Alexander Miller

This school year, Phoenixville Area High School was one of the recipients of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s “Classrooms For the Future” grant. The PDE grant has been going on for three years now. PAHS applied and was accepted during the program’s third year of operation. Although PAHS only got half of the grant because of the volatile economy, it was still a good $158,000 and it was enough to make our science department a more technical learning environment.

Pennsylvania’s goal is to equip every classroom in public school as a classroom for the future. Each grant includes interactive whiteboards, projectors, laptop computers, and wireless access points. PASD had a choice of which equipment to purchase with the grant. They could’ve selected PC’s, however, they chose the Macbook by Apple Inc. PASD started using this technology with the science department because they are re-writing the science curriculum and it is great to write the curriculum around the new classroom technology. Not only did the PDE state grant provide great equipment at our disposal, they provided a new way to teach and learn for the both the educator and the student. Not only has this equipment allowed students to be more interactive with projects and assignments, it has allowed teachers to develop a new and exciting way of learning.

“The state did a great job of supporting the teachers with workshops, resources, trainers, online learning, and providing at least a part-time coaching position for the CFF grant at each school, ”stated Mr. Barron, PASD Instructional Technology Specialist and CFF Coach.

Phoenixville Area School District has also backed the grant by funding and providing internet access, wireless printing capabilities, and technical support. Apple Computer sent Eric Erb, an Apple “genius,” to train science teachers on the new Macbook. He showed the teachers Del.Icio.us, which is a social bookmarking site, and iTunes Music Library, which features educational videos, lessons, and ideas. Eric Erb also taught the teachers how to use iWeb, iPhoto, iMovie, KeyNote, and GarageBand. During in-service days the teachers have been getting computer lessons.

Mrs. Spear, the science department chair, loves the new Classroom For the Future. She said, “I love it. I can change my instruction and have a more student-centered classroom. Instead of just teaching from a textbook, I am teaching from the internet.” Mrs. Spear also stated, “Students have more ways to show me they’ve learned the material, whether it is through iPhoto, or iWeb!”

Phoenixville High School students have used the internet and iWeb to construct curriculum-based web sites on watersheds via iWeb. I also got to experience the useful and productive Classroom For the Future technology. During Biology we were given a podcasting assignment and we utilized the Mac program GarageBand. It was a very interesting a fun project to complete.

I personally feel that this grant will help all of us learn in a more creative and more interesting way. If you love technology, taking a science course next year would be your best bet! Not only do you learn the material in the class you are taking, you get to learn how to use a Mac, and learn how to utilize all of the productivity programs installed on the Macbooks.