District/School Administration PK-16 Program Support Educational Technology
Promising Practices in Massachusetts Schools

Promising Practices in Massachusetts Schools
Elementary School Examples

English Language Arts

Pioneer Valley Regional School District - Using the Internet, each student researched a specific animal and then used the information to create a report, a multimedia presentation, and a brochure.

Mathematics and English Language Arts

Westfield Public Schools - With quilts as a springboard, this unit included activities such as designing and measuring digital quilts, writing about memories, and creating a book cover.

Science and Technology/Engineering

Pioneer Valley Regional School District - Using handheld computers and science probes, students collected and analyzed data related to light and sound. They then wrote letters to adults who needed their scientific advice to solve fictitious problems.

History and Social Science

Mendon-Upton Regional School District - This immigration unit involved a number of technology-based activities such as taking an Internet "field trip" to Ellis Island, researching family histories online, and creating digital family trees.

New Salem-Wendell Regional School District - After researching the history of the Quabbin Reservoir and the local New Salem-Wendell area, students created a web site to share what they had learned.

Arts

Shrewsbury Public Schools - In this international project, students collaborated with their peers in Japan to create unique artwork. The students created a video to share their thoughts and ideas with their new friends.

New Salem-Wendell Regional School District - Using Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings as inspiration, students created their own artwork, which they then scanned and manipulated in Photoshop.

Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District- Using music composition software, students created their own songs for the recorder or xylophone, which they then tested, revised, performed, and critiqued.

Comprehensive Health

Carver Public Schools - Using heart rate monitors and spreadsheets, students recorded their heart rates and explored the correlation between activity and heart rate.