More Than US$2 Million to Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction
Winners of the Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Award program gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana, in June for two days of sharing innovative ideas, networking with new colleagues from across the country, and attending a black-tie dinner where grants and prizes totaled US$2.3 million. The program was administered by Blue Ribbon Schools Foundation whose judges selected 20 of the nation's top K-12 schools from more than 1,200 applicants.
 |
|
|
Craig Barrett presents the prize to winners from MacArthur High School. |
Sharing Best Practices
The national award program is intended to showcase best practices in education that can be replicated by other schools. In keeping with that goal, the winning schools created short videos to share their innovative strategies during the awards event in June.
Michael Hall, principal of Houston County High School during its six-year transformation, explained how this "regular high school" in the heart of Georgia's farm country has become one of the most technologically advanced schools in the nation. A video made by Houston County High students captured glimpses of classrooms where teachers on a wireless campus use streaming video, interactive presentation boards, and other methods to engage 2,200 students in active learning.
Even the school farm and woodshop have been transformed by technology. Agriculture students conduct embryo transfers. Woodshop students use computer aided design software to design custom furniture, which they then build using traditional woodworking methods. The school even has a flight simulator to train students who want to become pilots. Creating this futuristic learning environment has meant both bringing in new equipment and "changing the whole culture of the school," Hall said. "You have to change how the students learn, how the teachers teach, and how the administration operates."
Tracie Fraley, principal of MacArthur High School, described the benefits of putting a laptop into the hands of every student and faculty member on the wireless campus in Irving, a suburb of Dallas. The school serves a racially diverse population, with nearly 40 percent of the 2,400 students meeting federal poverty guidelines and more than 60 languages spoken in students' homes. "We decided to level the playing field and give everyone equal access to resources which would enhance their education," Fraley explained.
Extensive professional development has helped teachers learn new strategies for using technology to meet learning goals. In the campus distance-learning center, for example, anatomy students have watched doctors perform total knee replacements and other surgeries—in real time. Videoconferencing enables students to ask questions of professionals and to expand their learning community beyond the boundaries of the high school.
Every school offered ideas worth borrowing. For example, at Bishop Dunne Catholic School in Dallas, Texas, students use GIS to create macro maps to solve community-based problems. Students apply their geospatial thinking skills to map crime data, helping police with prevention efforts, and have generated maps to assist with search-and-rescue-efforts at a nearby state park. At Irmo Elementary School, housed in a 70-year-old building in Irmo, South Carolina, first- and second-graders use instant messaging to improve their reading and language arts skills.
Effective technology integration is just one strategy that has led to student success. Sherman Oaks Community Charter School in San Jose, California, shared video clips of a decidedly low-tech sandcastle contest designed to spark creativity. Cornerstone at Pedegral Elementary School in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, boasted of 100 percent parent involvement, with parents often acting as content experts for special projects.
Talbot Hill Elementary School in Renton, Washington, operates as a micro society, with students running their own legislative system, court system, television station, bank, and even a patent office for student inventions. Townsend Harris High School, located on the campus of Queens College, New York, teaches critical-thinking skills in a challenging curriculum that focuses on the humanities. "We offer great instruction, supported by technology and bolstered by character education," explained Principal Thomas Cunningham. The challenge issued to all students: Leave their city greater than they found it.
Picking the Winners
Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Foundation led the rigorous judging process. Each application was evaluated by multiple judges and site visits were conducted to narrow the top 56 schools to the 20 winners. Judges were looking for the implementation of innovative and replicable programs that support positive educational outcomes.
What did it feel like to be named one of the best schools in the country? "I'm walking on air," said Michael Hall of Houston County High School the day after the awards were announced. Attendees were treated to a riverboat ride on the Mississippi River and honored at a black-tie gala. One award-winning teacher said her favorite part of the experience was "the chance to get together with people from other great schools and exchange ideas."
To foster ongoing collaboration, Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence is creating an interactive, online library of best practices to showcase effective ideas that other schools may want to replicate. To learn more, visit www.blueribbonschools.com.
More information about the Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Award is available on the Intel® Innovation in Education Web site at www.intel.com/education/schoolsofdistinction.
Contact Education  |
 |
* Legal Information and Privacy Policy © 2006 Intel Corporation