[Project SMART || GIS || Cool, Connected and Plugged In || KIDS Report || Weaving a Wisconsin Tapestry || ThinkQuest Workshop || Classroom Action Research || Piecing It Together || REACH || Techno Toolbox || State Street Proect || Lilith]
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/it/smart/index.htm
![[Geoff Holt speaks to students]](smart.jpg)
Twenty six students are currently participating in Project SMART. They are taking
various courses to become certified in Web Design and Development and Evaluation of
Internet Resources. These classes are meeting on Saturday and after school. After
students are certified in the skills, they will take a workshop in mentoring teachers.
On March 4th, students will meet the teachers they will be mentoring and begin their work.
![[Students working with teachers]](smart2.jpg)
Project SMART is designed to match students who want to share their knowledge of computers with
teachers who want to learn how to use the technology in their classrooms. Paid for their work, the student
mentors help teachers to realize specific projects involving the Internet and to become more comfortable
using computers. (February 1998)
This project is funded by the Department of Education's Challenge Grant, Generation WHY, developed by Dennis Harper of Olympia School District in Olympia, Washington. Project SMART is organized in the Madison Metropolitan School District by the Instructional Technologies department. The project coordinator is Geoff Holt.
http://danenet.wicip.org/gisedu/
![[Teachers hard at work]](gisgr.jpg)
Teams of middle school and upper elementary classroom teachers and technology resource
teachers have been meeting once a month during the 1997-98 school year to explore the
possibilities that (GIS) mapping software offers to K12 education. Teams have developed
some interesting curricular projects: tracking the Iditorad dogsled races in Alaska,
locating the home towns of participants in the Winter Olympics and developing math
problems related to the statistics of the events, creating a tree inventory of school
yards and the school forest.
![[Teachers helping each other out]](giscin.jpg)
Geographic Information System (GIS) is a tool that uses the power of the computer to pose and
answer geographic questions. The user guides the program to arrange and display data about places on
the planet (including our neighborhoods, counties, and states) in a variety of ways - including maps, charts
and tables.
The hardware and software allows the users to see and interact with data in new ways by blending electronic maps and databases to generate color-coded displays. Users can zoom in and out of maps freely, add layers of new data, and study details and relationships.
Teams of middle school teachers came together for a week-long workshop last summer to
focus on integrating multimedia into the curriculum. They learned how to use multimedia
tools: creating slidehows, developing hypermedia stacks, using video laserdiscs and
making videos. During the workshop, teachers developed curricular plans that would be
integrated into the curriculum over the school year.
These teachers are continuing to meet during the school year, to share the progress that they are making on integrating the multimedia into their curriculum. The meetings are a source of support to teachers, as well as a sharing time during which they learn from each other. (August 1997 to March 1998)
http://wwwscout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/KIDS/
![[KIDS]](fig2.gif)
The K.I.D.S. Report is a new publication produced by K-12
students as a resource to other K-12 students. It is an ongoing,
cooperative effort of 2 classrooms in the Madison Metropolitan School District and 2
classrooms in the Boulder Valley School District. Madison participants are teacher
Cindy Koehn, with 8th grade Cherokee students, and teacher Sue Birkenmeier, with
Kennedy 5th grade students.
![[KIDS at work]](kidsch.jpg)
The K.I.D.S. Report main page provides general information regarding this K-12
student-produced report. Students and teachers from the participating schools work
hard to produce the K.I.D.S. Report on a biweekly basis. Since the creation of the Web
site, approximately one year ago, there have been over 44,000 hits.
http://danenet.wicip.org/mmsd-it/sesq.html
In celebration of Wisconsin's Sesquicentennial, students become historians, authors
and artists as they work with people
and organizations in their communities to produce educational
resources about their state.
Initiated by Wisconsin's Pioneering Partners Award winning teams, this project has been planned in collaboration with the State Sesquicentennial Commission, the Wisconsin Governor's Office, the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, and the Instructional Technologies Department of the Madison Metropolitan School District. All Wisconsin students are invited to join in this state-wide project. They may participate in a project that already exists at this site or they may submit a new project that reflects the guidelines for projects offered at this web site. This web site project is intended to provide opportunities for students to participate with their communities in uncovering Wisconsin history.
http://io.advanced.org/thinkquest/
![[Andrew and Geoff talk about their experience]](tqwksh.jpg)
Andrew Holbrook, ThinkQuest '97 winner, led a ThinkQuest Workshop for students and
teachers to learn about the Contest and how to apply. Andrew and his coach, Geoff Holt,
shared their experiences in developing Andrew's winning ThinkQuest project, Mission to
Mars.
ThinkQuest is an international Internet contest that invites students in grades 4-12 to create interactive, educational web sites. each member of a team that makes the finals gets an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington DC and is eligible to to win scholarship prizes between $3000 and $25,000.
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/sod/car/
![[CAR Participants meet]](CAR.jpg)
Thirteen teachers are currently participating in the 1997-98 year-long
Technology/General Action Research group. Facilitators are Barb Spitz and Madge Klais.
Action Research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully using the techniques of research. It is based on the following assumptions:
Piecing It Together is a course designed to help classroom teachers integrate technology and language arts into the daily curriculum. This course is composed of a combination of TV classes, group meetings, and independent work. The focus is on classroom
publishing. The TV portion is aired live on Channel 10. For additional rebroadcasts check the Cable Channel 10 program schedule.
Technology instructors and building representatives from Madison's 29 elementary schools meet once a month at the SPOT for
the purpose of staff training and curriculum development. Opportunities for collaboration, sharing of expertise and district information are woven into these sessions.
Techno Toolbox is an active hands on workshop for teachers designed to provide a framework for integrating technology into the curriculum.
The participants learn how to make technology work for their students aw well as themselves.
Time is allotted to look at curriculum currenly being used in the classroom and to make connections as to how technology can enhance student learning.
Examples of current best practices in the use of technology are explored. Participants will know and understand how to use word processing, graphics, spreadsheet, database and telecomputing and strive to become proficient user of technology.
Students at Velma Hamilton Middle School and
Shabazz High School are working with the Mayor's office in developing programming that
would be centered on Concrete Park and Lisa Link Peace Park during the summer of 1998.
Using technology, students are searching for urban, outdoor programs that have been successful in other communities.
Based upon the student recommendations, a budget will be created to fund the programs.
Four Middle Schools, O'Keeffe, Sennett, Jefferson and Wright, are the locations of Lilith Computer Clubs. The mission of the Lilith Computer Group, a community based partnership, is to provide supportive environments in which school-aged girls can explore the creative possibilities of technology.
This page is developed by Barb Spitz, bspitz@madison.k12.wi.us, and is maintained by Chris Burch.
Madison Metropolitan School District
Instructional Technologies
Instructional Technologies: Coordinator, Joan Peebles jpeebles@madison.k12.wi.us
545 West Dayton Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53703 USA
Last Modified: 3/9/98