TEACHING IDEAS
Tested by teachers in Delta County, Colorado
Sponsored by the Arch Coal Foundation
When it comes to innovative classroom projects, look no further. The
following pages detail some of the best ideas that have earned ARCH COAL
INNOVATIVE TEACHING GRANTS in Delta County, Colorado, since 2007.
The Arch Coal Foundation’s unique program challenges the county’s teachers
to use their experience, imagination and up to $500 to test innovative ideas that
would improve student performance.
Grant recipients provide a final report, incorporating as much information as
possible that would help fellow teachers across America – and perhaps even around
the world. From the annual results, selected innovative projects are made available
through this online and printable summary report. In most cases, projects include a
contact e-mail address, so that teachers may request details and collaborate on best
practices. Simply click on the link in the teacher’s name to activate the email.
Arch Coal 2007-08 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Heroes of the Past Making Heroes of the Future
Theresa Davis * Crawford School * Crawford, Colo.
Theresa Davis dedicated her 2007 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative
Teaching Grant to helping middle school students with reading
disabilities improve their reading skills, while inspiring them to think
about the qualities of a hero. Davis purchased biographies of famous
people who had overcome difficulties and went on to make
contributions to the world. Various quotes led to discussions about
historical events and how a person’s character can lead them to make
decisions that benefit others. Often, the students learned, difficult
circumstances endured in youth can provide courage or strength later
in life. The students shared their new knowledge by acting out scenes
from Albert Einstein’s life and designing a display featuring relevant
quotes and events from Theodore Roosevelt’s life. Younger students
were invited to ask questions, which further stimulated interest.
Reading about a historical figure will often resonate with a student.
They become excited to find out more and begin making connections
to their own lives, according to Davis, who continues to use the
biographies in class.
Project: Fostering Personal Identity Through Artwork
Peter Halladay * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.
Art teacher Peter Halladay devoted his 2007 Arch Coal Foundation
Innovative Teaching Grant to helping his students view the world
through different eyes and getting to better know their community
and themselves. Halladay purchased five digital cameras for his
classroom and distributed them to students. This gave them an
opportunity to learn how to operate the cameras and then work on
assignments. One such project involved using the cameras to compare
and contrast community development over the past 100 years. The
students began their research at the local historical society, viewing
various area scenes and buildings in old photographs. Then they took
pictures showing the same scenes and structures today. A few
students also worked on individual projects, with one combining
personal images with text.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2007-08 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: CO2 Car Project
Eagle’s Nest Extension/Enrichment Program
David Kuta * Paonia Elementary * Paonia, Colo.
For a half-hour each day, Paonia Elementary students who are meeting
or exceeding regular classroom expectations get an opportunity to
learn new things in creative and fun ways, as part of the Eagle’s Nest
Extension/Enrichment Program. David Kuta used his 2007 Arch Coal
Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to purchase materials for
students to build and race cars powered by CO2 (carbon dioxide). Over
the course of several months, fourth, fifth and sixth graders completed
their cars step by step – creating concept sketches and prototypes,
finalizing designs, building, painting and testing their cars – and finally
racing them in a week-long event complete with trophies. All the
students learned a great deal over the course of the project, according
to Kuta, not only about designing and building the cars, but also about
aerodynamics, force, drag, friction, mass and other scientific and
mathematical concepts. The project was well-received by students and
staff alike.
Project: Library to Supplement Classroom Economy
Von W. Mitchell * Cedaredge High School * Cedaredge, Colo.
Von Mitchell created a classroom library in 2007 for use in conjunction
with a wider initiative through which students engage in a classroom
economy.* The business teacher’s goal was to nurture a love of reading
among students and to help them make the connection between their
lives and literature. As part of the economy project, students hold jobs
and “pay rent” on their seating. The catch is, rent is more than their
income. Students earn extra money by doing extra work, like reading
books and writing book reports. Mitchell purchased a quantity of books
with his Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant, including
such titles as The Pearl, by John Steinbeck; To Kill a Mockingbird, by
Harper Lee; The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane; and many
more. Shortly after setting up the library, Mitchell was pleased to
report success on the project. Not only were his own students reading
the new books, students from other classes were doing so as well – and
discussing what they’d read. At the time, more than 90 students had
daily access to the library, with more to gain usage the following
semester.
*Based on an idea by teacher/author Rafe Esquith
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2007-08 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Student-Made CD Stories
Janet Rogers * Crawford School * Crawford, Colo.
Janet Rogers devoted her 2007 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative
Teaching Grant to increasing the motivation to write and improving
reading fluency among her first-grade students. Rogers purchased 20
portable CD players with headphones, 100 CD-R discs and five packs of
AA batteries and set to work. Each student wrote and illustrated a
picture book using the writing process – developing settings, characters
and story sequence. She and her students also analyzed the
components of good reading used in commercially made audio books,
such as expression, use of page-turning signals and the “about the
author and illustrator” pages. Students read their stories many times to
read fluently. With the help of two middle school students, each firstgrader recorded the stories and created CDs.
They then decorated the CD case and a carrying bag for the disc/book
set. Completion of the project was celebrated with an authors’ party, at
which students listened to their own stories and those of their
classmates. Rogers was very pleased with the success of the program.
Student motivation to read and write was very high, and she even
noticed students evaluating each other’s work. Rogers’ students
completed the CD stories the following year as well.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2008-09 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: An Evening Under the Stars
Linda L. Hodges * Hotchkiss K8 School * Hotchkiss, Colo.
“An Evening Under the Stars”
participants (left to right): Jean Lewis,
Sarah Moore-Andregg, Ann Wingfield,
Tristan Andregg and Trever Wingfield
Linda Hodges’ grant provided the means to acquire three reflector
telescopes, a light-up solar system, Moon-in-My-Room light and a
solar system floor puzzle. She used them to create a memorable
astronomy lesson for her kindergarten students and their families
called “An Evening Under the Stars.” To accommodate everyone, it
consisted of six sessions. Each began with students giving a short
presentation on the solar system. Hodges then demonstrated how
to use the telescopes and led everyone to the playground to try
them out. The goal was to provide an innovative, home-to-school
connection by enabling students and their families to explore the
night sky together. The project further enriched students’
understanding of the vastness of the solar system and enabled
them to explore some of its intricacies, while giving their families an
opportunity to participate in the cooperative learning process.
Afterward, they enjoyed a snack and a cup of hot cocoa together.
Parent responses included: “I learned so much from our
kindergartner!” “Do the kids have as much fun as the adults?” and
“I want a telescope now!” Hodges has shared the materials with
other grade levels.
Project: Ready, Set, Strategize!
Kelly Rienks * Paonia Elementary * Paonia, Colo.
Kelly Rienks applied her 2008 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative
Teaching Grant toward the purchase of board games aimed at
helping her fifth-grade students practice and master strategic
thinking and mathematical reasoning. The goal of the easily
repeatable project was to help students attain skills that will
benefit them in many problem-solving situations, according to
Rienks. Students not only learned to play the games, but also
participated in classroom tournaments. Some also completed
writing activities based on the games. Throughout the year, Rienks
saw her students’ strategy skills improve, and their verbal and
written explanations of tactics and rules became more detailed and
thought out. In addition to playing the games in class, students also
taught students from other classrooms how to play and took the
games home to share with their families. Parental feedback
reinforced that playing the games was a positive interaction for the
whole family.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2008-09 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Winter Ecology
Zac Lemon * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.
CeCe Pieper at the entrance of a snow
cave, which she learned how to build in
Lemon’s course on winter survival
techniques
Zac Lemon used his 2008 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative
Teaching Grant to help prepare students enrolled in the school’s
advanced biology college course to survive if ever lost in the Mesa
Lakes area of Grand Mesa during winter. Lemon purchased seven
sets of snowshoes and took the students on a four-hour walk of
about two to three miles. They discussed topics previously covered
in class, including the transition in ecosystems due to increases in
elevation, key characteristics of various tree species, as well as
active winter animals, their behaviors and identification methods.
The group also discussed winter survival techniques and how to
make snow caves. Students gained an understanding of winter
biology and are now able to relate their knowledge to all seasons,
according to Lemon, who presented the program a second year
and considers it a major success. Several students thanked him for
such a great educational opportunity. Some also mentioned they
now have the confidence to go out in the snow and use their
knowledge to start up a new hobby – even purchasing their own
snowshoes to do so.
Project: Plants as Food and Medicine
Alicia Michelsen * Lamborn Vision School * Paonia, Colo.
Alicia Michelsen devoted her 2008 Arch Coal Foundation
Innovative Teaching Grant to helping high school students become
familiar with native and common plants and to use them in
practical and innovative ways. Michelsen’s course went beyond
the study of botany in the traditional sense to help students
become more comfortable and confident in nature; know the uses
of plants; and be able to identify poisonous plants and fungi. In
addition to the parts of the plant, students learned about related
myths, legends and folklore, as well as ways that the plants can be
used. Over the course of the year, some hands-on exercises
included making Reishi mushroom healing soup, elderberry honey,
onion poultice, burdock vinegar, burdock poultice, a healing salve
of comfrey and calendula, slippery elm cough drops and
eucalyptus steam. The course helped students develop a more
positive relationship with nature, according to Michelsen. The
Lamborn Vision School has closed its doors, but Michelsen intends
to teach a class on herbs as food and medicine for all ages through
the Vision Home and Community Program.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2008-09 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Civil War Highlights
Nancy Rowe * Garnet Mesa Elementary * Delta, Colo.
Students in all four Garnet Mesa Elementary second-grade classes
got an opportunity to become part of the learning process, thanks to
Nancy Rowe’s 2008 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant.
While studying the Civil War era, the children took on roles and
presented a skit for teachers, parents and other students on some
significant people and issues of that time. Rowe purchased
decorations, flags and costumes like the uniforms worn by President
Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. One class created roles
about slaves – how they were brought to the states by boat, sold at
auction and forced to work on plantations – and how they held
secret meetings on how to become free. Another class introduced
Peg Leg Smith, who developed the idea for an Underground Railroad,
and Harriet Tubman, one of its most famous “conductors.” A third
class developed a poem about Grant and Lee, and the last class read
the Gettysburg Address, dressed in top hats like President Lincoln’s.
The students learned more by participating in the play than in
previous years, and they will continue the program yearly, according
to Rowe.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2009-10 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Experiential Life Skills Instruction
Maureen Ayers * Hotchkiss K-8 * Hotchkiss, Colo.
In 2009, students who enrolled in Maureen Ayers’ special education
courses got an opportunity to expand their life skills through cooking
and sewing projects and through participating in the startup and
operation of a small business venture. Assisted by Terrea Bear, Ayers
devoted her 2009 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to
goods needed for consumer shopping and cooking projects; sewing
activities, including curtains for classroom plays; and soil, seeds,
fertilizer and pots for launching a business. Students cleared out an
abandoned greenhouse on school property, planting seeds and cuttings
and then nurturing them into plants that made about
$485 at three plant sales – funds put toward the ongoing business and
other projects the next year. Students learned about teamwork,
attention to tasks and skills necessary to plan and run a small
enterprise, such as money management and budgeting, according to
Ayers. They were graded on punctuality, resourcefulness, time on task
and worker quality, as well as specific skill sets, such as safety,
nutrition, plants and following instructions/procedures. Grades
improved steadily as the course progressed, with pre- and post- testing
showing a growth of 30 percent.
Project: Soap Box Derby Project
Dan Dunham * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo.
Dan Dunham used a traditional project to help teach his technology
students about the importance of teamwork and dedication to a goal.
At the same time, students learned the uses and types of simple
machines, and the principles of design, welding and framing that go into
producing them. They also learned the laws of motion and physics
behind safely putting a vehicle in motion and stopping it. Dunham
purchased materials with his 2009 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative
Teaching Grant for building six Soap Box Derby cars over a three-month
period. The project began with research and design and Dunham
building a prototype demonstrating how students might design the
steering mechanisms, brakes and wheel-attachments.
Parts for this portion of the project were primarily obtained
prepackaged for safety reasons. When parts weren’t available – or
even when a car was stolen – Dunham demonstrated recycling and
reuse, picking up seatbelts at a salvage yard and helmets from the
Salvation Army and thrift stores, including rebar and scrap metal for
the brake system, according to Dunham. Overall, he reported that the
project was a tremendous success, with students enjoying the handson opportunity to learn how to create safe, steerable and stoppable
vehicles – and then race them.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2009-10 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Touch My World
Joey Hancock * Lincoln Elementary * Delta, Colo.
With the help of Joey Hancock’s 2009 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative
Teaching Grant, students with a wide range of disabilities now view an
iPod® as an educational tool rather than just a portable music player.
Hancock, who teaches severe/profound special education classes for
students in kindergarten through grade five, purchased two iPods with
his grant, as well as education-related applications. After having
incorporated the iPods in his classroom for six months, Hancock noted
measurable improvement in his students’ math skills. For instance,
one began with the ability to add and subtract two-digit numbers and
ended able to add and subtract money amounts to the thousands and
knowing the purpose of the decimal point. Another began with the
ability to add single digit numbers with 40-percent accuracy. Six
months later, the student was adding double-digit numbers with
regrouping. Yet another could count to 50 by ones, but with no
skipping. Six months later, the student was counting by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s,
10’s and 100’s. Hancock also observed great gains in students’ visualtracking and fine-motor skills. The new iPod Touch, with its camera
and built-in microphone, could open the door to many more
possibilities, says Hancock.
iPod is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
Project: Hero Club Cards
Jan Rogers * Crawford School * Crawford, Colo.
Thanks to Janet Rogers’ 2009 grant, kindergarten through fourth-grade
students got a chance to collect cards featuring some newly
discovered heroes and eventually become card-featured “heroes,”
too. To increase motivation for reading and excitement about the
lives of exemplary individuals, Rogers created and purchased a set of
75 cards featuring 15 photos and biographical information on
individuals such as Clara Barton, Charles Dickens, Wilbur Wright,
Susan B. Anthony and Harriet Tubman. To earn cards, students
completed reading goals at home and at school. Each month, a
community volunteer came to school dressed as a hero. For instance,
Clara Barton showed up and told about her life as a nurse. She then
gave a hand-washing lesson, at which time an adoring kindergartener
looked up at “Clara” and said “I’ve got your card on my backpack.”
Enthusiasm for the cards led to creation of a Hero Day, at which each
student came to school dressed as one of the famous people they had
studied, sharing reports about them with other classes and parents.
Students who completed all nine months of reading at home received
their own personalized card, declaring them to be a “reading hero.”
Rogers’ students again participated in the program during the 2010
school year.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2009-10 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: A World of Wonder
Jodi Simpson * Paonia Elementary * Paonia, Colo.
Jodi Simpson devoted her 2009 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative
Teaching Grant to putting science tools, books and other resources into
the hands of her first-grade students, motivating them to discover
answers to their “burning/probing” questions for themselves. Simpson
purchased supplies ranging from a microscope, binoculars, hand lenses
and prepared slides to posters, an ant farm, frog specimen, recycling
receptacles and more – all aimed at engaging her class in active,
authentic, inquiry-based and hands-on learning. At the same time, she
guided them beyond the textbook to apply the higher-level thinking
skills that not only meet state standards, but also will enable her
students to become the problem- solving inventors, doctors and
scientists of the future. One of the most popular lessons involved
building an electrical circuit. After the children understood the parts of
the circuit and the difference between conductors and insulators, the
magic began, according to Simpson. She walked through the room,
listening to the students exclaiming things like, “Make sure you’re
letting the clip end, the metal part, connect to conduct electricity,”
“What do you think will happen if we try to light up two lights bulbs?”
and “Hey guys, let’s combine our wires with the other group and make
a really big circuit!”
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2010-11 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Building wooden boats
Dan Dunham * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo.
Applied Technology Teacher Dan Dunham used his 2010 Arch Coal
Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant to purchase supplies for
demonstrating the use of various types of sanders and saws, as well
as how to make compound miter cuts, perform hand-planing, do
fiberglass work and calculate carrying capacity through water
displacement. To top it off, students also experienced the thrill of
traveling across a lake, paddling with oars and in boats they built in
class. The project was a tremendous success, according to Dunham.
“The boats turned out better than I could have imagined, and the
students were very proud of their work. It was a significant, hands-on
learning experience for both the kids and me,” he said. Dunham
would like to repeat the boat-building project. Toward that end, the
class raffled off the boats made this year to help fund next year’s
boats.
Project: Drama continues on to high school
Susan Tate Hamrick * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.
Susan Tate Hamrick used her 2010 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative
Teaching Grant to help present the first play held at Hotchkiss High
School in seven years. Hamrick purchased playbooks and royalty fees
for Chemical Bonding (or Better Living through Chemistry), a two-act
play by Don Zolidis. She also co- directed the play, which was
presented two evenings to standing- room-only crowds. The play
featured a 16-member cast and provided a wonderful way for some
students not involved in many extracurricular activities to “shine,”
according to Hamrick. “The overall project goal was met beyond my
wildest dreams. The students treasure this memory, and we hope to
bring a drama component into Hotchkiss High School,” she said.
Funds generated by the play could help that effort.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2010-11 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Touch my world
Joey Hancock * Lincoln Elementary * Delta, Colo.
Two-time Arch Coal Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant recipient
Joey Hancock used his 2010 grant to enhance learning via iPads.*
Last year, Hancock, who teaches severe/profound special education
classes, purchased iPods and learning applications with his grant.
Within six months, he noted measurable improvement in students’
math skills and observed great gains in their visual- tracking and finemotor skills. This year, he purchased an iPad* for use in the
classroom, and his enhanced learning program is still going great,
according to Hancock. He also obtained additional apps aimed at
enabling students to focus on a task without having to deal with
difficulties in other areas. For instance, a student who struggles with
handwriting during a spelling test can now use a keyboard. Other
applications just make learning more fun, said Hancock, who
continues to research additional applications for use in class.
Project: I speak iPad*
Stephanie Hanson * Cedaredge Elementary * Cedaredge, Colo.
Stephanie Hanson purchased an iPad with her 2010 Arch Coal
Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant. Her goal was to determine if
iPad applications could replace traditional materials in speechtherapy sessions. Hanson targeted students with articulation goals
and found a number of useful applications for them, including:
“Speech Trainer,” which illustrates how the mouth produces a
specific sound; “ArtikPix,” which allows users to play a memory
game with target words on the touch screen; “Pocket SLP,” a useful
application for progress monitoring; and “Story Builder,” the best
tool she’s ever used for building generalization and carryover of
skills, according to Hanson. She expanded her project to include
students with language goals and used the iPad and apps to improve
understanding and use of concepts, vocabulary and grammar. “This
project was a definite success. It is replicable and one I hope to
expand upon,” said Hanson.
* iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2010-11 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Assistive device for luggage handling
Richard Hypio * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.
Physics teacher Richard Hypio turned his 2010 Arch Coal Foundation
Innovative Teaching Grant into nationwide recognition for a team of
his students. The project took first-place honors in a national
competition sponsored by NISH* and the Junior Engineering
Technical Society in Arlington, Va. Hypio used the grant to purchase
materials for designing and building an assistive device for a disabled
member of the local community. Named the “Caboose,” it provides a
way for airport luggage to be handled “hands free.” The team
received a $2,000 prize, a trophy and two additional awards – Best
Use of Universal Design Principles and Most Marketable Design.
After the competition, the team received guidance about patenting
and marketing. As coach of the team, Hypio received an American
flag manufactured by North Bay Industries, which employs
individuals with disabilities. He presented it to Hotchkiss High.
*Formerly known as
the National Industries for the Severely Handicapped.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2011-12 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Understanding and Discussing Literature
Kriss Allen, Diane Hurst, Krista Carsten, Cathy Simpson *
Paonia Junior-Senior High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.
Allen
Carsten
Four teachers at Paonia Junior and Senior High Schools tested the use
of electronic book readers versus hard copy books to determine
whether or not advanced technology improved student literacy. An
Arch Coal Foundation grant funded the purchase of multiple Amazon
Kindle® e-readers. Eighth-grade English, advanced literature and
English IV classes were involved in the test. According to the teachers,
“modern technology was used to teach and to improve traditional
skills for the 21st century classroom and workplace. The Kindles offer
multiple tools that enhance and elevate learning so that the students’
skills are better supported. We believe Kindles are a gateway tool to
initiate and cultivate enthusiasm for learning in reluctant as well as
advanced readers.” The teachers carefully charted achievement levels
of all who participated in the test. A majority of the students
exhibited higher enthusiasm for reading on the Kindles, and students
generally either maintained skill levels or demonstrated improved
growth. The teachers plan to use the Kindles again during the coming
school year and expect that full- year implementation of them will
bring fresh, innovative methods to their classrooms. The teachers also
believe schools would be better off financially using the Kindles rather
than hard-cover books, as they provide almost unlimited reading
choices and hold up well to student use demands.
Kindle is a registered trademark of Amazon.com
Simpson
Project: Economics of an Independent Household
Nancy Carlson * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.
Special education teacher Nancy Carlson applied her 2011 Arch Coal
Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant toward purchasing food,
appliances and other kitchen items used to demonstrate various
tasks involved in setting up an independent household. Over a fourmonth period, Carlson’s students learned to clean, take inventory
and stock their classroom kitchen; prepare a budget; determine and
compile a list of needed supplies; choose recipes for in-class
completion; use the Internet to research costs; go shopping; make
purchases and cook. The students also established a “kitchen duty”
rotation and took two field trips, with the first destination being the
grocery store. For the second outing, the class went to a local bank to
learn about personal finance, such as the importance of
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2011-12 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
budgeting and the purpose of checking, savings and credit accounts.
The students not only gained valuable life skills through the project,
but also a sense of ownership and pride. From having taken part in the
selection and purchase process, they more carefully handled the new
kitchen materials. They also proudly demonstrated their new abilities
to the Hotchkiss High School staff and other community members,
according to Carlson. At the end of the project, the appliances and
other non-perishables purchased with grant funds were carefully
locked away until needed for similar projects in months and years to
come.
Project: Students Reporting on the Past
Hailey Hancock * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo.
Hailey Hancock used her 2011 Arch Coal Foundation Innovative
Teaching Grant Award to bring history to life for her eighth-grade
students at Delta Middle School. The grant purchased a digital
camcorder, tripod and extra memory cards that students used to
record historical documentaries as part of their National History Day
projects. According to Hancock, History Live engaged students in 21st
century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and “examining
sources for an audience, purpose, point of view, historical context and
propaganda,” Hancock says. The initiative inspired students who think
history is boring to realize that historical events, people and
philosophies shape everyday lives. Many of the students recorded their
reflections on National History Day so future eighth graders could get
advice on how to succeed. “When students used the video camera for
that experience, it lit a spark,” Hancock said. The next project focused
on developing a newscast of an event from the early to mid-1800s.
Students researched topics in the classroom and then filmed
reenactments on location outside of school. An added benefit to the
project was the introduction of students to journalism and video
production skills. “The more students were exposed to technology, the
more they wanted to use it,” Hancock reported. Hancock plans to use
the equipment and knowledge gained from this year’s projects during
the coming year in both her seventh- and eighth-grade classes in a
variety of curriculum units.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2011-12 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Teaching Narrative Language through Technology
Stephanie Hanson * Cedaredge Elementary School *
Cedaredge, Colo.
Elementary school students with language delays in grades 2 through 5
were involved in this test to determine whether an iPad could be a
more effective learning tool than traditional methods. Students in
grades 2 and 4 participated in the traditional method (Story Grammar
Marker) while students in grades 3 and 5 used an iPad with the
Toontastic app. A pre-test was administered in October and a final test
in April. The Tracking Narrative Language Progress tool was used to
evaluate an oral and written narrative sample from each student.
Results indicated the traditional method appears to achieve better
results. However, better results may be achievable from the iPad if
certain other conditions are met, such as an iPad for each student,
rather than multiple students sharing a single iPad. Alternatively, an
Elmo or Smartboard might be used so that children are more easily
able to view projected iPad information. An additional, unexpected
complication was that only one iPad was available for the students
using the Toontastic app.Therefore, a group of students had to work
together on a narrative, which was time consuming and resulted in
significantly fewer opportunities for practice for individual students. A
key recommendation is that either method needs to be conducted
with these students more than one time a week to achieve better
results.
iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
Project: Cardiovascular Testing
Zac Lemon * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.
Hotchkiss High School science teacher Zac Lemon wanted to give his
students one more tool in the fight to stay healthy. His grant allowed
his advanced college credit Anatomy and Physiology class to learn
about their blood pressure and blood types. Blood typing kits, blood
pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters and stethoscopes were purchased for
the project. Students conducted a lab to determine their blood types,
measured their blood pressure and took the blood pressure of
classmates, learning things about themselves that could help them stay
healthy for a lifetime. Students were very interested in knowing which
blood types they could donate and receive in the need of transfusions,
Lemon reported. With the support of school nurse Glenda Gallegos, the
students learned about the blood pressure cuffs, how to obtain systolic
and diastolic readings and what the measurements mean. That led to
discussions about healthy lifestyle choices and the effect of things like
smoking and nutrition on a person’s blood pressure – information that
could impact the students for their lifetimes. Lemon said he hoped the
students would take what they learned in the classroom home to help
further their families’ understanding of blood pressure and health.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2012-13 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Writing with the Stars
Kriss Allen * Paonia Junior-Senior High School * Paonia, Colo.
Photo courtesy of Debra Dobbins
Knowing that students living in rural areas have limited exposure to
professionals in a variety of writing fields, Kriss Allen wanted to
provide an opportunity for her language arts students to learn from
the experts. She used her grant to organize a writers’ conference for
her students at Paonia High School to learn about writing from
published authors who live nearby. The event included formal
presentations and small group discussions with the authors, as well
as a poetry slam. Allen’s grant helped put literature “into her
students’ lives” and helped them develop writing skills that will
benefit them for the remainder of their lives. While her “Writing
Celebration” lasted but a day, the impact of that day’s activities, plus
the materials provided by the grant, supported her classroom efforts
for the remainder of the year. The grant’s main goal – having
students interact with a published author or newspaper editor – was
very successful. Students met with Paolo Bacigalupi, who lives in
Paonia, and is one of the hottest science fiction writers in America,
and with Debra Dobbins, Newspapers in Education coordinator and
writer for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Allen says “the excited
moments that arose were palpable as the students made
connections with the writers and became interested in the writing
process. Students also researched the authors, read their novels and
deepened their connection with them.”
Project: Getting from Point A to Point B
Dan Dunham * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo.
Delta Middle School’s Dan Dunham has been featured in these pages
in the past as his advanced technology classes built a drift boat. To
complete the project, during the second semester of the 2012-2013
school year, his classes designed and built the trailer to haul the
boat. Because class structure allows students only a few hours a
week to work on the project, his students learned that “it is far
easier to do something right the first time.” Dunham says his
students learned tenacity when they had to take something apart
and try it again. Students used computers and the Internet to
research trailer designs, and then learned to use a wide variety of
tools, including power tools, to construct the trailer. The trailer was
not completed during the semester, but Dunham plans on finishing
the remaining work and getting the trailer licensed during the next
school semester. When finished, the trailer will haul the previously
built boat to the river where wildlife officials will educate the
students about the ecology of the Gunnison River. Dunham hopes to
have all the students who have worked on the boat and trailer test
their creations when the trailer is complete. Dunham says the
project has equipped middle school students with a wide variety of
practical skills such as reading blueprints and learning the
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2012-13 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
fundamentals of welding, and Dunham is eager to share his project
with other teachers. “S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and
math) activities foster team work, problem-solving and show
students why they need to learn a wide variety of math and science
skills,” he said. “It has been an inspiring and difficult journey.”
Project: Community Optical Boost
Jamie Roeber * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.
Hotchkiss High School art teacher Jamie Roeber’s grant involved
stretching her students’ artistic talents, as well as improving the
aesthetic appeal of their city. Community Optical Boost introduced
students to proper airbrush techniques and how to clean and
maintain the equipment. Students then did a practice project before
airbrushing a huge Hotchkiss High School bulldog mascot on the side
of the public works building. “I wanted to enrich the learning
experience of my students with a hands-on project, as well as
encourage them to better their community and foster civic pride
through outreach,” Roeber said. As the project unfolded, student
interest grew significantly in this new art medium. The project also
taught team work, organization and problem-solving, and helped
students better understand that reaching out to others is a reward in
and of itself. The community has reacted positively. Following the
first project, eight others have been suggested. Roeber says her
overall project goal was met, and in the coming school year she
already has plans to continue her outreach of arts in the community.
Project: No … Not Opera!
Joe Siennicki * Garnet Mesa Elementary * Delta, Colo.
Opera is not a musical genre that usually shows up on the playlist of
most elementary students. Joe Siennicki’s grant introduced his
fourth- and fifth-grade students at Garnet Mesa Elementary to opera
through a variety of activities to develop an appreciation for an art
form they often don’t experience. He used DVDs and CDs of operatic
performances to increase student awareness, while story-writing
exercises helped improve literacy. Siennicki also took advantage of
the Central City Opera Company to expand his lesson plans. Several
of the opera company’s members presented a brief performance
before the school’s entire student body. According to Siennicki, the
students’ story-writing skills were reinforced during the seven-week
unit, and the students were exposed to different musical aspects of
opera. In addition, Central City Opera performers helped the
students identify different performance and story-telling skills.
Siennicki believes the performers had a huge, positive impact on the
students, and he hopes to replicate the project in the coming year.
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2012-13 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Innovative Partnerships in Water Quality
Debbie Yeager * Delta Opportunity School * Delta, Colo.
Debbie Yeager knows that not all learning takes place in the
classroom. Her goal was to allow her high-school-aged students to
participate in a hands-on project that provided an enriching
educational experience while partnering with the Delta Parks
Department to monitor the local water quality. Students tested
water temperature, flow, speed and capacity, and the grant enabled
Yeager to purchase a water quality kit that tested pH, nitrates,
phosphate, bacteria, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and benthic
organisms. For approximately 10 weeks, Yeager’s students gathered
samples from Confluence Lake and irrigation ditches and watched
the data change. “The students were involved in project-based
learning throughout the period,” Yeager said. “They worked hard,
and they collected lots of great data.” Materials purchased by the
grant will enable future classes to conduct similar experiments. “Our
local waterways are susceptible to many outside sources of pollution
and contamination,” Yeager said. “This project allowed my students
to gain a deeper understanding of how our decisions as humans can
and do affect our local waterways, as well as to use scientific
methods to learn that water quality is measurable, recordable and
sustainable.”
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2013-14 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Student-Centered Math and Trebuchet
Wayne Wolf * Vision Charter Academy Launch Program *
Cedaredge, Colo.
Wayne Wolf knows that it often is difficult to convince students that
math not only is interesting, but that it also will be useful in years to
come. So what better way to show his students that math can be
both practical and fun than by building a trebuchet, a catapult used
as a siege engine in the Middle Ages. While counterweight
trebuchets often were used to breach enemy fortifications by
flinging heavy projectiles up to 350 pounds, Wolf’s class planned to
use theirs to compete in the local punkin’ chunken’ contest. “I have
math students who test from fourth- to eleventh-grade,” Wolf said.
“It is important to make math relevant to their abilities and interests
so they can participate in learning and achieve their goals.” Wolf
used his grant to purchase rope, leather, lumber and other supplies
needed to build the trebuchet. The trebuchet’s technical constructions were lost at the beginning of the 16th century, but were
revived in 1984 based on documents dating to the 1300s, so
students were not only polishing their math skills, but also learning
history as well. As Wolf and his students began construction on their
trebuchet, they discovered the model didn’t have enough weight to
work properly, necessitating a design change. “The lesson we
learned along the way is to not give up, but to continue to evolve the
project until it is successful,” Wolf said. “However, the overall goals
of the project were met: Students were able to use tools and apply
measurements, and they became more interested in building math.”
Project: Let the Stars Shine
Dan Dunham * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo.
Dan Dunham’s goal was to create a positive atmosphere for student
success at Delta Middle school by using a television monitor
mounted on a hallway wall featuring exceptional work being done by
the school’s students. It gained such immediate success that the
school’s administration added more monitors. The “broadcasts”
were produced by both students and faculty. Not only did the
project celebrate student success and share it throughout the
student body, it also sparked interest in digital displays and
productions. Now, with a year’s practice and testing, Dunham hopes
to add video to the monitors in addition to pictures and written
work. “Posting student examples on the monitors was positive
reinforcement that good work is worth sharing,” said Dunham. “We
created a lot of ‘positive vibes’ in the school with the children. This
project will continue and will get better as we – students and faculty
– learn more about production techniques.”
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2013-14 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Cultural Remedy
Jamie Roeber * Hotchkiss High School * Hotchkiss, Colo.
Jamie Roeber worries that with the advancement of technology her
art students are losing touch with some of their heritage. So Roeber
used her grant to reconnect her high school students with the
cultural perspectives of the past through leather-working. Roeber
purchased leather-working tools and supplies, and then invited local
professional artists to her class to demonstrate different techniques
including cutting, edging, riveting and sewing different types of
leather. The students then researched their own roots as well as
other cultures and applied the techniques they had learned to create
a variety of leather goods. Finished projects included a buffalo hide
purse, a leather guitar strap, a computer bag and much more.
Roeber took the project a step further by setting up an exhibit of the
students’ work at a local restaurant for patrons to enjoy. The exhibit
provided an opportunity for community members who might not see
student work on a regular basis to enjoy some of the creativity of
their local young people. “Not every student enjoys working with a
pencil in the art room,” Roeber said. “This is a way to reach students
that need a tactile approach. The goal was to refresh the way we
look into our past while learning new skills. Leather tooling is an
ancient art. We take pride in where we come from and who we are,
and this project allowed us to recreate a lost art in our area that
values tradition.”
Project: Writing with Technology
Brandy Ferganchick * Delta Middle School * Delta, Colo.
Brandy Ferganchick’s project was to incorporate technology to
wirelessly stream content to the classroom and provide an
interactive experience for her students using their smart phones or
tablets. However, not all of her eighth-grade students had these
devices so Ferganchick modified her plan and began accessing the
Internet in her classroom and displaying it on an Apple TV. Her
students watched others making presentations, and then were
challenged to duplicate the effort. “The motivation and learning
were immediate,” Ferganchick reported. “Instead of using it only for
writing improvement, we used it for a greater purpose. Seeing a
project – everything from a PowerPoint presentation to slam poetry
– presented by peers, even over the Internet, was electrifying. Many
students find it difficult to stand before their classmates and make a
report, but they were motivated to create presentations on their
computers and show them on the Apple TV.” She also used the
television to provide immediacy to projects – not only to current
news, but also to her expectations for the students’ work. “For
example, we watched many slam poems together and then, when it
was their turn to present, they had a much greater idea of what I
expected from them.”
www.archteacherawards.com
Arch Coal 2013-14 Innovative Teaching Grant Summaries for Delta County, Colorado
Project: Don’t Question the Semantics:
Grammar Still Works in the 21st Century
Kriss Allen * Paonia High School * Paonia, Colo.
Learning proper grammar, punctuation and capitalization rules for
the English language is as important now as ever, but Kriss Allen
recognized that it often is challenging to find fun ways to help her
high school students master these skills. So Allen used her grant to
incorporate technology into the learning process through the use of
the Internet, Apple TV, free applications and iPad tablets. “Grammar
is an old skill and often is taught through drill and grill,” Allen said. “I
was able to take the necessary – but sometimes ordinary – aspect of
teaching grammar and move it into the exciting and the interactive
through the use of technology.” Students worked with iPads and
modern applications, conducted visual and interactive practice,
examined exemplars and received immediate teacher feedback.
“Students need to be able to communicate effectively in our modern
world, and that communication is done primarily in speech and in
writing,” Allen said. Improvement in her students’ abilities was
observed through informal assessment as well as teacher/student
interaction and observation. One formal measurement, the 2014
TCAP test, showed that 73 percent of Allen’s 10th grade students
“grew” their writing scores on the test. “In our state, this is
considered ‘exceptional growth,’ ” Allen said. “I absolutely attribute
a portion of that growth to grammar and punctuation instruction.”
www.archteacherawards.com
www.archteacherawards.com