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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0823.000 1998-2000 l BENJAMIN J. CAYETANO PAUL G. LeMAHIEU Ph.D. GOVERNOR q SUPERINTENDENT STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION KEAAU HIGH SCHOOL - ` 16-725 KEAAU-PAHOA ROAD KEAAU, HI. 96749 18 June 2000 Councilman James Y. Arakaki 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Dear Councilman Arakaki, We are excited and proud to announce the addition of EAST [Environmental and Spatial Technology] to our 2000-2001 course offerings at Kea'au High School. We are the only school on the Big Island to have an EAST lab, one of three in our state and one of 108 in the nation. EAST is an experience that can fundamentally change the way students experience education. The class is structured around students taking on projects [real-world concerns] that can help their schools and communities. They use the capabilities of a sophisticated computer laboratory as a resource to accomplish these goals. Problem-solving and personal responsibility for leaming are the foci, not the technology-rich environment. Of particular importance to us is that EAST is designed to serve a diverse population of students who mirror our school's population in terms of gender, race, academic performance, socioeconomic range and age. The hardware and software used in EAST are so sophisticated that most people never have the opportunity to use them. To name a few applications and equipment pieces: Global Positioning Systems [GPS], Solid Modeling & Assembly, Geographical Information Systems [GIS], Computer Generated 3D Animation, Computer Aided Drafting [CAD], Raster Editing and Manipulation. Because of the high start-up [$600,000] and ongoing program costs [$100,000] for EAST, in addition to the program direction of intermingling and working with the community, all EAST schools seek direct involvement with and support from the community. We are hopeful that Hawaii County will be as supportive to our EAST program as Maui County has been to theirs. We ask for your support; we appreciate any collaboration and assistance from you and our county. Attached are some articles about EAST which we hope you find interesting. In late June-early July, VP Sylvia Lee will be contacting you regarding any support you may be able to give us and/or questions you may have about EAST. Her phone number and e-mail address are listed below should you wish to reach her. We look forward to working with you in our new endeavor. Sincerely, Margaret O'Brien, Principal Paul Sakamoto, Lead Facilitator-Teacher David Callas, Backup Facilitator-Teacher Sylvia Lee, Vice Principal (808) 982-4220, extension 245 Sylvia_Lee@notes. k12. h i. us 049 File '.V j. - Ur Ref. To: 2 2 2000 Ref. Dace COVER STORY January 18-24, 1999 trail and constructing a biosphere. But Stephenson knew that most kids are more intrigued by computers and video games than by the great outdoors. To really capture their attention, he figured, Greenbrier would need a special computer lab armed with cool technology perhaps even a global information system, the software that creates "intelligent maps" from data transmitted from global positioning satellites. Of course, there was no money for this sort of thing at the Greenbrier School District or any other school district in the state, for that matter. So what? Stephenson had heard about the successes of the Nl. University of Arkansas at Fayetteville's Center for "I Advanced Spatial Technology, which uses GIS and other technology for public projects, and knew that the A 14 center had a mandate to help the business community. So he called CAST and got a list of Arkansas companies that use GIS and similar technology. Then he did a lot of cold-calling. Cabot High School teacher Pete Farmer Welisco Goes to School facilitates EAST program Eventually, Stephenson teamed with the Paragould information technology firm Wellsco Inc., which helped Greenbrier EAST Brings shape the EAST curriculum, recruited other business partners and, incredibly, devoted the equivalent of four Fresh Air to Education full-time employees to the project. Paragould Firm Profits by'Doing Right Thing' This is not to say the school's relationship with Wellsco got off to a perfect start. BY JOHN HAMAN "He called me and asked for 10 copies of global information service software for free," chuckles Jim Five years ago, Greenbrier High School started a program Wells, vice president of Wellsco Graphic Solutions. "At that put gazillion-dollar technology in the hands of that time, the software ran about $25,000 per copy. I told students and challenged them to solve problems faced him he was nuts." by their communities nagging, everyday problems But a dialogue had begun. Wells and Stephenson encountered by the fire department, the police and even discussed how the technology would be used and the the school district. kinds of results that were expected. As they spoke, The Greenbrier EAST program quickly drew national Wells began to see that the skills students would build in attention for its innovative project-oriented learning, Stephenson's pie-in-the-sky lab matched up well with which managed to inspire students who were bored by Wellsco's workforce development needs. The traditional teaching. Equally marvelous, though, is the conversations went on for a year. way the program drew businesses like Paragould's In the process, Wells and Stephenson realized the Wellsco Inc. into program at Greenbrier would need more than GIS partnerships that transcended philanthropy, offering the technology to hold the interest of a range of high school rare chance to make a difference and a profit in the students. The pair added software and hardware that same stroke of the pen. could perform architectural design, mechanical Now, program leaders hope to involve even more engineering, animation, global positioning, satellite businesses by placing interns at "knowledge-based" imagery, database and programming, publishing, companies like Alltel Corp. and Acxiom Corp. website development and "plotting." EAST, which stands for Environmental and Spatial "What [Wellsco] did," Wells says, "was act as a Technology, was originally the vision of Tim Stephenson, facilitator and an advocate on the part of the school." an environmental science teacher at Greenbrier High. Wellsco, an information technology company that also sells advanced software and hardware systems, approached many of the manufacturers it represents and negotiated deals to buy software and equipment for the The seed for the idea was planted when students school at 15-16 percent of the usual cost. started to respond to Stephenson's hands-on "We probably put about $650,000 worth of hardware environmental projects: raising catfish, building a nature and software in the lab" at a total cost of only $100,000, Wells says. The school threw in about $30,000 of its some districtwide problem, and then to the community," own, and the remaining $70,000 or so was covered by Stephenson says. Greenbrier's first big project began federal grants administered by the Arkansas Department when Stephenson sat down one day for a hair cut. "The of Education. fire chief was a barber, and he had heard about this advanced lab we had at the high school," he says. EAST Expands The chief had a bunch of hand-drawn sketches In 1997, Greenbrier EAST rolled out its program to 10 indicating where hazardous materials, gas shutoff valves more schools, then added another 27 schools during the and electrical breakers were located throughout the city, summer of 1998 all but three of which are in Arkansas. but he needed someone to turn the sketches into an This year, the EAST program is expected to reach an organized book. additional 35 schools in Arkansas, and another 20 Of course, that was far too easy. After they improved outside of the state, bringing the total to 97 school-based the sketches, "the kids came up with the idea of creating programs. In every program, the local school board must a geographic information system for the fire department," "buy in" by raising about 30 percent of the capital funds Stephenson says a sophisticated computerized map for the program. that coordinates street locations with buildings. The The curriculum for the EAST teacher training program system allows firefighters to use, say, a laptop computer is written by the University of Central Arkansas College to find out what's inside a burning building and what fire of Education; and the UA CAST program handles some hazards lurk in neighboring properties. of the technical training for the program, as does the So what if the Greenbrier Fire Department has Louisiana State University College of Design. never really taken advantage of this technology, So far, corporations have given more than $20 million Stephenson says. in products to the program, and government grants have "Somewhere along the line the mayor and the water topped $1.4 million. Soon, though, the EAST program and sewer people and the police chief started asking, won't be able to rely on the Education Department for 'What could you do for us?' We put together a team of capital. students to research city services how they could be "This is an expensive project," says Ray Simon, enhanced through the use of technology. The kids came director of the Education Department, noting that EAST up with a multitude of projects: anything from a tornado backers are now trying to create a permanent funding warning system to automated accident reporting for the mechanism for the program through the Legislature. police department." Already, though, some school districts are accepting Don't laugh. Greenbrier's small police force was the full burden of cost. The Concord School District, for handicapped by the fact that officers were spending example, is paying for the entire project through a upwards of three hours per accident report. millage, rather than relying on state funds. Ultimately, the class used GPS data and computer- Wells wants it understood that his company is not assisted drafting software to develop a computerized exactly engaging in philanthropy here. "We're planting visual template of street intersections in the city, seeds for the future of Arkansas knowledge-based embedded in a program that allows officers to quickly companies," he says. "We decided it was the right thing draw and annotate accident scenes. As a result, the time to do and if we could figure out how to make it work needed to write a report has fallen to 30 minutes, saving financially, we needed to be doing it." Greenbrier about $17,500 a year, or three-quarters of a It works financially because corporate contributors police officer. Greenbrier EAST has continued its pay Wellsco a commission on all of the products placed relationship with the police, stationing a full-time intern in the EAST labs, despite the fact that they are sold for there. 16 cents on the dollar. The Process Is the Thing Ex-Cop Finds School Unchanged Students in the EAST program aren't there to learn Stephenson, a 47-year-old retired policeman, was any particular technology or computer program, disappointed when he started teaching five years ago to Stephenson says. "What they learn is how to teach discover that school hadn't improved very much since themselves. We've created an atmosphere that is safe to the days of his youth. experiment in. In the transition between the industrial and "I'm seeing kids in almost every program that were information ages, he says, "we kind of got hung up on potential dropouts ...now leaving high school and trying content, where we felt like our role was to deliver to get into a job field where they can use their skills." information in ever-increasing amounts to students, Some of these youths get jobs working in computer- without much focus on application and problem-solving." assisted drafting, or CAD, a software skill they develop So, with help from Wellsco and corporations like in the EAST program. Intergraph Corp., Stephenson set up shop with his "I've got a kid that basically sat down and taught experimental learning lab. The class started simply by himself to program using visual BASIC," Stephenson mapping out a better fire evacuation plan for the new says. The student now is working for a company in school building, using a computer-assisted drawing Heber Springs, which writes and customizes software for program and research on fire evacuation. "In most of our dental practices. The company also is paying the young schools we encourage students to start out working on man's tuition at UCA, Stephenson says. more internal problems, then you move out from there to Another former EAST student, considered an "at-risk" kid when he was in high school, now works for ESI Group in Little Rock while he attends college. Yet another works at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in Bentonville, advising store employees across the nation how to handle problems with their Windows NT operating systems. All Dressed Up? But in many cases, Stephenson admits, the rest of the world isn't quite ready for the kind of students EAST produces. "In some regards, we're getting these kids all dressed up and they really have no place to go," he says. Undergraduate programs at most colleges cannot accommodate this kind of project-based learning style. Chancellor [Charles] Hathaway at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, CAST [at UAF], the University of Central Arkansas all our partners are taking steps to address that." But the system also has to move beyond school walls, Stephenson says. "We need to enhance these kids' opportunities by plugging them into internships in the business community. We're working with UALR right now to develop an internship program. We're not sure yet how that will all work out." Arkansas Business and Arkansas Business Online are trademarks of Arkansas Business Publishing Group P.O. Box 3686, Little Rock, AR 72203 (501) 372-1443 Copyright © 1995-1999, Arkansas Business Publishing Group. All rights reserved. STATE OF ARKANSAS JF O 1)EPA rtr~lt N1 IMF INr1IR,vAi ION' SvS I 1I', IM& SS r~'„d~~A~2~ II III Ffu IN IN i iloN ,~h`, n vMIKE NLICKABEE DON MELTON ~I.. -t. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mike Kemp Telephone: 501/682-4568 Fax: 501/682-4310 www.dis.state.ar.us April 26, 2000 LITTLE ROCK, AR-A collaborative effort between state government, private industry and high school students from across the state is creating an extensive electronic map. It is designed to bolster Arkansas' position as a leader in the emerging Information Age. The initiative, called Project MAIN, pinpoints Arkansas' electronic infrastructure. This information is vital for attracting global technology companies needing access to these information highways. Organizations have invested countless dollars mapping traditional transportation routes, but as the world economy evolves, information networks are becoming as critical to economic prosperity as transportation infrastructure. Project MAIN (Mapping Arkansas' Information Network), overseen by the state's Land Information Office within the Department of Information Systems, is an effective tool that will aid network planners in their quest to position Arkansas for the future. High school students involved in the EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technologies) program are assisting in Project MAIN by collecting data used in plotting the state's technology infrastructure. That data is then verified by the University of Arkansas' Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST), a multi-college organization that researches and develops GIS (Geospatial Information Systems) technologies. Gov. Mike Huckabee supports Project MAIN and both the EAST and CAST programs. He understands and embraces the role technology will play in Arkansas. "I can think of no better application than having our students in EAST and CAST programs use their skills to work on Project MAIN," the governor said. "It gives the students valuable experience and provides the state and private businesses with needed information. That information, in turn, will help increase the number of high-tech jobs in Arkansas and provide these students with employment opportunities." EAST began at Greenbrier High School when a teacher there developed a program designed to teach students the basics of GIS technology-a system of making electronic maps. EAST's growing number of students in more than 50 high schools around the state are using their skills to save communities thousands of dollars by applying the knowledge they are acquiring. Project Main is expected to be complete by late summer or early fall. -30- Although EAST students have some of the most sophisticated EAST is an experience technology in the world at their fingertips, the class itself is not that can fundamentally about teaching the technology EAST is about using technology as change the way students a starting point in the development of its relevant goal: creative, experience education. To open minded, innovative, problem-solving students. the casual outside observer, • EAST is designed to serve a diverse population of students from EAST seems to be nothing those identified with special needs to the "middle" students to more than another the advanced and gifted students. In addition, students recruited computer class with flashier and selected for the EAST program will represent the diversity of software. Indeed, the entire the student population in terms of gender, academic lab experience seems to performance, age, race, and socioeconomic status. revolve around the Students, working in teams and individually, tackle real-world computers and the software problems in their schools and communities and complete projects that students find endlessly that propose solutions to the identified problems. Student interest fascinating. However, is the motivator, not preconceived student ability. Each of these underlying the "wow" factor students shares in a rich and rewarding educational experience is a significant learning that, at various times, makes them the "expert" in their specialty or opportunity that has the a driving force behind the completion of a project. The common capability to challenge and experience of EAST is provided to all students based on their energize EAST participants interest and effort, not their pre-test scores or accumulated past for a lifetime. environment. • EAST is best described EAST Affects Change In as a performance based ..Atmosphere and Learning learning environment that utilizes problem- Today's learner has been raised in a highly visual and technology based service learning oriented society, with thousands of visual messages bombarding and advanced them daily. The computers and other equipment in the EAST lab technological appeal to the desire for "flash" and "sparkle" and provide the 'hook' applications. that captures student interest. Initially, learning often seems to be EAST is a vibrant class that more of a game and a challenge than it does a task. Make no stresses real world mistake; EAST students must do some serious learning in order to application to the traditional become proficient in the various software and the diverse projects. school learning. The class As students progress through EAST the learning becomes more is structured around self-directed and meaningful students taking on specific ...Teaching projects that can help their The EAST teacher is not the "sage on the stage" that we schools and communities. traditionally expect our instructors to be. Rather, they strive to be They use the capabilities of the "guide on the side". The teachers in the EAST lab are not a sophisticated computer called teachers, they are called facilitators. It is much more than a laboratory as a resource to semantic change. The facilitators become part of a highly creative, accomplish these goals. highly productive team that focuses on the student's developmental • EAST exists in an needs. interdisciplinary In EAST, the focus is not on the teacher as keeper of knowledge, laboratory environment designer of assessments, arbiter of success and failure. In EAST, where the intellectual the focus is squarely focused on student growth, development and and problem solving learning. The structure mimics the modern workplace where all growth of students is the members of a team work together with an eye toward the project as focus, not the technology rich a whole. environment. When it comes to projects, these kids think big Page 1 of 4 Monitor Site Map M TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2000 Headlines f`1ri1 e-mail this story to a friend LEARNING OUTSIDE CLASS WALLS When it comes to projects, these kids think big Suzi Parker Special to The Christian Science Monitor WARREN, ARK. Tyler West maneuvers his Power Point presentation of a new high school gym with all the ease of a techie for Microsoft. Of course, it's not the first time the high-schooler has shown the presentation. He and his lab partner, Trent Sullivan, worked on the project to help the school superintendent persuade the school board to fund a new gym. •DNA raises Mr. Sullivan used state-of-the-art engineering and architectural software. The board dilemmas for rejected the plea, but Mr. West and Sullivan learned invaluable lessons that have fatherhood already landed the pair job offers - not to mention attention from college admissions .Opinion: officers. Elian in perspective The source of their expertise was something called the Environmental and Spatial •South Asia Technology lab. Known as EAST, it's a teaching model that provides hands-on reels from leaming and gives high school students the tools to compete in global companies. drought and And the innovative labs are transforming students lives. famine "The EAST lab changed my life," says Sullivan, a senior. "It helps kids who don't like regular classes like English or math. You can come in here and you can be good in here. If it wasn't for here, I wouldn't have known what I wanted to do or where I would go to college." Trent now plans on majoring in spatial information systems. And he's headed to Maui in June to help set up EAST labs on the island. http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/05/02/pl4sl.htm 5/22/00 When it comes to projects, these kids think big Page 2 of 4 ON THE JOB: Firefighters Keith Hillman (r.) and Sam Settle watch as Chris Edwards, a student at McClellan High School in Little Rock, Ark., maps a hydrant location using a GPS device. STEPHEN THORNTON/ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Students enrolled in EAST labs learn computer skills through projects that focus on developing systems or creating plans for schools, communities, and states. Many of the lab students' projects are in rural areas. Their work has included writing a $118,000 grant for Brinkley, Ark., to receive computers for senior citizens, and then teach them how to use the Internet; developing floor plans in schools to provide for more space and new school rooms; and designing and building a telescope and hosting constellation parties for the community. EAST is also at work in urban areas such as Little Rock, Ark. At Central High, students have written a $108,000 grant in order to get computers so juvenile delinquents can learn about technology in hopes of bridging the digital divide. "These types of projects are important to students, because they give them the opportunity to change their roles," says Tim Stephenson, the founder of EAST labs. "Most of their educational experiences have been centered on passing a test. They get a false sense of what makes them valuable in their community. For the first time, students feel responsible for their own learning." Mr. Stephenson, a former law-enforcement officer, started the first EAST lab in 1995 at Greenbrier High School in Greenbrier, Ark. The idea evolved out of one of his classes that focused on the outdoors and working hands-on with projects for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. ON THE JOB: Little Rock Central High students Jordan Bradford (I.) and Molly McGowan discuss writing a grant with Pulaski County Juvenile Department officials http://www.esmonitor.com/durable/2000/05/02/pl4sl.htm 5/22/00 When it comes to projects, these kids think big Page 3 of 4 STEPHEN THORNTON/SPECIAL TO THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR He soon realized that he needed a different tool - one with challenging technology. But he also needed money and computers. Though he contacted numerous business leaders about the undertaking, Stephenson received only one reply from a businessman willing to talk about supporting the project. Jim Wells, owner of Wellsco Graphic Solutions in north Arkansas, agreed to help Stephenson out. Mr. Wells, who used Intergraph Software in his business, persuaded the Alabama company to get behind the project. Greenbrier High School's first EAST lab project was to design and implement the town's 911 system. Students in EAST labs don't have teachers instructing them in the traditional fashion. Instead, they have "facilitators" who run the labs much as the head of a corporation would. But for the most part, students teach themselves using tutorials, books, and teleconferencing with software and hardware experts linked to the EAST lab by means of the Internet. "Every day these students come into class, and they want to work," says Ann Rossini, the facilitator for Lake View High School in Lake Village. "They look at it as if it is a job. Students who are not even interested in school come into this class and shine." Jennifer Matthews, a senior at Lake View, looks as if she would be more into 'N Sync lyrics than computer technology. But this petite high school senior with her overstuffed backpack rattles off high-tech lingo with ease. It's no surprise that the electronics wizard is a student administrator in the EAST lab here. Her job? Keeping students on track, reviving computers once they crash, and maintaining paper work on all the systems. She's also designing an interactive computer program to help students in preschool learn grammar. "This is the only class where you are an adult," says Ms. Matthews, who plans to major in English in college, but will incorporate designing software into her studies. "You set deadlines for yourself and work toward the finish," she says. Matthews also says that EAST labs allow students to have "intelligent conversations with people who don't think I am a geek." Fifty-two schools in Arkansas now have EAST labs. The program has branched out to a few schools in Alabama and Louisiana. Before year's end, EAST labs will be in schools in Hawaii, Illinois, and possibly Pennsylvania and Texas. In early spring, EAST labs students showed off their talents in the state capitol. They hoped to prove to state legislators how valuable it would be to increase the number of labs throughout Arkansas with the passing of an amendment to an education bill which would allow funding for EAST labs in 85 more schools throughout Arkansas within the next two years. http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/05/02/pl4sl.htm 5/22/00 When it comes to projects, these kids think big Page 4 of 4 "This is all about service learning," says Stephenson. "When students build something themselves for their community, they contribute value to that community. It forever changes their self-image and self-esteem, and they see themselves as an asset, not a burden, which is key in the New Economy." Before bookmarking this page in your browser, click here. The URL for this page is: http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/05/02/fp 14s 1-csm.shtml Send Editor E-mail Go to Forums Get Free E-mail Update Home Today's Paper Archive (wiesmonitor.com Subscriptions About (Is/Help Feedback (c) Copyright 2000 The Christian Science Publishing Society. All rights reserved. http://www.esmonitor.com/durable/2000/05/02/pl4sl.htm 5/22/00