Learning:
Taking the Future In Their Hands

Maryland students get real-time experience with mobile education.

Wireless handhelds at River High School will help measure the link between mobile computing and student adchievement.

Students at River Hill High School, equipped with pocket PCs, are helping to determine what the future holds for mobile education. "We're pioneers of a new educational philosophy--the next movement in education," says Rick Robb. In October, Robb's 15 honors English students became the first subjects of a longitudinal study of wireless handheld computers and their impact on student learning. River Hill High School in Clarksville, Maryland, is a national demonstration site for MindSurf Networks, a mobile computing company.

"We're tearing down the walls of the classroom," says Robb, a former computer analyst who turned teacher eight years ago. "With handheld devices, schools that are behind the curve in technology can almost jump through the first and second generation of computing and get directly into what's happening now--constant access to electronic resources."

The pocket PCs use standard software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. They offer E-mail, Internet access, and communications tools. Each comes with a color screen and detachable keyboard.

These devices also provide students with electronic books, school-specific content, select Internet research and reference sites, and tools such as a graphing calculator, dictionary, and thesaurus. Students can find homework help, a reference desk, and college planner through MindSurf student pages, and teachers can link to school tools, standards information, and professional development resources.

"It's been phenomenal," says Robb, who uses the unit's communications features to "beam" homework assignments, course schedules, and other information to students daily.

Robb says the key to the devices' success is that his students--and the 130 other ninth graders who joined the pilot program in February 2001--have direct input into the features being developed. For example, student suggestions resulted in the adding of French and Spanish dictionaries.

Nationwide, MindSurf has partnered with 100 K-12 sites as "Schools of Intervention," and it has contracted with the Center for Children and Technology to study the impact of wireless technology on student learning. Phase II testing at River Hill has expanded to include one ninth grade class in each of the school's major curriculum areas--English, social studies, math, and science.

"Teachers are using the devices in a variety of ways," says Robb. "They schedule class assignments, manage research projects, and link to Web resources, and we just instituted E-mail distribution lists."

Students zap each other assignments, says Robb. Teachers can turn off instant messaging features during teacher-generated electronic quizzes.

Although the research will continue into the 2001-02 school year, Robb says he can already see positive results.

"Our kids are writing more, and the units help kids stay on task," he says. Parents can help track their assignments, which can be downloaded to home PCs.

Security of information and theft are still concerns, but only one incident of theft has occurred since the project's inception. And, says Robb, "There's no better opportunity to teach computer ethics to our kids."

Access to the Internet is disabled when students take them home. If a unit is lost or damaged, the student pays a $40 replacement cost, and then is only allowed classroom use.

By the end of this school year, all 450 ninth graders will have the devices.

How do teachers feel about the change? "You've got the whole mix of reactions," says Robb. "But those of us who've been through it tell them, 'Sure, there's a learning curve. But even if you only use it for word processing or a calendar function, you're going to find this device an incredible resource.'"

Teachers and students receive two days of training on the devices. Most applications can be learned in a day. Teachers get weekly training sessions.

Linda Storey, instructional leader for River Hill's English department and Maryland's Teacher of the Year for 2001, is helping to integrate the devices with the school's curriculum.

"The teachers are picking it up and running with it," says Robb."They're collaborating to create new tools and new ways of using the technology."

What about the bottom line? Industry estimates put the cost of comparable units at $300 each, with some claiming as little as $217 per student for four years. River Hill had to install a wireless local area network throughout the school with service contracted with a local cable company. Yet compared with the price of student laptops or conventional computer labs, says Robb, handhelds are an attractive alternative.

"They're a way of bridging the technology gap and of keeping teachers in the profession because they're more motivated," Robb adds. "It's an exciting way to go."

--Michelle Y. Green

For more: E-mail Rick Robb at teachrobb@home.com. Contact MindSurf at info@mindsurfnetworks.com or visit www.mindsurf.net.

Dilemma
How do you raise morale among colleagues at work?

Each month, we have a staff cleanup crew that makes our staff room a pleasant place to gather. We wash dishes, clean tables, and enjoy each other's company. We've had a Cancer Run Team for six years.

The weekend of the event, we all volunteer at the local track, give donations to our annual rummage sale, or bake goodies for the bake sale. We all do community service together and reap great benefits from our efforts.

Alice Boerner
Third grade teacher
Hoquiam, Washington

Have regular association meetings at your building where people can hear about the latest local issues and have a chance to discuss concerns. As building rep last year, I made the mistake of communicating by E-mail. Face-to-face meetings build a feeling of support and solidarity.

Also, have a monthly TGIF party at a pub, or monthly theme luncheons at school, where everyone brings a dish to share. Examples of themes: Harvest, Salad, Soul Food, Soup, and Opening Day.

Elizabeth Rexford
Sixth grade music teacher
Oak Park, Illinois

We've decided to start staff meetings with some fun. We call it "toot your own horn."

Staff come with noisemakers, birthday horns, or rhythm instruments. Teachers take turns telling others about something that's gone well in class, a creative idea they tried, or other success. After each story, the rest of us toot our horns. This starts meetings on a real upbeat note.

Debbie Boyer
Elementary school counselor
West Fargo, North Dakota

Look for opportunities outside the school environment to have fun. Go snow-tubing on a Sunday in winter, or get the faculty together for a picnic in the summer. During the long conference weeks, go out to dinner with colleagues. Throughout the year, seize the moment to make colleagues feel appreciated. Surprise birthday luncheons, cards, and notes of encouragement and support can all be meaningful. Praise and words of kindness can go a long way.

Carol Corso
Elementary learning support teacher
Allentown, Pennsylvania

There will be higher morale among teachers and support staff when employees feel heard by superiors. If a hierarchical chain of command stonewalls staff members, they will feel frustrated and demoralized. Staff members need to become involved with decisionmaking. When teachers and administrators work together as more of a team, employee morale will surely rise.

Dana Reisboard
High school reading teacher
Narberth, Pennsylvania

A co-worker and I began selling Mylar balloons after school to raise funds for school activities. We used some of the profits for gifts for staff on the many days set aside for recognition, such as School Nurse Day and Counselor Recognition Week.

Balloons generate smiles no matter what the age of the recipient. Also, when staff earn grants or awards, the information is shared with the staff at meetings and with students on morning announcements.

Every staff meeting should start with some of the positive contributions of staff and students. We all need to know our efforts are recognized and encouraged.

Pamela Galus
Earth science educator
Omaha, Nebraska

Got an Answer?
How do you improve the return rate of papers you send home to parents?

E-mail your answer to dilemma2@neatoday.nea.org. Or send by regular mail, or fax to 202/822-7206. Please include your name, city, state, and job title. Published respondents will receive an NEA Today mug!

Idea Exchange

My School Burned!
My colleagues and I just went through a traumatic event--our school burned down. From this experience, I feel I have an important tip. Keep copies of your important records and an updated inventory list in two places--one at home, one at school.

For elementary teachers, think of all the books you purchase for your classroom library. We're in the process of "reinventing" our inventory for insurance purposes, and all our records were at school. If you have taught for any length of time, you know how difficult this can be.

Harry Beggerly
Miami, Oklahoma

Smart Math
I recently purchased a major appliance and started thinking about how we use math every day. Now, a part of our daily math lesson is called "Real Life Math." I tell my children how I used math during the past 24 hours. They tell me how they've used math, and we chart the results. Once, they caught a mistake on my shopping receipt. It's important for children to see a practical use of what they learn in school, and this activity has been a winner!

Stella Bock
Cranford, New Jersey

'Expert' students
During a recent sub shortage, I was drafted to teach fifth grade for a day. Students signed up to be experts to help me understand the routine and to call on classmates to provide instruction.

Students wrote knowledge they'd acquired on the board as we progressed, so at the end of the day we had a nice record of our learning. For ten minutes of reward time, the students wrote one thing they had learned or taught someone on a card. This encouraged everyone to be reflective, alert, and eager to contribute. There were absolutely no behavior problems, and it was the best day of teaching I've had since I stopped teaching first grade.

Judy Schwall
Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Teachers Drive Large-Scale Reform

Grant gives California teachers freedom to work together and improve learning.

Jennifer Rivera, above left, and Amy Walczak lead faculty discussion at Sedgwick Elementary.

What would your school do with $400,000 or more? More than 100 San Francisco-area schools in six counties got to answer that question in 1995, thanks to a major grant from the Annenberg Foundation.

Their answer: Use the money to buy time for teachers to work together, analyze problems school-by-school, and implement solutions.

At one school, educators found that students needed more help with literacy. At other schools, after looking critically at student data, teachers shifted focus to mathematics and other subjects.

What they had in common is that changes were driven by frontline educators, not from above. Teams of teachers devised solutions, tested them out, and continually revised the details.

And a study shows that today, the children are learning better.

"It takes a new way of thinking to look seriously at where students are falling behind and do something drastic about it," says Lynn Gurnee, literacy coordinator at Kennedy Elementary School in Newark.

"Teachers are leading the way on this," she adds.

Through the "Annenberg Challenge"--the school improvement initiative launched by retired publisher and ambassador Walter H. Annenberg, who committed $500 million to public schools around the country--these California schools formed the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative (BASRC).

BASRC got $25 million each from the Challenge and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The total swelled to $112 million last year due to matching grants from private donors.

"Educators are all badly starved for time to become better teachers," says Jerry Brooks, a government teacher at Pinole Valley High School. "BASRC has given us many professional development opportunities we wouldn't have had otherwise."

The Annenberg Foundation has been so pleased with what's happening in the BASRC schools that it has awarded them $40 million in new grants for five more years. The Hewlett Foundation added $60 million.

This means Lynn Gurnee will continue as her school's literacy coordinator, a position funded by BASRC. She plans staff development, demonstrates reading strategies, and helps colleagues in-terpret students' scores.

Jennifer Rivera and Amy Walczak do similar work at Sedgwick Elementary in Cupertino. Their positions, too, were created by the teachers with BASRC funds.

"Before BASRC, our professional development trainings were random, and most teachers didn't know how to apply what they learned," says Rivera. "Today, everyone is focused on reading comprehension. Everyone is becoming an expert. Everyone is united."

This is especially important, says Walczak, because Sedgwick is a school that faces many obstacles.

"We've had four principals in four years, and our students are typically below benchmark," she says. "But there is a real team atmosphere now, and the teachers are learning together."

"Our teachers used to shut the doors to their classrooms and do their own thing," echoes Lynn Gurnee. "Today, teams of teachers plan together constantly to improve student performance."

According to Stanford University researchers, this collaboration is working. They reported last spring that students at BASRC schools made greater gains on the Stanford Achievement Test than their peers at schools of similar socio-economic makeup.

What's more, the biggest gains were in high-poverty schools.

Improvements were driven, the researchers said, by the way the schools trained teachers, shared leadership, involved parents, and used data to evaluate teaching methods.

The researchers noted, "For many years, teachers have volunteered hours outside of classroom time to develop curriculum, standards, and assessment tools, but typically grants have not paid for this teacher time." BASRC, they said, helped schools make the improvement of teaching a normal part of their program by paying for it.

Says Rivera, "We're a better school and much better teachers. When teachers get time and resources to become better teachers, look what happens."

Gurnee and her colleagues have big plans for the new money their school will be getting over the next few years. "There's just so much more we want to do," says Gurnee. "We're constantly pushing ourselves beyond being comfortable and complacent."

--Dina S. Gómez

For More: Visit http://basrc.wested.org/basrc and www.aisr.brown.edu/challenge.

How do you successfully share your classroom with other staff?

I've been certified for 14 years and have never had my own room. My greatest advice to anyone sharing a room is to be specific in your wants and needs, such as not erasing the day's homework assignment.

Taking a "my room" attitude leads to friction. It's probably natural to feel invaded at first, but consider the plight of the teacher who is moving every single period. That might put things in perspective. The "host" can offer space to the "traveler" and not make unreasonable demands.

Travelers should be good guests in the other teacher's room and take their own stash of supplies instead of drawing from the other's stores.

LaVonne Davis-Schenck
Middle school foreign language teacher
Cumberland, Rhode Island

In my increasingly crowded middle school, most of us share rooms. Communication is the most important component in surviving. Before the year begins, talk honestly with your roommates about comfort levels for desk arrangement, equipment usage, etc.

Discuss what you feel to be negotiable and non-negotiable, including whether you feel comfortable if your roommate remains in the room to work or breezes in to grab forgotten material.

The bottom line is, if you don't have a choice, make the best of it, and remember to be sensitive to the needs of everyone.

Ellen Levy
Middle school teacher
Buffalo Grove, Illinois

I've had to share rooms with many different people. I try to be a gracious hostess and make sure the other teacher has her own space in my room, and I try to overlook differences in organizational styles. I can be more tolerant when I remind myself that I could be the one traveling from room to room.

Deb Henry
Science teacher
Des Moines, Iowa

To be prepared for three sections of health in two locations, I bought a three-shelf "tea-cart." I also bought a baby's changing table diaper "caddie" that hangs on one side of the cart to hold markers, pens, and videos.

The handles of the cart hold my briefcase so some materials can be less exposed. The system works to keep all my materials handy and not have things piled in someone else's space.

Susan Carr
Health educator
Amherst, New Hampshire

I teach in a medium-sized Iowa school. I "share" my room with another teacher three periods per day.

During his class time, I have my prep period and other supervision duties in other parts of our building. I spend my prep time in another teacher's room (who also has prep) and use the computer in her room to work on grades, handouts, etc.

It was difficult at first not to be in "my" room during my prep time, but the experience has helped me become more organized.

I've also developed a strong bond with the chemistry teacher as a result of spending our prep time together.

Nancy Pinkston
Spanish and geography teacher
Alleman, Iowa

This year I'm sharing a small room with another LD teacher.

I went from having one large room of my own to having a smaller room that I share.

We're getting along great!

What are the keys to our success? Flexibility, communication, and few key boundaries, as well as a sense of humor.

At the outset, we decided on what we each needed as "our own" in the room.

We kept it simple: We each have a desk, filing cabinet, one section of the chalkboard, and a shelf in a closet.

Other than these items, we share everything.

Each of us teams with other teachers and has different planning times. When one of us is teaching in our shared room, the other is teaming elsewhere or planning.

I think the personalities of the teachers involved can make or break this teaching challenge.

We've been able to make the best of it, which has been a great lesson for our middle school students.

They observe cooperation, communication, sharing, and working together.

Gladys Robinson
Eighth grade LD teacher
Manassas, Virginia

Got an Answer?
How do you respond when students tell you about family problems?

E-mail your advice to dilemma2@neatoday.nea.org and we'll share it with our readers. Or send by regular mail or fax at 202/822-7206. Please include your name, city, state, job title, and grade level, if applicable.

NEA members published in this column will receive a bright NEA Today mug.

How I Did It

Joan Millspaw
Perry High School
Library/Media specialist
Perry, Ohio

Four years ago, while I was serving on a block schedule task force, teachers of incoming freshman cited some transition issues, such as study skill habits, homework expectations, understanding of school rules and regulations, familiarity with co-curricular programs, and a review of our school traditions and social events.

The task force recommended establishing a Freshman Mentor Advisor Program. The program has now been in place for four years. We have both junior and senior student mentors assisting freshman in moving from middle to high school as smoothly as possible.

The program helps kids know how much people care about them.

Mentors help new students in many ways. Some students have problems adjusting to a new building or curriculum.

Also, in block scheduling, there are no study halls. Mentoring time, during part of their lunch, gives students time to kick back, make new friends, and connect with a teacher. Many former freshmen have gone on to become some of my best mentors.

The program grows and evolves each year. With the inception of our "Student Resource Officer" program, I thought it would be the perfect time to involve our school's resource officer, Brandy Hanusosky. My goal was for students to get to know police in a positive way and see them as good guys, not just someone who pulls over speeders.

When my mentor advisors met with their assigned groups to generate questions for Officer Hanusosky, they came up with everything from "Do you eat doughnuts?" to the most serious issues in students' and parents' minds, including school safety.

In her final meeting with students, Officer Hanusosky talked about safety during the summer months. Students feel safe having an officer in the building, and she's become an important component of our mentoring program.

Mentoring works! Our program has been successful because of dedicated students, administrators, teachers, and support personnel who are willing to give a little extra time and effort.