Once a month, Ms. Buonomo and her partners participate in a study group that examines the characteristics of differentiated instruction. Group members discuss differentiation topics, such as assessment tools and learning methods. After exploring various differentiation ... more »

Mr. Keating travels to London, England, to attend a program at Oxford University on language and literature. At Oxford, he refines his knowledge of language and literature and effective pedagogical techniques. Mr. Keating uses this knowledge to improve his teaching ... more »

During summer 2004, Ms. Hobbs participates in Earthwatch Expeditions and travels to western and southern Russia to explore the rich tradition of music and dance. She documents and analyzes folk music and dance that was censored and almost extinguished under Soviet rule. ... more »

The mathematics team at Mediapolis Community School participates in a study group to assess and improve the mathematics skills of their students. Once a week, team members meet to evaluate data from state standardized tests as well as from the STAR mathematics assessment ... more »

In March 2004, Ms. Thomas attends the Barry Lane Educational Writing Instruction Seminar to learn techniques for teaching writing revisions. She shares what she learns with her colleagues by developing a district-wide workshop and a Web page that offers writing tips and ... more »

Ms. Hanson and her partners form a study group to align the reading, language arts, and mathematics curricula to state standards. After creating curricula maps, the team develops instructional strategies that best meet the learning needs of each student.

With “Opening Our Grandparents’ Memory Box,” Mr. Godoy-Gonzalez and his partners are helping their English language learners and special education students to improve their English skills. Students collaboratively study and research the role immigrants ... more »

Ms. Lumpkins, Ms. Flaherty, and Ms. Vance integrate fine arts with language arts by exploring storytelling. Students survey storytelling in all content areas and create daily drawings in their sketchbook journals, which are a springboard to narrative and expository writing. ... more »

To increase the problem-solving skills of students who are struggling with mathematical concepts, Ms. Holliday, Ms. Aziz, and Ms. Hilburn help students develop a mock corporation. Students establish and manage a for-profit company that designs and sells clothing. Working ... more »

To engage middle school students and preservice teachers in mathematics, Dr. Baxter, Ms. Belcher, and Ms. Vitulli use peer instruction and hand-held wireless transmitters. The team models inquiry-based methods of teaching mathematics as students respond to conceptual ... more »

To ensure that all students learn about their heritage and pioneer life in general, Mr. Shadle and Ms. Hintz integrate special needs students into their general education classes. Students write books and draw illustrations of how nineteenth century communities developed. ... more »

Ms. Vickery and Ms. Wilburn have created a practical application of chemistry for their students. In a unit on the chemistry of color, students study natural and chemically manipulated pigments used to develop inks, paints, and glazes. The teachers also connect learning to ... more »

Third-grade students at Columbus Park Preparatory Academy investigate the history of the local watershed and the impact that urban development has had on the local ecosystem. After visiting the Worcester Historical Society and the Department of Public Works, students ... more »

To engage their at-risk students in school, Mr. Paden and his partners designed a curriculum that connects environmental education and service learning with all content areas. Focusing on land navigation, students plant trees, build birdhouses, and create trail markers. ... more »

Students at Parkhill School, which is a residential treatment facility for abused children, participate in an integrated thematic unit on endangered species. After researching and writing about endangered animals, students create puppets, an original script, and music for a ... more »

Ms. Aman and Ms. Regenold have developed a historical and archaeological adventure for their third-grade students. The journey begins with tours of the Museum of Science and Industry including the examination of original artifacts from the Titanic. Inspired by their museum ... more »

To help students understand the critical role that propaganda played in the maintenance of totalitarian regimes such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Mr. McDowell and Ms. Johnstowne simulate a ministry of propaganda. Students learn media literacy by creating ... more »

Through “Learn by Teaching,” Ms. Baham and Ms. Ford enrich the communication and science vocabulary of their English language learners. After studying complex biology vocabulary and concepts, these students practice their communication and critical thinking ... more »

Ms. Stowell and her colleagues form a study group to examine peer coaching as a means for improving their students’ reading, writing, and mathematics skills. After studying literature on peer coaching and observing each other’s teaching, group members coach ... more »

Ms. Shaaf leads a group of elementary- and middle-school teachers in learning to integrate inquiry-based science with reading and writing. The group participates in a National Science Foundation program that teaches them instructional strategies for implementing ... more »

Using hand-held computers, Mr. Everett and Mr. Scott pilot a program that provides colleagues with immediate formative and summative assessments. One third of the middle-school teachers use assessment data to create individual rubrics designed to differentiate instruction ... more »

After recognizing that their World English (WE) students—from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria—are being inappropriately placed in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, Ms. Rodriguez-McCleary and her team explore alternative programs ... more »

To improve the teaching of science in middle school, Ms. Ansberry leads a study group on designing and managing inquiry science in the classroom. Study group members examine the Japanese lesson study model, and visit Ohio schools using this model to observe their successes. ... more »

To address the unique learning needs of the student population and provide instructional support to part-time faculty teaching English 101, Dr. Scott—director of the composition program at the community college—has designed several workshops for new faculty ... more »

Ms. Norton and Ms. Burnett study effective models for creating electronic student portfolios in Chaska Middle School West. These teachers visit schools that have successfully implemented portfolio assessment, and begin testing and developing their own model in a pilot ... more »

Ms. Newman, Ms. Torrence, and Ms. Williams research and develop prototypes of paraprofessional portfolios, including a sample electronic portfolio. These portfolios provide a model their colleagues can use to demonstrate their qualifications in improving student learning ... more »

Each month, Ms. Levesque and her study group partners learn research-based phonics instruction. Group participants evaluate data on student assessments and reflect on methods to enhance literacy instruction to increase student achievement.

Ms. Rushing is leading a study group for elementary teachers at each grade level to examine and improve reading instruction. Group members use Star Early Literacy, a computer-adaptive diagnostic assessment and database reading program, to disaggregate data on ... more »

The tenth-grade English teachers at Joel Barlow High School examine best practices for enhancing their students’ writing skills. These group members analyze student work to identify problematic areas in student writing and develop instructional and assessment tools to ... more »

Each Wednesday afternoon, Ms. Anderson and her partners take their students with special needs to a bowling ally for “Bowling for Numbers,” a standards-based activity designed to increase students’ mathematics and interpersonal skills. Students learn to ... more »

Ms. Klassen, Ms. Slauson, and Ms. Spor aim to improve students’ writing skills with “A Work in Progress,” a project that uses individual portfolios to chart each student’s progress in writing from kindergarten to fifth grade. The student portfolios ... more »

Mr. Egenrieder and Dr. Le’s seventh- and ninth-grade students use scientific tools to explore the hypothesis that coyotes have returned to Arlington, Virginia. With laser-guided cameras, global positioning equipment, and topographical maps in hand, students identify ... more »

Ms. Smith and Mr. Harris team with local community members to construct an outdoor classroom for their school. In this hands-on laboratory, students investigate local biodiversity and ecological concepts to devise a conservation plan. Students also design a brochure to ... more »

Partnering with local environmental organizations, archeologists, and historians, Ms. Tregembo-Allen and her partners create a hands-on interdisciplinary study of the natural environment of La Semilla, New Mexico. Their seventh- and eighth-grade classes, which include ... more »

Mr. DeField, Ms. Howe, and Ms. Townsend have developed an applied physics course that focuses on hot air ballooning and targets students who do not perform well in traditional science classes. Students research federal aviation laws and create prototypes of hot air ... more »

To engage their at-risk fourth- and fifth-grade students and provide their school with high-quality computers, Ms. Martin and Mr. Garcia teach students the technical skills required to build computers. Students first disassemble old, inoperable computers to investigate ... more »

Mr. Van Evera and his partners develop “Rocket Flight!” to help students understand concepts of physics and motion using technologically advanced rockets. After participating in experiments to learn the physics of rocket flight, students are assigned to ... more »

By creating a unit on the Truman Administration’s decision to desegregate the military, Ms. Carmer and Ms. Corley aim to impart lessons on tolerance, equity, and civic responsibility. Language arts students read novels that explore equity issues and research primary ... more »

Ms. Ondishko and Ms. Johnson implement “I’ll Be Making History!” in which students create interactive online videos that portray important American figures. Each video includes monologues about each American’s life contributions to the United ... more »

Ms. Derrickson and her partners develop a Student Choice Mobile Libraries Project in which students create a library based on research and created for each grade level. Students work in groups to compile data and to select library materials based on the reading ... more »

To increase the self-esteem and fine motor skills of their first- through eighth-grade students with special needs, Mr. LaBarbara and Ms. Parrott have created an adapted orchestra program. Students learn to play the cello and read music, and participate in orchestra ... more »

Ms. Ivy and Mr. Smith implement “The Stop Six Drama Project” to introduce engage students in performing arts and technology. Students participate in theatrical productions using unique set designs and special effects created by blue screen technology, ... more »

Mr. Stein and Mr. O’Malley have developed the “Techno-Immersion Project,” a group of cross-curricula units through which fifth-grade students mentor fourth-graders to conduct research and develop a creative presentation of the results using technology. ... more »

Ms. Eller and her partners develop “Hiding Places,” a project in which students learn about the habits of animals. Students select an animal to research and read stories and articles about animal habits. A resident visual artist from Young Audiences of ... more »

Through several cross-curricula lesson units, Goldblatt Elementary School students generate a portfolio that demonstrates their writing, reading, science, social studies, and mathematics skills. For one of these units, students read biographies and autobiographies to ... more »

In a project entitled, “Adventure in Learning: Iditarod? Iditaread!” Ms. Stevens and Ms. Canter increase student awareness of health-related issues and the importance of physical fitness while integrating technology and studying current events. Students ... more »

Ms. Studer and Ms. Bergstrand have integrated fine arts and language arts to create an arts throughout history curriculum. For this curriculum, the students use their artwork as prompts for expository, personal, persuasive, and creative writing. Students reflect on their ... more »

Ms. Rae and Ms. Barnes enhance students’ reading comprehension and analytical skills by incorporating a unit on Russian culture into the curriculum. Students read literature by Russian authors, such as Anton Checkov and Alexander Solzhenitsyn. After reading ... more »

Mr. Smith and his partners introduce students to multiple perspectives, traditions, beliefs, and values of the Pokanoket/Wampanoag tribe. Students participate in a variety of activity stations and workshops led by members of the tribe, including Mr. Smith, and learn ... more »

Integrating their special needs students into general education classes, Ms. Remaly and her partners have developed a model to increase the literacy skills of their kindergarten and first-grade students. Students at all learning levels craft memory books that recall ... more »