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ProExcellentiaMartha Holden Jennings Foundation
S P R I N G 2 0 0 9
Skillful Reading
Riverside Local Schools has adoptedthe Wilson Reading Program tohelp students who have fallen behindin reading due to their decodingskills. The interactive programis being used throughout the districtin grades 3-12. Students involvedhave made significant gains andteachers like the systematic, multi-sensory approach. (see storypgs. 2-3)
Mastering Decoding Skills Leads toGains in Reading
M A R T H A H O L D E N J E N N I N G S F O U N D AT I O N 2
The purpose of the Martha Holden Jennings
Foundation is “to foster the development of
young people to the maximum extent through
improving the quality of teaching in secular
elementary and secondary schools
in Ohio.” Pro Excellentia is published to
describe a sampling of those efforts in six
key areas:
We ask that you please share this copy
with colleagues who may gain valuable informa-
tion and ideas from articles covered in this
publication.
Editor: Mary Kay Binder
www.mhjf.org
Mathematics, Science &Technology
Language Literacy
Arts Education
Educator Development
Leadership Skills forAdministrators
Other Student Services
Research-Based TechniquesTo close the achievement gap for
struggling readers, Riverside Local
Schools is providing targeted instruction
to at-risk students through the Wilson
Reading Program. The program will
improve literacy by providing targeted
instruction and teacher professional devel-
opment.
“An analysis of the district’s reading
assessments revealed approximately 16
percent of the students are considered ‘at
risk,’ reading significantly below grade
level,” says Vickie Loncar, Elementary
Curriculum Coordinator for the District,
which is located 30 miles east of
Cleveland and serves approximately 4,700
students. “If this continues, the achieve-
ment gap will only widen as these stu-
dents move through their education.”
The majority of these students, she
explains, have a core deficit in their
phonological or decoding skills. The
Wilson Reading Program is a researched-
based technique that provides direct,
structured, multisensory instruction and
gives students the decoding skills they
lack. The instruction is cumulative and
leads to successful fluent readers.
This is the second year the Wilson
Reading Program has been used within the
Riverside district. Once a student begins
the program, he/she needs to be followed
through to completion. On average, it
takes a student two to three years to
complete. For this reason, explains Mrs.
Loncar, Wilson has been established
throughout all buildings in the district. This
allows for consistency of instruction as the
students move from
elementary to middle to high school.
A 12-Step Process“Wilson is a 12-step program that really
teaches students the structure of our lan-
guage,” explains Mrs. Loncar, adding that
it is not only for those with learning dis-
abilities. “It’s for students who really strug-
gle with reading, who are reading two
grade levels below and really need specific
decoding skills.”
Linda Clayton workswith a student usingtile boards in aone-on-one tutoringsession.
“We had to address the achieve-ment gap. It would only widen asthese students moved through theireducation.”
Vickie Loncar, Elementary Curriculum
Coordinator, Riverside Local Schools
Students who participate in Wilson are
identified using the Dynamic Indicators of
Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS).
“We do a standardized assess-ment to see where their strengthsand weaknesses are,” explainsMrs. Loncar. “This program is notfor everybody. It’s not somethingyou would instruct on in theclassroom. It’s a small group,intensive program for identifiedstudents who would benefit from it.”
Wilson begins in grade three and is
offered to students through high school.
Students work either one-on-one or in
small groups with certified Wilson teachers
and follow a very structured, hands-on, 12-
step program. Elementary and high school
students follow the exact same process.
Students must master each step of the
program before they can move on to the
next level. Teachers track each student’s
progress by charting the results of every
tutoring session.
“We are really starting back at the
beginning” says Mrs. Loncar, explaining
that the Wilson Program starts off with
intense review of vowel sounds, consonant
sounds, and welded sounds. “We really
want to give them a solid foundation. In
the past, I think the regular class was mov-
ing on and these students didn’t quite get
what they needed.
Riverside Local Schools
“Wilson is very interactive,” shecontinues. “You are diagnosingthroughout the whole lesson, so youcan see right away if a student isnot getting it.”
Professional DevelopmentA significant part of the Wilson Reading
Program is the education of teachers.
For the past two years, teams of Riverside
teachers have been trained in the pro-
gram’s strategies with funding from a grant
from the Martha Holden Jennings
Foundation. During 2007-2008, 12 teach-
ers were certified in Wilson Level I, which
involves 90 hours of online instruction and
a 60-lesson practicum as well as demon-
strations and continuous feedback from a
Wilson trainer. This year, six teachers are
being trained in Level I and four in Level II,
which involves learning advanced strate-
gies for multi-sensory instruction, group
study practicum, and advanced word
study. The teachers are given all the mate-
rials and supplies needed for instruction.
“I thought the training was excellent,”
explains Linda Clayton, a 33-year special
needs teaching veteran, who is currently
undergoing Level II certification. Last year,
Mrs. Clayton worked one-on-one with a
third grade student who she says “blos-
somed” as she advanced through the first
four levels of the program. Mrs. Clayton
tutored the student for 45 minutes either
before or after school three days a week.
“It’s intensive,” she comments, “but they
need it, and it has paid off.”
“The program is all spelled out for
you,” adds Jean Jones, a SLD teacher
who is also being trained in Level II. “It’s
all right here,” she remarks pointing to the
large binder that contains the step by step
procedures the teachers follow. “It’s very
easy to use. Once you start doing it, it just
makes sense.”
Mrs. Jones worked with a fifth grade
student last year who could read and
decode at his grade level but struggled
with spelling. The student made significant
progress and she is confident that he will
continue to improve because he is
participating in Wilson in the middle
school this year.
Other teachers at Riverside have also
noted positive results thus far. Students
who were part of the practicum last year
showed an average two grade level
increase in both their decoding and com-
prehension skills. They are more confident
on attacking an assignment that includes
reading and have a stronger grasp of the
foundation of reading for use across the
curricula.
For more information:Mrs. Vickie Loncar, Riverside Local Schools585 Riverside Drive, Painesville, Ohio [email protected]
3
Students in the Wilson Reading Programwork in small groups and quiz each otherusing sound cards.
P R O E X C E L L E N T I A • S P R I N G 2 0 0 9
4M A R T H A H O L D E N J E N N I N G S F O U N D AT I O N
The Business of Learning
Junior Achievement of Greater Cleveland
Junior Achievement (JA) of Greater
Cleveland has been working to make eco-
nomics and business come alive for stu-
dents in 270 schools and organizations
throughout Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, and
Lorain counties through creative, hands-
on curricula.
Programs are presented by business
volunteers who visit classrooms in grades
K-12. They focus on seven key content
areas: citizenship, economics, entrepre-
neurship, ethics, character, financial litera-
cy, and career development. All lessons
have been tested, meet state standards,
and are updated in response to comments
from teachers, students, and volunteers.
Together the curricula and the volunteers
work to raise students’ educational and
career aspirations, teach economics and
financial knowledge, and develop job-
related skills.
“Our mission is to inspire and prepare
young people to succeed in the global
economy,” explains Wendy Kinsey,
President, Junior Achievement of Greater
Cleveland.
This year, JA Cleveland was able to
expand the number of programs it offers
to students in several inner ring suburbs --
Cleveland Heights-University Heights,
Brookpark, Maple Heights, and South
Euclid-Lyndhurst -- through a grant from
the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.
InspirationJA recruits a diverse group of business
volunteers from a range of industries.
These men and women serve as mentors
and role models who help today’s children
grow into tomorrow’s success stories,
explains Ms. Kinsey. JA provides an ori-
entation program for both the volunteers
and teachers who participate in the pro-
gram. At each level, they are given a
packet of materials that contains lesson
plans, hands-on activities, and discussion
topics to use in each week’s program.
Often, volunteers establish a relation-
ship with a particular teacher, and return
to that same teacher’s classroom year
after year. Kevin Frey, Internal Audit
Manager at Airgas, has volunteered in
Stacey Cohen’s first grade classroom at
Fairfax Elementary School in Cleveland
Heights for the past three years. He says
he always got along well with children and
enjoys being with them.
Mr. Frey recently visited Ms. Cohen’s
classroom to present the first grade JA
curriculum, which covers the role of fami-
lies in the local economy. Over five sepa-
rate sessions, he and the students dis-
cussed a variety of topics including the
interdependence of family members; the
difference between a family’s needs and
wants; and how jobs provide income to
pay for both.
Mr. Frey says the students he works
with come from a variety of backgrounds
and he enjoys their different perspectives.
He views his “guest appearances” as a
break in the school day’s more structured
learning and hopes the students have fun
learning with him. “This is a different way
to learn,” he says. “It’s a little more inter-
active than they may be used to.”
In the long run, he hopes his efforts
help to educate students about the variety
of possibilities that are available to them
and to encourage them to set and
accomplish goals so they can become
successful.
Ms. Kinsey adds that students who are
exposed to JA programs throughout their
13 years of education will meet a variety
of business professionals who will
acquaint them with all sorts of different
job possibilities and inspire them to
achieve their own dreams.
For more information:Ms. Wendy Kinsey, Junior Achievement ofGreater Cleveland, 1422 Euclid Avenue,Suite 525, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Businessman Kevin Frey teaches a lesson on “needs and wants” to first graders at FairfaxElementary School in Cleveland Heights. The children are identifying places on a floormap that families go to in their community to get their needs and wants satisfied.
A Global PerspectiveAt Waterford High School in
Appalachia’s Wolf Creek Local School
District, a school-wide project is educating
students about serious global issues
and empowering them to get involved.
Through Interactive Video Distance
Learning (IVDL) and guest speakers, stu-
dents are learning directly from those
who have been victims of disasters such
as genocide, poverty, and world hunger.
They are also hearing from organizations
who work to alleviate the suffering from
these events, such as the Peace Corps,
Doctors Without Borders, and Habitat
for Humanity.
“We are such a small school in a
secluded area and we want our students
to have access to what is going on in the
global community,” explains Kelly Miller,
who teaches Language Arts at Waterford.
She is the coordinator for a year-long
project called “Beyond Boundaries:
Student Activism from Waterford to the
World” for the school’s 200 students. “But
we want them not just to know what is
going on, we want them to understand
how they can become a part of a solution
through student activism and service.”
With a grant from the Martha Holden
Jennings Foundation, educators arranged
for speakers to visit the school, some in
person others via distance learning, to tell
their personal experiences. The students
heard from Holocaust survivors, the Lost
Boys of Sudan, and a survivor of the
Khmer Rouge. They learned about issues
such as landmine eradication, the lack
of drinking water in many parts of the
globe, and the extent of poverty in third
world countries. They also heard from
representatives of organizations intent on
providing relief to those experiencing
these problems.
“This is a very small, very rural,and very agricultural community,
and the students’ experi-ences are very limit-ed,” explains Mrs.Miller. “They justcan’t believe howother people livebecause it’s not in
their experiences.”
EmpowermentMrs. Miller stresses that the project’s
intent is to empower students to become
actively involved in alleviating some of
these pressing global problems. After
studying and making presentations about
several relief and social service organiza-
tions, the student body chose one -- Kids
Against Hunger – to be the recipient of a
major, school-wide fundraiser. The school
also hosted a “service fair” in which 30
exhibitors from local to global organiza-
tions talked with students about the mis-
sion of their groups and opportunities for
volunteers.
“We want to empower the students by
teaching them that they can do something
P R O E X C E L L E N T I A • S P R I N G 2 0 0 95
Through Interactive Distance Learning, students atWaterford High School are learning about otherpeople’s lives and considering how they might havean impact on global issues.
Global Awareness Sparks Student Activism
Wolf Creek Local School District
about things that are going on in the world
every day, which they may not see, but
that are happening. We want them to
know that they can become part of a solu-
tion for these events,” explains Mrs. Miller.
“This has been eye opening,” says one
senior who was deeply touched by the
accounts of a woman who works with
orphans in Honduras. “We just don’t real-
ize how bad it is in other countries. We
have such great privileges here and we
can take care of each other. But where
there is no money and everyone is poor –
it’s just such a shocker.”
Mrs. Miller says that the entire project
– presentations, interviews, IVDLs -- is
being documented by students in the
school’s tech class and will eventually be
available as podcasts.
For more information:Mrs. Kelly Miller, Waterford High SchoolP.O. Box 67, Waterford, Ohio 45786
M A R T H A H O L D E N J E N N I N G S F O U N D AT I O N 6
Art Competition Rewards Effort and Talent
Cuyahoga County Regional Scholastic Art Competition and Exhibition
Engaging Studentsin Their World
In January, 2009, The Cleveland
Institute of Art (CIA) hosted the opening
reception of a very special exhibit. On
display in the Reinberger Galleries were
282 pieces of award-winning artwork
created by junior high and high school
students in Cuyahoga County. These
pieces were among 1,522 samples of
student work entered into the Cuyahoga
County Regional Scholastic Art Competition
and Exhibition. A group of professional
artists and art professors judged each for
its originality, technicality, and personal
vision. Exceptional pieces received an
Honorable Mention, Silver Key, Gold Key,
or American Vision award and were
mounted and displayed in the Reinberger
Galleries for three weeks in January. Top
place American Vision and Gold Key win-
ners were then forwarded to a national
competition in New York City.
For 29 years, CIA has sponsored the
Scholastics competition to encourage cre-
ativity in young people and to recognize
outstanding achievement in the visual arts.
Open to Cuyahoga County students in
grades 7-12, it is the most prestigious
juried visual arts competition for young
artists in Greater Cleveland. It offers stu-
dents exposure to professional artists,
contact with other top student artists in
the county, a look at the work the other
students are producing, and an opportuni-
ty to see their work displayed in a profes-
sionally mounted gallery exhibition.
Each year, CIA invites more than 300
art teachers in the county to submit
student work to the adjudicated event.
Art teachers note that through Scholastics,
daily art lessons are applied to a “real life”
situation in which artwork is judged by
impartial jurors based on its merits. Each
teacher can enter up to 15 pieces of their
students’ art, so they serve as the first
round judges in the process.
“I look for work that goes beyond –
something that is a little more personal,
more expressive,” says David King, a
teacher of two-dimensional art at Chagrin
Falls High School. Mr. King has been sub-
mitting student work to the Scholastics
competition throughout his 25 years of
teaching.
“I think competition is a normalprocess in the art world. The stu-dents compete with others their ownage; it’s just a good experience togo through.”
Daniel Whitely, who teaches advanced
drawing, honors painting, and portfolio
workshop at Shaker Heights High School
agrees. When selecting work to enter into
the competition, he looks for well-designed
pieces that clearly convey the artist’s
intent, has challenged the student and
pushed the artist to think. “They learn their
own creative process through this experi-
ence,” he remarks. “There are different
ways of approaching things and they need
to know what it takes -- from beginning
Shaker Heights High School student Emily McCandless, who won a Gold Key for thesepaintings in her portfolio, says students should have fun with the competition and “do”what they like: “Everything that I paint is something that I love, that’s meaningful to me --even the vegetables.”
“I really enjoy looking aroundat the Exhibition at other people'swork -- seeing what they comeup with and getting inspiration forwhat I could possibly do in thefuture.”
Courtney Gill, Shaker Heights High School
Gold Key Award Winner
for Portfolio
AndrewWeaver of
Chagrin FallsHigh Schoolwon a GoldKey and anHonorableMention atthe 2009
Competition.
P R O E X C E L L E N T I A • S P R I N G 2 0 0 97
to end -- to [create] a piece of art that is
exhibition worthy.”
Award WinnersMr. Whitely submitted 10-12 student
portfolios (which consist of eight art
pieces, an artist’s statement, a letter of
recommendation, and the students’ tran-
script) in this year’s competition. Three
won Gold Key awards. Shaker students
also competed in jewelry design, graphics,
fine arts, and ceramics.
The Scholastics competition has provid-
ed thousands of students who apply
themselves in the visual arts with the kind
of challenging, competitive, and rewarding
experience more broadly available to
teens involved in athletics.
Organizing the event is a substantial
undertaking. Artwork is dropped off at CIA
one day in December and within 20 hours
it is adjudicated by a group of professional
artists and art teachers. The pieces are
first divided into 19 different categories,
which include painting, photography,
model design, product design, and
video/film among others.
“The judging is intense,” says Richard
Maxwell, Assistant Director of Continuing
Education & Community Outreach at the
Institute. He adds that CIA looks for jurors
who work outside of the county to ensure
impartiality in the judging process.
While not every student wins an award
at the competition, Mr. Maxwell hopes all
students who participate will continue to
pursue their passion for art. “I hope the
students learn that they should not give up
and that they should continue to create,” he
says. “It helps increase their learning in
other avenues as well.”
Mr. King recognizes that value, too.
“The students are not entering the competi-
tion just to win an art show,” he remarks.
“They’re doing it because they love art and
they love sharing it with other people.”
For more information:Mr. Richard MaxwellThe Cleveland Institute of Art11141 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio [email protected]
Shaker HeightsHigh Schoolstudent JoeSchorgl won aGold Key forhis comic bookillustrations.
M A R T H A H O L D E N J E N N I N G S F O U N D AT I O N 8
On-line Classes Enhance Gifted Program
Virtual LearningGifted students from four districts in
Clermont County are learning through a
series of on-line courses in several subject
areas. The virtual classes, which are
being developed by their teachers, allow
these small, rural districts to efficiently
serve their gifted populations. The courses
build on the state standards but go more
in-depth and involve critical thinking skills
and lots of creativity.
Gifted students and gifted teachers are
sprinkled around the county at many dif-
ferent schools, explains Amy Bain, Gifted
Coordinator, Clermont County Educational
Service Center. “We couldn’t really have
classes of three students here and four
students there,” she remarks. The educa-
tors realized, however, that if the county
offered courses on-line, students could
select classes specific to their areas of
passion – whether in science, social stud-
ies, language arts, or math -- and the dis-
tricts could share gifted personnel among
all the schools.
A pilot project last year in the districts
of Bethel-Tate, Clermont Northeastern,
Felicity-Franklin, and Williamsburg local
As a culminating activityfor the class on AncientEgypt, students use thescientific method to deter-mine the best substancesfor mummifying squid.
schools, proved the idea could have phe-
nomenal results. Students in the different
districts read the same novels, analyzed
historical documents, and shared their
thoughts and comments on-line. Each
week teachers provided through-provok-
ing prompts and students were able to
discuss issues that went well above typi-
cal grade-level conversations. At the end
of each quarter, students met face-to-face
for live debates and discussions and the
opportunity to meet their counterparts
from other districts.
The Program ExpandsWith a grant from the Martha Holden
Jennings Foundation, the county expand-
ed the program in 2008-2009 to include
gifted students in grades 3-8 and to
increase the number of virtual course
offerings.
Last spring gifted teachers from all
four districts along with Mrs. Bain met to
develop the courses. While most are inter-
disciplinary, the focus of each is science,
social studies, or language arts. Currently,
almost 350 students are enrolled in the
classes.
“Once we decided to offer on-line
courses, we were surprised with the lack
of available resources,” explains Mrs.
Bain. “We discovered that we needed to
create the classes ourselves. This was
exciting in that we could develop the
courses with the gifted students’ needs in
mind.”
“It takes a long time to map it out, to
break it apart, to get the best resources,
to align it to the standards, to consider
learning styles and interests,” says
Heather Frost-Hauk, who teaches gifted
students in grades 6,7, and 8 in the
Bethel-Tate district. “The great thing is
that we all work together to compile and
pool resources, brainstorm ideas, and
map the units. Then, the [teacher] respon-
sible for the unit fine tunes things.
“There is so much to consider;” she
adds, “I love the challenge though.”
Mrs. Frost-Hauk says her passion is in
language arts so she concentrates on that
subject and leaves science and social
studies to other teachers. Titles of courses
she developed include Oh Rats! (Mrs.
Frisby and the Rats of NIMH); Basics of
Writing; My Kind of Research; Creative
Writing and Poetry; and Dracula.
“The on-linecourses havechallenged meto re-think theway I vieweducation andservice options forgifted students,” commentsRenee King, who teaches giftedstudents in grades 3-8 at Felicity-Franklin School. “I no longer havea ‘one size fits all’ service -- Ihave options! I find myself lookingat individual student needs morethan ever.”
Clermont County Educational Service Center
P R O E X C E L L E N T I A • S P R I N G 2 0 0 99
Course SelectionsStudents typically have three classes
or more to choose from each quarter. For
each course, students meet weekly with a
gifted teacher and then have weekly virtu-
al activities that can be completed on-line.
They are encouraged to work at their own
pace, provided they meet required dead-
lines. Students come to the face-to-face
classes armed with information they have
learned during the week. Throughout the
course, the students share their findings
and comments with gifted students in the
other schools. Each course includes a cul-
minating project or activity where the stu-
dents from the different schools get
together. This project serves as the
course assessment and allows students to
set goals that drive learning during the
prior eight weeks.
“Students love being able to choose
what they study,” says Mrs. Bain. “Those
gifted in science no longer are grouped
with other gifted students in a reading
class. Now they can take courses such as
Anatomy, Cells, Flight and Rockets,
Amazing Animals, or Chemistry.
Developing courses that match the areas
of identification has been a wonderful
advantage of the program.
“This is not a ‘canned’ program,” she
continues. “The courses are updated and
tweaked for each group of students. We
really look at what the students are doing,
what they might need.”
Mrs. King believes the program’s
biggest benefit is its flexibility. On-line
courses allow students and teachers
access to the class at any hour of the day,
any day of the week. And if students are
particularly interested in a topic, they can
share what they have learned with other
students via forums or discussion boards.
Mrs. Frost-Hauk says she likes the fact
that students get a whole package: “They
learn to be responsible for their learning;
improve their skills when it comes to tech-
nology; learn ‘real-life’ skills – as on-line
courses are becoming the future of col-
lege courses; learn to respond construc-
tively to their fellow students in the way of
forums and wikis; work at their own pace;
Gifted students at Felicity-Franklin Elementary School workin the computer lab on anImmigration project. Theirteacher, Renee King, suggesteda variety of Web sites theycould explore to gather informa-tion they will share at theirweekly face-to-face meeting.
and can incorporate their interest in their
course selections,” she says.
“It’s important for teachers torealize that on-line education is avaluable tool that can be very pow-erful in impacting student achieve-ment,” stresses Mrs. King. “It isnot a class without a teacher. Wemake face-to-face weekly meetingsa core component of the virtualclasses. We are constantly in com-munication with students on-line orface-to-face to ensure qualityresults.”
For more information:Mrs. Amy BainClermont County Educational Service Center2400 Clermont Center Drive, Suite 202Batavia, Ohio 45103-1957
Agriculture students at Utica High
School are planning to produce 100
gallons of biodiesel fuel each week from
recycled cooking oil and market it to area
farmers for use throughout the growing
season. The students will handle all
aspects of production from collecting oil
from a local restaurant to operating a
biodiesel fuel processor to distributing the
final product. Prior to making their first
gallon, the students researched all
aspects of biodiesel fuel technology. They
studied the chemistry behind the fuel, the
cost effectiveness of production, and its
potential environmental impact.
Instructors Jeff Hindel, Industrial
Technology, and Steve Priest, Agricultrual
Education, conceived the idea in the
spring of 2008 when diesel fuel prices
were rising dramatically.
“The fuel crisis spearheaded this proj-
ect,” says Mr. Hindel, explaining that Utica
is a small farming community and stu-
dents at the school live on and work those
farms. “When diesel fuel was over $4.00 a
gallon last May we got together to think
about how we could help our community,
and this is what we decided to do.”
In addition to providing the community
with a less expensive fuel, Mr. Priest notes
that biodiesel fuel burns cleaner and is
less corrosive to engines than fossil fuel
and its emissions are less harmful to the
atmosphere than standard emissions.
User Friendly ProcessorWith a grant from the Jennings
Foundation, the teachers purchased a
self-contained biodiesel fuel processor
that is easy to operate and requires little
maintenance. It is set up in a walled-off
area of the Ag shop. All chemicals needed
to make the fuel come pre-measured; stu-
dents simply pour in the oil and chemi-
cals, push the start button, and let the
machine do the work. Twenty-four hours
later they drain off glycerin, a by-product
of the production process, and start the
final wash. In another 24 hours, the fuel is
ready to use.
A small group of seniors in the
Students are filtering the recycled cooking oil thatwill be used to make the biodiesel fuel.
Students Manufacture Alternative Fuel
North Fork Local School District
M A R T H A H O L D E N J E N N I N G S F O U N D AT I O N 10
Students are adding pre-measured methanol to thebiodiesel fuel processor.
Agriculture program made their first 50-
gallon batch in mid-March.
“It’s nice that we know how tomake an alternative energy source,”says one student. “This will be a bigpart of energy in the future, andmaybe one of us can head up a com-pany that will make biodiesel fueland introduce it to all of America.”
The students’ plan is to produce the
fuel for local farmers who would con-
tribute a donation to the school’s
Agriculture program in return. They have
produced a detailed PowerPoint presenta-
tion highlighting the environmental and
financial benefits of “buying” their school-
grown product and will use it as a market-
ing tool when talking to community groups
this spring.
“This is a wonderful experience for
us,” remarks another student. “It gives us
an idea of how to run our own business
and also allows us an opportunity to help
our community.”
For more information:Mr. Jeff Hindel, Mr. Steve PriestUtica High School260 N. Jefferson StreetUtica, Ohio 43080
11
Walking in Their Moccasins
Children who live along the southern
shore of Lake Erie are getting a unique
opportunity to learn about the Native
Americans who once walked in their back-
yards. Through a program called, ”Walking
in Their Moccasins,” designed by educa-
tors at The Lake County Historical Society,
children in grades 3-5 learn about the cul-
ture, art, technology, and lifestyles of the
pre-historic people known as the
Whittlesey* focus people.
“School children who live in this area
learn everything they need to know about
eastern woodland tribes, southern mound
builders, even the Alaskan Native
Americans, but they learn nothing about
the Native Americans who once walked
through their backyards,” says Kathie
Purmal, Executive Director, The Lake
County Historical Society. Their history,
culture, and disappearance are an integral
part of the history of Lake County and sur-
rounding areas and local teachers know
very little about them.
With a grant from the Martha Holden
Jennings Foundation and the expertise of
a previous youth education director, the
Historical Society developed a standards-
based program to teach students how the
Whittlesey focus people used their envi-
ronment and technology to create a better
way of life.
Environment and TechnologyThe Historical Society is fortunate to
have a site that offers a unique environ-
ment for conducting an interactive pro-
gram – a combination classroom and out-
door setting where students can learn
both through direct instruction and hands-
on discovery. In creating “Walking in Their
Moccasins,” Ms. Purmal drew upon
decades of success the Historical Society
has had with the popular Pioneer School –
where students learn about early American
life in an authentic environment where
they actually haul wood, cook over an
open fire, and attend school in a one room
school house.
“We saw how the proper environment
really lit the imagination,” says Ms.
Purmal. “And with the imagination, of
course, comes the learning.”
The three-hour Native American pro-
gram is divided into indoor and outdoor
sessions. Students enter “Professor
Whittlesey’s” laboratory inside the muse-
um to learn more about the lifestyles of
these prehistoric peoples. The classroom
is set up as a Whittlesey campsite with a
wigwam surrounded by “rock cliffs.” To
learn about the different time periods
The Lake County Historical Society
these Native Americans lived in the area,
the students examine a variety of “arti-
facts,” discuss them, and match them
with real artifacts held in display cases.
The students’ job is to identify the objects
as tools, weapons, or decorative pieces
by using observations and information
included in a written field guide.
Outdoors, the students have an eight
acre wooded environment in which to
learn through experience. A group of high
school students assisted in creating a vil-
lage that includes a long house; wigwam;
native garden; and cooking, tool-making
and clay pot area. Using materials found
in the environment, students role play the
Whittlesey people solving problems asso-
ciated with obtaining food, shelter, and
clothing. They make tools out of stone,
wood, and bone. They grind corn with a
mortar and pestle and use deer antlers to
work in the garden.
“The lesson we want them to learn is
how these people used their environment
and technology to create a better way of
living,” says Ms. Purmal. “And through
that, we hope will grow a respect for the
Native Americans that once walked the
southern shores of Lake Erie.”
For more information:Ms. Kathie PurmalThe Lake County Historical Society8610 Mentor Road, Kirtland Hills, Ohio 44060
*The name Whittlesey comes from CharlesWhittlesey, an archaeologist who exploredLake County in the 1830’s and uncoveredremnants of primitive life in the area.
A museum display of the Whittlesey peopleteaches students how they survived intheir natural environment.
P R O E X C E L L E N T I A • S P R I N G 2 0 0 9
Jennifer McCalla in her classroom atNormandy High School.
M A R T H A H O L D E N J E N N I N G S F O U N D AT I O N 12
Top Educator Awards
to make it better.”
A 10-year teaching veteran, Mrs.
McCalla enjoys working with kids and
“seeing their expressions when they get
it – when they have that ‘aha moment.’
“With some kids it may take a little bit
longer,” she adds, “but that’s what it’s all
about.”
Casey PtasznikCasey Ptasznik aims to recapture the
enthusiasm a kindergartner has for learn-
ing and instill it in her high school stu-
dents. With funds from the 2008 Master
Teacher Award, she is working to bring her
world history classes to life. She pur-
chased 13 laptop computers that she
envisions ninth grade students at Chardon
High School will use to make multimedia
and PowerPoint presentations, conduct
research, assemble timelines, and create
political advertisements and cartoons.
Actually, she says, the whole department
will benefit from the computers, which are
stored on a portable cart and can be
moved from room to room.
“The range of activities and skills that
we are going to be able to do is going to
be a lot more extensive,” says Mrs.
Ptasznik, who says her teaching style will
change a lot due to the immersion of the
technology in her lesson plans.
“We do a lot of skills-basedlearning,” she adds. “While thestudents are learning a conceptwithin world history there is alsoat least one skill connected toevery activity, and the computerswill play into that.
“It’s going to force me to learn too,”
she admits, remarking on the variety of
new software programs that will be avail-
able for teachers to use.
Jennifer McCallaJennifer McCalla believes it is extreme-
ly important for teachers to stay current
with trends in technology. A mathematics
educator at Normandy High School in
Parma and the 2008 recipient of the
George B. Chapman, Jr. Teacher Award
for Excellence in Mathematics Education,
Mrs. McCalla says using graphing calcula-
tors and computer software gives stu-
dents the best chance to understand the
math they are learning, as opposed to just
memorizing rules and formulas.
“My own experiences in learninghigher mathematics have convincedme that tools that allow students to‘explore’ and ‘play with’ variousideas foster fundamental under-standing of the ‘why’ of mathemat-ics in addition to the ‘how,’ ” sheremarks.
Mrs. McCalla, who holds a master’s
degree in education technology, used the
award to establish a mobile graphing calcu-
lator lab that is being used by nine teachers
in classes from Algebra Topics to AP
Calculus in the mathematics department at
Normandy. The lab consists of a set of 30
TI-Nspire graphing calculators, a PC Video
projector, and a laptop installed with TI-
SmartView Emulator software. Using the cal-
culators, students can see multiple repre-
sentations – tabular, graphical, and numeri-
cal -- of the same problem on one screen.
“I’m slowly getting teachers to under-
stand all these calculators can do,” says
Mrs. McCalla, who is providing in-service
for teachers in the department in hopes
that all will incorporate them in their les-
sons. She believes effective teachers
need to be open to try new things. “They
need to be adventurous,” she says. “If
you try something and it doesn’t work
you can adapt it, or change it, or edit it
Casey Ptasznikinstructs agroup of worldhistory studentsat ChardonHigh School.
P R O E X C E L L E N T I A • S P R I N G 2 0 0 913
Mrs. Ptasznik has been teaching high
school social studies for 13 years. Her
original plan was to go to law school and
focus on educational law, but a semester
of student teaching changed her mind.
“I have really enjoyed the kids,” she
remarks, adding that teaching is never
boring because the students are constant-
ly changing. “I can take the same course
and teach it three times a day and it is so
different class to class.”
Mrs. Ptasznik believes one of the most
important qualities in a master teacher is
having the ability to assess what students
need and provide it for them, which, she
concedes, is easier said than done. She
also believes it is important to offer guid-
ance and emotional support outside of the
classroom.
Thomas Stork“It is the students who do the learning
and if they are not directly engaged with
the content then they are not effectively
learning,” says Thomas Stork, who has
taught science at Athens High School for
the past 30 years. “They have got to be
directly engaged, they have got to be con-
necting the ideas to their experiences in
the real world. And it is the teacher who
arranges for that to happen.”
In courses ranging from Integrated
Science to AP Physics, he encourages
students to investigate the world around
them and then incorporate that knowledge
into a coherent world view. As the 2008
recipient of the Arthur S. Holden Teacher
Award for Excellence in Science
Education, Mr. Stork aims to tap the stu-
educatorexcellence
dents’ connection to information technolo-
gy and apply it to their investigation of
force and motion in ninth grade physics
lessons.
Using technology purchased with
award funds, students work in teams
using wireless data gathering devices to
measure force, acceleration, and position
as they engage in a variety of activities.
They download and analyze this data on
computers, record their activities using
video cameras, and will eventually create
podcast presentations to share what they
have learned with elementary students.
“I have worked to try to incorporate
students’ direct experience through avail-
able technology all my career,” Mr. Stork
remarks. “As engaged as I am, I recognize
that I am not nearly as plugged in as my
students.” From iPods to text messages,
he adds, their connection with information
technology is continuous and second
nature; he would like to take advantage of
that interest and turn it to an instructional
purpose.
With three decades of experience
behind him, Mr. Stork jokes that he is still
learning how to do his job. Yet, he does
have some advice for new teachers:
“It’s really all about the students.That’s the deal. The whole focushas got to be getting to know them,”he says. “And that’s the fun of it.So enjoy your students – that wouldbe my advice.”
Thomas Stork, Science Teacher atAthens High School.
“All of these are technologiesthat engage the reluctant learner,”says Ms. Depue. “I truly believethat’s part of the enthusiasm thatkeeps the kids coming.”
The intervention sessions ran for sever-
al weeks prior to the state testing in April.
Participants were identified through a pre-
assessment test given in January. Those
invited to the “club” exhibited weaknesses
in several learning outcomes. Results of
these tests also indicated to the teachers
the skills students were lacking, and they
designed activities to meet those needs.
The Saturday sessions began at 11:30,
allowing the students the ability to “sleep
in.” They started the afternoons with a
pizza lunch, which were followed by four,
hour-long academic sessions. The large
group was broken into smaller groups of
6-10, which rotated through the different
activities. The activities varied each week
and included such tasks as dissecting a
fetal pig, designing a scavenger hunt using
hand held GPS devices, and creating pod-
casts that can be viewed on the class
Web site.
Ms. Depue firmly believes that integrat-
ing technology in the curriculum is a signif-
icant motivator. “Every time new technolo-
gies come out we want to ban them,” says
Ms. Depue referring to devices such as
cell phones and iPods.
“Instead of spending a lot of time mak-
Technology Creates Interest in Saturday School
M A R T H A H O L D E N J E N N I N G S F O U N D AT I O N 14
Marietta Middle School
Teachers Embrace TechnologySaturday Club was a popular spot for
seventh graders at Marietta Middle School.
More than 50 pre-teens attended the aca-
demic program to the envy of classmates
who remained on the waiting list.
“It’s all about making learning fun,”
says seventh grade teacher Kimberly
Depue, who developed the weekend pro-
gram with her colleague, Kathy Finley.
The teachers set out to engage reluctant
learners in activities they don’t get to do
during the usual school day. Their
ultimate goal is to improve the perform-
ance of these students on the Ohio
Achievement tests in the areas of mathe-
matics, science, technology, and language
arts.
The teachers believe the secret to their
success is the integration of technology.
With a grant from the Martha Holden
Jennings Foundation, they purchased a
variety of technological tools, such as
handheld GPS units, iPods, Vernier probes,
and graphing calculators, which totally
engage students in the learning process.
Students in SaturdayClub use a variety oftechnological toolsthat interest them inlearning.
ing rules for not using this [technology], I
think we need to start really brainstorming
how to make it practical and useful in the
classroom. We’re not teaching [students]
the technology, we’re using the technolo-
gy as a tool to teach the academic out-
comes.”
Student TeachingA second purpose of the Saturday Club
is to give Marietta College students who
are earning a teaching degree through the
CORE (Developing Core Teachers in Ohio’s
Appalachian Region) Program an opportu-
nity to practice their classroom skills.
These students are professionals in mathe-
matics and science-oriented fields and
have chosen to pursue teaching as an
alternative career. The college students
helped design as well as teach the
Saturday lessons.
“The [student teachers] learned a lot as
far as getting that experience to teach,”
says Ms. Depue, who is an instructor in
the CORE Program.
“They enjoyed working with the target
group, they enjoyed working with each
other, and they’ve had lots of great expo-
sure to all kinds of classroom tools. Now
they’ve seen [the technology] in use. I
think that’s given them valuable informa-
tion as well.”
For more information:Ms. Kimberly Depue, Marietta Middle School242 7th Street, Marietta, Ohio 45750
P R O E X C E L L E N T I A • S P R I N G 2 0 0 915
Jennings Science WorkshopsGrades 5-8 • June 22-25
Grades 2-4 • July 6-9
Jennings MathematicsWorkshopGrades 6-8 • July 27-30
Jennings Educators’ RetreatJuly 30-31
ments, an on-line version is also available.
If a district has not developed an imple-
mentation plan, a teacher or curriculum
director can attend the program and then
assist the district in the design of its plan.
Each program can be taken for either two
semester hours of graduate level credit
from Ashland University or 12 professional
development contact hours.
For workshop registration forms,
please visit the Ashland University web
site: www.ashland.edu/econedcenters
For more information:Mrs. Paula Aveni, Director Economic EducationEconomicsAmerica, Cleveland Centerof Ashland Universitywww.ashland.edu/econedcenters
In December 2006, the Ohio legisla-
ture passed Senate Bill 311, which
requires the integration of financial literacy
into the high school curriculum for stu-
dents entering high school beginning in
2010. Each school district can determine
at what grade level it will teach the con-
tent, in which course, and by whom.
To help teachers get up to speed on
teaching personal finance and assist dis-
tricts with the implementation, the Ohio
Centers for Economic Education worked
with the Ohio Department of Education to
create a program called “The Teachers
Academy for Personal Finance.” The pro-
gram, which is funded in part by a grant
from the Martha Holden Jennings
Foundation, provides classroom-ready,
interactive resources to deliver the
required instruction and helps support an
implementation plan. The Teachers
Academy covers six content modules:
1. Financial Decision-making
2. Working and Earning
3. Budgeting, Banking, Saving, and
Philanthropy
4. Effective Use of Credit
5. Wealth Creation and Investing
6. Risk Management
The two-day course will be offered at
several locations throughout Ohio this
summer. For teachers struggling to bal-
ance professional and personal commit-
2009FinancialLiteracyWorkshops
June 22-23The Youngstown Club
Youngstown, Ohio
June 22-July 24On-Line
June 24- 25Polaris Career Center
Middleburg Heights,
Ohio
July 1-2Ashland University
Columbus Center
Columbus, Ohio
August 17-18Mansfield Chamber
of Commerce
Mansfield, Ohio
Financial Literacy Workshops
Ashland University
Teachers enjoy learning together at theJennings summer workshops.
Those who attend the Teachers Academyreceive a box filled with materials andsupplies they can use in their classroomto teach financial literacy.
Martha Holden Jennings FoundationThe Halle Building1228 Euclid Avenue, Suite 710Cleveland, Ohio 44115
P R O E X C E L L E N T I A
Helping Teachers and StudentsHelp Themselves
Non-profitOrganization
U.S. POSTAGEPAID
Cleveland, OhioPermit No. 2282
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