[May 05, 2009]

Teachers get funds for laptop life cycles lab

FORT MADISON, May 05, 2009 (The Hawk Eye - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Richardson Elementary School first- and second-graders will be able to share their knowledge of animal life cycles with students worldwide next year.

The Qwest Foundation and the Iowa School Boards Foundation awarded first-grade teacher Stephanie Orth and second-grade teacher Krys Plate an $11,000 grant at a ceremony Monday to create a mobile science laptop lab for their students.

The teachers applied for the funding in February through the Qwest Teachers and Technology grant program.

"This is really exciting for us -- it's kind of one of those things where you can't believe it," said Plate, who learned they had won when K through 2 classes were called to the gymnasium for a special announcement. "I don't even know what to think right now." The laptop lab, which will include 16 computers and cameras, will be used next year to help their classes document the life cycles of butterflies and frogs, creatures the classes study each year.

"We get caterpillars in, watch them grow, and attach to make a chrysalis. Then we watch them hatch," said Orth, who teaches first-graders about caterpillars while Plate teaches second-graders about frogs. "So now we'll be able to document all of that with Web cams." As the caterpillars turn into butterflies, and tadpoles into frogs, the classes will have a blog about what's going on in the transformation process and students will keep online journals as well. The teachers also hope to connect their classes with other students around the world so they can share their work and learn about other students' projects and research on life cycles.

"Instead of going to the computer lab like we do now, the laptops are going to come to our room so we can use them whenever we need them," Orth said.

Iowa School Boards Foundation Executive Director Mary Delagardelle, who was on hand for Monday's presentation, said Orth and Plate's project was one of five chosen statewide because it met all the criteria they were seeking.

"The idea your teachers submitted had to cause teachers to have to work together, it had to help them change their teaching, it had to help students learn more and it had to be innovative," Delagardelle said.

Other winning schools were Perkins Academy in Des Moines, Monticello High School in Monticello, Washington High School in Washington and Winterset High School in Winterset. A total of $50,000 was awarded through six grants at the five schools.

"I want you to know we're going to be watching you. We want to hear about it, we want to know about it, and at some point we want to tell everyone in the state about your progress with this project," Delagardelle said.

Richardson Elementary School Principal Vicki Stephenson said she hopes the new technology will be beneficial for all of their students, and perhaps it will be something they can expand in the future.

"Once these teachers begin to work with this technology, maybe some of the other students in the building can also benefit from what they've learned," Stephenson said. "We hope to make it even bigger and better." To see more of The Hawk Eye or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thehawkeye.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

Discussions: