An HP Technology for Teaching Grant story

The school improvement plan at Culver Elementary in Culver, Oregon called for integrating technology into the curriculum. That had been the goal when the school had been built in 1996 and the district had installed computer stations, televisions, and VCRs in every classroom.

However, without a plan to sustain the technology, it had become little more than a frustration. The computers, unable to run current software, went unused. Stefanie Garber entered this situation as a new principal to the school in 2001. She began appropriating any extra money she could find to outfit a computer lab, and her technology efforts brought in a helpful district grant for technology-related staff development.
Then, she and ring-leader teacher won two stages of an HP grant that revolutionized a school with a 65% free and reduced lunch rate. The grants brought in more professional development, along with HP tablets, a cart to bring them to classrooms, a wireless network for classroom Internet access, multimedia projectors for presentations, and HP digital cameras.

Teachers initially focused on designing science units that would recast them as facilitators instead of lecturers. Student assignments asked students to generate web content, write reports, and create PowerPoint presentations. Photos of their experiments enhanced their work. Students also accessed research sites online and took virtual field trips.

“All of a sudden, our building became electric with technology.” Garber and her key tech-enthusiasts no longer needed to evangelize. Their students’ enthusiasm turned viral. The school also sought specific measures of the impact from these tech tools and the learning style they encourage. Culver Elementary found:
•    The number of student reporting interest in the subject matter rose from 73.1 percent to 89.5%.
•    The average number of errors in project assignments decreased from six to one.
•    The average number of facts listed in projects increased from 13 to 85.
•    Students were more specific about where to find information on topics.
•    Discipline problems decreased.