September 2010

(Picture, from Right to Left: GHS TIIP teachers Ana Rodriguez, Debbie LeAnce, Ramona Dinger, and Elsa Martinez--Principal IPOLY)

This month, Garey High School's $30,000 UCLA TIIP grant recipients launched our steps on the road towards Alaska ("The Road to Alaska: Bridging Vision, Vehicles, and Voices for Student Engagement and Success") as we met with International Polytechnic High School (IPOLY) to discuss technology use in the classroom and project based learning. TIIP team member, Ramona Dinger, who is an alumni parent already from IPOLY High School helped open the doors to IPOLY and the meeting with Elsa Martinez, Principal, and other important leaders of the International Polytechnic High School that is attached to Cal Poly University in Pomona.

We met at the iPoly campus, were guided by iPoly students and observed the engaging process of year-round project based learning and "village" like atmosphere. We noted during our observations and discussions with iPoly teachers that students were grouped together in clusters, each with their own unique name and characteristics. These students would share all of their classes together for the duration of the year. Teachers would meet during time allotted each week for them to make lesson plans that collaborate and build off each other. Since each grouping of teachers share the same students, they customized plans for linking of subjects.

iPoly teachers shared with us strategies on how student groups are formed and project based learning is conducted on-going throughout the year. For each student group within their clusters, there are certain jobs that each student must hold responsibility for. For instance, only one student would be the liason between group and teacher in communicating with teacher questions or needs for supplies. Whereas another student would hold the job as facilitator for the group

Our Garey High TIIP team met afterwards to process our findings and work to develop our own interpretations of the shared learning projects we will implement revolving around the theme of "Road to Alaska". Since our cohort consists of 2 science teachers and a math teacher, we developed units for our content area that allows for overlap of skills and knowledge between all of our classes.

We also made note of iPoly students' use of technology in the classroom and strategized as our Garey High TIIP team of how we can implement greater useage of technology in our classrooms.

Later, we exchanged ideas with IPOLY administrators and discussed the possibilities of growing together in devising some shared practices between Garey High School and IPOLY. IPOLY's team is currently working to customize a professional development program for Pomona Unified's TIIP teachers to help Garey High School potentially launch a new beginning of project-based learning and community learning. The hopes of both groups involved is to use TIIP teachers as a pilot for new strategies and later propose ideas stemming for our learning that could be shared across curriculum at Garey High School increasing engagement and "village" like learning environment.

This opportunity comes at a time where change is already booming at Garey High School, where second-year principal Stacey Wilkins and team of energetic administrators and teachers are implementing many changes in efforts to transform school culture and increase student engagement. Garey High School is boasting many successes this year already including the welcoming of ninth graders back on the main campus after many years of being housed separately, and with school spirit bursting at the seams with cheerleaders, sports, band and clubs busy making Garey a fun and exciting community for student learning.

Stay tuned for more progress as we follow Garey High School's TIIP teachers on our "Road to Alaska", with this current school year the time where we will implement student projects revolving around math and science topics stemming from Alaska, and then by fall of next year teachers will travel to Alaska and videoconference our experience with math and science teachers, natural resources, biodiversity,and the many other exciting places we visit from Alaska.