MHz Networks January 2006 North TIERAwards Page 2
assessment and student metacognition. Goals and plans of this study group are aligned
with our school improvement plan and are based on assessment data. Implementing
strategies using the differentiated instruction framework will enable teachers to improve
instruction so that the achievement of minority and economically disadvantaged students
can be increased. Teachers will develop a collection of technology integration activities
and tools to be shared with other teachers in the consortium to support increased
achievement for all students.
Laura Briggs
Tolbert Elementary School
Loudoun County Public Schools
Getting a 'Hand' on Literacy: Using handhelds to Improve Writing & Reading in the
Classroom
Teachers will be trained on the uses of the handheld in the classroom. Professional
Development will allow teachers to experience first hand how handhelds work and how
they can be used to increase student writing and reinforce reading skills. Collaboration
with colleagues and an Instructional Technology Resource Specialist currently working
in a school using handhelds will allow teachers insight into what works and what doesn't
work with students. It will also allow teachers time to interact with peers to plan a lesson
plan to be implemented with the class. This project will be ongoing with hardware
purchases taking place as money allows and staff development continuing as more
teachers are trained to use handhelds. Teachers will be aware of the significance that
technology can have in the classroom and the limitless possibilities of using handhelds.
Wendy Fletcher
Parkside Elementary School
Spotsylvania County Public Schools
Integrating Graphic Organizers into Science Lab Activities
We want to do more labs! is the biggest complaint from science students while the
teachers lament that the students do not relate lab activities with the course content.
While it is difficult to reconcile these ideas with the increasing concern over standardized
test scores and decreasing class time, to conduct true scientific inquiry, it is not
impossible. Teachers in this project will endeavor to bridge this divide by learning to use
and apply technology. Five teachers from chemistry, biology, and earth sciences will
engage in a collaborative professional development to learn to use the graphic organizer
software Inspiration and hand-held data collection and analysis technology from Vernier
through an online course and two-day collaborative meeting. The result will be 15 lessons
that use both technologies and force students to make connections between what is done
in the lab and the concepts discussed in class.
Karen Molloy
McLean High School
Fairfax County Public Schools
