FalconPedia

Enhancing Education Through Technology

Each semester students complete various papers, projects and demonstrations for their teachers. Each demonstrates that student’s ability to create knowledge for them and to grow as a student and individual. A concern could be that the knowledge created might fade away if not properly documented or archived. We have devised a plan to turn student created knowledge into a useable engine for others to see and benefit from, all using the tools and capabilities of current technology.

The first phase of our plan is to actually ensure that eighth graders entering high school have the skills it takes to turn traditional school work into information that can be consumed via the World Wide Web. We will conduct a computer class that uses the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) as a framework for instruction. The standards set forth for this grade level are quite rigorous and instruction will definitely serve our students well. In addition to being able to pass the NCLB mandated technology literacy test students will come to high school prepared to tackle bigger projects using updated equipment.

High School teachers will require students use the skill set learned in eighth grade. They will be trained in transforming traditional paper assignments and projects into digital knowledge. In-services and training will be planned in a way that best meets the diverse technological needs of our staff. After all, the students will not use there skills if the faculty is not ready to direct them in how to digitize their learning.

Digitizing learning can come in a variety of forms. It can be website design or harnessing the power of multimedia. Either way the student will be able to turn their knowledge into consumable media. This will take quite a bit of immersion in technology and new equipment. New labs will need to be purchased. This would include new desktop and laptop labs. It will also require new peripheral equipments such as scanners and cameras. A new web server will also be needed.

The product of our labor is what we like to call FalconPedia. FalconPedia is a student made online knowledgebase for all to see and use. It will searchable and the articles and projects will be rank able. A student will make a submission via their teacher and it will be posted to the site. Viewers may see and use the knowledge that was generated by the student and feedback can be left. The big idea is to make the effort and work of students permanent and useable as well as using relevant technological skills. Each year students will add to FalconPedia expanding its base. Of course the site will be managed by students and maintained by students under teacher supervision.

As the website grows in content and capability, we hope to encourage community members to get on board by submitting their own entries or by adding a wiki element to the site. As this grows as a student project we hope it grows as a community project once it is established and appreciated.

This project can be sustained over a great number so years due to the concept of expanding it each semester and each year, then even expanding it more to include community members to the overall scheme. This website has the potential to be a huge boost to our school and surrounding area.

Often I have overheard conversations among students exclaiming that what they do in school doesn’t matter. This is a way to make their effort and labor become something useable for people all over the state and maybe the country. In my search I have yet to find anything like this being conducted. It gives our kids a chance to make a significant gain for their school and community.