HP Technology for Teaching Leadership Award past recipients

Arkansas

Project: Norfork School Steam Team

2005 project description and impact on students: The team of teachers, in collaboration with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission implemented the “Norfork School Stream Team” to monitor and maintain Dry Run Creek. Science and Algebra classes used the laptop and multimedia projector to display materials created with appropriate software and the results of students' water monitoring was incorporated by into discussions of aquatic environments and bank stabilization techniques. The Internet and multimedia projector were used to display examples of healthy and unhealthy aquatic environments and to compare them to students' digital photos of the creek. Students assisted by the art teacher, organized pictures and data on the school website, while the multimedia teacher guided students through creating a television commercial promoting protection of natural resources for local channels. Students in Journalism used the laptop and the digital camera to prepare stories of the projects that were published in the county newspaper and the state "Stream Team" publication.

California

Project: The Common Denominator of the World: Currency

2005 project description and impact on students: HP technologies provided teachers with the capabilities to use the internet to teach how world stock markets function, and incorporate web sites that offer real time market financial news. Teachers were also able to organize and project collected data to the classes by using the digital projector.  Teachers reported evidence of classroom/teaching impact in the following ways:  "teacher observations, which have included attentiveness amongst students while they worked on their assignments.  All team members in their reflective logs have found that certainly students' concentration span was longer when we did our lessons in PowerPoint versus a standard lecture."  Student productivity was greatly increased when technology was incorporated into the lesson as documented by the number of assignments not turned in when technology was not used in a lesson plan.  Student retention of data was also measured by using the same quiz for classes utilizing the technology and those not using the technology.  Classes using the technology demonstrated a greater level of subject matter retention. 

Washington Middle School, Vista

Project: VENTURE (Visionaries Engaging in Nature, Teamwork, Understanding and Respect for the Environment)

2005 project description and impact on students: This project required a student-driven, teacher-guided, cross-curricular project. Students took on many roles over the course of this project and regularly used technology to conduct research, investigate local surroundings, understand environmental issues, partake in critical project-related decision making, design and implement a plan to make a positive impact on the environment, report findings, and evaluate their work. Teachers used technology to investigate, create, experiment, provide innovative instruction, and evaluate VENTURE's educational impact.

Colorado

Project: Bridging the Gap in the Classroom with Interactive Technology

2004 project description and impact on students: This was the project focused on enhancing the education of students who are deaf/hard of hearing and blind/visually impaired through an interactive technology program that was implemented by the team of teachers.  .   The purpose of the project was to support children who are deaf/hard of hearing and/or blind/visually impaired in achieving their potential by developing an interactive technology program to assist students and teachers with assessing and tracking student academic growth and achievement.  Grant resources helped teachers create lessons, assignments, and related pre- and post-tests online.  Students were able to independently log on, choose a specific lesson, take a pre-test (if appropriate), complete the assignment, and take the post-test.  By submitting the work immediately to the teacher, the student received almost immediate feedback and a new lesson created. 

Florida

Project: The Effect of Microgravity on Brassica Plants & Butterflies

2004 project description and impact on students: This hands-on, minds-on NASA-based project provided the perfect opportunity for our sixth grade team to successfully integrate science, math, technology, language arts, and geography.  Students researched,planted, observed, collected data, maintained journals, and created fascinating electronic reports to complete this project.

Country Oaks Elementary School, LaBelle

Project: Cycles

2005 project description and impact on students: This was a project to study seasonal cycles of weather, plants, and animals.  Using granted HP technologies, students used Internet weather sites and an onsite weather station to observe and graph daily and seasonal weather both locally and nationally.  Digital cameras documented changes in plant life over time and allowed pictures to be posted to school websites, and the HP Tablet was used for recording observations while in the field, generating real time data, and completing and displaying research findings in the classroom. Participating teachers felt that one of the biggest changes in their teaching during this past year has been the active integration of technology into everyday lessons.

Warfield Elementary School, Indiantown

Project: Getting Connected, Making Connections

2005 project description and impact on students: Resources from the HP grant allowed students to complete two phases of this project; the HP tablet allowed for internet access to data that was collected regarding migrating species and a link to classrooms across the globe to study sunrise and sunset times. The varied technologies were used for data collection, data storage, plotting and graphing of data as well as classroom instruction.  Many changes have occurred in the teaching methods of the team as a result of resources provided by this grant. "Microsoft Word and PowerPoint are used to present lessons in an engaging, and visually stimulating format...the Internet was used to teach content objectives in real world, meaningful ways. We have linked up with the global community to participate in two major learning experiences - following the migration of the Monarch Butterfly, and deciphering clues to find mystery sites around the planet.

Hawaii

Project: Waialua High School FIRST Robotics project

2004 project description and impact on students: The FIRST Robotics program integrated science and Career and Technical Education (CTE) utilizing technology to create a robot, website, and documentation.  100% of the graduating seniors on our robotics team have been accepted to university engineering programs and community partners have committed to supporting our program indefinitely.

Indiana

Project: Project T-PREP:  Integrating Technology to Prepare Students

2004 project description and impact on students: Students assessed and analyzed needed instructional changes and created new instructional tools that incorporated technology.  Pre- and post-testing data show dramatic improvements in standardized testing scores for students, and MyTarget technology assessments illustrate marked improvement for all teachers in technological proficiency and implementation.

Kentucky

Project: Back to the Future

2005 project description and impact on students: A year long project that allowed students to explore their world from three different perspectives: the past, present and future. Technology provided by the HP grant allowed students to travel back in time and discover the world, compare what they find with trends from the present and make predictions regarding the world of tomorrow. The granted technology allow for modifications required for all students, including special needs and gifted students. The project allowed teachers to incorporate technology into all aspects of education.

Project: How's the Weather?

2004 project description and impact on students: Students used technology to collect real-time weather data and to analyze collected data for trends and patterns.  Students developed graphs, charts, and PowerPoint presentations based on their analysis.  Pre- and post-assessments show positive increases in student knowledge of content area concepts and technology skills.

Massachusetts

Project: The Saugus Iron Works Great Adventure, 1646-2005

2005 project description and impact on students: This was a unit designed as a virtual exploration for children to experience colonial life, to investigate how industries in the New World were created to meet the needs of the early settlers, and to learn about the ways in which rocks and minerals and simple machines were used at the Iron Works. Students used resources from the HP grant in order to utilize software programs such as Microsoft Word and Inspiration to create portfolio materials throughout the unit.

Projectors, tablets, cameras are all used in place of overheads and worksheets.  With the introduction of the HP equipment we are incorporating these technological tools to enhance student learning and teaching strategies."

Michigan

Project: Science Lab Re-tool

2004 project description and impact on students: Our team of teachers incorporated tablets and projectors into all of our lesson plans, using the web, streamed video and student-centered activities to increase student understanding of difficult science concepts.  Test scores went up 10% when team members taught the same class as the previous year and compared assessment results between the years.

Washington Writer’s Academy, Kalamazoo

Project: Science and Math for all

2004 project description and impact on students:Our team focused on integrating technology in math and science for all learners.  Assessment results show increased student math scores and increased enthusiasm for science and math for both teachers and students.  Ed performance test scores for children identified with special needs went up nearly 400%.

Minnesota

Project: Glacial Ridge Restoration Monitoring Project

2004 project description and impact on students: Our team partnered with The Nature Conservancy at Glacial Ridge to enhance science instruction by providing students with an opportunity to monitor the re-establishment of prairie and wetland sites.  Pre- and post- learning activity survey data show significant increases in student interest in science.

New Jersey

Project: Show Us – Teaching and Learning Brought to Life

2005 project description and impact on students: This project, which includes all subject areas with special emphasis on math and science, immersed students in a cross-curricular study on the local marine environment.   The HP tablet PC, projector and digital camera allowed students to gather a cornucopia of information and then the students became problem solvers and then teachers themselves.   The tablet PC and projector acted as an interactive whiteboard seamlessly enhanced by the use of digital photography to capture the uniqueness of living in a coastal town relying on tourism as well as logging the progress of students and teachers in digital portfolios. The resources provided by the HP grant have greatly impacted teaching at Dawes Avenue School.  "Prior to the HP Grant, technology integration was minimal...Now this diverse group shares an absolute: the seamless integration of technology in their classrooms to bring authentic and relevant learning to their students.  Technology is not an element added to their instruction; it's the basis of their instruction.

Project: Mission to Mars

2004 project description and impact on students: "Mission to Mars" was an interdisciplinary project where students debated the economic, financial, ethical, and scientific questions involved in a trip to Mars.  Analysis of student work and test scores shows they are learning concepts rather than just memorizing processes.

North Carolina

Project:  Students as Academic Change Agents

2004 project description and impact on students: Student teams researched 1 of 14 factors correlated with academic success, presenting their research and proposals for increasing academic excellence to local leaders. Students found meaning in the professional learning community of students, teachers, and community leaders.  Student learning surpassed expectations on our state's assessments.

Ohio

Project: Interdisciplinary Webquest in the Primary Classroom

2004 project description and impact on students: We developed two interdisciplinary WebQuests focused on science and math with a theme of habitats and recycling. Teacher reflections, pre- and post-assessments of students, student surveys, analysis of student work and test scores show significant improvement in math, reading, and technical abilities.

Oregon

Project: Water Watchers + Water Workers = Water Wise Citizens

2004 project description and impact on students: Central students became community 'Water Watchers' observing water quality on local rivers, 'Water Workers' raising salmon for release and 'Water Wise Citizens' researching ways to conserve resources. Students made great learning gains and teachers integrated technology into daily routines.

Project:  C.A.S.E. Culver's Amazing Science Explorations: Investigating Science Case by Case.

2005 project description and impact on students:  Technologies provided by the HP TfT grant aided each grade level in completing an online science expedition based on an appropriate science theme.  Once completed, all classes experienced each expedition online and responded through electronic journals and science passports. Virtual field trips, web quests, and hands-on experiments added excitement to each expedition, creating real-world connections to science concepts.  Our teaching practices have certainly seen a vast change in the incorporation of technology as we taught science units and developed the WebPages with our classes. Through this project we used Web Quests, virtual field trips, streamlined videos, Web based studies, and Internet research. Along with that comes a different kind of instruction. Instead of direct instruction, we created: assignments for students that accompanied their online studies, Internet hot lists, criteria sheets for projects and rubrics for assessment.   Throughout this project we have become more of facilitators guiding and encouraging students.

Rhode Island

Project: Lewis and Clark - A Journey Across the Curriculum

2005 project description and impact on students: Over the course of their involvement with HP Technology for Teaching, the team changed their teaching by integrating the use of more technology.  "Specifically, we have incorporated the use of PowerPoint for presenting whole group lessons. Additionally, the use of digital cameras has broadened the way in which student's present project/subject information, demonstrating learning that has taken place.  The laptop notebooks together with the digital projectors have been integral in helping this team to provide students with quality websites, interactive sites and web quests, allowing in some cases up to the minute results that could be monitored throughout the day.  The notebooks when used together were also wonderful tools for small group instruction where students with special needs as well as students requiring enrichment activities could meet the same goals as the rest of the class while working at their own levels."  Evidence of the above changes include "the baseline, midpoint, and final assessment data collected by each team member, student journals documenting data from various units studied - including digital and internet photos."

Texas

Project: The History of Canutillo Documentary

2004 project description and impact on students: Sixth grade students produced a documentary video of their community, 'The History of Canutillo'.  Student and teacher reflections, student surveys, pre/ post assessments in the state content standards, and analysis of student work show increased understanding of core concepts and skills, increased engagement, and pride in learning.  The video has won multiple awards.

Project: CONNECTED - A Science Documentary Clay Animation Project on Supporting Structures...the Architecture of Vertebrates

2005 project description and impact on students: This integrated science/math research project focused on Supporting Structures: the Architecture of Vertebrates (a bone study).  Using granted HP technologies, students embarked “on a technological adventure to do authentic research on the Internet, use PowerPoint, Excel, and Publisher to make creative products to disseminate newfound knowledge to the world, create a virtual tour of a classroom Bone Museum, and design a website that shows ongoing progress through streaming video.” The highlight of the project was the making of a clay-animation movie with child-created documentaries spotlighting each animal group.  The Dunbar Primary team had a major paradigm change in our teaching because of the HP project...Our classrooms became totally learner-centered as we used a Project Approach for our comprehensive HP project.  We also became technology-centered in our teaching. 

Project: 'Tech Trek': A First Grade Virtual Journey of Endangered Mammals

2004 project description and impact on students: Our team expanded our science and social studies curriculum, focusing on the impact of human actions on the ecosystem. Through virtual field trips, students visited the temperate forests of South America, floated next to a Blue Whale in the Antarctic, and observed an angry Wombat in Australia.  With increased expectations, academic achievement is increasing.

Project: Opening Windows to Our Community

2005 project description and impact on students: HP grant resources permitted a team of teachers to visit and document facilities around Houston and then create virtually projected "Field Trips" for the entire student body at Liestman Elementary.

Our instructional delivery and presentation has switched from traditional use of chalkboards, chart tablets, and transparencies to the Tablet PC and projector.  Our teaching has become much more interactive as we demonstrate taking notes, graphing data as it is collected, creating t-charts, and immediate use of internet as a resource.  Not only were we able to deliver our first line instruction, we were also able to review, clarify, and revisit concepts and notes frequently.  This enabled the students to better retain and learn the information.  Our teaching has become more responsive to students' ideas. It is easy to show video clips multiple times when students aren't sure what they saw. We are able to investigate ideas as students make connections between the new concept we are learning and their own knowledge base.

Project: What's up with the Atmosphere?

2005 project description and impact on students: This is a project aimed at demonstrating how Earth's atmosphere affects life on Earth and how life on Earth affects the atmosphere.  HP multimedia technologies provided fresh perspective and tools to examine atmosphere and weather concepts through diagrams, charts, experiments, streaming video, presentations, animation, graphics and sounds. The use of instructional technology promoted engagement, collaboration and creativity among students and teachers alike.

Washington

Project: Curriculum to Increase Student Learning

2004 project description and impact on students: Our team used technology to integrate the curriculum areas of Science, Math, Social Studies, and Language Arts, using weather as our focal point. Assessment measures show increased student test scores, increased skills in technology use, and increased engagement in class.

Canada

Project: Fishing For Knowledge

2004 project description and impact on students: Students used digital microscopes to research and study our surrounding marine environment, creating videos, claymations and electronic storybooks.  Whether it was science, math, language arts or other subjects, the use of the HP technology improved student retention of key concepts and skills.

Project: River Monitoring

2005 project description and impact on students:  The team reports significant and positive changes in their teaching, such as "The tablet pen is a great tool for interactive teaching. A note can be prepared ahead of time with sample questions, and then solutions can be added in real-time.  The use of the pen for diagrams, lines, highlighting and modifications to be added to a note enables an interactive environment between the teacher and students. The result is a more vibrant, memorable and interesting experience for the students, as well as the teacher.    Since we are now preparing notes on the computer, these notes can be made available to students through Blackboard - which is available to them through the internet."