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Promising Practices
(A closer look at lessons in a technology-rich classroom)

Math

-Take a spin around the Ferris wheel with this pre-calculus lesson from Kevin Thompson's class. Students, working in groups, use the Geometer's Sketchpad program to learn how trigonometry concepts tie into this popular ride. View the lesson here, and a video of a student project here.

-Geometry proofs using Blackboard and other technology tools in Ms. Benson's class

Foreign Language

Looking at earth's environmental issues
(using Blackboard discussion, survey tools, youtube videos, blogger.com, ComicLife)
In this unit, students look at earth's environmental issues through the eyes of Spanish-speaking countries. Teacher Kim Baxter facilitates student discussions of these issues via Blogger.com and Blackboard discussion, has students practice Spanish comprehension while watching YouTube videos on the subject, and has students illustrate their knowledge though ComiLife projects. Unit

Recording dialogues to practicing speaking and auditory skills
(using audacity for practice, collaboration and peer editing)
Students in Sarah Terry's Spanish 3 class create and record dialogue with a partner, and then listen and assess the work of other students in this unit. You can view the full lesson plan here.

Developing and sharing presentations in Blackboard
(using Blackboard, Audacity and MS Word)
Students in Jim Potter's French II class practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Recording allows students to reflect on their speaking abilities while Blackboard allows students to share their presentations with classmates, and also provides an opportunity for a listening and written assessment. You can view the lesson here.

Science

Determining atomic structure
(using on-line inquiry, group work and presentations)
In Janeice Ives' Chemistry classes, technology is helping students to determine atomic structure. Students first view models, then participate in both in-class and on-line discussions. Students also worked collaboratively to research and organize information. You can view the complete unit here.

Consumer Education

Buying a house, mortgages
(Bankrate.com, hgtv.com, househunting sites)
Students in Dusty Burk's Consumer Education course learn to use financial websites to calculate mortgages and to search for and evaluate homes using the laptops. You can view the complete unit here.

English

Sophomore writing tackles college admission process
Students in Shyla Anderson's laptop class used technology to read & discuss college apps, admission essays and school websites in this unit. The complete lesson plan is here.

The Evergreen Cemetery Unit
(using wikis, digital images and peer editing for collaboration)
Having technology readily available serves as a powerful tool for student collaboration, as evidenced in this unit from Dianne Walker's AP English Language course. Students first participate in the Evergreen Cemetary walk where they hear dramatic, biographical monologues. They then use the internet for research, take digital images, compose and peer-edit poetry, and participate in a collaborative wiki as part of the learning unit. You can view the complete unit here.

The Legacy Project
(using web pages and podcasts to bring Arthurian Legend into the 21st century)
Kathy Clesson's English Composition and Literature Class students first select a book and two chapters to read (from the twenty-one book collection of tales compiled by Sir Thomas Mallory in Morte d’Arthur), then work to comprehend, interpret, and bring to life those chapters via an old-style radio performance using audacity. These mp3 files are then added to a class-created website. You can view the complete unit here.

Social Science

Teaching students to think like historians
(using primary sources on the internet)
is a key part of Jim Kelly's U.S. Studies lesson plan. Students were able to use the internet in class to corroborate primary sources- paintings, pictures, music, newsreel & movie clips- as part of that learning process. You can view the unit here.

Studying "memory" with on-line experiments
(using on-line activities)
Join Jean Gorski's Psychology class as they participate in a series of on-line experiments that look at factors which limit memory and ways to combat forgetfulness. Because of the laptops, students are able to individually go through the experiments. The complete lesson is here.

Learning through news videos, eyewitness accounts
(using google earth, audio/video resources)
Students in Ms. Lehnen's U.S. Studies class were able to compare and contrast the events of Pearl Harbor and September 11- including a comparison of media accounts, individual reactions, and geographical features. Take a look at the complete lesson here.

Developing documentaries with Photostory
Students in Bob Fitzgerald's AP U.S. History class use Photostory to develop documentaries for class. The lesson includes teaching students to look at copyright issues and gather text and media resources. View the lesson plan or a sample student project.

The Great Depression and Dust Bowl Blues
(primary sources)
Students in Andy Davis' U.S. Studies class look at the Dust Bowl era via historical documents, photographs, film and music. Students are challenged to create texts of their own in small groups and to compose a creative musical writing. View the unit here.