Partnering with a local marine environmental organization, Mr. LaBanca and Ms. Coelho have designed a hands-on, inquiry-based scientific study for their disadvantaged biology and mathematics students. Students conduct field research on Holly Pond, an enclosed salt-water ... more »

Mr. Sgarlotti and his partners develop interdisciplinary project-based learning activities in cooperation with the Hannahville Indian Community culture committee. Students help prepare for the opening of a museum by creating exhibits, interactive computer programs, ... more »

Ms. Barton and her partners integrate hands-on, technology-driven projects into the science curriculum to help students prepare to meet the challenges of a global society. Students use technology to analyze wave characteristics, color spectrums, and frequencies and ... more »

Working to close the achievement gaps in their school, Mr. Gray, Ms. Lacer, and Ms. Puschaver collaborate across the curriculum to design an outdoor classroom. Students complete lessons on construction, ecology, history, and mathematics to create a working garden ... more »

Ms. Ross and Ms. Pedrol-Polito implement a peer tutoring program to enhance learning, develop positive social behavior, and improve classroom discipline and peer relations. Ninth grade students provide lessons on academics, character, and volunteerism for second and ... more »

To stimulate interest in technical education, promote the use of renewable sources of energy, and stress the importance of science and engineering, Mr. Rosenberg and his partners implement a solar car challenge. Students from three high schools build a solar-powered ... more »

To help incoming ninth graders make a more successful transition to high school, Ms. Jackson, Ms. Nelson, and Ms. Wallace create a Freshman Academy. As part of the academy, students develop research and writing skills through the production of a “Person of the ... more »

To provide their farming community students with 21st century skills, Ms. Bollig and her colleagues study the use of problem-based learning to enhance students’ critical thinking and problem solving. Based on study of materials from the Center of Excellence ... more »

To improve her own poetry, Ms. Long presents her work and research to a diverse and accomplished group of peers at the 2006 Poetry and Politics Conference in Scotland. She shares information gained at the conference with students, helping them to understand the ... more »

Teaching in a region with changing demographics, Ms. Rasely-Philipps takes a leadership role in helping her colleagues and students address diversity. She attends the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication to develop cultural competence in her own ... more »

Mr. Talarico attends the Spanish Language School at Middlebury College to improve his reading, writing, and speaking proficiency in the language. Through the intensive immersion program, he develops curriculum for his students and reflects on ... more »

To increase graduation rates among their special educations students, Ms. Thornsbury and her study group partners develop a mental health curriculum that improves resilience and persistence. The curriculum emphasizes emotional stability and provides non-violent ... more »

Ms. Colannino and 17 other science teachers create a study group to explore effective ways to integrate laptop computers and Internet resources across the science curriculum. Investigating content-specific project design in chemistry, physics, biology, ecology, ... more »

Participation in a teacher workshop in Marseille, hones Ms. Clippinger’s language skills and knowledge of contemporary French culture. By incorporating teaching strategies she learns from other workshop participants and personal stories about her experiences, ... more »

The mathematics and science teachers of Alameda High School have formed a study group to develop methods for improving student success in Algebra II, chemistry, and physics. They are creating diagnostic assessments and review modules that prepare students to apply ... more »

o increase students’ understanding of biology, biochemistry, and microbiology, Mr. Jervis and Ms. Jervis implement a study of cyanobacteria, unicellular aquatic and photosynthetic bacteria, and biofilms, resilient layers formed by bacterial colonies. Students ... more »

Mr. Saldivar, Ms. Nilsson, and their students produce web-based, interactive materials for use in integrated physics and chemistry classes. Students choose lab experiments that help master content and skills and videotape themselves performing the lab while ... more »

Combining student creativity with service to the community, Ms. Perry and Ms. Wimmer oversee a production of A Streetcar Named Desire that integrates both sign language and speech. Students research the era, writing, and purpose of the play and analyze the ... more »

Through an interdisciplinary, inquiry-based course on African history, literature, and film, Mr. Winikur and Ms. Weinraub expand students’ critical thinking skills and understanding of social justice issues. Students examine African literature, language, and ... more »

To develop students’ textile arts skills and philanthropy experience, Ms. Sheerer and Ms. Bechtold implement an embroidery project. Students learn how to digitalize original artwork and how to machine embroider to embellish gowns for premature and stillborn ... more »

Through a student-run apparel business, Ms. Ball and her partners help students develop skills in technology, marketing, commercial arts, and communication. Students study media practices and trends, recruit customers from the community, and create marketable ... more »

To expand students’ research and communication skills, Ms. Harun and Mr. Buda develop a collaborative project with their mathematics and graphic communication classes. Students research a mathematician or mathematics topic, create Power Point presentations, ... more »

To address issues of tolerance and understanding of other cultures, students in Mrs. Simmons and Ms. Richardson’s classes create a children’s book about the experience of a Mexican student relocating to their rural community. Creative writing students ... more »

Through “Super-Sizing our Powers of Persuasion,” Mr. Daley and Ms. Truong integrate technology into their English classes and promote community involvement among students. Using Fast Food Nation as a guide, students learn the art of persuasive writing. ... more »

Mrs. Anker and Mr. Blair help their small rural school and enhance students’ technology and job skills through the implementation of a personal computer maintenance and repair class. Students investigate the inner-workings of a desktop computer and disassemble ... more »

Through “Crossing Boundaries,” Mr. Entinger and Mr. Montesano create Geographic Information System (GIS) courses at their two very different high schools to help students make connections across disciplines, schools, cultures, and within the larger ... more »

To help students develop mathematics skills through real-world applications, Ms. Hostage and Ms. Shannon develop a project-based unit on personal finance. Students learn about financial terms, checking accounts, and how to create a budget. To address standards ... more »

To foster creativity and increase students’ music proficiency, Mr. Rieker and Ms. Wolf implement a cross-curricular music composition project. Students conduct a hands-on exploration of range and rhythm through Orff instruments. After reading The Little Prince, ... more »

Mr. Payne and Mr. Platt develop the “Hydraulic Robot Challenge” to enrich their comprehensive engineering program. After exploring robots and hydraulic systems used in everyday life through field trips to a robotic surgery lab and a construction ... more »

Resource utilization and conservation: the San Diego Bay
11th and 12th grade Biotechnology classes

When High Tech High School biotechnology teacher Jay Vavra wanted to teach his students about the importance of the coexistence of resource utilization and conservation, he ran ... more »

Ms. Luna and Mr. Saleh-Kasmai create “Deep Thoughts and Funky Feats,” a three-week hiking course, to allow their at-risk students to experience education in the outdoors. Students study nutrition and the food industry and record their hiking and nutrition ... more »

Attend the Texas Distance Learning Conference (two instructional cycles) in preparation for offering training and development workshops to assist teachers with the development of online instruction in support of modifications to curricular requirements mandated by ... more »

Active participant in Harvard University’s Project Zero Classroom Summer Institute to learn how developments in neural-cognitive sciences can be used to impact student assessment and differentiated learning models.

Using GeoGebra, Geometer's Sketchpad, graphing calculators, and TI Smartview to improve instruction by using technology to create an active learning environment based on defined instructional standards.

The mathematics department in conjunction with the special education program will elect one teacher to participate in Teacher Learning Cadre Training for handheld graphing calculators used to improve instruction.

Develop training program based on “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and create/modified instructional unit for use and integration for school-wide teen intervention program.

Technology enhanced program to increase student application of numbering systems based on alignment to standards, instructional goals, and assessments measures (pre-test data).

Conduct nutritional analysis of popular local food spots and publish a nutritional guide for Arlington teenagers.

This collaborative writing program focuses on social aspects of the complete writing process (prewriting, drafting, collaboration, editing and revising, and final publication) to a meaningful audience.

Students will explore "Air Repair" as an ecological concept and perform quantitative data collection on air quality locally and globally.

Students will explore how media shapes society, culture, and politics and create a series of digital representations of the types of media production that are possible.

Students will apply math to things around them and create a series of three dimensional models.

Students will explore Biotechnology as part of a collaboratively articulated program with a local college to carry out a series of exhaustive DNA investigations.

Students will investigate cultural characteristics of Eastern and Western Influences on the aesthetics of design, unity, and harmony found in horticulture.

Under the guidelines of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System examination for Engineering/Technology, students will engineer three prototypes using specified technology for the planning, design, and prototypical developmental model.

Students will create a forensic laboratory and use the process of scientific inquiry to investigate a series of reality-based crimes.

Offer an interdisciplinary program using a computer interface “probe-ware” to examine physical and chemical properties of Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics through instructional coordination.

Extracting “math standards” inherent in a Special Olympics program to reinforce standards-based math instruction.

Use radio controlled cars and motion detectors to document corollary coordinates to quantify the application of the linear equation y=mx+b using TI-84 calculators (Learning Standard: Math).

Ms. Cuyler attends the “Moku-Hang Japanese Waterbase Woodcut” workshop to learn the traditional process of 18th century Japanese woodcutters and expand the experience of the students in her integrated art and social studies class. Under the guidance of ... more »