IDEA The Education Fund’s SWin prizes – look inside!

FCAT lessons students love!$$$ for your classroom!Win prizes – look inside!IDEAS

The Education Fund’s 2005-2006

LIVE!At this year’s Ultimate Teacher Conference!

Harry K. WongAuthor of The First Days of School

September 10 – Registration Details Inside!

MDCPS Teachers Share Easy-To-Use Projects with impact

Celebrating 20 Years of Making a Difference in the Lives of Children!�$5.2 million in free supplies for classrooms.

�228,000 hours of one-on-one tutoring for studentswho are struggling to learn to read.

�$1.7 million in grants for teachers that put money directly into the classroom.

�6,300 refurbished computers plus Internet accessand training for underprivileged children and theirfamilies.

�850,000 trilingual Parent Resource Guides to helpparents get involved in our public schools.

�4,216 hours of in-class mentoring to help new teachers survive and thrive during the first year of teaching.

�$331,291 in funding to the arts in our public schools.

�10 million+ media impressions in a campaign to educate the public on teacher recruitment and retention.

�And much more!

T he Education Fund enlists the support of theprivate sector to improve

Miami-Dade schools andbring excellence to publiceducation.

This work reaches all 300+schools and 20,000+ teachersin Miami-Dade public schools,and benefits hundreds of thou-sands of students.

Currently, The EducationFund offers more than adozen different initiatives to help our public schools.

The IMPACT II program,which encompasses this cat-alog and the companion IdeaEXPO, is one example.

The Education Fund also rais-es funds for public-schoolprojects, acts as a fiscalagent, and seeks out innova-tive ways to help our public schools educate all of our children.

For more information on our programs, turn to page 34 or visitwww.educationfund.org.

Learn How You Can Support Our Next 20 Years of Success!

Call 305-892-5099, ext. 21 or Visit www.educationfund.orgThe Education Fund

900 NE 125th Street, Suite 110, North Miami, FL 33161

1www.educationfund.org

Easy Ways to HelpThe Education Fund

Call The Education Fund today (305-892-5099, ext. 21) to find out how you can make charitable giving a part of your portfolio.

THE EDUCATION FUND900 NE 125th St., Suite 110 • North Miami, FL 33161 • 305-892-5099 (phone) • 305-892-5096 (fax)

www.educationfund.org

1. Buy an Education License Plate! The EducationFund receives $20 from the sale of eacheducation license plate sold in Miami-DadeCounty – and from renewals each year! (Seepage 15 of the insert for more information.)

2. Designate The Education Fund as the recipi-ent of your United Way contribution. Just fillout your United Way contribution card andwrite in The Education Fund as your dona-tion recipient. It’s that simple!

3. Honor a loved one by making a donation toThe Education Fund in their name.

4. Designate The Education Fund as a beneficiaryin your will.

5. Give a donation of stock or property to TheEducation Fund.

6. Make a cash donation or use your creditcard on our secure Web site: logon towww.educationfund.org and click “Donate now!”

6

The Education Fund Board of Directors

Officers: Gary M. Pappas, Carlton Fields • Barbara L. Romani, Citibank FSB • George Torres, The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald • Nelly Rubio,WFOR-TV/CBS4/UPN33 • Roland B. Garcia, Sr., Original Impressions, LLC • Lisa Sloat • Barbara Ehrich Locke, Holland & Knight • Linda Lecht,The Education Fund • Directors: Karen Aronowitz, United Teachers of Dade • Steve S. Baker, Esq., Miami-Dade County Aviation Department • Brenda Bassett, Cefalo’s Wine Cellar • Frank J. Bolaños, The School Board of Miami-Dade County • Rudolph F. Crew, Ed.D., Miami-DadeCounty Public Schools • Scott Deutsch, Orange Clothing Company • Ben Gentile, Washington Mutual • Nelson Gonzalez, Esslinger WootenMaxwell, Inc. Realtors • Joel Grossman, Tourism Solutions • Fedrick Ingram, 2005 MDCPS Teacher of the Year • Betsy H. Kaplan • Teresa KingKinney, Realtor Association of Greater Miami & the Beaches • Patricia Lefebvre, BankAtlantic • Ana Rivas Logan, The School Board of Miami-DadeCounty • Tony Macias, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines • Dr. Alex Martinez, 2005 MDCPS Principal of the Year • Kimberly T. Miller, APR, Pollo Tropical• Lucy W. Petrey, Miami Dade College • Hector J. Ponte, Wachovia Bank, N.A. • Ileana Carrera Portal, Ocean Bank • Angela Ramos, Univision23/Telefutura 69 • Daniel Rosenthal, UnitedHealthcare of Florida, Inc. • Mitch Shapiro, Beber Silverstein Group • Merrett R. Stierheim • AdvisoryBoard: Benigno F. Aguirre, Ocean Bank • Luis Ajamil, Bermello, Ajamil & Partners, Inc. • Albert A. Del Castillo, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey • TedA. Fernandez, AnswerThink Consulting Group • Calixto Garcia-Velez, Citibank Florida • Seth Gordon, Gordon Reyes & Company • Evelyn LangliebGreer, The School Board of Miami-Dade County • Allen C. Harper, Esslinger Wooten Maxwell, Inc. Realtors • Susan James, Washington Mutual• Dennis M. Klinger, FPL • R. Kirk Landon, The Kirk Foundation • Carlos Migoya, Wachovia Bank, N.A. • David Patrick Nixon, Golin/Harris• Benjamine Reid, Carlton Fields • Dale C. Webb, Chapman-Webb • Joanna D. Wragg, APR, Wragg & Casas Public Relations • Carol G. Wyllie,The Graham Companies • Dr. Sanford & Dolores Ziff • Pro Bono Consultants: Kevin D. Young, Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP • Henry R.Raattama, Jr., Akerman, Senterfitt, & Eidson, P.A. • Beber Silverstein Group

www.educationfund.org2

The Education Fund’s IMPANetwork ModelTeachers who have developed successful classroom teachingmethods are given grants to packageand market their proven projectsthrough the Ideas with IMPACT catalog, the Idea EXPO and IdeaPackets that contain curriculummaterials such as lesson plans,worksheets and resource lists.

• Disseminator grants help teachersfurther develop and disseminateproven practices they have usedsuccessfully in their own classroom.Apply by Dec.1, 2005.

• Ideas with IMPACT catalog –Explore this resource of newteaching ideas. Projects can beused exactly as they are or can bemodified to meet a classroom’sspecial needs. Contact the disseminator of the idea for more information.

• The Idea EXPO – The TeacherConference. Get new ideas andmake connections with experiencedteachers during the IMPACT IIproject display exhibition andworkshop sessions. Special featuresinclude a master teaching sessionwith Dr. Harry Wong on classroommanagement, a luncheon andfree curriculum packets.

• Adapter grants are available forany project in the IMPACT II network of ideas from the past 15 years. Just connect with theDisseminator of the idea, requestan Idea Packet and receive fundsto implement in your classroom.

IMPACT II is a program of The EducationFund that focuses on strengthening curriculum, student achievement and

leadership in Miami-Dade County PublicSchools by identifying and connecting teacherswho exemplify professionalism and creativityin their classrooms. This comprehensive network has specially designed programsthat encompass beginning teachers to experienced teachers through the originalNetwork Model, Teachers Network LeadershipInstitute and the New Teacher Initiative.

www.educationfund.org 3

ACT II: A Network of Ideason-line at www.educationfund.orgor call 305-892-5099, Ext. 18 formore information.

BECOME an IMPACT II Disseminatoror an action research fellow and be featured in next year’s Ideas with IMPACT catalog. IMPACT IIawards $750 Disseminator grantsto educators willing to share thesuccessful teaching ideas they havedesigned and implemented in theirclassrooms. $750 fellowships foraction research are also offered. Apply at www.educationfund.org or use applications found in thiscatalog’s inserts.

APPLY for an IMPACT II AdapterGrant to purchase materials toadapt one of the ideas featured inthis catalog or past years’ catalogs.Here’s how to qualify:1. Select an idea (from past or

current catalogs*)2. Attend EXPO and sign-up for

workshop on that idea.orRequest an Idea Packet and discuss with the Disseminatoryour ideas for implementing theproject idea.

3. Complete Adapter application.4. Submit to:The Education Fund900 NE 125 Street, Suite 110North Miami, FL 33161

*For information on the past 15years of IMPACT II projects, visitThe Education Fund’s web site atwww.educationfund.org.

veteran teachers and learn theirtried and true teaching strategies.The renowned author of “The First Days of School”, Dr. Harry K. Wong, will be givinga master teaching session atthis year’s IDEA EXPO onSaturday, Sept. 10, 2005.

2) Adapter grants are a quick andeasy way to implement aDisseminator teacher’s idea in abeginning teacher’s classroom.Along with the funds, you not onlyreceive a detailed Idea Packet withlesson plans and resource list, butcoaching from the Disseminatorteacher. Substitution coverage isavailable to visit a veteran teacher’sclassroom or vice-versa.

3) New teacher web site of dailyclassroom specials, tips and “askan expert” section is managed bynational IMPACT II – TheTeachers Network at www.teach-ersnetwork.org.

HOW IMPACT II CANWORK FOR YOUATTEND the IMPACT II Idea EXPO –The Teacher Conference. Look for a conference registration form inthe inserts of this catalog, register

Teachers NetworkLeadership InstituteThe Teachers Network LeadershipInstitute (TNLI) is an action researchinitiative that connects educationpolicy with actual classroom prac-tice to improve student achieve-ment. IMPACT II provides a monthlyforum for teachers to formulatetheir research, publish their findings,strategize their dissemination anddiscuss current education issues.To become an action research fel-low and receive a grant to conductaction research in your classroom,please contact The EducationFund, 305-892-5099, ext. 18 orapply by September 15th using theapplication found in the insert ofthis catalog.

New Teacher InitiativeIMPACT II connects new teachersto veteran teachers, resources anda network of on-going support fromvarious programs of The EducationFund.

1) The Idea EXPO – The Teacher’Conference has special featuresfor new teachers including work-shops on classroom managementand opportunities to network. It is an ideal forum to link up with

www.educationfund.org4

ARTS PROJECTS

6 All That JazzJanet Duguay Kirsten

7 See the World Through a Pinch Pot!Sara Gagliano-Alfaro

ESE PROJECTS

8 W.E.A.V.E. - Weaving with EverydayApparel using Varied ElementsDebra Gaudet

INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS

9 Corn Through TimeMinerva Santerre

10 Inside AfricaMark Rosenkrantz

LANGUAGE ARTS PROJECTS

11 Collaborate, Communicate - Createa CommunityYvette M. Calleiro & Elizabeth Aguila

12 I Hear Many “Voices”Sheila Dymond

13 Reading RoundupKristin Garcia

14 Reeling in ReadingAnna Menendez

15 “Sense-sational” Story Time SnacksMayra Perez

16 Strive for “5” with Lemony SnicketBeth Reis & Carole Slonin

MATHEMATICS PROJECTS

17 Once Upon a Math Lesson...Everyone Had Fun!Marlene Figueroa

18 p WeekSandra Daire

SCIENCE PROJECTS

19 Be Water Smart... Don’t Let It GoDown the Pipes.....Rosa Sampedro & Miriam Gomez

20 Com”post” with Us!Rosa Duarte

SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS

21 Feed the Need: Bringing the Fieldsto Hungry Families Beth Rosenthal Davis

22 Leaping Literacy: Books for theNeighborhoodRachel Kohrman Ramos

SOCIAL STUDIES PROJECTS

23 Linking ContinentsMillicent Taylor

24 Stitching HistoryOlga Dehghani

TNLI ACTION RESEARCH

25 About the Teachers NetworkLeadership Institute

26 The Research Process andReading ComprehensionDorothy Hammer

27 Visual Thinking Skills and WritingAbilityDonna Laffitte

28 Looping ESE Students to IncreaseReading SkillsJill Robert

29 Developing Critical Thinking SkillsWith Current EventsElizabeth Rebustillo

30 Nurturing Interventions andMotivation to LearnSharon Wallen

31 Visual Thinking Skills and CriticalThinkingMark Rosenkrantz

32 Web-Enhanced Tutorials and MathScoresJoy Mullings-Levy

33 Approaches to DevelopingCollaborative SkillsLori Nazareno

SPECIAL FEATURES

35 Resources for New Teachers

INSERT PAGES

2 6 Easy Ways to Help TheEducation Fund

3 TNLI MetLife Fellow Application

5 IMPACT II Adapter Application

7 Idea EXPO Conference Registration

11 IMPACT II Disseminator Application

15 Education License Plate

16 The Education Fund’s Galaxy ofSupporters

Win AirlineTickets from

Register today for The Education Fund’s

16th AnnualIMPACT II Idea EXPO -

The Teacher ConferenceSee page 7 of the insert pages

or register online at www.educationfund.org/expo.html

The Education Fund’sIDEAS WITH IMPACT

PublisherLinda Lecht

Production Director/Executive EditorTim Dodson

Managing EditorLorna Pranger Valle

Development OfficerMarianne (Mimi) Pink

Designed & Printed byOriginal Impressions, Inc. • Miami, FL

The Education Fund900 NE 125th St., Suite 110

North Miami, FL 33161305-892-5099 • 305-892-5096 (fax)


ATTENTION TEACHERS!Did you know you can

designate your United Way donation

to The Education Fund?

Table of Contents


Kathleen S. AadVenada L. AlthemeLinda M. Alvarez

Frances A ArangoTina M. Arenas

Ileana M. AtencioGerald P. Auclair

Lisa A. Bailey-SmithermanSuzanne M. BanasLourdes L. BauzaJennifer D. BelloSusan E. BlairClaudia L. BulaAlison K. BurrusJo A. CogginsBeth R. Davis

Elaine J. Davis-DiazRosa De Leon Duarte

Dulce M. De VillaAngie Del PortilloDenise L. ElasserAaron L. Enteen

Terry Faldon-GamarraBeth L. Falikowski

Carol FifieldYanelle Finley-Martinez

Anita D. FoxNancy J. Frailey

Betty S. FritzLaurel C. GlicksteinFrank E. GloverMiriam Gomez

Anna M. Gonzalez Del PinoRebeka Gonzalez

Serge GregoryBarbara D. HamptonKarol N. Hockman

Janet S. HuppMary U. Joffre

William J. KinneyLinda G. Klein

Donna J. LaffitteAdriana Llovera

Ada L. LopezHenry A. MacInnesGloria M. MartinezJanice H. Mcaskill

Ina E. McNeilStephanie L. Meagher-Garcia

Rosemary I. MeitzTanjanika L. Melton

Regina E. MiraAlba M. MisasLatha R. Murali

Lori D. NazarenoStephen A. Neckes

Kevin J. OkeefeAdrienne Parada-Lazo

Valentine PasaronDamaris PerdigonPatricia J. Perez

Kathleen O. PhamDale Popkin

Tamara L. PowellSusan Louise Pumphrey

Aylen RahimiEduardo R. Rivas

Dawn M. RodriguezWaleska RodriguezPurcheria V. RolleRhonda r. Rose

Susan F. RosenthalNancy Sale

Carlos M. SanjurjoAna M. ScallyAliza Sebag

Frances M. SerpaBrie-Anne J. Simon

Mary M. sisleyMarta F. SuarezKaren B. Terilli

Dorcas Y TonerGrace D. TysonBunny M. Willett

Sandra J. Zampino

Thank You Teachers & Administrators

* You can designate The Education Fund as the recipient of your United Way donation! Just fill out your United Waycontribution card and write in The Education Fund as your donation recipient. Then, send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 305-892-5099, ext. 21 so we can add your name to this list. It’s that simple!

** If you designated The Education Fund during the campaign that took place in the fall of 2004 and your name doesnot appear on this list, please call Mimi Pink at 305-892-5099, ext. 21. Thank you!

M any Miami-Dade CountyPublic Schools teachersand administrators

contributed to The Education Fundthrough their United Way* donation.The Education Fund wishes to thank these special partners** fortheir support.

All That Jazz

Sponsored by:

ContactJanet Duguay KirstenClaude Pepper Elementary14550 SW 96 StreetMiami, FL 33186Mail Code: 0831Telephone: 305-386-5244, ext. 529Fax: 305-382-7150E-mail: [email protected]: Angeles Fleites

“Children love music and jazz is a particularly invitingmedium to incorporate intothe curriculum to enhancethe attention span andcreativity of students.”

Janet Duguay Kirsten

T his cross-curriculum projectaims to expose students tojazz music both historically

and within local arts and cultures.The classroom teacher worksclosely with a teacher of arts education on creative and fun activities that present famous artistsand their music as well as typicaljazz instruments and ensembles.The students work in groups toresearch various jazz artists, stylesand composers. Each individualstudent researches and interviewsan artist. As a team, the studentsdevelop a presentation with anauditory component or demonstrationthat outlines a particular jazz ensembleand its music.

The unit culminates with two liveperformances: a field trip to hear a local school jazz band and a visitby a local professional jazz quartetwho perform, answer questions andprovide demonstrations of specialsounds and techniques on theirinstruments.

Students

The project was used with 36 fifth-grade students and is adaptable forall upper elementary levels. The stu-dents who participated in this activi-ty met twice a week for a 30-minutemusic class. The activities appeal toall achievement levels.

Staff

Janet Duguay Kirsten is a NationalBoard Certified Teacher who hasbeen teaching for 13 years. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Miami School of Music and is currently adoctoral candidate.

Material and Resources

Classroom facilities are appropriate.A stage area or ample classroomspace would be necessary for thevisiting jazz performing group. Alsoneeded are the Jazz for YoungPeople curriculum and class sets ofthe books: Ben’s Trumpet, The JazzKid, and Cleveland Lee’s BealeStreet Band.

www.educationfund.org Music6

See the World Through a Pinch Pot!Originally a Joan and Milton Baxt Foundation Teacher Mini-Grant

Sponsored by:

Visual Arts www.educationfund.org 7

ContactSara Gagliano-AlfaroRenaissance Elementary Charter5500 NW 113 CourtMiami, FL 33178Telephone: 305-406-0059E-mail: [email protected]: Ana Cordal

“Through this exciting hands-on adventure into the history of ceramic art,past customs and culturesare studied as well asmathematics and FCATstrategies.”

Sara Gagliano-Alfaro

I n this nine-week project, stu-dents are exposed to the art ofthe “pinch pot” method used by

ceramicists for thousands of years.Through the introduction of five distinct cultures, students will compare and contrast the similaritiesand differences of each culturethrough the creation of five pinchpots. Included in the study areJapanese glazed tea bowls andPueblo Indian pinch pot musicalinstruments. Integral to the projectis the observation of an in-residence(Miami Ceramic League) ceramicartist creating pots and other objectsusing the pinch pot method.

Students

All art students at the elementarycharter participated. It can also be implemented with students inmiddle and senior high school.

Staff

Sara Gagliano-Alfaro received hermaster’s and bachelor’s degreesfrom Tufts University and TheSchool of the Museum of Fine Arts,Boston. She has been teaching artfor 10 years. She is also certified in museum studies and has taughtart history for children at HarvardUniversity’s Semitic Museum inCambridge, Mass. and at MOCA in North Miami. She serves as aFlorida Mentor Teacher. Ms.

Gagliano-Alfaro exhibits her ownartwork in galleries and art fairsinternationally. Her paintings areinspired by her students and herexperiences as an art educator.

Materials and Resources

Art materials including earthenwareclay, and color glazes. Books andvideos on the cultures studied arealso needed.

W.E.A.V.E. – Weaving with EverydayApparel using Varied Elements

Sponsored by:

ContactDebra GaudetThomas Jefferson Middle525 NW 147 StreetMiami, FL 33168Mail Code: 6281Telephone: 305-681-7481Fax: 305-688-5973E-mail: [email protected]: Ellen O. Wright

“This kinesthetic project canbe taught from the mostsimplistic vantage point tothe more complex. Itimproves students’ motorand social skills as theycreate unique weavings for a variety of purposes.”

Debra Gaudet

Amulti-sensory approach toskill acquisition is often anessential learning tool, as

hands-on experiences integratemany cognitive and motor functions.This project integrates eye-handcoordination, receptive languageskills, sequencing skills, fine andgross motor skills and sensoryawareness by utilizing old clothesand a little imagination! Studentsassist in tearing second-hand shirts,pants, sheets and pillowcases intostrips. A warp is strung with thickyarn from the ceiling to waist-length.The strips, one at a time, are strungthrough a hole made in a yardstick.The stick is used to weave the stripsin and out of the yarn. As the colorsand fabrics are varied, so is theexperience. Music that is conducivewith the types and colors of fabric isplayed to add to the experience.

Extensions to the project includeresearching cultures utilizing weavingas a mainstay as well as exploringpatterns, materials and objects usedin weaving. Recycling and all of itsdynamics add another dimension tothe project.

StudentsA small group of profoundly mentallyhandicapped boys, ages 13 to 19years old, both ambulatory andnon-ambulatory, have participatedin this project. It has also been used with a middle school group ofhigher-functioning autistic students.

StaffDebra Gaudet has been involvedwith developmentally disabled

students for 28 years, in both theclassroom and in the community.She has an M.ED. in Education/Special Education and is an NBPTScandidate. She has receivednumerous grants to integrate ESEstudents into the academic andsocial life of the school. Ms. Fulton,a paraprofessional, provides hand-over-hand assistance with the verylow functioning students.


Clothing is donated or found in thriftstores. Wood strips or PVC pipe ishung from the ceiling to hang thewarp. Also needed are yarn, patternbooks, and lightweight yardsticks.Battery-operated scissors are available through AbleNet.

www.educationfund.org Exceptional Student Education8

Florida Matching Grants Program

Corn Through Time

Sponsored by:

Interdisciplinary www.educationfund.org 9

ContactMickey SanterreFrank C. Martin Elementary14250 Boggs DriveMiami, FL 33175Mail Code: 3101Telephone: 305-238-3688Fax: 305-232-4068E-mail: [email protected]: Pamela Brown

“Students learn through acollection of unusual,interdisciplinary activities how one commodityinfluenced the history of the Americas.”

Mickey Santerre

F rom shucking corn in a contest to making cornhuskdolls to creating their own

biodegradable packing peanuts bymicrowaving a cornstarch mixture,students actively explore the storyof corn in the Americas. They readof corn’s legendary origin in Indianfolklore, calculate its yield per acrein the present day Corn Belt, andimagine future uses for ethanol as a renewable energy source. Withthis interdisciplinary collection ofactivities, students grow corn, perform a play about Squanto and corn in colonial life, experimentwith popcorn, and collect and analyze types of packaging for theirenvironmental impact.

Students

This project is designed for studentsin grades 2-5 ranging from belowaverage to gifted. It can also bealtered to accommodate ESL aswell as ESE students. The activitiesfocus on exploration and discoveryin history, math and science, withan emphasis on teamwork.

Staff

Mickey Santerre has taught for 24years, in both private school andpublic school in Miami-Dade County.She is a National Board CertifiedTeacher and holds a master’sdegree in ESE with an emphasis on

varying exceptionalities. She holds a specialist’s degree and is workingon a doctorate in science education.Mrs. Santerre has received TheEducation Fund’s Teacher Mini-Grantand IMPACT II Disseminator grantsfor M and M (Math and Mentors)Buddies and E.N.T.I.C.E.


A small garden plot is ideal but notnecessary. Soil, raw fish, seeds,planting pots and a microwave areneeded. Colored Indian corn isused for mosaics and jewelry. Afield trip to Fruit and Spice Park anda guest speaker from the agriculturesector are beneficial.


Inside AfricaOriginally a Citibank Success Fund Grant

Sponsored by:

ContactMark L. RosenkrantzCharles D. Wyche Jr. Elementary5241 NW 195 DriveMiami, FL 33055Mail Code: 5991Telephone: 305-628-5776Fax: 305-628-5775E-mail: [email protected]: Mrs. Patricia Urban

“Anticipation of a culminatingevent in which studentsdisplay evidence of theirlearning, as well asparticipation in a learningcommunity, providemotivation for students toprogress through theinstructional sequence.”

Mark L. Rosenkrantz

S tudents produce a varietyshow incorporating visual art,geography, science, music,

reading, writing, and drama to illustrate their learning about Africa.The purpose of the variety show is touse an array of teaching strategiesto make social studies and scienceconcepts accessible to a diversestudent population. Interdisciplinarylessons reinforce conceptual contentand produce repeated learning andassessment opportunities. Studentsresearch, read and tell African folktales in the oral tradition. They thencollaboratively write and illustrate theirown folk tale which is put to musicand dance.

Students

Participating in the project wereapproximately 500 students, grades2-5, including low academicachievement and learning disabled.This project can be adapted to anystudent population or size group.

Staff

Mark L. Rosenkrantz is a NationalBoard Certified Teacher in Early andMiddle Childhood Art, 2004-2005Teacher of The Year, Charles D.Wyche Jr. Elementary and a multiple-year recipient of CitibankSuccess Fund Grants. The projecthas been used for the past twoyears. Teacher collaboration isessential to its success.


Materials needed include an Africangeography video, African literature,posters of African art images, andart materials. Enhancements

include a field trip to view theAfrican art collection at the LoweArt Museum and a presentation byDr. Suzanne Banas of theRichmond Heights Middle Zoomagnet program.

www.educationfund.org Interdisciplinary10


Collaborate, Communicate – Create a Community!Originally a Citigroup Team Mentor Grant

Sponsored by:

Language Arts www.educationfund.org 11

ContactYvette M. Calleiro and Elizabeth AguilaBarbara Goleman Senior High14100 NW 89 AvenueMiami Lakes, FL 33018Mail Code: 7751Telephone: 305-362-0676, ext. 2202Fax: 305-827-0249E-mail: [email protected]

[email protected]: Marcos M. Moran

“Sharing their work with anaudience that extendsbeyond their classroomgalvanizes students to buildtheir skills and produceexemplary work.”

Yvette M. Calleiro& Elizabeth Aguila

T his project alleviates the drill-and-kill activities that are cor-related with studying for the

FCAT. Using text from a novel stu-dents are reading to practice read-ing and FCAT prep skills is moreappealing to students than standardworksheets. To further instill theseskills, they create lessons and corre-sponding activities to teach otherstudents those same skills. Theseaids are then posted on the stu-dent-created web site and accessibleto all. Students are much moreenthusiastic about learning readingskills when they play an active rolein creating activities and lessons fortheir peers.

Students

This project was used with 80 students in grades 10-11 withlearning disabilities who met for one hour every day. This project iseasily adapted to other age andachievement levels.

Staff

Yvette M. Calleiro has been teachingfor nine years. She was the CECRookie Teacher of the Year for 1997and a Dade County finalist for the1996-97 Sallie Mae OutstandingFirst Year Teacher Award. She isalso a National Board CertifiedTeacher with a master’s degree inboth Special Education andReading Education.


Students need access to a computer,the Internet, web site creation software, digital camera, scannerand novels to read. The Idea Packet

for this project walks studentsthrough creating activities and lessons for a novel as well as provides the steps to start a web site.


I Hear Many “Voices”

Sponsored by:

Contact

Sheila DymondFelix Varela Senior High15255 SW 96 StreetMiami, FL 33196Mail Code: 7781Telephone: 305-752-7900Fax: 305-386-8987E-mail: [email protected]: Millie Fornell

“All students benefit fromlearning the basic skills ofanalysis, which help themfind the author’s voice andpurpose in literature –essential skills for success on the FCAT.”

Sheila Dymond

Deciphering literature oftenseems daunting to studentswho lack the skills to find

the “voice” of various authors andpoets in literature. These skills arenecessary to acquire an appreciationof the written word, to move toadvanced-level classes and to succeed in college literature classes.Correctly recognizing and usingrhetorical devices of tone, imagery,syntax, detail and diction is paramount to demystifying literature.This unit provides students a clearunderstanding and knowledge ofthese devices with definitions,extensive examples and short introductory pieces. Once the in-depth, nine-week unit is completed, the exemplary lessonsfound in the workbook, VoicesLessons, can be implemented.

Students

This project was designed to preparetenth-grade honors students for AP Literature, but has also provenuseful in the “regular” classes toverse students in the basic skills of analysis. Given the chance, allstudents can achieve varyingdegrees of success. It has beenused in ESOL classes by eliminatingthe verbosity of the definitions. Also, by selecting simpler literarypieces it can be used with low-performing students.

Staff

Sheila Dymond belongs to Phi DeltaKappa honor fraternity and NCTE.She has a master’s degree and hasbeen teaching for 15 years. Afterimplementing the gifted program atMiami Palmetto Senior High, shemoved to Varela Senior High whenit opened, to teach tenth-grade

regular, honors and AdvancedPlacement literature and composition.She has been using and tweakingthis project for 5 years.


An overhead projector, the workbook, Voice Lessons, and thedisseminator’s CD, which containsall information for the unit.

www.educationfund.org Language Arts12


Reading Roundup

Sponsored by:


ContactKristin GarciaEverglades K-8 Center8375 SW 16 StreetMiami, FL 33155Mail Code: 1721Telephone: 305-264-4154Fax: 305-261-8179E-mail: [email protected]: Dr. Doylene Tarver

“Reading Roundup ties home and school together to promote reading as anenjoyable lifetime pursuit.”

Kristin Garcia

R eading Roundup reinforcesfine motor, critical thinking,reading and writing skills. At

least once a week, each student issent home with a “Reading Buddy”tote bag that includes books andactivities on a high-interest theme.For instance, the Happy BirthdayBag contains four birthday books, areader response journal covered inbirthday wrapping paper, a readingbear buddy, a game and a birthdaycertificate, hat and pencil. Anotherexample is the Under the Sea bag containing books on the theme, areader response journal, a fishinggame with magnetized poles, and a Nemo reading buddy. This bag isthe class favorite.

Students

Students participating in this programwere ESE kindergarten throughfirst-grade students. Most are fromlow-income families with limitedaccess to books. The program runs on a daily basis and is adapt-able to any grade level and/orachievement level.

Staff

Kristin Garcia has taught in an ESEsetting for four years: one year in an autistic setting and three in aself-contained LD unit. She wasnamed “Rookie Teacher of theYear” and was the school’s“Teacher of the Year” in 2004.


The bags can be put together fromitems found in school supply, thrift,dollar and book trading stores. Atypical bag contains:

• A decorated canvas tote bag

• 4-7 books on a particular theme

• A “Reading Buddy” - typically astuffed animal that can usually befound in a thrift or dollar store.

• A composition book covered intheme-based wrapping paper orartwork drawn by students

• A printable activity or craft to bedone together at home with parent.

• A game or puzzle of some kindrelated to the theme.

Students are encouraged to visitthe media center to check out anyadditional books on a theme or byan author they enjoyed.


Reeling in ReadingOriginally a Citigroup Team Mentor Grant

Sponsored by:

ContactAnna N. MenendezSouth Dade Senior High28401 SW 167 AvenueHomestead, FL 33030Mail Code: 7701Telephone: 305-247-4244, ext. 2252Fax: 305-248-3867E-mail: [email protected]

Principal: Thomas Halfaker

“Fishing is the lure used toreel in reluctant readers for a reading club. As part ofexamining the culture ofFlorida fishing, students learn about the fragility ofmarine life and how best tosustain it.”

Anna N. Menendez

R eeling in Reading, an after-school club for strugglingreaders, encourages read-

ing by focusing on an activity theylove - fishing! Activities that developvaluable real-life skills and readingassignments are infused with theworld of fishing and marine life.From researching Florida’s fragilecoral reefs and marine species topracticing casting to reading ZaneGrey’s fishing tales, students notonly prepare to participate in fishingas a recreational or competitivesport but prepare to pass thevocabulary and comprehensionportions of the FCAT.

Students

Although aimed at low-performingmale students, female studentsshowed interest and became partof the group.

Staff

Anna Menendez has been teachingin Miami-Dade for more than 20years. She has a master’s in readingand is currently the Reading Leader.She has received grants for severalother reading programs.


The Florida Sportman magazine,Zane Grey’s Outdoorsman: Huntingand Fishing Tales, and videos onfishing techniques are needed.Visits by anglers demonstrating their

craft and a speaker from the MarinePatrol on boat safety are beneficial.A field trip to attend a workshop atthe IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame andMuseum is recommended. Fishingequipment donated to the studentsis used to practice casting at school.



“Sense-sational” Story Time SnacksOriginally an Assurant Solutions Teacher Mini-Grant

Sponsored by:

ContactMayra PerezCoral Reef Elementary7955 SW 152 StreetPalmetto Bay, FL 33157Mail Code: 1041Telephone: 305-235-1464Fax: 305-254-3725E-Mail: [email protected]: Lucille Mathews

“Young children makeconnections betweenliterature, math and sciencein a “sense-sational” way that appeals to their uniquelearning style.”

Mayra Perez

I n this project, children use their senses in meaningful, developmentally appropriate

cooking activities, which providemultiple opportunities to improvetheir pre-reading, math and scienceskills. Integrating cooking activitieswith stories such as If You Give aPig A Pancake, The Very HungryCaterpillar, and More Spaghetti, I Say promotes and extends mathconcepts such as counting, comparing quantities, and usingstandards units of measure.Science skills are used to describe,classify and compare the physicalproperties of the cooking ingredients.Digital photos, which capture thecooking activities, are used in studentcookbooks to impact students’ pre-reading and literacy skills.

Students

Twenty-four pre-kindergarten students participated in this project. It is suitable for any primary grade level.

Staff

Mayra Perez is a National BoardCertified Teacher who has beenteaching for 19 years, 15 as a pre-kindergarten teacher. RebeccaOrtiz, a paraprofessional for nineyears who has worked with pre-kthrough high school students,assists with the project.


Various cooking utensils, measure-ments cups, bowls, electric griddle,small toaster oven, digital camera

and ingredients for different recipesare needed. Other books used areThe Gingerbread Man, Green Eggs& Ham, and Corduroy Baked a Cake.

Strive for “5” with Lemony Snicket

Sponsored by:

ContactBeth Reis & Carole SloninBob Graham Education Center15901 NW 79 AvenueMiami Lakes, FL 33016Mail Code: 0091Phone: 305-557-3303Fax: 305-826-5434E-Mail: [email protected]@bg.dadeschools.netPrincipal: Dr. Dawn R. Hurns

“It is well established thatgirls will read and enjoybooks that appeal to boys,but the opposite is notusually true. The LemonySnicket series can be usedto instill a positive attitudetowards reading and writingand to motivate all studentsto strive for “5” on theFCAT.”

Beth Reis & Carole Slonin

T his project seeks to engage all students in a class, many of whom may be reluctant

readers. It will appeal to intermediatestudents, especially boys, whowould enjoy reading about a “seriesof unfortunate events” of whichthere are 11 best sellers – all ofthem exceedingly popular. It is notonly fun to read but teaches childreninventiveness to overcome obstaclesas well as compassion towards others. This is an all-inclusive, user-friendly unit in which one book may be completed within a month.Easy-to-use lesson plans andenrichment activities follow developments in the books.

Students

All intermediate elementary studentsbenefit, but it is especially effectivewith low-performing students whoare reluctant readers.

Staff

Beth Reis and Carole Slonin aregifted facilitators and have bothtaught for 29 years. They have created interdisciplinary units andhave assisted on many grant-writingteams. Both have received TheEducation Fund’s IMPACT IIDisseminator and Adapter grants,Citibank Success Fund grants andTeacher Mini-Grants. In addition,Ms. Reis was a Teacher of the YearRegion Semi-Finalist in 1990 andhas received a Retrofit Grant and aDade Reading Council grant.


The first novel in the series is neededto complete the unit. Classroomcomputers were bookmarked withrelated Internet sites. Also, a writingand publication center was set upin the classroom.

Further research into how boys andgirls learn differently, the handicapboys will experience in the workforcefor lack of communication skills and how schools can adapt tothese changes can be found inMichael Gurian’s Boys and GirlsLearn Differently.


Mathematics www.educationfund.org 17

Once Upon a Math Lesson...Everyone Had Fun!Originally a Catherine Scripps Rodriguez Family Foundation Teacher Mini-Grant

Sponsored by:

ContactMarlene E. FigueroaCoral Way Elementary1950 SW 13 AvenueMiami, FL 33145Mail Code: 1121Telephone: 305-854-0515Fax: 305-285-9632E-mail: [email protected]: Dr. Pablo G. Ortiz

“This special multidisciplinaryunit infuses the differentsubject areas with the fivestrands of mathematics byusing examples in children’sliterature.”

Marlene E. Figueroa

M ath anxiety is alleviatedwith math games, songsand hands-on application

of math concepts to real-life situa-tions. Abstract concepts of mathe-matics become concrete to stu-dents as they connect mathematicsto all subject areas through selec-tions of children’s literature thatintroduce the five strands in mathe-matics. For example, geometry,reading, writing and drawing iscombined in the creation of a comicstrip, The Adventures of Poly Gon,a super hero, who uses math tosave the world. Geometry is furtherexplored with activities linked to thebooks, Sir Cumference and TheGreedy Triangle. To study algebraicthinking, students, as they readMath Curse, keep a daily diary ofmath problems confronted by themain character of the book.

Students

Fourth- and fifth-grade gifted studentsin a full-time bilingual program inwhich students work 60% of thetime in English and 40% in Spanishparticipated in this project. It can be adapted to all ages and achievement levels.

Staff

Marlene Figueroa, a National BoardCertified Teacher, has been teachingmathematics and science in thegifted program for 14 years. She isworking on a master’s in Reading.

She is a recipient of three EducationFund Teacher Mini-Grants and aDisseminator grant for FantasticUnits = FUN.


Access to an extensive collection of math-related picture books and

novels that teach the five mathematical strands is best. The classroom space is set up with five round tables that facilitatethe students working in groups.Work projects are rotated in baskets around the room.

The William J. and Tina Rosenberg Foundation

pWeekOriginally an Assurant Solutions Teacher Mini-Grant

Sponsored by:

ContactSandra A. DaireFelix Varela Senior High15255 SW 96 StreetMiami, FL 33196Mail Code: 7781Telephone: 305-752-7900Fax: 305-386-8987E-mail:[email protected]: Millie Fornell

“This weeklong p pep rallyputs mathematics in thespotlight and raisesawareness of howfascinating it can be through entertaining andexciting activities.”

Sandra A. Daire

I t has been said that no symbolin mathematicas has evoked asmuch mystery, romanticism,

misconception, and human interestas the number p. So, what better wayto rally students around mathematicsthan through a weeklong post-FCATp celebration? This project expandsthe National Council of Teachers ofMathematics’ “p Day” (March 14) toa whole week of daily contests andmath class activities. Competitiveand didactic activities surroundingp foster the use of mathematics in unique ways. p-related lessonsrange from basic Mathematics forthe ESE population to Calculus foradvanced students. The daily contests are included in morningannouncements, the school paperand the mathematics hallway display.Contestants compete for a grandprize in a “p-off” competition inwhich they are given 3 minutes and14 seconds to write as many pdigits as they can. Mathematics, TV production, ceramic and paintingclasses all take part in the preparationand celebration of pWeek. p songsare sung, p digits recited and even“pie” is eaten!

Students

All math classes as well as the entirestudent body are encouraged toparticipate in pWeek celebrations.

Staff

Sandra Arguelles Daire, a NationalBoard Certified Teacher, has beenteaching for 16 years. She has anEducational Specialist degree incurriculum and instruction and wasthe 1995 Dade County MathTeacher of the Year. She is currentlya Math Department co-chair.


The Idea Packet contains p-relatedlessons for inclusion in algebra andgeometry through calculus and sta-tistics. It also includes p daily con-test questions and p Week triviaquizzes. Each activity requires itsown materials, from beads to makep necklaces to circular objects tomeasure for a regression activity.

www.educationfund.org Mathematics18


Science www.educationfund.org 19

Be Water Smart... Don’t Let It Go Down The Pipes......

ContactRosa M. Sampedro & Miriam GomezLorah Park Elementary5160 NW 31 AvenueMiami, Florida 33142Mail Code: 3041Telephone: 305-633-1424Fax: 305-636-3075E-Mail: [email protected]@dadeschools.netPrincipal: Mattye Jones

“Teaching children to valueand protect their watersupply is an importantinvestment in the future.”

Rosa M. Sampedro &Miriam Gomez

S ince water is one of the mostprecious resources, water conservation is an important

concept to teach young children.This comprehensive unit includesthe water cycle, water sources, usesand conservation of water, waterpollution, water quality, wastewatertreatment and water reuse.Throughout the unit, students con-duct experiments, take surveys,make posters for a school-widecontest, create a Down the Pipes!newsletter and develop a Down thePipes! web page that depicts theschool’s water-related activities and offers links to water conserva-tion resources, games, and onlineactivities.

Students

This project is suitable for primaryand intermediate grades. The lessons can be done individually orin collaborative groups.

Staff

Rosa M. Sampedro has beenteaching for Miami-Dade CountyPublic Schools for 17 years. Shehas a bachelor’s and master’sdegrees from Florida InternationalUniversity. At her school, she is theParent Trainer Coordinator forCitibank FamilyTech and is leadteacher of the dual language program.Recently, she was spotlighted inThe Miami Herald as a SuperTeacher for integrating technology in her Spanish lessons.

Miriam Gomez has been a Miami-Dade County Public Schools MediaSpecialist for 13 years. She is aNational Board Certified Teacherand holds a master’s degree. She is active in The EducationFund’s Citibank FamilyTech, AT&TTeachNet, IMPACT II and LibraryQuest programs.


Access to the Internet, a word processing program, and kidPixsoftware is needed for slide presentations and a project boardand Smart Board for the students’final presentation. Internet links andvideos are essential.

Sponsored through a grant provided by Miami-Dade County’sDepartment of Environmental Resources Management, Waterand Sewer Department, and the Department of Solid WasteManagement.

Com “post” with Us!

ContactRosa DuarteSouthside Elementary45 SW 13 StreetMiami, FL 33130Mail Code: 5321Telephone: 305-371-3311Fax: 305-381-6237E-mail: [email protected]: Maria S. Gonzalez

“Through the use oftechnology and hands-onactivities, students put intopractice what they learnabout recycling.”

Rosa Duarte

A fter learning about the environmental needs facingthe world today, students

become Waste Warriors to promotereducing, recycling and reusing intheir community. A field trip to theEnvironmental Center and a recycling plant furthers students’understanding of the recyclingprocess. Interactive DERM web lessons also aid in teaching the students. Armed with knowledge,the Waste Warriors then turn toaction. They begin a paper recyclingcampaign by decorating boxes foreach classroom’s use. A Cartridgefor Kids Club creates flyers, bannersand posts information on the school’swebsite to involve the community intheir fundraising project that recyclescell phones and ink cartridges. Toshow students the complete recyclingprocess, compost is made andused in a school garden that servesas a science and math lab.

Students

This can be an individual club,classroom or school-wide project forgrade 2-6 students. Low-performingstudents benefit the most fromworking in collaborative groupswhere everyone has an equallyimportant role.

Staff

Rosa Duarte has taught in MDCPSfor 29 years. She holds a master’sdegree in ESE, specializing in autism.She is also an educational specialistin Computer Applications and hasbeen a technology coordinator andwebmaster since 1996. She teachesa journalism class that publishes theSouthside Express. Ms. Duarte

participates in The EducationFund’s Citibank FamilyTech,IMPACT II and Citibank SuccessFund programs.


Students need access to theInternet. A field trip to theEnvironmental Center is the key to the project.

www.educationfund.org Science20

Sponsored through a grant provided by Miami-Dade County’sDepartment of Environmental Resources Management,Water and Sewer Department, and the Department of SolidWaste Management.

Service Learning www.educationfund.org 21

Feed the Need: Bringing the Fields to Hungry Families

ContactBeth Rosenthal DavisJack Gordon Elementary14600 Country Walk DriveMiami, FL 33157Mail Code: 2151Telephone: 305-234-4805Fax: 305-234-4815E-mail: [email protected]: Maria Pabellon

“Motivate students toimprove their math andproblem-solving skills byincorporating civicresponsibility into thecurriculum.”

Beth Rosenthal Davis

I n this project, students learn theprocess of food recovery andempathy for those less fortu-

nate. In addition, students faced witha food shortage can learn ways toobtain free, fresh food for their families. Students learn about mal-nutrition in America and how FarmShare recovers and distributes freshand healthy foods to help alleviateit. Farm Share conducts producerecovery operations, gleaning projects, USDA commodity programsand food drives. Using truckloadsand warehouse configurations as apractical application, students solve math problems to determinefood pallet weights and spacerequirements. The unit includes 15 FCAT preparation activities inwhich students respond to readingcomprehension passages and writingprompts and interpret data fromgraphs and tables. Service learningcomponents that correlate to thelessons could include studentsorganizing canned food drives orgleaning operations, and handingout or sorting food at a center.

StudentsFive fifth-grade classes participatedin this project. Students spent twoweeks learning about the processof food recovery. This project can beadapted for students in grade 4-8.

StaffBeth Davis is a National BoardCertified Teacher and a member ofthe Florida League of Teachers. Shewas a Region Finalist for Teacher of

The Year and a state finalist for thePresidential Award for TeachingScience. She has taught for 19 yearsand has also been an adjunct atlocal universities. She has receivedThe Education Fund’s CitibankSuccess Fund and IMPACT IIgrants and a Teachers NetworkLeadership Institute fellowship inwhich she completed action

Dedicated to the memory of R. Ray Goode, Ryder SystemCharitable Foundation, supporter of The Education Fund,civic leader and a champion of quality public educationfor all in Miami-Dade County.

research on Teacher Collaboration.Her work is published by TSDenison and Instructional Fair.

Materials and ResourcesClasses can extend this program bytaking a field trip to Farm Share’spacking house. More information isavailable on Farm Share’s web site:www.farmshare.org.

Leaping Literacy: Books for the NeighborhoodOriginally a Catherine Scripps Rodriguez Family Foundation Teacher Mini-Grant

Sponsored by:

ContactRachel E. Kohrman RamosEneida Massas Hartner Elementaryand Community School401 NW 29 StreetMiami, FL 33127Mail Code: 2351Telephone: 305-573-8181Fax: 305-571-2511E-mail: [email protected]: Orlando Gonzalez, Ph.D.

“This project’s main valuecomes from its ability tohelp students seethemselves as agents ofpositive change in their owncommunity.”

Rachel E. Kohrman Ramos

I n this service-learning project,students organize a penny drivefor their school to buy books for

children in the community. Theydesign and create advertisementsto encourage penny donations.Incentives are offered to classescollecting the most pennies.Students count the pennies andwith the proceeds choose whichbooks to buy. Student reviews ofthe books are laminated, along withthe student photos, onto the coverof the book. These books are thenpresented to a shelter or clinic as agift from the school. To extend theirlearning, the students can researchthe origin of the penny and learnabout advertising design and multimedia presentations.

Students

This project is handled well by afirst-grade class, though it is easilyadaptable to grades 2-12. Classesof varying achievement levels canaccomplish the tasks involved; students who have lower functioningabilities will require more adultsupervision.

Staff

Ms. Kohrman Ramos is a first-gradeteacher with six years of experi-ence. She is also a storyteller andchildren’s drama, art and musicleader. Although paraprofessionalsare extremely helpful, it can also bedone with the occasional help ofparents and other volunteers.

Collaboration with both the mediaspecialist and the art teacherstrengthen this project.


Materials needed include plasticbuckets, counting mats (for studentsin the lower grades), art supplies,

clear contact paper, a student-friendly camera with film, and prizes for penny collection winners.Guest speakers may include publicrelations and marketing personnelfrom community organizations who depend on fundraising forfinancial support.

www.educationfund.org Service Learning22


Social Studies www.educationfund.org 23

Linking ContinentsOriginally an Assurant Solutions Teacher Mini-Grant

Sponsored by:

ContactMillicent TaylorMays Middle School11700 SW 216 StreetMiami, FL 33170Mail Code: 6431Telephone: 305-233-2300Fax: 305-251-5462E-mail: [email protected]: Kenneth Cooper

“This project makes historycome alive for students asthey connect with the pastthrough re-enactments,research and role playing.”

Millicent Taylor

T his interdisciplinary study incorporates math, science,visual art, music, poetry and

literature in the study of AfricanAmerican history from Africa toAmerica. Student projects include a talk-show format to interview historical figures, a museum displayto explain the cotton trade and themaking of a quilt to tell the story ofthe Underground Railroad. It alsoincludes a performance-based portfolio offering opportunities forstudents to reenact court cases,simulate experiences of slaves tobetter understand their feelings andemotions, and develop rap musicthat ties current issues with the past.

StudentsThe project was developed using62 eighth-grade Advanced Historystudents in a block schedule, whichgave students time to work oncooperative group assignments inclass. In addition, students weregiven home learning assignments tobe completed for the next class, aswell as long-term projects.

StaffMillicent Taylor is a National BoardCertified Teacher and holds a master’sdegree in elementary education. Shehas taught for 21 years and receivedseveral national, state and districtawards including the Excellence inthe Teaching of Economics, and theFlorida Governor’s Award, 1996 and2000. In 1997, Ms. Taylor was theMiami-Dade County Social StudiesTeacher of the Year. She is included

in Who’s Who in AmericanEducation, Who’s Who AmongAmerica’s Teachers and inAmerica’s Registry of OutstandingProfessionals. She received TheEducation Fund’s Teacher Mini-Grant for this project which she hasused for seven years. The art andlanguage art teachers are alsoinvolved in this project.


Materials needed are chart paper,markers, glitter, fabric, boxes, glue,DVDs, videos, and books. Fieldtrips to the African-American muse-um, Goombay Festival and artshows are useful. Guest lecturersalso enhance the project.

Stitching History

Sponsored by:

ContactOlga DehghaniBen Sheppard Elementary5700 West 24 AvenueHialeah, FL 33016Mail Code: 5021Telephone: 305-818-7984Fax: 305-818-7986E-mail: [email protected]: Carlos Diaz

“This project facilitates asense of belonging andaccomplishment in studentsand parents and contributesto an invaluable positiveeducational experience for all.”

Olga Dehghani

T o instill the sense of communityof the quilting bees of old, thisquilting project encourages

parent involvement and studentteamwork. After reading a bookabout a significant historical event,student groups decide what to portray on the individual squaresthat, when pieced together, will tell the complete story. Parentscoordinate the project at weeklymeetings, designing the color andfabric scheme and sewing thepieces together. The quilt instills in the students a sense of accom-plishment for years to come as it isdisplayed at the school, where thestudents can show others and retellthe historical story.

A social studies extension of theproject that creates further bondingbetween the student families is the sharing of heritage and customsthrough family presentations andparticipation in a variety of cultural activities.

Students

The project was used with kinder-garten students but is applicable toall grade levels.

Staff

Olga Dehghani is a 20-year veteraneducator. She holds a bachelor’sdegree in Architecture from FloridaInternational University and a master’sdegree in Elementary Education

from Barry University. She has alsostudied children’s literature at LaUniversidad Complutense deMadrid in Spain. Her class receivedfirst place for their collage in thecounty-wide Hispanic Festival. Sheserved as grade level chair for fiveyears and is currently on the EESAC

committee. She has received anAdapter grant and a Citibank SuccessFund grant from The Education Fund.


A sewing machine (for teacher andparent use), scissors, a variety offabrics and rulers are needed.

www.educationfund.org Social Studies24


Action Research www.educationfund.org 25

T he Teachers Network Leadership Institute (TNLI) is an action research initiative of more than 125MetLife Fellows from 10 nationwide affiliates that connects education policy with actual classroompractice to improve student achievement. The mechanism ensures that education policy-making is

informed by the realities of schools and classrooms.

meetings with intensive training inconducting action research as wellas readings and discussions on theeffectiveness of teaching strategiesand practices. That school year sevenNBCT teachers conducted actionresearch in their classrooms andsummaries of their projects appearedin the 2004-2005 Ideas with IMPACTcatalog. For their completed researchpapers, you may contact the teachersindividually or The Education Fund.Last year’s topics included:• service learning• habits of mind• teaching social studies through art• minorities and science• critical thinking in mathematics• training teachers in hands-on

science• learning communities

During the past school year, 2004-2005, eight MetLife Fellowsconducted action research. Theirresearch included:

Teachers NetworkLeadership Institute (TNLI)

An Action Research Program of The Education Fund

TNLI empowers teachers as it trainsthem to utilize ongoing research toimprove instruction and influenceeducation policy decisions. Actionresearch is a process teachers canuse to analyze the effectiveness of their instruction through data collection, evaluation and reflection.Full-time classroom teachers researchissues that affect their students anddevelop recommendations, documenttheir work in papers and publications,and disseminate their work locallyand nationally. To get the word out,teachers give presentations to schooldistricts, school boards, nationalconferences and join influential taskforces and advisory boards.

In 2003-2004, The Education Fundworked with the National BoardCertified Teachers of Miami and Dr.Jill Farrell, Director, PhD and EdSCurriculum and Instruction Programsat Barry University, to expand theprogram locally to include monthly

• Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)• web-based tutorials• nurturing interventions with at-risk

students• use of current events to develop

critical thinking• looping ESE students• research process and reading

comprehension• and a collaborative teaching project

to improve student observationand interpersonal skills.

These summaries appear on the following pages. Additional summariesfrom around the nation can be foundat www.teachersnetwork.org. If youwould like to explore conductingresearch in your classroom – andreceive a $750 grant and graduatecredits to do so-please see theapplication in the inserts of this catalog, contact The EducationFund at 305-892-5099, Ext. 18 or visit www.educationfund.org.

?What is the impact onfourth- and fifth-grade students’ reading

comprehension when themedia specialist teaches them the research process?How will using the researchprocess impact student skills withcause & effect and main idea?

Problem/RationaleI became concerned that although our fourth-and fifth-grade students performed well onour state’s writing test, these studentsseemed unable to use the same skills to readan article and write an extended responseto questions. I took a course and attendedconferences to learn how to infuse moreresearch skills into the library media programby using online resources. Research showsthat this will assist students in using criticalthinking skills to broaden their knowledge.

While the teachers at my school were committed to the students, the main curriculum focus was to improve studentscores on the FCAT in the spring. Teacherswere totally focused on the reading curriculum.Other subject areas appeared to be setaside for the test. I wanted to collaboratewith classroom teachers to demonstrate howthey could work with the media specialist to infuse library information skills into theircurriculum, teaching many subjects whilehaving the students use the skills necessaryto make gains on the test.

The school in which the research took place is part of a large urban school districtlocated in a predominantly African-Americancommunity. The racial make-up is 91% Blackand 9% Hispanic. Twenty-three fourth- andfifth-grade students participated in this actionresearch project.

ResearchWolf, Brush, and Saye (2003) found compelling evidence of a link betweenmetacognitive skills (thinking about thinking)and the Big6 information problem-solvingmodel. They found that the Big6 acts as ametacognitive scaffold for students to besuccessful in a variety of problem-solvinglearning activities. The Big6 can be appliedto a variety of learning situations, bothinside and outside the classroom. Teacherscan use this and other information problem-solving models to systematically teachproblem solving skills.

Joan Yoshina (1995-1997), library mediaspecialist, was part of a team consisting of three teachers and Violet Harada, anassociate professor at the University ofHawaii. Their action research showed thatstudent progress can be assessed effectivelyas they worked through the InformationSearch Process by using journals, rubricsand process-folios.

This action research team is using its findingsto improve current efforts and is working withother teachers in the school to integratecurricula. The results were also shared witheducators in other schools at the district andstate level.

Data/ToolsMultiple data sources were used. The studentstook a computerized reading comprehensionpretest, as well as a mock FCAT. The testshows that the students ranged in readinglevel from high first grade to seventh grade.The mock FCAT scores were also analyzed.I decided to focus on two comprehensionskills: main idea and cause/effect. Lessonplans, attendance records, classroomteacher’s grades, researcher observations,interviews, and student work were also usedas data.

The fourth-grade students gained 0.27 gradeequivalent on the STAR test in the semesterbefore the project began. These same stu-dents gained 0.48 grade equivalent levelduring the project. The fourth-grade studentsalso improved an average of 5.42 points onthe mock FCAT.

The fifth-grade students who participated inthe project gained an average 0.11 gradeequivalent on the STAR test. They hadgained an average 1.14 grade equivalent

during the semester before the projectbegan. The fifth-grade students improved anaverage of 6.125 points on the fifth-gradeReading Standards Assessment test.

AnalysisThe research indicated that students madeprogress in reading comprehension. Theyalso reported using the online resources withother projects and classes. They appearedmore comfortable with these databases.For example, Alexis independently usedNewsbank for Kids to look up and takenotes on background information for herscience fair project. The fifth-grade studentsdid experience a drop on their STAR test;however, their total average gains for theschool year were about the same as theirschool peers who did not participate in the project.

Policy RecommendationsThese fourth- and fifth-grade studentsenjoyed doing projects on the computer.Training in the use of the research processfor both teachers and students is essentialin order to integrate reading comprehensioninto the content area. Collaboration betweenclassroom teachers and the media specialistshould be encouraged and supported.

ContactDorothy Hammer, NBCT/MentorMedia SpecialistBarbara Hawkins Elementary19010 NW 37 AvenueMiami Gardens, FL 33056Mail Code: 3781Telephone: 305-624-2615E-mail: [email protected]: Evelyn C. Harrison

www.educationfund.org Action Research26

Teachers Network Leadership InstituteAn Action Research project of The Education Fund

?How will use of the VisualThinking Strategies (VTS)methodology, combined

with other writing strategies,support and impact the writingof third-grade students?

Problem/RationaleOne-third of my class was identified in the lowest 25 percent of the third-gradepopulation in reading. Communication andvisual literacy skills were a challenge for thisunderachieving population. They had difficultyarticulating observations and ideas, as wellas listening to and considering those of others.I wanted to give students the opportunity todevelop their speech, writing and listeningabilities to improve their reading comprehension.Research shows a definite relationship betweenwriting and reading. Reading is critical tothe promotion of third-grade students.

I wanted to address the development ofcommunication skills, so I implemented theVisual Thinking Strategies (VTS), developedby Yenawine and Housen, in collaborationwith a local university professor. VTS focuseson the development of critical thinking andobservational skills through the use of open-ended questioning techniques usingvisual art images.

Background/ContextMyrtle Grove Elementary School is a pre-Kthrough fifth-grade school located in a lowersocio-economic community in Opa-Locka,Florida with an ethnic breakdown of 92%Black Non-Hispanic, 1% White Non-Hispanic,1% Asian/Indian/Multiracial and 6% Hispanic.Approximately 93.3% of the 638 studentsreceive free or reduced-price lunches. MyrtleGrove Elementary’s student population isextremely transient in nature and is derivedlargely from single-parent homes, includingstudents in foster care and homes wheregrandparents are the heads of household.Students need extra help in mastering skillsand require close supervision and redirection.Therefore, several tutorial programs andflexible scheduling have been established toprovide additional assistance.

This study was implemented in my third-grade class, consisting of 21 students,some of whom were identified as gifted,learning disabled, or speech impaired. One-third of the students had been retained theprevious year and five of the studentslooped with me from the previous year.

Research• Research validates the use of art as a

stimulus for developing critical thinkingskills. (Eisner, Eliot. Educating ArtisticVision. 1997. The Macmillan Company)

• The development and theory of VisualThinking Strategies (VTS), as PhillipYenawine states, is based on severalantecedent educational theories. (Yenawine,Phillip. Theory into Practice: The VisualThinking Strategies. Presented at the con-ference of “Aesthetic and Art Education: ATransdisciplinary Approach,” sponsoredby the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation,Service of Education. September 27-29,1999, Lisbon Portugal. www.vue.org)

• Research shows that students can improvetheir ability to articulate thoughts and theirproblem solving skills. (Longhenry, Susan.Thinking Through Art at the Boston Museumof Fine Arts. School Arts Magazine.Volume 104, Number 7, March 2005.)

Data/ToolsThe Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)methodology uses art to teach visual literacy,critical thinking, and communication skills.Through a series of 10 lessons facilitated byDr. Jill Farrell of Barry University, studentslooked at and thought about art imagesrepresentative of diverse time periods, artisticstyles and cultures. Each lesson lastedforty-five minutes to one hour and used threeimages. The lessons were taught two tothree weeks apart and were followed bywriting and drawing activities. Studentsexamined art of increasing complexity,responded to developmentally based questions, and participated in group discussions to stimulate growth.

Writing is one way to obtain concrete evidenceof what the students are learning from VTSdiscussions. Pre/Progress and Post-Writingassessments evidenced the students’


growth. Attendance records, audiotapes,videotapes, direct observations, work samplesof writing and drawing, collaborative conver-sations, student and teacher reflections, stan-dardized test scores, and lesson plans werealso used. Each VTS lesson was analyzed.

During the untimed post-writing assessment,students wrote about one of the imagesshown in the VTS Student’s Web site. Theyselected the picture they wanted to writeabout and responded in writing to theprompt, “What’s going on in this picture?”The writing rubric, designed to assess criticalthinking skills, was developed from theassessment pathmarker designed by VisualUnderstanding in Education (VUE), forclassroom teachers implementing VTS.

AnalysisVisual Thinking Strategies significantlyincreased all students’ visual literacy andaesthetic development, ensured maximumparticipation, and developed a democraticrelationship among the participants. Writingsamples provided evidence of growth in language skills and thinking. Seventy-onepercent of the lowest 25% of studentsshowed improvement in their reading skillsas evidenced by the state standardizedtest. Eighty-five percent showed significantlearning gains.

Policy RecommendationsThis study indicates that students should beprovided with the opportunity to participatein arts-based instructional strategies. Itrevealed a number of policy implicationswhich could benefit students’ writing skillsthrough the arts:

• Time and funding is needed to providetraining in Visual Thinking Strategies for all teachers in low-performing schools.

• There should be a greater emphasis onintegrating the arts throughout the cur-riculum in order to promote the develop-ment of aesthetic thinking in all students.

• More opportunities should be providedfor collaboration between classroomteachers, university faculty and communi-ty resources.

ContactDonna Laffitte, NBCT/MentorMyrtle Grove Elementary School3125 NW 176 StreetOpa-Locka, FL 33056Mail Code: 3581Telephone: 305-624-8431E-mail: [email protected]: Dr. Barbara L. Johnson


?What impact does looping with second- tothird-grade Exceptional

Education students have ontheir reading abilities (in theareas of fluency, vocabulary,and comprehension) and self-esteem?

Problem/RationaleExceptional Student Education (ESE) hasevolved dramatically over the past twodecades. These changes are due to thegrowing concern that traditional, isolatededucational approaches to teaching studentswith disabilities were failing in U. S. publicschools. Typically, students with disabilitiesperform poorly in school (particularly in thearea of reading), have low self-esteem and low graduation rates. These negativeoutcomes of ESE programs have resultedin a paradigm shift that has impacted federaland state laws. These laws now require thatstudents with disabilities be included in thegeneral education classroom, a practicecalled inclusion.

As a second-year inclusion teacher, I havebeen interested in the impact the inclusivesetting has on my elementary students withdisabilities. This study was conducted in athird-grade classroom at a large, Title 1inner-city public school in Miami-DadeCounty, Florida. This study focuses on fiveESE students, four of whom are identifiedas having a specific learning disability (LD),and one of whom is identified as educablymentally handicapped (EMH). All of the students are minorities. Four of the studentshave English as a second language (ESL)and have been exited from the program forEnglish for speakers of other languages(ESOL). All of the students qualify for thegovernment-run free or reduced-price lunchprogram and therefore represent a lowsocioeconomic level.

ResearchExceptional student education has evolvedover the past four decades (Henderson, 2001,Ormrod, 2000) in response to alarmingtrends that have developed: students withdisabilities performing poorly in school(specifically in reading) (Vacca & Vacca, 2002);having low self-esteem (Bielinski & Ysseldyke,2000, Gross 1997); and low graduation rates(Ross-Kidder, 2002). Inclusion is one wayeducators and lawmakers are trying to remedy these problems. The premise ofinclusion maintains that the general educationclassroom is the best educational environment

for most students with disabilities (Ormrod,2000). Specific teaching strategies andpractices are used in inclusive classroomsto help students with disabilities achieve higheducational goals and develop a sense ofbelonging (Hall & McGregor, 2000, Schwartz,2000). Looping is one of these practices andrefers to a teacher and a group of studentsremaining together for two or more years.One of the intended benefits of looping is for students with disabilities to create bondswith the teacher as well as with other students (Chaskin & Rauner, 1995, Gilles & Ashman, 2000, Kohn, 1993). It is hopedthat bonding will increase the self-esteem of the students, which will result in higheracademic achievements.

Data/ToolsThe data sources analyzed include stan-dardized tests, norm-referenced tests, theWoodcock Johnson IQ assessment, theHoughton Mifflin informal reading inventory,the goals on the students’ individualizededucation plans (IEP), interviews with theESE teacher, and a personal journal. Thefindings from the data collected for this studyhave been validated using triangulation ofthe data instruments.

AnalysisIn order to analyze the data collected for thisstudy, I organized the information into fourcategories reflecting changes in reading fluency,reading vocabulary, reading comprehension,and self-esteem. The results of this studyrevealed patterns indicating that loopingwith ESE students in inclusive settings has apositive impact on all of the aforementionedcategories. In addition, an unexpected patternof higher expectations set by both the general

education teacher and the ESE teacher wasrevealed through data analysis.

Policy RecommendationsImplications of the findings of this studyinclude modifications for the implementationof inclusion programs in schools. The datasupports that the practice of looping ininclusion classes results in high achievementfor students with disabilities and high self-esteem. Therefore, I recommend theimplementation of looping practices moreoften in inclusive settings. In addition, I recommend further research in the area of best practices in inclusive settings.

ContactJill RobertWilliam Jennings Bryan Elementary1200 NE 125 StreetNorth Miami, FL 33161Mail Code: 0561Telephone: 305-891-0602E-mail: [email protected]: Mary Gil-Alonso



?How will the use of currentevents in a ninth-gradeLeadership Skills class

impact students’ critical thinkingskills, attitudes in science, andperformance?

Problem/RationaleOne trend educators keep mentioning in the halls and workrooms is student apathy.Educators refer to the increasing number ofstudents who shrug their shoulders andmake comments like, “So what?” or “Whocares?” Students have apathy towards theirlearning and their grades, and do not seethe connection between what they havelearned in school and the world around them.In the past three years, I have recognizedthis as a growing trend with my students.My school is an urban school with 3,300students. The ethnicity breakdown is 70%Hispanic, 28% Black, 1% White, and 1%Other, with 65% of the students on free orreduced-price lunch.

The particular class I used for this researchwas added when the district extended ourday and added this class to the last hour of school. Students were distressed by therequirement to stay in school an extra hourand take an additional class. These studentshad low motivation, and it was therefore aperfect class to try my intervention. I usedcurrent events in my daily lessons in orderto establish a clear connection between thecurriculum and the real world. Some of thecurrent events were drawn from videorecordings of news stories; others wereprint articles from USA Today, The MiamiHerald, Popular Science, and Discover.After viewing or reading the piece, studentshad to respond to questions and write theirown questions using Bloom’s Taxonomy.

ResearchThere was an extensive amount of researchavailable on classroom questioning and therelationship between teacher questioningand student achievement. The focuses of theresearch were: strategies to improve studentthinking and comprehension, placementand timing of questions, cognitive levels ofquestions, wait-time, redirection, reinforcement,and probing. Research that focused on theconnection between questioning and studentattitudes as well as research that used currentevents and questioning strategies werenonexistent. Several articles made generalstatements regarding making connections;however, they lacked a specific manner inwhich to accomplish this.

Data/ToolsI administered a pre- and post-attitudinalsurvey with regard to science. I comparedtheir Student Reading Inventory Scoresfrom May 2004 to May 2005. I collectedsamples of their questions and answersthroughout. I kept a journal of anecdotalcomments made by students in the class.

AnalysisMy analysis indicated an increase in studentsmaking a connection between the subjectmatter and their lives as well as their personalconfidence. There was little change in students’perceptions of their teacher’s attitude.Students made statements indicating to me that my intervention was having somepositive impact, even though it was notimmediately quantifiable. With regard to science being in the male domain, the students’ responses remained mostlyunchanged. Students’ ability to write ques-tions improved as they used and becamefamiliar with Bloom’s Taxonomy. Students’willingness and ability to respond to questionsthat used Bloom’s hierarchy increased withrepeated use and familiarity, however, theprogress lagged behind the ability to writequestions.


Policy RecommendationsThis research indicates the need for studentsto have quality instruction that connects thereal world to the academic world. Additionally,students and teachers must be trained inthe practice of developing quality questionsand answers. Moreover, teachers need time to develop these lessons in order toincorporate them accurately. Therefore,teachers should have at least one planningperiod and one progress monitoring/dataanalysis period per day.

ContactElizabeth RebustilloHialeah Miami Lakes High7977 W 12 AvenueHialeah, FL 33014Mail Code: 7131Telephone: 305-823-1330, ext. 2301E-mail: [email protected]: Karen Robinson


?Can it be too late for teacher-directed, child-centered, nurturing

interventions to positivelyimpact fifteen underachieving,at-risk sixth-grade students’motivation to learn (academicachievement)?

Problem/RationaleShould there be a place for moral educationin today’s middle school? What is learning?Is there an age and developmental stagewhen social learning is most beneficial toyoung people?

Last school year, my fifth-grade homeroomstudents all achieved FCAT scores formathematics and reading in percentagesbelow what is determined Level One. Severelylow scholastic achievement and deficientsocial dispositions locked my students intorecurring failure at school. The students inmy class focused (in varying degrees) onconversations with one another, complaints,insults among themselves, and negative attitudes such as disgust. They avoided teacherand school authority but admired studentsbeing reported to administration for breakingrules; students reported for defiance toauthority, fights, name calling and angertowards one another; and students reported forlack of attempt at home learning (homework).

My students were fortunate to attend anelementary school, so their first year of middle school expectations still providedthem a self-contained homeroom experiencewith one teacher, along with a familiar schoolenvironment of administrative leadership,schoolmates and friends.

ResearchMiddle school education is the critical link in dropout prevention for at-risk, disadvan-taged students. Abraham Maslow’s NeedsGratification theory is built on the premisethat each stage of needs has to be satisfiedbefore an individual is able to go forwardpsychologically, emotionally, and socially tomeet the next stages of needs, and to finallybecome a self-actualized, creative person.Disadvantaged, at-risk students are usuallyidentified because their needs for 1) clothing,shelter, 2) safety, protection, 3) sense ofbelonging, 4) love, friendship, affection, 5) self-esteem, and 6) self-actualization aredenied, compromised or unmet in someway. As such, young learners are unable toprogress satisfactorily to achieve scholasticlearning success.

Middle school years encompass a timewhen adolescent, pubescent teens have to face growth and developmental bodilychanges. A less personal school environment,stresses of challenging curricular management,numerous teachers and time periods, inaddition to their dependence on peers’acceptance (peer pressure) all present challenges for sixth-grade students.

Data/ToolsFCAT test scores, teacher observations,student surveys, interviews and seatingcharts were all studied for data regardingthis action research project. I wrote twogrants for my students. One used literatureanthologies to grow their vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, memorization andFCAT writing strategies. The other focusedon teaching The 7 Habits of Highly EffectiveTeens and community responsibility as theyworked with first graders. Implementationand observation of these grants, as well asfocused use of time on their grade-levelcurriculum, were also specific tools used toguide these students toward academic andsocial achievements.

AnalysisFifty percent of the class moved from Level1 to Level 3 in the FCAT Mathematics test.In addition, all students increased theirFCAT reading scores, with increases rangingfrom 54 to 762 points. Students developedpersonal initiative during the year: theychoose to study poems on their own andthey prepared stories and treats for theirfirst-grade reading buddies. The interventionsalso increased classroom morale and students’

self worth. One 12-year-old student wrote,“Thank you for The 7 Habits of EffectiveTeens book. I am learning about win-winand having a good attitude. I’m not gettinginto trouble and I don’t have to go to theoffice anymore.”

Policy RecommendationsCould it be that because these at-risk, disadvantaged students, who struggle with personal and social needs as well asthe need for academic gains, have chosento focus on the satisfaction of the moreemotionally pleasing social need? My majorrecommendation is for legislators, schoolboards and schools to provide middle schoolstudents nurturing environments with subject-specific, challenging curriculum. Support of high teacher certification programs suchas National Board for Professional TeachingStandards is also needed. In addition, timeshould be provided in a teacher’s workdayfor collaboration in learning communitiesbecause the teacher in a classroom still makesa difference in the social development andacademic gains for each and every student.

ContactSharon Wallen, NBCTSouth Pointe Elementary1050 Fourth StreetMiami Beach, FL 33139Mail Code: 5091Telephone: 305-531-5437E-mail: [email protected]: Melanie Fishman



?How does experience inVisual Thinking Strategies(VTS) affect the critical

thinking skills of the studentwhen communicating abouttheir own artwork? How canthe art teacher support theclassroom teacher to identifyor track transfer of VTS skills?

Problem/RationaleThird-grade students with learning disabilitiesand who have been retained have weakabilities in observational skills; creating acontext and providing an interpretation oftheir visual experience; and communicatingabout their experience. Visual art can serveas a focus for observation, interpretationand discussion about student experience.VTS methodology, developed by PhillipYenawine and Abigail Housen, is based onquestioning. “The teacher asks open-endedquestions, adding more probing ones later.”“Facilitation stresses expansive, reflectiveobservation and thought as the desiredbehaviors.” (Yenawine, Phillip)

Background/ContextI am an art teacher at Charles D. Wyche Jr.Elementary School, which is located in asuburban setting of lower middle-classhomes and apartments. This study wasimplemented in a single third-grade class oftwenty students who have learning disabilitiesand have been retained. They are ethnically,socioeconomically, linguistically, and cogni-tively diverse. This study occurred once perweek for one hour.

ResearchResearch has shown the validity of using artas a stimulus for developing critical thinkingskills. “Art can serve as a starting point foranalysis, stimulating the experience of theindividual. The student’s analysis of an artwork can develop their perceptual andinterpretive abilities as they identify theimage structure and respond based on theirexperience.” (Eisner, Eliot. Educating ArtisticVision. 1997. The Macmillan Company)

The development and theory of VisualThinking Strategies (VTS), as Phillip Yenawinestates, is based on several antecedent educational theories. “Peers exert greaterinfluence than parents on the shaping ofyoung people’s characters and personalities.”(Judith Rich Harris) “Through interactionswith people and the environment, childrenslowly evolve a series of ways of under-standing what they perceive.” (Jean Piaget)“Understanding involves active constructionthrough exploration and reflection. Effectivelearning, the development of operations thatenable an individual continuously to makemeaning of new circumstances and use newinformation, is a slow process.” (Lev Vygotsky)(Yenawine, Phillip. Theory into Practice: TheVisual Thinking Strategies. Presented at theconference of “Aesthetic and Art Education:A Transdisciplinary Approach,” sponsoredby the Calouste Gulbenkian FoundationService of Education. September 27-29,1999, Lisbon Portugal. www.vue.org.)

VTS curriculum is currently being implementedin public schools. In a partnership betweenthe Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, BostonPublic Schools, and Visual Understanding in Education, VTS methodology is beingimplemented to improve elementary studentlearning skills. Students improved in theirabilities to articulate their thoughts and inproblem solving skills. (Longhenry, Susan.Thinking Through Art at the Boston Museumof Fine Arts. School Arts Magazine. Volume104, Number 7, March 2005.)

Data/ToolsStudents viewed and discussed VTS-prescribed art images in approximately ten45- minute sessions, implemented over aneighteen-week period of art classes. Oraldiscussion was collected through audiotapesof class discussion. Anecdotal teacher-writtenobservations supplemented the assessmenttools. A written and drawing interpretationof student artwork was implemented in thebeginning, middle, and end of the imple-mentation period. An assessment of studentabilities to observe, communicate details,


and interpret artwork was analyzed byemploying an assessment rubric of studentbehaviors in an analysis of student oral discussion, written narrative, and drawing.Instances of assessed behaviors were tabulated and graphed to illustrate the number and frequency of the behaviors.

AnalysisSeveral factors influenced the outcomes of thestudents’ critical thinking and communicationbehaviors, including the students’ priorknowledge/experience, classroom culture, thephysical setting, training in VTS strategies bystudent and the facilitator, and implementationtime. For example, the group dynamicsinfluenced the student’s ability to focus andcommunicate their thinking orally. Somestudents were inhibited due to fear of beingjudged by peers. Others had difficulty main-taining focus on the image or the conversationover time. Additionally, the homeroom teacherand art teacher did not collaborate in theimplementation of the VTS strategy in theregular classroom setting.

During a museum visit, student analysisblossomed; their conversation with adocent revealed a newfound comfort in theiranalysis of artwork. Based on these factors,the quality of responses and students’ com-fort in participating varied. Students whoconsistently engaged in the activities didshow development in their abilities to articu-late detail and interpretation in the artworkof others and their own artwork.

Policy RecommendationsVTS strategies can be an effective method ofdeveloping student critical thinking and couldbe integrated into the instructional strategiesof all curricula. Students need a collaborativeclassroom culture that is supportive of VTSinstructional strategies. Teacher trainingmust be consistent and supported by theschool culture, providing training time aswell as interdisciplinary and cross-curricularcollaboration and planning. Students needmore experience in sharing conversationand valuing each other’s thinking.

ContactMark L. Rosenkrantz, NBCT, Early and Middle Childhood Art,Charles D. Wyche Jr. Elementary5241 N.W. 195 DriveMiami, Florida 33055Mail Code: 5991Telephone: 305-628-5776E-mail: [email protected]: Patricia Urban


?What happens to mathematical achievementscores when fifth-grade

students and their parentsinteract in an after-school, Web-enhanced tutorial program?

Problem/RationaleThere is no denying that computer technologyis here to stay. It is one of the innovationsthat creates interactive learning activitiesand gives educators some additional help in reaching individual students. Several fifth-grade, low-achieving math students becomeengaged in learning mathematical skills andstrategies only while using computer-basedtutorial programs. Our elementary school islocated in a low- to middle-income community.Some parents have expressed their desireto become more involved in helping theirchildren, but do not know where to begin.Many of the children had computers at home,so it was likely that parents and childrenwould utilize the tutorial program to practicemathematical skills. Furthermore, while thestudents interact with the Web-enhancedsubject area in an entertaining mode, theeducator has the capabilities of peering intothe students’ achievement files, which keepaccurate records of students’ scores as theycontinuously move from one activity to another.

ResearchAccording to Miami-Dade County Schools’Department of Instructional Technology, it is mandated that K-6 students be given a prescribed amount of computer learningtime, from 10 to 90 minutes, with someteacher interaction. In reference to the use

of computer technology in the classroom,there is a mindset that commitment is a critical component for the process to bebeneficial. In an article for ChildhoodEducation, Lilia C. Dibello (2005) states: “All of the parties involved in the processmust make a commitment to provide better technology access to all populations.Administrators must emphasize the benefitsof employing technology. Teachers mustunderstand the need for incorporatingtechnology in meaningful ways. Studentsmust commit to learning and employingtechnology in appropriate ways. Parents mustbe willing to support the changes and the needfor access to technology at home as well.”

Data/ToolsMath attitude surveys revealed that many of the students liked math, realized itsimportance, understood their own lack ofproficiency and were very receptive to participating in an after-school, Web-enhanced tutorial program. Parent surveysrevealed that about 60% of the parents didnot like math but 100% of them respondedfavorably to learning a computer-enhancedmath program. This offered some indicationabout their children’s lack of success inmathematics and warranted further study. Atthe same time, the responses strengthenedmy belief that parents have an innate desireto help their children in their educationalendeavors. Since the student’s mathematicalachievement was the basis for this researchproject, it was important to review the stu-dents’ quarterly grade-level math test (Seegraph). The graph shows the improvementof each student’s math scores. Overall therewas an average gain of about 9.2% for thestudents’ fourth grading period math scores.

AnalysisIt is very important to stress how similar theWeb-based tutorials were to the exercisesthat are used in the classroom. The programswere both student and teacher friendly, easilyaccessible and provided skills that meet stateeducational standards. Parental involvementwas not required, but their input was vital,as they sent information on how the studentperformed on their math home learningassignments. All students involved showedgreat interest in learning and practicing newmath skills and strategies.

Policy RecommendationsThe limited number of computers in theclassroom was a hindrance to my study.Each student was required to do individualwork that involved forty-five minutes of unin-terrupted computer time. It is very importantthat administrators and classroom teacherscontinue the dialogue with the district toincrease the number of computers in theclassroom. The Web-based tutorial can bevery beneficial to the educator who needsextra help in reaching the students who arefailing mathematics.

ContactJoy V. Mullings-LevyOak Grove Elementary15640 NE 8 AvenueNorth Miami Beach FL 33162Mail Code: 4021Telephone: (305) 945-1511E-mail: [email protected]: Mrs. Rhonda McKinney



?How will the use of variousinstructional approaches ina collaborative community

of learners impact the abilityof fifth grade students tomake detailed observationsand work appropriately in acooperative group?

Background/ContextMyrtle Grove Elementary School is a pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade school. Its ethnic breakdown is 92% BlackNon-Hispanic, 6% Hispanic, 1% WhiteNon-Hispanic and 1% Asian/Indian/Multiracial and 93% of the school populationqualifies for free or reduced-price lunches.Myrtle Grove Elementary School was identifiedas a participant in the School ImprovementZone at the beginning of the 2004-2005school year. There are 39 “Zone” schools inMiami-Dade County and these schools wereselected as a result of being chronically lowand/or underperforming. These schools havea number of differences from non-”Zone”schools, but the most significant are theextension of the school day by one hour andextension of the 2004-2005 school year byfive days.

Two of the four teachers who collaboratedin this study were mid-year transfers to theschool. The two are both National BoardCertified and taught fifth grade, one in theGifted Center and one in a newly createdscience laboratory. They transferred, in part, to be able to work together. The othertwo participating teachers were long-termmembers of the faculty, members of theschool’s Professional Development Teamand commonly accepted school leaderswho taught fifth-grade mathematics andcomputer applications.

Problem/RationaleThe newly transferred teachers noticed astriking lack of ability of the students tomake detailed and accurate observations.The students also demonstrated very poorinterpersonal skills in academic activities thatrequired cooperation among group members.These observations served as an opportunityto involve the veteran teachers of the schoolin a collaborative project to addressdeficiencies identified in the students.

Data/ToolsIn order to address student challenges inobservation and interpersonal skills, the four

teachers initiated their own unique strategiesaccording to the context of their individualclassrooms.

The mathematics teacher chose to addressthe issue of group interactions. He overtlytaught specific interpersonal skills andexperimented with various group configurationsin order to determine the root causes andsolutions to difficulty in group interactions.

The computer teacher worked with the students on both their observational skillsand their interpersonal skills, and overtlytaught students appropriate ways to interact.The teacher of Gifted students and the scienceteacher both worked on observational skillsand interpersonal skills while working in agroup setting. They overtly taught the skillsnecessary to interact in a group setting andto make observations. They made detailedobservations about student performance inboth areas.

The science teacher also utilized a specificset of strategies called Visual ThinkingStrategies (VTS) that uses art to teach visualliteracy, critical thinking and communicationskills. While the entire protocol of VTS wasnot utilized, the specific nature of the proto-col and its use warrants mention here.

Data used to evaluate observation skillscame from student work samples, teacherobservations and student reflections. Datasources for interactions in a group wereteacher observations, student performanceand student reflections.

AnalysisThe overt teaching of observational skills andinterpersonal skills while working in a groupby a collaborative community of learnershad an overwhelmingly positive impact onstudent performance. Students showed


tremendous improvements in the detail andquality of their observations in a variety ofcontexts. Even greater impacts were seen onthe ability of students to interact appropriatelyin a group setting. The collaborative natureof the teaching approach, as well as pre-senting the students opportunities to practicethese skills in a variety of contexts, resultedin marked improvements in student skillsand performance.

Policy RecommendationsWorking in groups helps students developcommunication skills, observational skillsand social interaction skills. Teachers should overtly teach students how to workappropriately in groups. There should bestandards that state this objective.

Just as students must be able to work ingroups so, too, must their teachers. Timefor teachers to collaborate on issues ofmutual interest and importance should bescheduled into the regular working day.

The ability to make detailed observationscan be crucial in determining success in anygiven venture. Teachers should be trained inprotocols that will assist them in teachingobservational skills.

ContactLori Nazareno, NBCT, Adolescence/YoungAdulthood ScienceMyrtle Grove Elementary School3125 NW 176 StreetOpa-Locka, FL 33056Mail Code: 3581Telephone: 305-624-8431Email: [email protected]: Dr. Barbara L. Johnson


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