grant program is to identify, enhance, and disseminate existing curriculum projects that have been implemented by classroom teachers. These projects will demonstrate effective models of teaching that incorporate new technology to motivate and support students in their learning the content of the district's curriculum guidelines and the state's learning standards. The teachers who originally implemented these projects will serve as mentors to their colleagues and new teachers, and the projects should become models for other classrooms in the school, other schools within the districts, and/or other districts in the state.
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Cindy Brunelli
Renée Hartford
508-378-8202 |
Project Title: pening Doors to Learning
Project Overview:
The Opening Doors to Learning Project is designed to assist children in grades K-3 in accessing all areas of the district's curriculum. The goal of the program is to ensure access to the curriculum, regardless of the student's ability, style, learning differences or deficits. The project will enhance the repertoire of teaching strategies of all teaching staff through a proven practice of collaboration, which is facilitated through technology. Laptops and presentation equipment, including an Infocus projector and Smartboard will be used as an extension of the existing "best teaching practice" of Central Schools Mainstream Assisting Program. MAT is a building based support team comprised of teachers. Through a collaborative, brainstorming, problem solving process, our MAT meetings address the needs of children who are difficult to teach. Making the curriculum more accessible to them impacts student learning. The process allows the child's teacher to choose only the strategies that will work in their classroom for the individual benefit of each child. It is the opposite of the expert model which research has proven ineffective. This project will develop a database of existing proven strategies to facilitate dissemination and make meetings more efficient. These strategies have gathered over eight years of collaboration.
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Fatima Silvia
508-675-8298 |
Project Title: Academic Assessment Center: helping Teachers and Students Meet the Standards
Project Overview:
The Academic Assessment Center staff gathers, organizes and analyzes student and program information to provide students, guidance counselors, and parents' information needed to select courses and programs. The staff provides detailed information to curriculum directors, principals, department heads and teachers to help them develop and implement curriculum improvements and to develop individual student plans.
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Eileen B. Kelly
508-675-8298 |
Project Title: Emphasizing Incorporating Math and Science Standards in Elective Courses in Engineering
Project Overview:
The engineering staff engages students in relevant project-based assignments that include an emphasis on the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Mathematics and Science and Technology. Students are exposed and encouraged to consider career opportunities in engineering, science and technology. Assessments include student portfolios and multi-media presentations.
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Caryn Montella
Lauren Hutchinson
508-563-2334 |
Project Title: Technology and Research in a Second Grade Classroom
Project Overview:
This project enables Second Grade students to access research information via the Internet within the classroom setting. Additionally, students will use computers to publish research reports. The research methods being use are IIM (Independent Investigation Method) and The Big 6. Through research skills, publication, and sharing of data, students will meet many expectations from the state's frameworks for English Language Arts. In addition, students will meet the requirements of the current district Technology Curriculum guidelines by enhancing their technology skills and applying technology for communication, creativity, research, problem solving, and decision-making. This project has impacted students learning in many ways. We have seen improvement in reading and writing skills, student motivation and confidence, higher level thinking skills and technology being used to enhance their creative experiences.
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Margaret Verdi
508-563-2334 |
Project Title: Tune-IN Media Literacy Program
Project Overview:>
This lively program provides information/ media literacy skills with social interaction opportunities with the intent to empower the process of the healthy development in academic and character growth. It effectively addresses the concerns and issues of how the media in print, movies, television, and advertising affects our lives daily. At the same time, it empowers students with analytical and critical thinking skills, media filtering, and value clarifications. In the process of creating their own media messages with video, multi-media productions and website developments- participants learn firsthand how to use digital imaging and technology tools to produce their own media presentations. Productions include video, power point presentations, and web page construction as vehicles to educate and enlighten others about media literacy in their classrooms and the local and global communities.
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Eileen Spinney
978-343-2149 |
Project Title: Scientists on the Go
Project Overview:
The "Scientists on the Go" Project will increase the number of grade three classrooms across the district incorporating technology into the Insights "Habitats" Module and the Mathematics curriculum, Investigations in Numbers, Data and Space. The focus team will investigate incorporating the use of handheld technologies in other Science units and the use of GPS technologies to enhance this unit.
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Eileen Spinney
978-343-2149 |
Project Title: Virtual Zoo Project
Project Overview:
The Virtual Zoo Project integrated classroom life science activities, English language arts and electronic communication among six classrooms representing grades 3-8 at Crocker Elementary School, South Street Elementary School and B.F.Brown Middle School, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Two of the six classrooms facilitated the project. One classroom housed a terrarium with green anoles, created to assist students in researching all aspects of "reptiles", while another classroom took advantage of an actual bird's nest located on a ledge, just outside the classroom window. Filled with eggs (and yes, they did hatch!), this nest allowed students to observe and research all aspects of the life cycle of birds. Through the use of our district WAN and digital web cameras, the remaining 4 classrooms virtually explored these life science projects, electronically asked questions of student "resident experts" and conducted their own research. Additionally, our Virtual Zoo Project utilized e-mail, an electronic Virtual Zoo Newsletter, digital cameras, Internet resources for research, and portable keyboards for word-processing.
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Diana Campbell
413-665-1155 |
Project Title: Technology Mentoring in the Spanish Department and Beyond
Project Overview:
The Frontier Regional School District proposal is based on a technology/mentoring project. This project is designed to enhance the practices of new teachers as they expand the utilization of technology to enrich and enliven the experience of the study of Spanish culture in grades 9-12 Spanish classes. This project moves professional development to a new level; mentoring/ technology training designed to enhance specific subject content areas.
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Judith Williams
413-238-5351 |
Project Title: The Return of the Monarchs
Project Overview:
Fourth grade students in the Gateway Regional School System at R. H. Conwell School and Chester Elementary School study "phenology"-the science of light-as it relates to the migration of animals, especially, Monarch Butterflies. Using data available via the Internet, students map and chart the path and time frame of the Monarchs' migration from Mexico to New England and Canada and participate in national field data collection. Students also examine weather conditions as the butterflies migrate, to determine whether or not their habitat is suitable for their needs upon arrival. This study integrates earth science, life science, and geography skills as defined in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Students in both schools will increase the use of technology to examine differences in temperature and precipitation between the two schools' elevations, and predict what effect this might have on the return of the butterflies.
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Tammy Morgan
Roger Davis
978-281-9850 |
Project Title: Engage - Project Galileo 2001
Project Overview:
Students in the seventh grade science classes of O'Maley Middle School have studied the nature of motion and force. Their studies have included the measurement of speed, acceleration, mass, momentum, and forces (such as gravity and friction), based on the Frameworks for Physical Science, concerning the motion of objects and the forces acting on them. When Galileo studied the acceleration of falling objects, he lacked technology of time measurement, relying only on his heartbeat to mark units of time. Students measuring time with a hand-held stopwatch are still limited by human factors such as reaction time, leading to some common misconceptions about acceleration. For example, Galileo's conclusion that all objects fall at a constant rate of acceleration regardless of mass is commonly misunderstood based on everyday experience and typical middle school experiments, such as racing two cars down a slope - the heavier car always "wins". Our students have employed technology, such as chronometers triggered by light sensors (photogates), to more accurately measure time and the graphing tools of spreadsheet software to draw more accurate conclusions about motion. The students who have participated in this inquiry-based activity not only have a clearer conception about the nature of motion and of falling objects, but also were highly motivated by this direct, hands-on experience with scientifically valid experimentation and data analysis.
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Lucille Boutiette
508-839-5421 |
Project Title: Engage - Knowing Myself and Others: An English Language Arts Sharing Project
Project Overview:
Self-awareness, young adults, personal writing and technology team together to make Knowing Myself and Others: An English Language Arts Sharing Project a perfect integration for Middle School students. Expanding on a current introductory unit in personal writing grade eight students will reflect and write about themselves. Using technology students will present information about themselves in a digital portfolio and a multimedia presentation. Sharing these projects at an open house for parents will generate interest and discussion about the class community and strengthen the home school partnership during the school year.
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Maureen Lacasse
508-998-3321 |
Project Title: Electronic Portfolios
Project Overview:
The career portfolio is an integration project connecting 25 trade areas, English Language Arts and technology. This project grew out of the Massachusetts Portfolio Assessment Project in an attempt to improve student MCAS scores in the long composition and is based on the premise that students who write more often about high interest topics will become better writers. The creation of the written piece provides reinforcement of the trade skills taught before and during the project, while students practice composition standards In addition, the use of digital cameras and computers the publication process has resulted in a more proficient use of technology among students and faculty.
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Maureen Lacasse
508-998-3321 |
Project Title: Textile Engineering
Project Overview:
Funding from this grant will enable the school to provide a pathway to additional advanced career tracks in textile science. There are currently several job opportunities for which our students could be prepared by making modifications to our program, especially in the area of technology. Funding will be used to set up a four station CAD unit where textile students would learn to use computer assisted design programs that closely simulate industry standards. The program includes modules which would enable students to design, revise, and print their own patterns as well as set up store displays which include capacity fixtures, feature fixtures, modular fixtures, and display props. The addition of this lab will begin the process of changing the clothing/textile program into the textile-engineering program. Students in this program will be prepared to further their education in textile chemistry, textile technology, and textile science at the university level.
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Lisa Sanderson
413-772-1385 |
Project Title: A Classroom with a View
Project Overview:
This project intends to help teachers, through the use of a computer projector, integrate technology into their teaching while enhancing the learning of all students. Lisa Sanderson, our Literacy Coordinator, helped the fourth grade prepare for the MCAS long composition by teaching lessons on creating a thesis statement, writing supporting details, and creating a concluding paragraph using a computer and a computer projector. Using the projector with Microsoft Word, an opening paragraph with the thesis statement can be written for all to see. Supporting paragraphs for each subtopic given in the opening paragraph are written and color-coded to the sentence in the introductory paragraph for which they support. Students can quickly make visual connections regarding the organization of a written piece because of the color-coding! The same process is used for the concluding paragraph. The visual of the projected typed information as well as the color-coding of the various sections of writing augment the teaching of writing considerably. It visually shows students how a developed composition is composed of supporting details that reflect sections of the thesis statement. Since this was completed on a computer, students can receive a color copy of the work. The teacher modeling, the student created writing, the ability to edit in a way that all can see, the color-coding of the thesis statement with the supporting details, and the ability to color-print a hard copy for each student maintains student interest, helps students with organizational difficulties see the connection between the introduction and the supporting details, helps students with attention problems see the connections between the parts and helps students attend to the instruction.
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Alisa Barton
978-448-8415 |
Project Title: Harnessing the Power of Multimedia in 4th and 5th Grade: Students Using Technology to Communicate Learning in Life Science
Project Overview:
The Florence Roche Elementary School fourth and fifth grade hands-on interdisciplinary project integrates science, English/language arts, math, and technology to showcase the students' learning across these curricular areas. Utilizing technology resources funded through the grant, students will create a multimedia presentation on their investigations to be shared with the primary grades. Digital movie and still photography, as well scanned observational illustrations will be integrated into their portfolios. This will provide an invaluable look into the power technology plays in effectively helping students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding to others.
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Judith A. Naylor
978-468-5323 |
Project Title: Probing into Science: MBL at MRMS
Project Overview:
Probing into Science, for students in grades 6 to 12, addresses the Physical Science Curriculum. In the pilot project sixth grade students used probeware attached to computers to examine concepts of heat and temperature. They gathered data and explored key concepts related to heat and temperature. With this project, staff and students addressed the Inquiry and Properties of Matter standards from the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. This project has two foci: to address staff development in the use of microcomputer-based learning and to expand beyond the original heat and temperature units to include other MBL units and grade levels and content areas (math and Tech Ed). Participants will learn to use MBL equipment and take time to adapt lessons to their school's curriculum.
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Nancy Johnson
508-634-2217 |
Project Title: A Lab Approach to Geometry
Project Overview:
Utilizing Geometer's Sketchpad and its modules as a springboard for enhancing the geometry curriculum, students will be engaged in mathematics concepts through a lab approach of collecting data, analyzing data, and forming conclusions. Students in grades 7 - 12 will have the opportunity to explore and analyze geometric concepts from a hands-on perspective using technology and critical thinking skills to meet Massachusetts Geometry and Data Analysis Mathematics Frameworks.
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Kay Scheidler
508-497-9800 |
Project Title: CLEARMath: Understanding Algebra for Students at Risk
Project Overview:
This project is for engaging Middle School students in math learning, to assist them in learning algebra concepts through software that teaches students algebra concepts. CLEARMath (Computer-based Learning Environment with Advanced Remediation) software introduces algebra concepts through an Exploration or Investigation, followed by a Lesson, Practice, and quizzes. The software electronically tracks students' patterns of errors, and provides reports to teachers. The interactive addressed in this software, providing the needed assistance for students for the eighth grade MCAS test. Funding from the Lighthouse grant will be used to install the software on all the computers in the Middle School lab, provide teacher training, and install the software on 5 computers in the High School Math computer lab, to remediate at the high school
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Madeline Brick
978-567-6107 |
Project Title: Action Research in Student Writing
Project Overview:
This project uses VES to professionally discuss student work. It will serve two purposes: the first would be for students to work on process writing using the VESW space for editing and revising and drafting, both individually and with peers; the second would be for teachers to communicate about the teaching of writing using freewriting as a channel to processed writing. Teachers will discuss feedback, change, assessment, etc. Those teachers originally from the Spencer Foundation project will act as mentors to new teachers on-line and in curriculum meetings. It will include professional development in using VES.
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last updated: January 1, 2002
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