LisaD
03-11-2009, 01:19 PM
Just read a very nice article about ActivClassrooms in eSchoolNews. Here is an excerpt below.
Full article here:
http://bit.ly/luhyV
...Project ACTIVATE results thus far demonstrate the following:
Teachers initially spent a great deal more time in lesson preparation than they had prior to using the ActivClassroom system. However, according to comments made during informal interviews, teachers indicated a great deal of satisfaction in this endeavor.
Teachers at various levels of technology proficiency used the systems differently. Teachers who were proficient prior to implementation of the grant were able to integrate more interactive teaching and learning activities into their instruction. In the room of a teacher who was highly proficient in using technology, first grade students used the Activboard as one of their instructional centers. In another classroom where the teacher was less proficient, the teacher was using the Activboard to present content to the children.
There was a positive correlation between ongoing teacher collaboration and efficacy using the systems. At Gulfport High School, where collaboration among teachers in the English department was planned for specific times on specific dates, attitudes and skill in using the systems was more advanced.
Use of the systems increased the overall technology proficiency of the students and teachers using them. In English classes, for example, students are composing digital stories to accompany their print research papers.
Frequency of technology use increased among teachers who had access to the Activclassroom systems. Integrating technology used to be something that did not readily "fit" into the classroom routines. Now, technology is not only integrated, but it is integrated ubiquitously into almost every activity.
Student achievement on district and state assessments has increased. In fact, 66 percent of sixth grade students in Gulfport scored Advanced and/or Proficient on the new state mathematics assessment in 2007-08, compared with 52 percent statewide; and 99.4 percent of students not only passed the state English writing exam, but the mean writing score was one of the highest in the state.
Terri Burnham summed up the project this way: "School has changed over the past two decades--from posters and models to gadgets and Gizmos. In Gulfport, Project ACTIVATE has changed what we do in school and how we do it."
Enjoy!
Lisa
Full article here:
http://bit.ly/luhyV
...Project ACTIVATE results thus far demonstrate the following:
Teachers initially spent a great deal more time in lesson preparation than they had prior to using the ActivClassroom system. However, according to comments made during informal interviews, teachers indicated a great deal of satisfaction in this endeavor.
Teachers at various levels of technology proficiency used the systems differently. Teachers who were proficient prior to implementation of the grant were able to integrate more interactive teaching and learning activities into their instruction. In the room of a teacher who was highly proficient in using technology, first grade students used the Activboard as one of their instructional centers. In another classroom where the teacher was less proficient, the teacher was using the Activboard to present content to the children.
There was a positive correlation between ongoing teacher collaboration and efficacy using the systems. At Gulfport High School, where collaboration among teachers in the English department was planned for specific times on specific dates, attitudes and skill in using the systems was more advanced.
Use of the systems increased the overall technology proficiency of the students and teachers using them. In English classes, for example, students are composing digital stories to accompany their print research papers.
Frequency of technology use increased among teachers who had access to the Activclassroom systems. Integrating technology used to be something that did not readily "fit" into the classroom routines. Now, technology is not only integrated, but it is integrated ubiquitously into almost every activity.
Student achievement on district and state assessments has increased. In fact, 66 percent of sixth grade students in Gulfport scored Advanced and/or Proficient on the new state mathematics assessment in 2007-08, compared with 52 percent statewide; and 99.4 percent of students not only passed the state English writing exam, but the mean writing score was one of the highest in the state.
Terri Burnham summed up the project this way: "School has changed over the past two decades--from posters and models to gadgets and Gizmos. In Gulfport, Project ACTIVATE has changed what we do in school and how we do it."
Enjoy!
Lisa