Journal of the Effective Schools Project, Volume 18, 2011 Page: 47
79 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
classroom throughout the
school building delivering
voice messages. Designing a
robot to navigate based on
light censorship from one end
of the room to the other or
based on voice commands
from the student.
d) Research rocket design and
aerodynamics to use in the
construction of a student de-
signed rocket. The rocket was
flight tested, allowing the stu-
dent to determine what fea-
tures were successful and what
features needed to be modified
and why. The students were
asked to design a rocket that
would successfully travel a
predetermined distance and
land in a way that the rocket
could be reused in later flights.
e) Students studied the weather
and the technology/methods
used to determine a weather
forecast. The students had to
construct their own weather
station to track the various
parts of a weather forecast and
compare their data to the actu-
al forecast for a determined
period of time. Their final as-
sessment was to determine a
weather forecast based on ac-
tual weather information pro-
vided by the teacher.
Because the new Accelerated
Learning class focused on litera-
ture and digital media, the follow-
ing project/problems were the
foundation of the class content:
a) The students were asked to
draft a script, produce, and
edit a variety of short films on
varying topics. These films
were then used in community-
based programs for entertain-
ment, documentary infor-
mation, and recognition ofstudents' abilities.
b) This class began the ground
work for a multiple year pro-
ject to digitally record the his-
tory of the old generations of
community members in Bluff
Dale. The students are being
asked to create a digital ar-
chive of Bluff Dale History
from the perspectives of ordi-
nary community members that
are willing to tell their life sto-
ries for the benefit of future
generations. This project is in
collaboration with several his-
torical organizations to assure
the information is obtained in a
format that can be used with
future historical projects.
By this point in this article, you are
probably thinking that I had this
grand plan and was marching
down the path to the 21st century
like a kid heading into the candy
store. But the truth is,I really did
not know how everything was go-
ing to come together. At the time,
all I knew was that I was a technol-
ogy junky that had a passion for
educating kids in the coolest possi-
ble way. (I also must admit that I
am an avid reader of the latest edu-
cational books, some for learning
and some for just laughing. It was
not until I came across a book enti-
tled, Curriculum 21: Essential Ed-
ucation for a Changing World by
Heidi Jacobs that I had the cliched
"light bulb moment." I finally re-
alized how the individual puzzle
pieces were supposed to come to-
gether and, to some extent, how
the puzzle would eventually look.
The following were some of the
"Jacobisms" that fueled my reali-
zation:
a) "...schools were not designed
for children. Rather, they re-
flect the factory model for or-At the time, all I
knew was that I was
a technology junky
that had a passion for
educating kids in the
coolest possible way.47
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Tarleton State University. Effective Schools Project. Journal of the Effective Schools Project, Volume 18, 2011, periodical, 2011; Stephenville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth201694/m1/51/?rotate=90: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.