Purposes 

Thrill, Insprire, Capture Their Imagination
Students live in a digital world and our schools must adapt instruction to complement learning in today's environment.  We have the opportunity and the responsibility to utilize research-based, technology-enabled instructional strategies to thrill, to inspire, and to capture the imagination of our students.  Classrooms for the Future creates environments for deeper cognitive development through
• inquiry,
• real and relevant project-based learning, and
• differentiated instruction. 

Outcomes

The primary purpose of the evaluation is to look for signs of change in progress – changes in teaching activity, in student activity, in teacher attitudes, and in student attitudes. A preliminary report on changes in student achievement will
follow shortly, as the results of the statewide testing have only recently become available.  The evidence collected indicates that the desired changes do appear to be underway. Some of the statistically significant results that were visible in data collected from CFF sites include:

• Changes in Classroom Organization
Observers in both Years One and Two reported that the physical organization of some classrooms is changing, from the familiar pattern of desks in rows (designed to promote the delivery of information from the teacher to the student) to more classrooms organized as clusters of three to five desks, which promotes collaboration and group work.

• Changes in Teacher Activity
Observers in both Years One and Two reported that in the "post" observations, teachers were spending significantly less time in whole class lecture and were spending more time working with individual students and walking through the room observing, and interacting with students. This observation was verified by data from the teacher and student surveys, and again verified by comments made by CFF principals, technology coordinators, and coaches.

• Changes in Educational Goals
Teacher and students surveys and interviews with CFF leaders all provide evidence that teachers are more likely to engage students in activities requiring higher order thinking as a result of the CFF program.  There were significant increases in the use of project- or problem-based learning, authentic learning, multi-modal teaching, peer teaching, and in both informal collaborative learning and collaborative learning with formal assigned roles to participants.  Significant increases from pre to post observations were observed in time spent focusing on the development of most of the identified 21st century skills, including Visual Literacy, Teaming or Collaboration Skills, E-communication Skills, Social or Personal Responsibility, Self Direction , Creativity, Use of Real World Tools, The Ability to Produce High-Quality Products, and
Planning, Prioritizing, and Managing Work. Significant differences were not found for Scientific Literacy, Cultural Literacy or Global Awareness, and Higher Order Thinking.

• Changes in Teaching Activity Associated with Student Achievement
Although this report does not directly examine changes in student achievement (which will be investigated in a separate report), the "Teaching Performance Record" (TPR) classroom observation protocol was used to evaluate teacher activities based on five domains of activity that have been linked, through prior research, with increases in student achievement. Statistically significant increases in teacher behaviors associated with all of the five domains were identified, implying that teachers are working in ways that are more directly associated with increasing student achievement.

• Changes in Student Activity and Level of Engagement
The pre/post analysis of surveys, classroom observations, and interviews indicates that students spent significantly less time listening to the teacher in large group settings. Students spend more time working independently and in groups, and are more likely to be working on reports, projects or presentations. Students are more likely to be able to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways, more likely to be able to choose projects based on interest, and more likely to be working at their own pace. Student work is more likely to be assessed using a rubric to assess the quality of the product or project.

Teachers and observers reported that students spent significantly less time "off task" (doing things other than what the teacher had intended), but students reported that they spend slightly more time off task.  The percentage of students engaged was relatively high in both pre and post observations. Significant pre/post differences on the teacher survey indicate that more students were engaged, and the classrooms observations confirmed that the percentage of students engaged had increased during the last third of the class. Evidence from the class observations also showed that the level of student engagement, and the degree of interest being shown, was also greater during all three thirds of the class session (beginning, middle, and end).

• Changes in Technology Use
As might be expected, there was a significant decrease in the number of students who were observed not using technology at all during the lesson, and a corresponding increase in the number of students observed to be using technologies almost the entire class period.  On the post survey, only 4% of teachers reported that their students use the computers 80% of the time or more, and 39% still reported that their students are using the computers less than 20% of the time. Student reports of the time they spend using computers were much higher, with 19% reporting that they use the computers more than 80% of the time and 15% reporting that they use the technologies less than 20% of the time.

• Changes in Teacher Attitudes
Changes in teacher attitudes related to the value of technologies exhibited between the pre and post surveys were small, perhaps because approximately 75% of teachers perceived technologies as either valuable (47%) or very valuable (28%) at the time of the initial survey. The percentage reporting that they felt technologies were very valuable had increased by 10% by the time of the post survey.
At the end of the school year, 14% more teachers reported that given the tools and resources available to them, the experience they were able to offer their students was very good (up 7% to 48%) or excellent (up 7% to 29%).
Approximately 73% of teachers feel better prepared to teach this year than the first year, although about 20% expressed the belief that they do not yet have the technology skills needed to teach their subjects using the best methods available.
Ninety-one percent of teachers reported that they are working harder than they were in past years, and approximately the same number (85%) reported that they are also working longer.
Approximately 76% of the teachers reported that the CFF coach had been either valuable (40%) or very valuable (36%), and the three services the coaches provide that were considered by teachers to be most important were:
-  Suggesting ways to incorporate technology to teach the content in their classes
-  Teaching them to operate computers, networks, or softwareprograms, and
-  Providing professional development.

• Obstacles to Successful Implementation
This complex, multifaceted reform initiative presents a series of challenges its leaders must understand in order to overcome. The top three issues reported by teachers are: 1) computer failures, 2) the need for continuing professional development; 3) and network downtime.
Progress is being made in terms of the time required to repair or replace a faulty computer and to reduce and quickly end network downtime, as reported by both teachers and students. There were significant differences between pre and post assessments of time to repair a failed computer, and now more than 63% of students estimate that computers are repaired in one day or less. On the PATI survey teachers indicated significantly greater levels of satisfaction with technical support than non-CFF teachers, and also indicated greater access to instructional support that helps them integrate technology.

• Changes in 21st Century Skills
One of the primary purposes of CFF was to help Pennsylvania's students develop "21st Century Skills," skills that will allow them to compete and thrive in a very competitive global economy. Although these skills and attributes are very difficult to measure and, therefore, are rarely the focus of research or evaluation, we feel compelled to work toward the development of processes and measures that will allow us to monitor progress in these areas, which include critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, teamwork, online research, electronic communication skills, and self-directed learning.
Although these skills and abilities develop over longer periods of time and might not be anticipated at this early stage of the CFF program, as part of the evaluation a preliminary study was conducted comparing students from two CFF schools that had implemented CFF as intended, to "control schools" selected based on demographic and past performance variables to be similar to the CFF schools in the study. We recruited paid volunteer subjects from these schools, who worked with us on a Saturday toward the end of the school year. The compensation and recruitment processes were the same in both locations.
These students took a creativity test, developed and delivered a presentation on an assigned topic, took a content test on the topic of their presentation, took a formal reasoning test, and participated as a member of a team in a group problem-solving activity.  The presentations and group problem-solving activities were videotaped and scored by blind reviewers. The tests were also scored and the data from these sources were analyzed to determine whether any significant differences existed between the two groups. A series of small but significant differences emerged, indicating that:
-  On the creativity tests, CFF students outperformed control students in "Elaboration" and "Resistance to Premature Closure," while the control students outperformed CFF students in "Fluency and "Abstractness of Titles."
-  On the presentation development task, CFF students outperformed control students in "Use of Sources," while the control students outperformed CFF students in "Mechanics," and
-  During presentation delivery, CFF students outperformed control students in body language.
No significant differences were found in any of the other variables. Remember that these skills take time to develop, and that CFF is currently a very "part time" experience for most students. These skill differences may become more prominent as more students have more time with the technologies, under the leadership of teachers who have had more time to think deeply about how to use them to accomplish both content area goals and to develop 21st century skills.

CFF in Action

“On behalf of Tony, his students, our district, and myself thank you for allowing us to participate in Capitol Day yesterday.  The event was terrific and illustrated such a broad cross section of work we were able to view from the state perspective.  Tony's students enjoyed the experience very much.  It was a wonderful opportunity for the students to articulate the experience and impact of being in a Classrooms for the Future school and speak about it with their legislators.”

Click here for full Capitol Day Program for 2008

Click here for full Capitol Day Program for 2009

Virtual Classes with the Governor

During the 2008-09 school year Governor Rendell held four virtual classes over PAIUnet through interactive video conferencing.  For each virtual class, students from 10-13 schools researched the topic of discussion from a common wiki, prepared questions, and were ready to discuss the topic with him.  This unprecedented opportunity for Pennsylvania students motivated many to get more involved in civic activities in their communities.

“Thanks for the opportunity for our students.  The students were so enthused by the event and the Governor’s plan for tuition that they have started a petition and gathered signatures to send to our Representative.  They have the permission of our administration to attend all lunch periods to obtain the signatures and explain the proposal.  As I looked at the group today, my heart was filled with gratitude and pride.

CFF in the Spotlight

In addition, schools hold annual open houses “Flip the Switch” or Showcase Days for legislators, board members and other community members to visit classrooms and see how the Classrooms for the Future program is changing classroom practices.  These events have been enormously successful in helping the community to learn about the impact of the Classrooms for the Future program on school climate, classroom practices, student motivation, teacher enthusiasm and student achievement.

From a CFF District Board Member:

“Thank you so much for inviting me to see the showcase of the first year of Classrooms for the Future equipment.  I was so impressed by the quality and ingenuity of the student's work, but even more so, by the guidance you and all the teachers involved impart to them.

I observed how comfortable the students were coming to you for everything from "debugging" a problem on a computer to advice in presenting a project! The high school is very fortunate to have a dedicated teacher like yourself, and the others whom I met on our staff.

It will certainly be one of the things I will be looking out for when Scott brings his request for more laptops to the Board!”

IMPACT

Over 450 districts throughout the Commonwealth have implemented the Classrooms for the Future program in a way that supports the local community.  Implementations were varied in each district. In some cases, the first classrooms to get the equipment, professional development and instructional technology coach support were the English and math classes.  In others, the school decided that all subjects in a particular grade level were to get the equipment. Still others implemented CFF with strictly volunteer participation. No matter what implementation model was selected, it was clear how important the involvement of the school leadership team was in a successful program.  Schools where principals, technology directors, central office administrators, librarians, teacher association leadership and coaches met regularly and discussed not only installation logistics, but the impact of teaching and learning in their schools as a result of the CFF program, were extremely successful.

The other clear success factor is the role of the instructional technology coach who provides just in time professional development and support for teachers as they use the new equipment and try new instructional strategies and methodologies in their classrooms.

Comments

Below is a sampling of Classrooms for the Future comments from schools about the impact of the program:

Dear Classrooms for the Future Advocates,

I presented CFF at the East Penn board of education meeting on Monday night and there was a woman in attendance who came to speak about her decision to pull her children from public school to enroll in the new charter school.  Below are her comments to the board of education.  Her words are a reminder that if you cut effective programs like Classrooms for the Future you are in return creating schools that your taxpayers do not want to send their children to.

To the East Penn School Board,

Thank you for taking the time Monday to listen to what I had to say, and for your time now to read these few additional thoughts. As I said Monday, I was very impressed with the presentation by Melissa Moxley, Sarah Kinzel and the Emmaus High School students, particularly as it reinforces my own support of
hands-on project-based learning. But I also see this as an outstanding PR opportunity (and if you have already capitalized on this or intend to and I am simply ignorant of that, forgive me). Sharing the "Classrooms for the Future" video and the students' documentary with the commmunity at large is the sort of thing that turns parents' heads (like mine) and shows us that
maybe we don't need a charter school afterall. That we were selected by the state to participate in this program speaks highly of our school district. That we participated enthusiastically says that we are open to new ways of teaching. The students' documentary is an example of the success of the program and the excellence of our students.

And it says to the taxpayer--"look at where your dollars are going." Now, if I recall correctly, the Classroooms of the Future project was state-funded, but because we have an outstanding school system we were able to attract the attention of those who chose to invite us into this fabulous research.

(By now you may be wishing that I and my family would head for the charter school, but I'm afraid you're stuck with us.)

Teachers’ Perspective:

- We installed and implemented our first fully integrated classroom in a geometry class.  The teacher is very motivated and open to new ideas, but never had the opportunity to use technology because of facility restrictions.  The very first day of classroom laptop use came and went and I stopped by his room at the end of the day to see how the day went.  He and our coach created an interactive PowerPoint presentation that the students worked on to review for the upcoming PSSA testing.  He was amazed with the students’ interest.  The first words out of his mouth were “Do you believe I went an entire day without anyone signing out to go to the bathroom?”

- The CFF grant and materials have allowed me to help my students become more independent in their learning. They have the capability of finding the information on their own, instead of me giving it to them. I have witnessed more excitement about topics that were once not as interesting to them because they have the hands on ability to make their learning real and engaging.

- CFF in the Honors Chemistry class has allowed us to create different types of lab-report formats: iWeb, digital scrapbooks, iMovies. Students are able to type and organize their notes as well as import graphs, pictures, charts, websites, etc., into their notes for future reference. Students are ALL able to be working at all times, rather than having to wait. Students are able to post work online to have access to it later, as well as show it off to family and friends.

- I just wanted to inform you of the impact the new CFF computer made on one of my 9th grade students.  The student was home sick on Tuesday, sent home sick on Wednesday and was at home again yesterday.  During that time, we had a chapter test and reviewed for the mid-term.  So yesterday, with the assistance of her twin sister, we set up a video conference through Skype.  She received the review sheet via her e-mail, was able to view the materials on the Promethean board, ask questions and even answer several of the questions directed to the class.  It was as if she was sitting in the classroom.  She was in school today and said that she was well prepared for the mid-term.  Without the equipment/program, this conscientious student would have had a disadvantage on the mid-term just for being sick.  Instead, she was at home, but still able to get her questions answered and clarify any misunderstanding.  

- Instead of printing out two handouts for a Persuasive Analysis, I posted them both on yourclasspage.com, and students filled in an analysis chart by copying and pasting material from the essay.  Then I gave notes and students typed them below the chart.  They saved copies and will email me the finished products.  We saved paper and I saved space on my desk.

- Already, I have noticed that technology in the classroom is really motivating the students.  Often students offer to use the new tools to put up their answers to a problem.  Previously, they would have just waited until a student was called on to put their work on the board. We have been able to look up items on the internet that refer to a lesson and the use of the TI-83 calculator on the screen has really helped me to teach the students many "tricks" that they can use.

- Students who had been very close to failing have made a huge turn around and become actively involved and excited about learning.

- WOW!  What an experience it was to teach with my laptop, the smart board, and the students on their own laptops!  I’m teaching 39 years, and I have not had such a tremendous sense of accomplishment as I did last week!

- We did an awesome Skype lesson where a teacher from our district and another district created a lesson and rubric together for a speech class (The students had to impersonate someone and tell about their life--very cool!).  The students in our district presented their speeches to the other school district and visa versa. The students were critiqued by other school and teacher from the other district. We had news, representatives attend this session.  It worked out very well.  We felt students being critiqued by a different teacher and other than their peers would be extremely valuable.  The students loved it and want to do it again.  It took a lot of planning and practicing...but we got it to work!

- The students were so actively engaged in their learning!  When the CFF coach came in the room and created a bridge sample to show students how to save their designs on the network, the students explained to her why her design wouldn’t work and gave her pointers for better bridge design. 
Students teaching engineering theory…. Now that’s learning!!

- We have started using discussion boards as the first response to literature readings.  After the discussion board posts, the students hold a round-table discussion as a class of their readings.  The teacher reports a much higher quality of discussion and reports more students participating in verbal discussions after discussion board postings.   “The kids have told me they feel so much more free to share on the discussion board and then the real discussion is less threatening. I would never want to replace face-to-face discussion but this has been a wonderful complement to it.”

- A few days ago, our geometry teacher approached me and asked me to video tape her giving directions / completing a demonstration for an intricate 3-D project.  She gave the directions in class, but wants the students to have access to her directions at home as they work on the project or if students were absent.  She has previously tried writing out the directions without success.  Seeing the process visually is much more effective.  We used the CFF digital video camera to record her short demonstration.  Then we used Windows Movie Maker to edit the directions and produce a final “movie” file.  Finally, we posted the directions onto the teacher’s Blackboard site along with the project rubric so all students could have access whenever the need might arise.  The teacher was very self-conscious, but the students loved it and declared her officially ready for “YouTube”!

- The first success I have experienced from the CFF grant is that my special education program now features state of the art classroom technology.  What this grant has done for the self-esteem of my individual students is beyond description.  The excitement that they communicated when learning that the school district received CFF doubled when they walked into class to see the cabinet of laptops, the Polyvision board, and the projector.  This excitement quickly showed itself as motivation in the majority of my students.  Once we established the responsibilities of handling the laptops and the procedures involved in operation, we tackled the My Access website in an effort to improve writing skills.  Typically high school learning support students do not have an effective grasp on grammar, spelling, word usage, etc.  With encouragement from their teacher, peers and the website itself, students received writing scores closer to or meeting the state standards by utilizing the web site's writing program.  Their teacher was as excited as they were when the results of their writings were returned within seconds.  And then to watch as they used the results to revise and edits, see them resubmit, and be rewarded with an immediate higher score was a joy!

- I wasn't sure how my students would be able to utilize the technology since several of them are non-readers.  They have surprised and shocked me! Many of them are from very low-income families and will not ever be able to afford to travel outside their small town.  The laptops have opened up the WORLD to them.  We can now take virtual trips to anywhere in the world.  The students can explore subjects that interest them.  They are learning how to access sites that can provide them with endless amounts of information.  We are exploring skills that are practical and will enhance their abilities to be independent once they leave high school.  They are enjoying every minute of this new technology!!!!!

- The most positive aspect of the computer that I've seen is student willingness to dive in.  Those that normally shy away from any type of participation do not hesitate.  We've been using the computer for vocabulary tests for five weeks or so.  The grades have been improving weekly.  Students have access from home to the vocabulary games that I've put on the Internet.  We have a Polyvision board hooked up to my computer: students focus on it without being told.  It is a wonderful incentive for 'Bellringer.' I've scanned example research papers onto the computer and then onto the Polyvision board.  The quality of the print is far superior to an overhead projector.  The Polyvision board also allows me to circle errors and write in color.  I'm the oldest member of the English Department and thus the least computer literate, but I can see that we are just scratching the surface with all the possibilities.  I am looking at things in a different light.  I am looking at an old book of games and wondering which games can be adapted to my classroom use. 

- This year my students' test scores have improved due to, I believe, the interactive aspects of the Polyvision board.  For example, when reading Treasure Island, they must learn the parts of a schooner.  Test scores for this were significantly higher when the students utilized a matching review game where they 'grabbed' and 'dragged' the titles of the ship parts to the correct place on the ship.  Also, on a selfish note, it makes my life so much easier to not have to grade vocabulary tests! The time spent creating the tests on Quia is well worth not having to grade them and it makes administering them so much easier! It also is wonderful to have them email me assignments as well as projects.  These examples do not even do justice to the positive impact this technology has had in my classroom - I feel like I could write a book!

- I can say that after 14 years of teaching, I honestly believe there is a change on the horizon and this is not just a trend. As part of my involvement in the grant, I have been participating in a course on 21st century education, and I now truly believe we must change our thinking and our instruction if we are to serve the needs of our students in today's world. In the past three months, I have seen my students more engaged and more invested in their learning than in years past. They have told me they see the activities applicable to the real world! I am thrilled.

- CFF has changed the way I teach a unit on parabolas in the classroom.  In the past, I would show how an equation affects the size and direction of a parabola by making multiple graphs on all of the boards in my classroom.  This task took an entire class period, and often the graphs were not as precise as I would have liked. Thanks to the CFF grant, I am able to have the students simulate multiple graphs on their laptops in just seconds. The same lesson that would take a period to teach was finished in just a few short minutes and students had a better understanding of the concept than they ever did before. Now with the extra time I was able to dive deeper in the topic as well as allow students to create and graph their own equations.

- One of the largest advantages to Classrooms for the Future is the doors to communication that the program has opened for my students.  The students who would not typically contribute to class discussions have found a voice in a forum that they could not find in the regular classroom.  Now, they are transferring the success they had in the forum and challenging themselves to contribute to classroom discussions.  Additionally, students now have the technology to communicate with other students outside of their district.  Classrooms for the Future has opened doors for students that would ordinarily be closed.

- This is my 34th year of teaching and I have seen many initiatives throughout my career; however, I don't think that any one has ever made as profound of an impact as that of the integration of technology into our classrooms.  As I currently am taking the first course of the 21st Century CFF series, I am learning a great deal. The CFF initiative as well as the availability of any technology is NOT simply placing the hardware & software into kids' hands and letting them word process.  Although I have always tried to be the best teacher I can be, the technology has afforded great changes for my instruction and my kids' learning.  First, the doors of my classroom have expanded to anywhere in the world. The only boundary is the limit of my and my students' imaginations. Likewise, the integration of technology has to be meaningful and appropriate – two criteria that really help to guide me in my personal unit and lesson design.  As I see the products my kids are creating - from podcasts to forums to collaborative writings - the constructivist element is a critical one. I also need to reflect upon what was engaging and effective and revise as appropriate.  Rather than simply placing technology into the kids' hands, teachers and students need to work together in a cohesive learning community. The many skills and abilities required create a meaningful and vibrant atmosphere. I want my kids to enjoy learning! I want to learn with them just as they learn with and from me.   The 21st century is here - and the pressures and opportunities are boundless as we move forward. I look at this journey with enthusiasm and anticipation…the best is yet to come!

- Working with at risk students can be challenging.  The daily struggles my students face can be a major deterrent in their achieving academic success.  Teenage pregnancy, poverty, drug/alcohol issues, dysfunctional family situations are hard enough, but facing the daily realization that you are not valued can cause these students to give up.  These students are the “forgotten” students. They are used to not having books, having to share a calculator with 2 other students, rarely getting a chance to use a computer, and being basically devalued by their district and by society.  Finally, a bright spot has appeared on the horizon for them.  That bright spot is the Classrooms for the Future initiative.  Suddenly, these forgotten students are being included.  They heard from excited teachers that they would soon be getting amazing technology to enhance their educational experience.  The students, reluctant to believe at first, are beginning to see technology arrive.  The excitement is building.  Students with sporadic attendance are beginning to attend more regularly to see what new “stuff” will arrive that day.  The first equipment to trickle in was a digital camera.  The day after it arrived a science class used it to chronicle their experiences at an Earth Day celebration.  They shared what they had created with other classes. The pride on their faces lit up the room. 
Today, our electronic boards are being installed.  Students and teachers are scurrying about talking anxiously about all the things they will be able to do with them.  Two new laptop carts will be arriving next week.  Students are beginning to feel that they do matter.  As self esteem increases, attendance and academic achievement will follow suit.

- I think that the most impressive observations were that the kids were enthusiastic and asked questions. The second most impressive was how well they worked in groups sharing what they had found and helping each other to use the machines to find even more. I felt that it was a shame to stop the class after the allotted time (and so did the kids).

- I can only say this about the CFF initiative wow! WOW! and WOW! Since starting this initiative, I have seen a change in both teachers and students. We have felt a renewed excitement! I have teachers coming to me and saying "show me more. What else can I do?" They love the new technology. Our teachers agree that this initiative is important to the education of our students and wholeheartedly realize that it must not only continue but be expanded. These teachers have access to information that they could have only dreamed about previously. They are starting to develop skills and use programs that they previously thought were too tough for them to learn. Classrooms for the Future IS the future of education.   

Students’ Perspectives:

- I like the computers because they make the curriculum interesting so you actually want to get your work done.
  

- I hate writing by hand, so the whiteboard activity was a new and easier way to get things written down. I really liked using a new type of technology to do something. Using computers is always a plus in my book. It was fun working with my partners too. We would get on a ventrilo server to talk to each other while we worked on it each night. The final product was better than what I could have done alone.

- When we were doing the project presentations, I was very impressed. All of the projects I saw were really well thought out and well put together. And I was SO PROUD!

- Overall, this project was not the worst thing that I have ever done. We had plenty of time, it was just a matter of managing the time wisely. The blog was also a very helpful tool. Since the Hero Project was an out-of-class assignment, it was good to know you had a place to ask questions and have them answered.

- When I enter the classroom I get excited because I know that we can really learn everything about anything in this classroom.  I feel that I make more progress about learning in this class then any other class. Some of the tasks are challenging, but now that I realize that, this marking period I can prepare myself to do better.  It’s a good thing to make the class challenging. 

- Having the computers at our disposal puts an abundance of useful research information at our fingertips through the Internet. The "Hand Out" folders the teachers use to give us our assignments are a good idea because you can easily access the assignment when you need it, rather than digging it out of an old folder. Not many of us are truly that organized, so it makes keeping things neat a lot easier. Also, it is fun to learn about how to use new programs that may come in handy later!

- A response from a senior girl at my high school, she was close to quitting school & although she doesn't say it, this grant probably had the greatest impact on her deciding to stick the year out. She is a student who did not care and now has As and Bs in many classes. Classrooms for the Future has had a huge effect on her as well as others in this school.

“Classrooms for the future is probably one of the greatest things I have been able to experience in my high school career. Having the capability to use the laptops anywhere throughout the school is a huge benefit to me and many other students. One of the advantages of having a teacher that is part of the CFF program this year, is they have a drop in folder that is used to hand in assignments. There is also an outbox folder where handouts, that were passed out in class, are posted so students like myself, that either misplace them or miss that class, can go and print them.

Three of my favorite programs that I have used a lot in the past few months are keynote, Imovie, and garageband. They are fun and convenient ways to put projects together on a computer. There is so much that you can do with each program to better understand your project. When you are doing projects on the computer, you are also learning about the information you are researching. You are either hearing it or reading it over and over again. Something else that I like about using computers is that you can make your project “stand alone.”  That way you don’t have to get up in front of the class and explain what you did. You can record what you would normally say to the class and just have it play back to them, along with your project. So it is almost like a quick movie that you have made. I just recently presented my senior project by putting all my pictures on the computer in Imovie. By doing that, I saved a lot of time and money. I didn’t have to drive somewhere and wait for developing.

Having the computer available to me has given me the chance to use what I already know about computers and help me do better in class by making good projects. I want to spend more time on doing my projects and possibly bringing up my grades.”

Principal’s Perspective:

- I walked into one of our math classes . The course was informal geometry, a mixed grade level course.  The students in the class are not the most academically motivated students and often have attendance and behavioral issues , as well. (I am also the high school principal, so I know these students!)  The students were using the laptops to produce project presentations. The project was to design boxes out of everyday objects and decide which box would be best suited to hold the most objects. Some of the objects included clothespins, candy boxes, and erasers.  The students had to build the boxes, measure the dimensions, hypothesize and draw conclusions. They used the laptops to construct tables and charts. Their presentations also included pictures of their boxes taken with digital cameras. They were using the Internet to research points for their presentations as well.

ALL of the students were engaged in this project. The teacher told me that she had perfect attendance that day, which rarely happens. Several of the students voluntarily showed me their presentations.

(Honestly, I was delighted and somewhat amazed at the students' response to using the laptops. It has been a "long year" with a few of these students, who have been in the office so much for discipline that I could almost claim them on my income tax! ) The students were very proud of their presentations and were eager to share them with the teacher, their classmates and me. There were no discipline issues in the classroom that day. The projects were impressive and well thought out.

Thank you again for the CFF program. All of our students will benefit from this initiative, but we are especially grateful for the chance to reach students who don't always respond to traditional teaching.

Superintendent’s Perspectives:

- Being in this business of educating children for over 30 years, I have seen a lot of “stuff” come out of Harrisburg.  This grant is doing it “right”.  It is training our teachers to use the new technology in order to truly enhance learning!  It is not just about laptops…it’s about learning using the state-of-art tools. 

- The CFF grant has been an enormous benefit to our particular district.  The paradigm shift in teaching methodology toward a student-driven focus has been a significant benefit which was not anticipated.   

- The CFF grant has engaged our faculty and students like nothing before.  The professional development we have experienced is excellent.  I have seen excitement return to many classrooms that were dull; teachers are learning alongside their students.  For a small rural school district, CFF makes such a difference.  Our students and parents support this initiative and are proud that they are exposed to state of the art instruction and technology. 

- This grant has created a large impact with staff development using technology to enhance the learning environment of the classrooms.  It is not about laptops, it has committed staff members to step into the 21 century with teaching techniques.  It has provided learning environments that have students engaged and participating in the instruction.

Coach Perspectives:

- An example of CFF’s effectiveness involves a young teacher who left a job in business to become a teacher.  Frank was energetic, bright, and personable, but he had little skill in classroom management.  During my first visit to one of his classes, I noticed that he had prepared well in the conventional way.  His class was reading aloud a chapter in the required text, and Frank stopped periodically and asked questions.  About one-third of the class was disengaged, and the rest of the students, while participatory, demonstrated that glazed over look that pupils exhibit when they see little connection between what the teacher is discussing and the real world.  Frank also confided that he was not happy with the results of his teaching approach.

In a discussion later that day, I asked Frank to consider a tiered project approach.  I developed a model for him.  He used the model as a template, and began to develop mini lessons on the curriculum requirements.  Several weeks later I revisited the same class.  Students were in groups, engaged in higher level thinking, and collaborating with enthusiasm and camaraderie.  Frank was likewise rejuvenated.  He told me he enjoyed the inquiry based approach, and he was very pleased with the results.  He was excited about teaching.

A week later, another teacher who was not on the CFF team approached me and asked if I would work with her as I did Frank.  The bulk of her previous teaching had been devoted to large class discussions in which the teacher and six or seven students discussed the material.  I helped her redefine the problem of teaching, gave her a few examples, and worked with her as she developed a new learning unit.  Exciting teaching can be contagious.

These two examples are just two instances of many that I have experienced in my short term as CFF coach.  When the technology arrived, the number of ways that teachers could engage students using these CFF approaches exponentially increased.  A science teacher told me that she had created a project several years before, but had never implemented it because the technology necessary was not available.  One Friday afternoon we were able to install the electronic board in her room.  She was so excited about the possibilities that, when I left at 3:00 PM, she was still in her room learning the potentiality of her new equipment.  This story played over several times.

Classrooms for the Future has gotten it right.  Instead of promoting “experts” with little classroom experience to tell teachers how to teach, CFF embeds experienced teachers with their colleagues to work on constructing effective learning units.  I am so confident in the direction of the program, that, at the age of sixty, and with those 37 teaching years under my belt, I am still excited about this initiative. For the first time in all those years, I have faith in the reality of true educational reform.  I cannot wait to get to school in the morning and work with the teachers.  Classrooms for the Future is changing the dynamics of education in Pennsylvania.  If it continues, I honestly believe that other states may mimic our initiative, and, if so, our nation will be better prepared for the 21st century, and the world will be a better place.  That, after all, is what teaching is all about

- Teachers are so excited with the boards, projectors and cameras/camcorders and web cams that I am kept hopping trying to learn features, find resources and am helping them solve minor problems with equipment usage.   As far as the Embedded Learning class, teachers balked at first about the time factor, but EVERYONE, I’ve talked with and from discussion writings for the class, teachers have found the articles in the course and the discussion feature very informative, up-to-date, helpful and useful.  Teachers are so excited to have the new delivery method, are thinking of ways to differentiate instruction, are collaborating more and are keeping me in the “loop” as a colleague, confidant, and collaborator.  Some of the math teachers have remarked that they have not seen one of the math teachers be this excited in a long time!  We have set up sharing folders on our network, given each teacher a student drop box for electronic documents and added a repository for graduation project papers so they can be cataloged and archived.  I am providing the teachers with ample electronic resources via a Teacher Resource page on our SchoolWires Internet web.  Each teacher has a web page and we have been working on getting all assignments posted on the web and many teachers have gone further by posting worksheets, web quests and class notes online. 

- A relatively new math teacher told me, "I'm looking at myself differently as a teacher.  I see myself more as a facilitator, working with kids to help them develop an interest in the subject and greater skills to solve problems."