The SMART Campaign: The Redding Education Foundation partnered with the Easton Learning Foundation to fund up to $40,000 for interactive whiteboards and related equipment, warrantees and professional training. Together, we have raised and given $24,000 to Joel Barlow. The Campaign will continue until the goal is met. SMART Technology enables learning with impact. It is better learning, visually, kinesthetically, auditory, and emotionally.

The Mobile Computer Cart.  REF marshaled the resources to completely outfit two mobile computer labs currently in full use at John Read Middle School. The Labs are equipped with 30 IBM R50 ThinkPad computers, 5 compatible Gateway computers, 2 LexMark laser printers, 2 Gateway carts with wireless LCD projectors, and wireless equipment. 

John Read Middle School Players: Three grants of $2,000 each have been awarded to the theater group for innovations to their spring performances. REF funded the rental equipment to enable Peter Pan to fly and underwrote an original play and score by Diana Canova.

Digital Piano for JRMS Music and Theater Program/Tom Cruciani
In partnership with the JRMS PTA, a $3000 digital piano was given to the JRMS Music Department. Immediately following, a second digital piano was anonymously donated to complete the replacement of badly depreciated pianos. The digital pianos are a significant enhancement over regular pianos offering advanced instruction in composition and music theory as well as mobility. They have taken them on the road to community coffee house performances by students and teachers.

Wire Mill Arts Foundation Goes Independent: Through funding and organizational initiatives, the Redding Education Foundation has spawned the new Wire Mill Arts Foundationa group that is working with the developers of the Georgetown revitalization project to bring community theater to Redding.  For more information or to participate in this effort, email us.

“A Georgetown Story”/John Maher: to fund the 3-minute trailer used to apply for grants for a full-length documentary about Georgetown’s factory legacy. The film is currently under production. The end product will be offered to the Elementary and Middle School faculty. Click on the image for the QT version. Click here for WMV.

JBHS Chorus Performs at Carnegie Hall: REF funded a portion of the costs for the high school chorus to participate with many other high schools in a performance at Carnegie Hall.

iPod iDream Team, Joel Barlow High School Six iPods were given to a team of teachers to experiment with the learning enhancement potential of podcasting. The iDream Team represents the breadth of disciplines at JBHS. Numerous podcasts have been made and teaching practices are modifying to develop a 24/7 access to lectures and notes.

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Jennifer Desmarais: Columbia American History Online is a learning resource designed for students and teachers of American history.  For example, our students are able to access seminars taught by world-renowned Columbia University professors Casey Blake, Alan Brinkley, Eric Foner, and Kenneth T. Jackson.  Our teachers and students have found it invaluable as they access interactive learning tools, a large library of primary documents, classroom simulations and document-based questions.

Chris Angell: Although many grade schools seem to be involved in podcasting, there don't seem to be many high schools involved to any great depth.  I believe that as those younger students start entering high schools, podcasting will explode in the secondary classroom. I am far ahead of my students when it comes to using iPods for all forms of media (except music, of course).  Students still react with surprise when they listen to a podcast (informative, creative, or educational) in my classroom.  Better yet, when they create podcasts and hear their work they get charged up!

From Fred Barna: I use the Smartboard everyday and find the use of the notes by my students from at home transformational.  My students will come in the next day and ask me specific questions which helps to improve student understanding.  All my students from freshmen to seniors access my notes from home.  For example, I can share notes between classes and special needs students can access the eboard notes from home or the resource room.  Using Smartboard with my eBoard helps everyone keep up!

Celestron Telescope for New Pond Farm Astronomy program and Astronomy elective for JBHS: REF partnered with the Meserve Memorial Fund to fund a 14” Celestron telescope, a laptop computer, CCD camera and accessories for $14,000. The telescope has profound reach and capabilities significantly enhancing New Pond Farm’s existing Astronomy program offered to membership and the community at large. Joel Barlow will also commence Astronomy elective using the telescope. In addition to onsite work, the Celestron has the capability to be programmed to take time sequenced pictures of a programmed path then upload the images to JBHS students for analysis in class.

Child Centered Water Garden; Redding Elementary School
The purpose of this grant is to teach children about pond habitats while creating a peaceful place to respect nature. This project will provide students with an opportunity to learn about real world mathematics and science using a habitat that is not currently available at the school. The target beneficiaries include the entire school population, from Pre-school to Grade 4.

Redesign of the American High School, Joel Barlow High School This professional development grant partially funded a math and science faculty member’s attendance at "Redesigning American High Schools," a weeklong professional development institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This is the second grant funded for this valuable project that has already introduced new practices at JBHS. This November, Richard Elmore will spend the afternoon with the faculty to further this effort.

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Writing Practice Program for JRMS The Writing Practice Program is a personalized interactive software that provides practice in narrative, informative, expository, persuasive and critical thinking modes of writing. Each student has a personal account that gives instant feedback on completed work, 24/7 access, tracts improvement and enables teachers to monitor and provided personalized instruction.

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Interdisciplinary Art/ ILA Project to JRMS An interdisciplinary team of teachers purchased famous art prints and had the students interpret the works artistically as well as in written form. The project is undertaken annually.

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Snow shoes for Redding Elementary School During the winter months, cross-country skiing is part of the physical education curriculum. For certain classes it is logistically difficult thus the substitution of snow shoes enables the curriculum to stress outdoor winter activities.

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Comparator Microscope to Joel Barlow High School REF funded a comparator microscope to enable JBHS to offer an elective course in Forensic Science. Increasing electives at Joel Barlow are critical to the student’s learning opportunities. This course highlights the significance and relevance of microbiology in a very hands on way to the students.

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Interactive Classroom through Distance Learning/Judith Garamella and Jennifer Desmarais, Joel Barlow High School
This grant funds a subscription to "The Columbia American History On-Line (CAHO) Project" which will provide a variety of resources for the high school history teacher. This aligns with a New England Association of Schools and Colleges recommendation, coming out of the recent accreditation process, that JBHS increase the diversity of teaching strategies within the building. It is hoped that the CAHO program will help foster a more student-centered learning environment and will facilitate differentiation in the classroom.

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SMART Boards Redding Elementary School The goal of this grant is to use SMART Board technology to adapt instruction to students' various learning styles and comes out of an exploration of student learning styles recently undertaken by Mrs. Welp. (See http://www.smarttech.com/education/impact.asp for a description of this technology's impact on learning). The grant funds the purchase of SMART Boards and related equipment in both Mrs. Welp's classroom and the Computer Lab. The project includes a professional development component, through which all RES teachers will be trained in the use and application of this technology. The SMART Board in the Computer Lab will be available for use by all RES staff throughout the school year.

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USA Playground Map for the Children of RES The purpose of this grant is to provide a venue for interactive learning related to the USA map by painting a map of the United States on the asphalt portion of the student playground. Mrs. Feld hopes to paint the map while school is in session so that students can feel a part of the process right from the start. She is compiling a list of lessons that will utilize the map and will align with elementary school curriculum. She will share those lessons with RES classroom teachers though a professional development component.

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Smart Boards, RES The goal of this grant is to utilize SMART Board technology in various settings, including small- and large-group teacher presentations and student presentations, to engage students in active learning and support different learning styles. The project calls for the use of the technology across various disciplines, envisioning applications in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Geography and multi-disciplinary lessons. The grant applicants expect to see an increase in participation, on-task behavior and students demonstrating higher order thinking skills.

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Art History Elective Course, Joel Barlow High School This grant, awarded to encourage the development of new elective courses at Joel Barlow High School, funded the purchase of a projector for use in the newly created elective Art History course. In the teaching of art history the presentation of images in as dramatic a manner as possible is essential to the promotion of an immersion of the student in the subject. Mere words are not an adequate conveyance of knowledge and understanding of the subject and its times. The image of the work of art and the visual metaphor must be present for interactive discussion and debate. A high quality projector constantly available makes this expansion of the course exposition realizable.

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Film Study to Explore Conflict Resolution; Redding Elementary School The purpose of this grant is to encourage students in the upper elementary grades to recognize and approach conflicts from a number of perspectives via short films and discussion. This project targets both Special Education and typical children and encourages participants to explore alternative ways to resolve conflict.

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An Inter-district Exploration of Children's Literature; Joel Barlow High School
The purpose of this grant is to allow Children's Literature students to further their language arts skills and their content knowledge by engaging in experiential reading and writing activities with urban elementary school students at a variety of grade levels. This program benefits approximately 120 JBHS junior and senior students as well as the elementary school students with whom they interact.

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Roots and Shoots, John Read Middle School This grant will help defray the costs of establishing a new club that is based on the Jane Goodall Institute's environmental and humanitarian program for youth. The mission is to foster respect and compassion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs and to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for animals, the environment and the human community.

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French Interactive Conversation Software, John Read Middle School The purpose of this grant is to permit students to practice speaking and listening to French with interactive conversation software not currently available at JRMS. The grant funds the purchase of 30 CD-ROMs developed by the publisher of the current textbook.

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Moving Beyond the Textbook, Joel Barlow High School The purpose of this grant is to move away from traditional textbooks in the classroom and use primary documents and other secondary sources to enhance student learning. In the long term, the program initiator hopes not only to improve student learning, but also to reduce the amount of budgeted funds designated for textbooks.

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Redesigning American High School, Joel Barlow High School
The purpose of this professional development grant is to fund JBHS faculty attendance at "Redesigning American High Schools," a weeklong professional development institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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Project D.R.E.A.M. - Danbury and Redding Educational Adventures in Multiculturalism, John Read Middle School
The purpose of this grant is to help subsidize the costs associated with Project D.R.E.A.M., an experiential, multicultural program that seeks to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of our diverse society. Selected Danbury and Redding fifth-graders will be brought together for two days of Fine and Practical Arts activities, including Project Adventure, music, art, woodworking and health education. The objective is for students to exhibit an understanding of and respect for differences, in both physical and artistic activity settings

Eight grants have been awarded to Local Teachers through REF's Grant Program (Grants for the Enhancement of Educational Practice - GEEP).  Click here for more information about the projects funded.

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