Brandon High School – Electric Car Club
Technology Matching Grant
Two former Brandon High School automotive technology students originally planned to be mechanics. But instead of fixing cars, they now want to build them, thanks to Brandon High School’s Electric Car Club, part of Vic Nieves’ automotive technology program.
A technology matching grant from the Hillsborough Education Foundation made it possible for auto tech students to build one of three electric cars for Brandon’s Electric Car Club. These grants, jointly administered by the Foundation and Hillsborough County Public Schools, allow educators to get creative with teaching techniques. Students design and build vehicles to race against five other high schools in Hillsborough County, USF, HCC and other Florida schools on different race tracks. The races are affiliated with Electrathon America, the sanctioning body for electric vehicle racing.
Students monitor and adjust the vehicle’s performance to increase efficiency. The cars require batteries, tires, motors, motor controllers, and other parts, which are either donated or borrowed. As they work on the electric and fuel-powered vehicles in Nieves’ automotive technology classes, students also develop high-order thinking and troubleshooting skills under his direction. Nieves’ approach is to let his students come up with their own solutions instead of simply telling them what to do.
The lessons learned from both the automotive technology program and the Electric Car Club have influenced several students’ career paths. Four Brandon High automotive technology graduates are studying engineering at Hillsborough Community College and the University of South Florida.
Orange Grove Middle Magnet School – Flight to Ground Control Project
School Enrichment Grant
Orange Grove Middle Magnet School had 118 of its seventh-grade science classes introduced to the field of aerospace engineering, as well as reinforce the concepts of Newton’s Third Law, Force and Motion, and Trajectory.
All of this was made possible through a School Enrichment Grant from the Foundation. The “Flight to Ground Control” project enabled students to be involved in hands-on learning, while exploring a possible engineering career.
Students learned the science of trajectory through building and launching their own rockets. They observed and studied forces and motion through the testing and launch phase of their rocket building.
Five class periods were dedicated to Newton’s Third Law, Force and Motion, and Trajectory. Students learned the purpose and construction specifications of fins and nose cones. Students also learned about trajectory and altitude and how to calculate the altitude of their rocket on launch day.
The seventh-graders had to keep accurate bookkeeping, write checks, and stay within budget for the project. Group work was required to decide how to spend their money and how to design their rocket.
Students were able to take ownership of a rocket that they designed and built themselves. Through another event hosted by the school, students were able to display their rockets and rocket designs to their teachers, parents, and peers.
Broward Elementary – Lifecycle and Metamorphosis Exploration
School Enrichment Grant
Fifteen kindergartners at Broward Elementary learned what a huge responsibility it is to take care of animals.
They were able to observe firsthand the lifecycle changes of caterpillars and tadpoles by setting up a 20-gallon aquarium for bullfrog tadpoles. Students observed 11 polliwogs morph into adult bullfrogs. They observed, monitored, and recorded daily changes in their science journals and used digital cameras to document the changes in the animals.
All of this was made possible through the School Enrichment Grant from the Foundation that gives teachers the ability to do special projects for their students.
Since the frog habitats were already purchased, only animals would be needed to continue the process. Students observed caterpillars transform into five painted lady butterflies in a butterfly habitat. Like the frog display, the students were able to make daily observations and record them in their journals.
What was the result of these observations? The kindergarten students now have a clear understanding and appreciation for animal metamorphosis and life cycles. They are now able to describe, illustrate, and sequence the various stages in the life cycles of both frogs and butterflies. What a great accomplishment for these young students!
Colleen Bevis Elementary Math Masters Enrichment Club
School Enrichment Grant
The “Math Masters Enrichment Club” is an after-school program offered to 50 fourth and fifth graders at Colleen Bevis Elementary. This program helps students to think mathematically and solve problems. This club was funded through a School Enrichment Grant from the Foundation.
The overall goal of the project was to provide additional opportunities for students to practice and develop math concepts and increase students’ abilities in mathematical reasoning and communication. It also reinforced the importance of teaching students how to approach problem solving by using different strategies and good communication skills.
The “Math Masters Enrichment Club” was a great success. The students enjoyed the activities and showed improvements in their problem solving skills.
Resources purchased for the program will be able to benefit other fourth and fifth graders unable to participate in the after-school program. The items used for the program will be made available for other teachers to borrow and they will be able to use these resources with their classes during the regular school day.
Brewster Technical Center
Technology Matching Grant
Brewster Technical Center’s Media Center will now be equipped with a new laboratory for students thanks to a Technology Matching grant from the Hillsborough Education Foundation. Technology matching grants help schools by allowing teachers to get creative with teaching techniques. Technology matching grants are jointly administered by the Foundation and the Hillsborough County School District.
The grant has made it possible to reopen Brewster’s media center, which was closed after the Media Specialist position was eliminated from the budget. Classroom teachers will take turns supervising the laboratory during the day, and Brewster’s high school classes can schedule lab times. Students will be able to access 20 computers with Internet in the lab so they can do research and project based learning. Students will also have the chance to make use of employment information, as well as resume templates and job search sites loaded on the computers.
This lab will bring Brewster students into the digital age and will allow them to use online resources. These students will be able to live by Brewster’s motto: Learning for Everyone, Whatever It Takes!
Joshua
Graduation Pathway
Joshua just finished 3rd grade from Crestwood Elementary. This year, he was selected to participate in Graduation Pathway peer mentor program. Joshua has been working with a mentor since January. He was very nervous at first when he heard he was going to be participating in this program, but quickly became excited to be included. Joshua’s favorite time when working with the Graduation Pathway program was when he was able to work in his reading and math books.
What is Graduation Pathway? A pilot program through AmeriCorps, Graduation Pathway’s goal is to reduce drop-out rates by providing at-risk students a Graduation Coach who mentors, tutors, and advocates for the student. This year nine schools participated in the program. Elementary and middle schools who feed into Leto High School participated in the program. At each school, AmeriCorps members mentor at least 25 students with the goal of increasing their school attendance rates.
Joshua also wants to become a mentor one day and he looks forward to bringing things to the students, teaching them new things, and reading books to them. If he could change one thing, he wouldn’t have rushed when working on math.
Joshua's advice to other students? "Stay out of fights and to stay out of trouble."
Hunter's Green Elementary 2009-2010 School Year
Positive Behavior Support
Students at Hunter's Green Elementary showed remarkable results through the Positive Behavior Support Program. With the school having major disciplinary issues, the program aimed to decrease the total number of referrals given to students for bad behavior. From custodians to bus drivers, the school as a whole worked cohesively to master this goal by the end of the school year.
Through the program, the school implemented a rewards system in which each student was awarded (PAWS) tickets if they exhibited good behavior. Once students collected tickets, they were able to use them in a trade system as if the tickets were money. Short term rewards for good behavior included anything from a homework pass to eating lunch with the principal. As a strong reinforcement, the students were also able to trade in the PAWS tickets for activities such as field day, karaoke, and ice cream socials.
Results showed remarkable gains. The original goal was to decrease the number of referrals by 50%, but the goal only fell short of the goal by 6 %. But last year, bus referrals were the highest area of disciplinary referrals, and with the success of Positive Behavior Support, bus referrals decreased by 55%.
"I can't believe what a difference it has made. The children have gained tremendous self esteem and they often tell me ‘It feels good to do the right thing at the right time,'" says Hunter's Green Elementary First Grade Teacher Nancy Parades.
"If I didn't have PAWS tickets I wouldn't have fun at school," says Tayab, third grade student.
Third Grade Literacy Program
Town and Country Elementary, 2009-2010 School Year
Town and Country Elementary School's third grade students enjoyed a wide array of classroom enhancements that encouraged reading and reading skills through the third grade literacy program. From ‘book baskets' to ‘reading buddies', teacher Gina Choate incorporated everyday items to help captivate students' interest in reading.
Before the program, three students were reading below grade level. But after the reading center was enhanced with pillows, spray painted book shelves and baskets to categorize the books, those three students started to read above grade level. The class as a whole began to develop a strong passion for the love of reading. In addition, reading scores were enhanced and the children learned skills to carry on into future grade levels.
The smallest changes to the center made a large difference in the way the children learned. "My students were more self motivated to read because of the ability to more easily self select books of interest and read them in a more comfortable environment," says Town and County teacher. "They literally would plead to have more time in the reading center."
Sara Kay Bonti
Peer Evaluator
Empowering Effective Teachers Initiative
When the school doors open for the 2010-2011 school year, more than 100 educators will walk through in a new role - as a peer or mentor evaluator. These individuals will work with teachers throughout the year as part of the Empowering Effective Teachers initiative, providing ongoing feedback to be used in a revamped evaluation system, and offering guidance to new teachers. Chosen from a pool of more than 650 applicants, one of these evaluators will be Sara Kay Bonti from Freedom High School.
For 22 years Sara has taught all levels of Language Arts classes, with seven of those years spent in Hillsborough County. While she started her career outside of Hillsborough County Public Schools, she is a product of this school district, and the daughter of two Ballast Point Elementary, Wilson Middle, and Plant High School graduates. "I have the unique perspective of appreciating the rewards of having a lifelong commitment to a community," she comments.
Over the course of her two- to three-year rotations, Sara will serve as a peer evaluator, collaborating with teachers to bring new insight to, and creating discussions based on observations in, the classroom. "Each time I collaborate with other teachers at the school or district level, I am amazed at the talent level that exists in Hillsborough County classrooms," she says, "Being a peer evaluator is an opportunity to work directly with teachers to assist in reaching their own professional development goals and objectives, thereby enhancing the quality of instruction for children."
It could be said that Sara has been preparing for this new role throughout the length of her career. Since she began working as a teacher she has been drawn to mentoring, peer coaching, supervising interns and new teachers, and holding leadership roles within the school and the district, focusing specifically on improving the quality of classroom instruction. "Teaching is a science as much as it is a combination of talent and art," she explains, "There are fundamental, identifiable qualities of effective teaching and I look forward to working with others in developing towards high standards of excellence."
At the end of her rotations, Sara will return to her students in the classroom. She is confident the experience she will have as a peer evaluator will enhance her own abilities as a teacher. "I have no doubt that having the opportunity to observe hundreds of teachers and working with the evaluative instrument on a daily basis will place a greater emphasis on assessing my own performance level as a teacher," she says, "and will help me to define areas for my own professional growth."
To learn more about the Empowering Effective Teachers Initiative, click here.
Exploration Station
E.L. Bing Elementary, 2009-2010 School Year
First grade students of E. L. Bing Elementary participated in hands-on interaction with tools to enhance scientific learning and interest in the sciences. From magnetic wands to big screen microscopes, students engaged in a handful of activities that the "Exploration Station" program encompassed. These interactive tools urged students to develop the principles of science and produce higher test results for the remainder of their continued education.
During the course of the program, students responded positively as their interest in science increased from 45% to 98%. The first graders interacted with live animals, encountered long term investigations and to played games such as "Science Quiz Game Show", and "Science Folder Game Library". As a result of " Exploration Station", students now have a peaked interest in science as a whole.
"Students are excited and engaged in science activities like never before. Interest in science and acquiring scientific knowledge through investigation has become an exciting topic in our first grade classrooms at E. L. Bing Elementary," says E.L. Bing teacher Cynthia Waller.
Sand and Water Play
Anderson Elementary, 2009-2010 School Year
As a handful of kindergartners played freely in the sand box, they didn't know that they were also gaining cognitive and interpersonal relationship skills. Through the "Sand and Play" program, students learned to adapt socially and emotionally with a hands -on learning experience. The program's goal was to promote free exploration and independent learning initiatives through experimentation in the sand and water table.
To enhance the imagination, students were given a set of rules and instruction on how to play in the tables. They conducted investigations on what happened when water and sand mixed. While establishing relationships with peers, students also gained a level of responsibility and commanded their own level of learning.
"With this grant I am able to provide many hours of students learning through play for my current as well as future students," says Anderson teacher Ellen Heath.
Camcorders for Learning
Caminti Exceptional Center, 2009-2010 School Year
At Caminti Exceptional Center, students involved in Exceptional Education classes engaged in interactive learning lessons through the "Camcorders for Learning" project. To acquire job-related skills, the Camcorders for learning project provided a student to student learning atmosphere. Experienced Community Based Training students assisted in training new CBT students by using the cameras. In addition, the program intended to drop error rates in the classroom. The program also incorporated teachers, and parents to provide the best assistance in enhancing skill retention.
As a result of the project, the newly trained CBT students learned job related skills faster than average. Before the program the student error rate was 6 per hour, but with the implementation of the camcorders to help skill retention, errors dropped to 5 per hour. The parent-teacher relationship also grew, and parents were able to help accelerate their child's success rates.
"Without your sponsorship, we would be unable to provide items that help our exceptional children experience the most current research base technological supports," says Mary Kerby.
Over the course of a few weeks, 6 Caminti Exceptional Students participated in a "Signing to Communicate" project. Through the project, the verbally-challenged students learned another form of communication - sign language. Evaluated by their ability to functionally communicate, students were required to sign eating and drinking signals at meals times and communicate proper bathroom signals to indicate when they needed to use the restroom. The instructional "Signing Time" videos provided a stronger correspondence between teacher and student to enhance vocabulary and speech interpretation.
Before the project, a majority of the class was non-verbal. Two of the students were verbally -challenged, but through the success of the project, the class excelled and one non-verbal student started to communicate verbally. Other students who faced challenges preceding "Signing Time" began to make initiatives to utter words.
The children also incorporated signing into other learning activities thereafter. The elated teacher, Anne Barkalow says, "The ability to use and understand language is the foundation of learning."