teaching ideas - arch coal, inc. ideas 2007-2… · teaching ideas. tested by teachers ......

TEACHING IDEAS Tested by teachers in Delta County, Colorado

Sponsored by the Arch Coal Foundation

When it comes to innovative classroom projects, look no further. The

following pages detail some of the best ideas that have earned ARCH COAL

INNOVATIVE TEACHING GRANTS in Delta County, Colorado, since 2007.

The Arch Coal Foundation’s unique program challenges the county’s teachers

to use their experience, imagination and up to $500 to test innovative ideas that

would improve student performance.

Grant recipients provide a final report, incorporating as much information as

possible that would help fellow teachers across America – and perhaps even around

the world. From the annual results, selected innovative projects are made available

through this online and printable summary report. In most cases, projects include a

contact e-mail address, so that teachers may request details and collaborate on best

practices. Simply click on the link in the teacher’s name to activate the email.

Arch Coal 2007-08 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado

www.archteacherawards.com

Project: Heroes of the Past Making Heroes of the Future Theresa Davis * Crawford School * Crawford, Colo.

Theresa Davis dedicated her 2007 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to helping middle school students with reading disabilities improve their reading skills, while inspiring them to think about the qualities of a hero. Davis purchased biographies of famous people who had overcome difficulties and went on to make contributions to the world. Various quotes led to discussions about historical events and how a person’s character can lead them to make decisions that benefit others. Often, the students learned, difficult circumstances endured in youth can provide courage or strength later in life. The students shared their new knowledge by acting out scenes from Albert Einstein’s life and designing a display featuring relevant quotes and events from Theodore Roosevelt’s life. Younger students were invited to ask questions, which further stimulated interest. Reading about a historical figure will often resonate with a student. They become excited to find out more and begin making connections to their own lives, according to Davis, who continues to use the biographies in class.

Project: Fostering Personal Identity Through Artwork Peter Halladay * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.

Art teacher Peter Halladay devoted his 2007 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to helping his students view the world through different eyes and getting to better know their community and themselves. Halladay purchased five digital cameras for his classroom and distributed them to students. This gave them an opportunity to learn how to operate the cameras and then work on assignments. One such project involved using the cameras to compare and contrast community development over the past 100 years. The students began their research at the local historical society, viewing various area scenes and buildings in old photographs. Then they took pictures showing the same scenes and structures today. A few students also worked on individual projects, with one combining personal images with text.

http://www.archteacherawards.com/

mailto:[email protected]




Project: CO2 Car Project Eagle’s Nest Extension/Enrichment Program David Kuta * Paonia Elementary * Paonia, Colo. For a half-hour each day, Paonia Elementary students who are meeting or exceeding regular classroom expectations get an opportunity to learn new things in creative and fun ways, as part of the Eagle’s Nest Extension/Enrichment Program. David Kuta used his 2007 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to purchase materials for students to build and race cars powered by CO2 (carbon dioxide). Over the course of several months, fourth, fifth and sixth graders completed their cars step by step – creating concept sketches and prototypes, finalizing designs, building, painting and testing their cars – and finally racing them in a week-long event complete with trophies. All the students learned a great deal over the course of the project, according to Kuta, not only about designing and building the cars, but also about aerodynamics, force, drag, friction, mass and other scientific and mathematical concepts. The project was well-received by students and staff alike.

Project: Library to Supplement Classroom Economy Von W. Mitchell * Cedaredge High School * Cedaredge, Colo.

Von Mitchell created a classroom library in 2007 for use in conjunction with a wider initiative through which students engage in a classroom economy.* The business teacher’s goal was to nurture a love of reading among students and to help them make the connection between their lives and literature. As part of the economy project, students hold jobs and “pay rent” on their seating. The catch is, rent is more than their income. Students earn extra money by doing extra work, like reading books and writing book reports. Mitchell purchased a quantity of books with his Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant, including such titles as The Pearl, by John Steinbeck; To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee; The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane; and many more. Shortly after setting up the library, Mitchell was pleased to report success on the project. Not only were his own students reading the new books, students from other classes were doing so as well – and discussing what they’d read. At the time, more than 90 students had daily access to the library, with more to gain usage the following semester.

*Based on an idea by teacher/author Rafe Esquith






Project: Student-Made CD Stories Janet Rogers * Crawford School * Crawford, Colo.

Janet Rogers devoted her 2007 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to increasing the motivation to write and improving reading fluency among her first-grade students. Rogers purchased 20 portable CD players with headphones, 100 CD-R discs and five packs of AA batteries and set to work. Each student wrote and illustrated a picture book using the writing process – developing settings, characters and story sequence. She and her students also analyzed the components of good reading used in commercially made audio books, such as expression, use of page-turning signals and the “about the author and illustrator” pages. Students read their stories many times to read fluently. With the help of two middle school students, each first-grader recorded the stories and created CDs. They then decorated the CD case and a carrying bag for the disc/book set. Completion of the project was celebrated with an authors’ party, at which students listened to their own stories and those of their classmates. Rogers was very pleased with the success of the program. Student motivation to read and write was very high, and she even noticed students evaluating each other’s work. Rogers’ students completed the CD stories the following year as well.





“An Evening Under the Stars” participants (left to right): Jean Lewis, Sarah Moore-Andregg, Ann Wingfield, Tristan Andregg and Trever Wingfield

Project: An Evening Under the Stars Linda L. Hodges * Hotchkiss K8 School * Hotchkiss, Colo.

Linda Hodges’ grant provided the means to acquire three reflector telescopes, a light-up solar system, Moon-in-My-Room light and a solar system floor puzzle. She used them to create a memorable astronomy lesson for her kindergarten students and their families called “An Evening Under the Stars.” To accommodate everyone, it consisted of six sessions. Each began with students giving a short presentation on the solar system. Hodges then demonstrated how to use the telescopes and led everyone to the playground to try them out. The goal was to provide an innovative, home-to-school connection by enabling students and their families to explore the night sky together. The project further enriched students’ understanding of the vastness of the solar system and enabled them to explore some of its intricacies, while giving their families an opportunity to participate in the cooperative learning process. Afterward, they enjoyed a snack and a cup of hot cocoa together. Parent responses included: “I learned so much from our kindergartner!” “Do the kids have as much fun as the adults?” and “I want a telescope now!” Hodges has shared the materials with other grade levels.

Project: Ready, Set, Strategize! Kelly Rienks * Paonia Elementary * Paonia, Colo.

Kelly Rienks applied her 2008 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant toward the purchase of board games aimed at helping her fifth-grade students practice and master strategic thinking and mathematical reasoning. The goal of the easily repeatable project was to help students attain skills that will benefit them in many problem-solving situations, according to Rienks. Students not only learned to play the games, but also participated in classroom tournaments. Some also completed writing activities based on the games. Throughout the year, Rienks saw her students’ strategy skills improve, and their verbal and written explanations of tactics and rules became more detailed and thought out. In addition to playing the games in class, students also taught students from other classrooms how to play and took the games home to share with their families. Parental feedback reinforced that playing the games was a positive interaction for the whole family.






CeCe Pieper at the entrance of a snow cave, which she learned how to build in Lemon’s course on winter survival techniques

Project: Winter Ecology Zac Lemon * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.

Zac Lemon used his 2008 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to help prepare students enrolled in the school’s advanced biology college course to survive if ever lost in the Mesa Lakes area of Grand Mesa during winter. Lemon purchased seven sets of snowshoes and took the students on a four-hour walk of about two to three miles. They discussed topics previously covered in class, including the transition in ecosystems due to increases in elevation, key characteristics of various tree species, as well as active winter animals, their behaviors and identification methods. The group also discussed winter survival techniques and how to make snow caves. Students gained an understanding of winter biology and are now able to relate their knowledge to all seasons, according to Lemon, who presented the program a second year and considers it a major success. Several students thanked him for such a great educational opportunity. Some also mentioned they now have the confidence to go out in the snow and use their knowledge to start up a new hobby – even purchasing their own snowshoes to do so.

Project: Plants as Food and Medicine Alicia Michelsen * Lamborn Vision School * Paonia, Colo.

Alicia Michelsen devoted her 2008 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to helping high school students become familiar with native and common plants and to use them in practical and innovative ways. Michelsen’s course went beyond the study of botany in the traditional sense to help students become more comfortable and confident in nature; know the uses of plants; and be able to identify poisonous plants and fungi. In addition to the parts of the plant, students learned about related myths, legends and folklore, as well as ways that the plants can be used. Over the course of the year, some hands-on exercises included making Reishi mushroom healing soup, elderberry honey, onion poultice, burdock vinegar, burdock poultice, a healing salve of comfrey and calendula, slippery elm cough drops and eucalyptus steam. The course helped students develop a more positive relationship with nature, according to Michelsen. The Lamborn Vision School has closed its doors, but Michelsen intends to teach a class on herbs as food and medicine for all ages through the Vision Home and Community Program.






Project: Civil War Highlights Nancy Rowe * Garnet Mesa Elementary * Delta, Colo.

Students in all four Garnet Mesa Elementary second-grade classes got an opportunity to become part of the learning process, thanks to Nancy Rowe’s 2008 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant. While studying the Civil War era, the children took on roles and presented a skit for teachers, parents and other students on some significant people and issues of that time. Rowe purchased decorations, flags and costumes like the uniforms worn by President Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. One class created roles about slaves – how they were brought to the states by boat, sold at auction and forced to work on plantations – and how they held secret meetings on how to become free. Another class introduced Peg Leg Smith, who developed the idea for an Underground Railroad, and Harriet Tubman, one of its most famous “conductors.” A third class developed a poem about Grant and Lee, and the last class read the Gettysburg Address, dressed in top hats like President Lincoln’s. The students learned more by participating in the play than in previous years, and they will continue the program yearly, according to Rowe.





Project: Experiential Life Skills Instruction Maureen Ayers * Hotchkiss K-8 * Hotchkiss, Colo.

In 2009, students who enrolled in Maureen Ayers’ special education courses got an opportunity to expand their life skills through cooking and sewing projects and through participating in the startup and operation of a small business venture. Assisted by Terrea Bear, Ayers devoted her 2009 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to goods needed for consumer shopping and cooking projects; sewing activities, including curtains for classroom plays; and soil, seeds, fertilizer and pots for launching a business. Students cleared out an abandoned greenhouse on school property, planting seeds and cuttings and then nurturing them into plants that made about $485 at three plant sales – funds put toward the ongoing business and other projects the next year. Students learned about teamwork, attention to tasks and skills necessary to plan and run a small enterprise, such as money management and budgeting, according to Ayers. They were graded on punctuality, resourcefulness, time on task and worker quality, as well as specific skill sets, such as safety, nutrition, plants and following instructions/procedures. Grades improved steadily as the course progressed, with pre- and post- testing showing a growth of 30 percent. Project: Soap Box Derby Project Dan Dunham * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo.

Dan Dunham used a traditional project to help teach his technology students about the importance of teamwork and dedication to a goal. At the same time, students learned the uses and types of simple machines, and the principles of design, welding and framing that go into producing them. They also learned the laws of motion and physics behind safely putting a vehicle in motion and stopping it. Dunham purchased materials with his 2009 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant for building six Soap Box Derby cars over a three-month period. The project began with research and design and Dunham building a prototype demonstrating how students might design the steering mechanisms, brakes and wheel-attachments. Parts for this portion of the project were primarily obtained prepackaged for safety reasons. When parts weren’t available – or even when a car was stolen – Dunham demonstrated recycling and reuse, picking up seatbelts at a salvage yard and helmets from the Salvation Army and thrift stores, including rebar and scrap metal for the brake system, according to Dunham. Overall, he reported that the project was a tremendous success, with students enjoying the hands-on opportunity to learn how to create safe, steerable and stoppable vehicles – and then race them.






Project: Touch My World Joey Hancock * Lincoln Elementary * Delta, Colo.

With the help of Joey Hancock’s 2009 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant, students with a wide range of disabilities now view an iPod® as an educational tool rather than just a portable music player. Hancock, who teaches severe/profound special education classes for students in kindergarten through grade five, purchased two iPods with his grant, as well as education-related applications. After having incorporated the iPods in his classroom for six months, Hancock noted measurable improvement in his students’ math skills. For instance, one began with the ability to add and subtract two-digit numbers and ended able to add and subtract money amounts to the thousands and knowing the purpose of the decimal point. Another began with the ability to add single digit numbers with 40-percent accuracy. Six months later, the student was adding double-digit numbers with regrouping. Yet another could count to 50 by ones, but with no skipping. Six months later, the student was counting by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, 10’s and 100’s. Hancock also observed great gains in students’ visual-tracking and fine-motor skills. The new iPod Touch, with its camera and built-in microphone, could open the door to many more possibilities, says Hancock.

iPod is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

Project: Hero Club Cards Jan Rogers * Crawford School * Crawford, Colo.

Thanks to Janet Rogers’ 2009 grant, kindergarten through fourth-grade students got a chance to collect cards featuring some newly discovered heroes and eventually become card-featured “heroes,” too. To increase motivation for reading and excitement about the lives of exemplary individuals, Rogers created and purchased a set of 75 cards featuring 15 photos and biographical information on individuals such as Clara Barton, Charles Dickens, Wilbur Wright, Susan B. Anthony and Harriet Tubman. To earn cards, students completed reading goals at home and at school. Each month, a community volunteer came to school dressed as a hero. For instance, Clara Barton showed up and told about her life as a nurse. She then gave a hand-washing lesson, at which time an adoring kindergartener looked up at “Clara” and said “I’ve got your card on my backpack.” Enthusiasm for the cards led to creation of a Hero Day, at which each student came to school dressed as one of the famous people they had studied, sharing reports about them with other classes and parents. Students who completed all nine months of reading at home received their own personalized card, declaring them to be a “reading hero.” Rogers’ students again participated in the program during the 2010 school year.






Project: A World of Wonder Jodi Simpson * Paonia Elementary * Paonia, Colo.

Jodi Simpson devoted her 2009 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to putting science tools, books and other resources into the hands of her first-grade students, motivating them to discover answers to their “burning/probing” questions for themselves. Simpson purchased supplies ranging from a microscope, binoculars, hand lenses and prepared slides to posters, an ant farm, frog specimen, recycling receptacles and more – all aimed at engaging her class in active, authentic, inquiry-based and hands-on learning. At the same time, she guided them beyond the textbook to apply the higher-level thinking skills that not only meet state standards, but also will enable her students to become the problem- solving inventors, doctors and scientists of the future. One of the most popular lessons involved building an electrical circuit. After the children understood the parts of the circuit and the difference between conductors and insulators, the magic began, according to Simpson. She walked through the room, listening to the students exclaiming things like, “Make sure you’re letting the clip end, the metal part, connect to conduct electricity,” “What do you think will happen if we try to light up two lights bulbs?” and “Hey guys, let’s combine our wires with the other group and make a really big circuit!”





Project: Building wooden boats Dan Dunham * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo. Applied Technology Teacher Dan Dunham used his 2010 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to purchase supplies for demonstrating the use of various types of sanders and saws, as well as how to make compound miter cuts, perform hand-planing, do fiberglass work and calculate carrying capacity through water displacement. To top it off, students also experienced the thrill of traveling across a lake, paddling with oars and in boats they built in class. The project was a tremendous success, according to Dunham. “The boats turned out better than I could have imagined, and the students were very proud of their work. It was a significant, hands-on learning experience for both the kids and me,” he said. Dunham would like to repeat the boat-building project. Toward that end, the class raffled off the boats made this year to help fund next year’s boats.

Project: Drama continues on to high school Susan Tate Hamrick * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo. Susan Tate Hamrick used her 2010 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to help present the first play held at Hotchkiss High School in seven years. Hamrick purchased playbooks and royalty fees for Chemical Bonding (or Better Living through Chemistry), a two-act play by Don Zolidis. She also co- directed the play, which was presented two evenings to standing- room-only crowds. The play featured a 16-member cast and provided a wonderful way for some students not involved in many extracurricular activities to “shine,” according to Hamrick. “The overall project goal was met beyond my wildest dreams. The students treasure this memory, and we hope to bring a drama component into Hotchkiss High School,” she said. Funds generated by the play could help that effort.






Project: Touch my world Joey Hancock * Lincoln Elementary * Delta, Colo. Two-time Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant recipient Joey Hancock used his 2010 grant to enhance learning via iPads.* Last year, Hancock, who teaches severe/profound special education classes, purchased iPods and learning applications with his grant. Within six months, he noted measurable improvement in students’ math skills and observed great gains in their visual- tracking and fine-motor skills. This year, he purchased an iPad* for use in the classroom, and his enhanced learning program is still going great, according to Hancock. He also obtained additional apps aimed at enabling students to focus on a task without having to deal with difficulties in other areas. For instance, a student who struggles with handwriting during a spelling test can now use a keyboard. Other applications just make learning more fun, said Hancock, who continues to research additional applications for use in class. Project: I speak iPad* Stephanie Hanson * Cedaredge Elementary * Cedaredge, Colo. Stephanie Hanson purchased an iPad with her 2010 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant. Her goal was to determine if iPad applications could replace traditional materials in speech- therapy sessions. Hanson targeted students with articulation goals and found a number of useful applications for them, including: “Speech Trainer,” which illustrates how the mouth produces a specific sound; “ArtikPix,” which allows users to play a memory game with target words on the touch screen; “Pocket SLP,” a useful application for progress monitoring; and “Story Builder,” the best tool she’s ever used for building generalization and carryover of skills, according to Hanson. She expanded her project to include students with language goals and used the iPad and apps to improve understanding and use of concepts, vocabulary and grammar. “This project was a definite success. It is replicable and one I hope to expand upon,” said Hanson.

* iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.






Project: Assistive device for luggage handling Richard Hypio * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo. Physics teacher Richard Hypio turned his 2010 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant into nationwide recognition for a team of his students. The project took first-place honors in a national competition sponsored by NISH* and the Junior Engineering Technical Society in Arlington, Va. Hypio used the grant to purchase materials for designing and building an assistive device for a disabled member of the local community. Named the “Caboose,” it provides a way for airport luggage to be handled “hands free.” The team received a $2,000 prize, a trophy and two additional awards – Best Use of Universal Design Principles and Most Marketable Design. After the competition, the team received guidance about patenting and marketing. As coach of the team, Hypio received an American flag manufactured by North Bay Industries, which employs individuals with disabilities. He presented it to Hotchkiss High.

*Formerly known as the National Industries for the Severely Handicapped.





Allen

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Project: Understanding and Discussing Literature Kriss Allen, Diane Hurst, Krista Carsten, Cathy Simpson * Paonia Junior-Senior High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.

Four teachers at Paonia Junior and Senior High Schools tested the use of electronic book readers versus hard copy books to determine whether or not advanced technology improved student literacy. An Arch Coal Foundation grant funded the purchase of multiple Amazon Kindle® e-readers. Eighth-grade English, advanced literature and English IV classes were involved in the test. According to the teachers, “modern technology was used to teach and to improve traditional skills for the 21st century classroom and workplace. The Kindles offer multiple tools that enhance and elevate learning so that the students’ skills are better supported. We believe Kindles are a gateway tool to initiate and cultivate enthusiasm for learning in reluctant as well as advanced readers.” The teachers carefully charted achievement levels of all who participated in the test. A majority of the students exhibited higher enthusiasm for reading on the Kindles, and students generally either maintained skill levels or demonstrated improved growth. The teachers plan to use the Kindles again during the coming school year and expect that full- year implementation of them will bring fresh, innovative methods to their classrooms. The teachers also believe schools would be better off financially using the Kindles rather than hard-cover books, as they provide almost unlimited reading choices and hold up well to student use demands.

Simpson

Kindle is a registered trademark of Amazon.com

Project: Economics of an Independent Household Nancy Carlson * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.

Special education teacher Nancy Carlson applied her 2011 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant toward purchasing food, appliances and other kitchen items used to demonstrate various tasks involved in setting up an independent household. Over a four- month period, Carlson’s students learned to clean, take inventory and stock their classroom kitchen; prepare a budget; determine and compile a list of needed supplies; choose recipes for in-class completion; use the Internet to research costs; go shopping; make purchases and cook. The students also established a “kitchen duty” rotation and took two field trips, with the first destination being the grocery store. For the second outing, the class went to a local bank to learn about personal finance, such as the importance of






budgeting and the purpose of checking, savings and credit accounts. The students not only gained valuable life skills through the project, but also a sense of ownership and pride. From having taken part in the selection and purchase process, they more carefully handled the new kitchen materials. They also proudly demonstrated their new abilities to the Hotchkiss High School staff and other community members, according to Carlson. At the end of the project, the appliances and other non-perishables purchased with grant funds were carefully locked away until needed for similar projects in months and years to come.

Project: Students Reporting on the Past Hailey Hancock * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo.

Hailey Hancock used her 2011 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant Award to bring history to life for her eighth-grade students at Delta Middle School. The grant purchased a digital camcorder, tripod and extra memory cards that students used to record historical documentaries as part of their National History Day projects. According to Hancock, History Live engaged students in 21st

century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and “examining sources for an audience, purpose, point of view, historical context and propaganda,” Hancock says. The initiative inspired students who think history is boring to realize that historical events, people and philosophies shape everyday lives. Many of the students recorded their reflections on National History Day so future eighth graders could get advice on how to succeed. “When students used the video camera for that experience, it lit a spark,” Hancock said. The next project focused on developing a newscast of an event from the early to mid-1800s. Students researched topics in the classroom and then filmed reenactments on location outside of school. An added benefit to the project was the introduction of students to journalism and video production skills. “The more students were exposed to technology, the more they wanted to use it,” Hancock reported. Hancock plans to use the equipment and knowledge gained from this year’s projects during the coming year in both her seventh- and eighth-grade classes in a variety of curriculum units.





Project: Teaching Narrative Language through Technology Stephanie Hanson * Cedaredge Elementary School * Cedaredge, Colo. Elementary school students with language delays in grades 2 through 5 were involved in this test to determine whether an iPad could be a more effective learning tool than traditional methods. Students in grades 2 and 4 participated in the traditional method (Story Grammar Marker) while students in grades 3 and 5 used an iPad with the Toontastic app. A pre-test was administered in October and a final test in April. The Tracking Narrative Language Progress tool was used to evaluate an oral and written narrative sample from each student. Results indicated the traditional method appears to achieve better results. However, better results may be achievable from the iPad if certain other conditions are met, such as an iPad for each student, rather than multiple students sharing a single iPad. Alternatively, an Elmo or Smartboard might be used so that children are more easily able to view projected iPad information. An additional, unexpected complication was that only one iPad was available for the students using the Toontastic app.Therefore, a group of students had to work together on a narrative, which was time consuming and resulted in significantly fewer opportunities for practice for individual students. A key recommendation is that either method needs to be conducted with these students more than one time a week to achieve better results.

iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

Project: Cardiovascular Testing Zac Lemon * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo. Hotchkiss High School science teacher Zac Lemon wanted to give his students one more tool in the fight to stay healthy. His grant allowed his advanced college credit Anatomy and Physiology class to learn about their blood pressure and blood types. Blood typing kits, blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters and stethoscopes were purchased for the project. Students conducted a lab to determine their blood types, measured their blood pressure and took the blood pressure of classmates, learning things about themselves that could help them stay healthy for a lifetime. Students were very interested in knowing which blood types they could donate and receive in the need of transfusions, Lemon reported. With the support of school nurse Glenda Gallegos, the students learned about the blood pressure cuffs, how to obtain systolic and diastolic readings and what the measurements mean. That led to discussions about healthy lifestyle choices and the effect of things like smoking and nutrition on a person’s blood pressure – information that could impact the students for their lifetimes. Lemon said he hoped the students would take what they learned in the classroom home to help further their families’ understanding of blood pressure and health.






Photo courtesy of Debra Dobbins

Project: Writing with the Stars Kriss Allen * Paonia Junior-Senior High School * Paonia, Colo. Knowing that students living in rural areas have limited exposure to professionals in a variety of writing fields, Kriss Allen wanted to provide an opportunity for her language arts students to learn from the experts. She used her grant to organize a writers’ conference for her students at Paonia High School to learn about writing from published authors who live nearby. The event included formal presentations and small group discussions with the authors, as well as a poetry slam. Allen’s grant helped put literature “into her students’ lives” and helped them develop writing skills that will benefit them for the remainder of their lives. While her “Writing Celebration” lasted but a day, the impact of that day’s activities, plus the materials provided by the grant, supported her classroom efforts for the remainder of the year. The grant’s main goal – having students interact with a published author or newspaper editor – was very successful. Students met with Paolo Bacigalupi, who lives in Paonia, and is one of the hottest science fiction writers in America, and with Debra Dobbins, Newspapers in Education coordinator and writer for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Allen says “the excited moments that arose were palpable as the students made connections with the writers and became interested in the writing process. Students also researched the authors, read their novels and deepened their connection with them.”

Project: Getting from Point A to Point B Dan Dunham * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo. Delta Middle School’s Dan Dunham has been featured in these pages in the past as his advanced technology classes built a drift boat. To complete the project, during the second semester of the 2012-2013 school year, his classes designed and built the trailer to haul the boat. Because class structure allows students only a few hours a week to work on the project, his students learned that “it is far easier to do something right the first time.” Dunham says his students learned tenacity when they had to take something apart and try it again. Students used computers and the Internet to research trailer designs, and then learned to use a wide variety of tools, including power tools, to construct the trailer. The trailer was not completed during the semester, but Dunham plans on finishing the remaining work and getting the trailer licensed during the next school semester. When finished, the trailer will haul the previously built boat to the river where wildlife officials will educate the students about the ecology of the Gunnison River. Dunham hopes to have all the students who have worked on the boat and trailer test their creations when the trailer is complete. Dunham says the project has equipped middle school students with a wide variety of practical skills such as reading blueprints and learning the






fundamentals of welding, and Dunham is eager to share his project with other teachers. “S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and math) activities foster team work, problem-solving and show students why they need to learn a wide variety of math and science skills,” he said. “It has been an inspiring and difficult journey.”

Project: Community Optical Boost Jamie Roeber * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo. Hotchkiss High School art teacher Jamie Roeber’s grant involved stretching her students’ artistic talents, as well as improving the aesthetic appeal of their city. Community Optical Boost introduced students to proper airbrush techniques and how to clean and maintain the equipment. Students then did a practice project before airbrushing a huge Hotchkiss High School bulldog mascot on the side of the public works building. “I wanted to enrich the learning experience of my students with a hands-on project, as well as encourage them to better their community and foster civic pride through outreach,” Roeber said. As the project unfolded, student interest grew significantly in this new art medium. The project also taught team work, organization and problem-solving, and helped students better understand that reaching out to others is a reward in and of itself. The community has reacted positively. Following the first project, eight others have been suggested. Roeber says her overall project goal was met, and in the coming school year she already has plans to continue her outreach of arts in the community.

Project: No … Not Opera! Joe Siennicki * Garnet Mesa Elementary * Delta, Colo. Opera is not a musical genre that usually shows up on the playlist of most elementary students. Joe Siennicki’s grant introduced his fourth- and fifth-grade students at Garnet Mesa Elementary to opera through a variety of activities to develop an appreciation for an art form they often don’t experience. He used DVDs and CDs of operatic performances to increase student awareness, while story-writing exercises helped improve literacy. Siennicki also took advantage of the Central City Opera Company to expand his lesson plans. Several of the opera company’s members presented a brief performance before the school’s entire student body. According to Siennicki, the students’ story-writing skills were reinforced during the seven-week unit, and the students were exposed to different musical aspects of opera. In addition, Central City Opera performers helped the students identify different performance and story-telling skills. Siennicki believes the performers had a huge, positive impact on the students, and he hopes to replicate the project in the coming year.






Project: Innovative Partnerships in Water Quality Debbie Yeager * Delta Opportunity School * Delta, Colo. Debbie Yeager knows that not all learning takes place in the classroom. Her goal was to allow her high-school-aged students to participate in a hands-on project that provided an enriching educational experience while partnering with the Delta Parks Department to monitor the local water quality. Students tested water temperature, flow, speed and capacity, and the grant enabled Yeager to purchase a water quality kit that tested pH, nitrates, phosphate, bacteria, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and benthic organisms. For approximately 10 weeks, Yeager’s students gathered samples from Confluence Lake and irrigation ditches and watched the data change. “The students were involved in project-based learning throughout the period,” Yeager said. “They worked hard, and they collected lots of great data.” Materials purchased by the grant will enable future classes to conduct similar experiments. “Our local waterways are susceptible to many outside sources of pollution and contamination,” Yeager said. “This project allowed my students to gain a deeper understanding of how our decisions as humans can and do affect our local waterways, as well as to use scientific methods to learn that water quality is measurable, recordable and sustainable.”





Project: Student-Centered Math and Trebuchet Wayne Wolf * Vision Charter Academy Launch Program * Cedaredge, Colo. Wayne Wolf knows that it often is difficult to convince students that math not only is interesting, but that it also will be useful in years to come. So what better way to show his students that math can be both practical and fun than by building a trebuchet, a catapult used as a siege engine in the Middle Ages. While counterweight trebuchets often were used to breach enemy fortifications by flinging heavy projectiles up to 350 pounds, Wolf’s class planned to use theirs to compete in the local punkin’ chunken’ contest. “I have math students who test from fourth- to eleventh-grade,” Wolf said. “It is important to make math relevant to their abilities and interests so they can participate in learning and achieve their goals.” Wolf used his grant to purchase rope, leather, lumber and other supplies needed to build the trebuchet. The trebuchet’s technical con-structions were lost at the beginning of the 16th century, but were revived in 1984 based on documents dating to the 1300s, so students were not only polishing their math skills, but also learning history as well. As Wolf and his students began construction on their trebuchet, they discovered the model didn’t have enough weight to work properly, necessitating a design change. “The lesson we learned along the way is to not give up, but to continue to evolve the project until it is successful,” Wolf said. “However, the overall goals of the project were met: Students were able to use tools and apply measurements, and they became more interested in building math.”

Project: Let the Stars Shine Dan Dunham * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo. Dan Dunham’s goal was to create a positive atmosphere for student success at Delta Middle school by using a television monitor mounted on a hallway wall featuring exceptional work being done by the school’s students. It gained such immediate success that the school’s administration added more monitors. The “broadcasts” were produced by both students and faculty. Not only did the project celebrate student success and share it throughout the student body, it also sparked interest in digital displays and productions. Now, with a year’s practice and testing, Dunham hopes to add video to the monitors in addition to pictures and written work. “Posting student examples on the monitors was positive reinforcement that good work is worth sharing,” said Dunham. “We created a lot of ‘positive vibes’ in the school with the children. This project will continue and will get better as we – students and faculty – learn more about production techniques.”






Project: Cultural Remedy Jamie Roeber * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo. Jamie Roeber worries that with the advancement of technology her art students are losing touch with some of their heritage. So Roeber used her grant to reconnect her high school students with the cultural perspectives of the past through leather-working. Roeber purchased leather-working tools and supplies, and then invited local professional artists to her class to demonstrate different techniques including cutting, edging, riveting and sewing different types of leather. The students then researched their own roots as well as other cultures and applied the techniques they had learned to create a variety of leather goods. Finished projects included a buffalo hide purse, a leather guitar strap, a computer bag and much more. Roeber took the project a step further by setting up an exhibit of the students’ work at a local restaurant for patrons to enjoy. The exhibit provided an opportunity for community members who might not see student work on a regular basis to enjoy some of the creativity of their local young people. “Not every student enjoys working with a pencil in the art room,” Roeber said. “This is a way to reach students that need a tactile approach. The goal was to refresh the way we look into our past while learning new skills. Leather tooling is an ancient art. We take pride in where we come from and who we are, and this project allowed us to recreate a lost art in our area that values tradition.”

Project: Writing with Technology Brandy Ferganchick * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo. Brandy Ferganchick’s project was to incorporate technology to wirelessly stream content to the classroom and provide an interactive experience for her students using their smart phones or tablets. However, not all of her eighth-grade students had these devices so Ferganchick modified her plan and began accessing the Internet in her classroom and displaying it on an Apple TV. Her students watched others making presentations, and then were challenged to duplicate the effort. “The motivation and learning were immediate,” Ferganchick reported. “Instead of using it only for writing improvement, we used it for a greater purpose. Seeing a project – everything from a PowerPoint presentation to slam poetry – presented by peers, even over the Internet, was electrifying. Many students find it difficult to stand before their classmates and make a report, but they were motivated to create presentations on their computers and show them on the Apple TV.” She also used the television to provide immediacy to projects – not only to current news, but also to her expectations for the students’ work. “For example, we watched many slam poems together and then, when it was their turn to present, they had a much greater idea of what I expected from them.”






Project: Don’t Question the Semantics: Grammar Still Works in the 21st Century Kriss Allen * Paonia High School * Paonia, Colo. Learning proper grammar, punctuation and capitalization rules for the English language is as important now as ever, but Kriss Allen recognized that it often is challenging to find fun ways to help her high school students master these skills. So Allen used her grant to incorporate technology into the learning process through the use of the Internet, Apple TV, free applications and iPad tablets. “Grammar is an old skill and often is taught through drill and grill,” Allen said. “I was able to take the necessary – but sometimes ordinary – aspect of teaching grammar and move it into the exciting and the interactive through the use of technology.” Students worked with iPads and modern applications, conducted visual and interactive practice, examined exemplars and received immediate teacher feedback. “Students need to be able to communicate effectively in our modern world, and that communication is done primarily in speech and in writing,” Allen said. Improvement in her students’ abilities was observed through informal assessment as well as teacher/student interaction and observation. One formal measurement, the 2014 TCAP test, showed that 73 percent of Allen’s 10th grade students “grew” their writing scores on the test. “In our state, this is considered ‘exceptional growth,’ ” Allen said. “I absolutely attribute a portion of that growth to grammar and punctuation instruction.”



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