Teachers use Technology to Make Learning Relevant and Rigorous

[Joanna Richman]

Springfield High School (Delaware County) is using its Classrooms for the Future grant to enhance instruction in a truly interdisciplinary way. Technology is integrated into all subject area classes, such as William McRae's American Government class. In a particularly original assignment, McRae asked his students to watch the presidential primary debates and analyze them by way of podcast recordings. In a style that will remind listeners of NPR broadcasts, students reported on the candidates' views and performances. Not only did students turn these podcasts in to their proud teacher, they shared them with the entire school community, on the Springfield website. Parents and principal alike responded to the students' work with comments on the class discussion board, another product of the Classrooms for the Future grant. The Pennsylvania Department of Education states on its website: "Classrooms for the Future will create learning environments that students will find engaging and that will pique their interests - a critical component to boosting student achievement." After visiting the school and seeing firsthand the level of proficiency students have both with the technology and the content material, I am pleased to say that this goal has been met at Springfield High School.