The new Linden Academy is in the unique position of creating a dynamic, challenging, and

exciting educational program to unite a school that has been a "house divided" for the past sixteen

years. Our new program will be phased-in over the next five years, resulting in a school where all

students, from kindergarten to grade 5, participate.

This proposal will demonstrate how the five Board-approved areas of study in the new Linden Academy curriculum will be enhanced through the use of technology. The five areas will be taught in an integrated fashion using themes, such as a "Community" theme. The five areas are:

* International Studies/German

* Literature/Junior Great Books

* Creative Writing/Rhetoric

* Multicultural Studies

* Fine Arts

The theme and areas of focus are intentionally broad so that all classes and grade levels may

participate. Without technology, however, our new program would be truly impoverished.

Without technology, it would be much more difficult to bring in parents and community members

and make the direct contacts out to the Linden community.

If funded, this proposal will result in a program that will rally the support of the various parent groups, community agencies, students, and teachers by providing direct communications links to the local communities while igniting the imagination and the world of opportunities through national and international connections.

Linden Academy's Technology Links for Community Connections Problem Statement *Describe a specific problem that your proposal will address.

It has often been said that "a house divided cannot stand." Since 1979 Linden Elementary School has been a "house divided." At that time both a German magnet program and a non-magnet program were implemented. A "magnet" is a program that has a specialized curriculum that will attract students from across the city, is racially balanced and has a set class size. The non-magnet program serves students in the Linden attendance area. Putting two programs into one school polarized staff, students, and the community. A false sense of elitism developed among students in the magnet and the non-magnet students felt "left out." There also has been a loss of support and interest in the school from the immediate neighborhood. Two years ago a number of changes were implemented at Linden. A new principal was assigned to the school and with the support of the staff, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and the Parent School Community Council (PSCC) steps were taken to bring the school together again. Last August, the staff, PTO, and PSCC became involved in writing a proposal for a new school wide magnet program, with a preference to the Linden attendance area. The result was an International Studies/Humanities magnet. At the November 28, 1996 meeting of the Pittsburgh Board of Education, the proposal was unanimously approved and the new Linden Academy was born. See Proposal for Linden Academy in Appendix B The new program will begin in September 1997 with the kindergarten and first grade classes and will continue to be phased in over the next four years, which will allow us time to develop the curriculum carefully. Thus, the two current magnet program and non-magnet program will slowly be phased out. This action was taken so that students would not experience discontinuity within their current studies.

The German program has always suffered from a lack of German resources. Unlike other languages that have the support of a large native speaking community in the United States, German - speaking countries are a continent away. Resources are not readily available to students or teachers. With the implementation of our new program, all students will learn German necessitating current resources.

Thus our problem is two-fold. One problem is to facilitate the healing process so that the school will truly function as a united and whole entity. The second problem is the lack of access to quality German resources. What is needed to unify the school community is a whole school/community project that will pull everyone together. The project must be designed so that it will result in renewed neighborhood support and a distinctive, challenging curriculum for all students.

To facilitate the healing process so that the school will truly function as a united, whole, and healthy entity, this proposal will involve students, parents, community members, teachers, and administrators.

Linden's "Technology Links for Community Connections (TLCC)" project will focus on the five integrated areas of study which constitute the Humanities components of the magnet: International Studies/German

The Linden staff will soon begin to write an integrated curriculum. One unit will integrate the above five humanities under the theme of"community" on local, regional, and global levels. The unit will be taught to all students (grades K-5), with more sophisticated and challenging activities at successive grade levels. If funded, technology will be infused into the new curriculum unit to provide the needed links to the local community and bring the necessary "global" perspective to the International Studies/Humanities Magnet.

If funded, technology will be used to promote each of these five Humanities areas, bringing the necessary "international or global" perspective to this International Studies Magnet. Linden students will have a rich exposure to the Humanities through activities specifically designed to be used with current technology. Taking advantage of the endless possibilities on the Internet we believe is essential for us in two ways. First, we will have access to information that would not be available in other ways to Linden students. Second, for us to integrate our new program with the old it is imperative that all students have an opportunity to participate in diverse activities that are designed to integrate all five areas. To do this we are developing interdisciplinary activities in the arts, music and culture of our community. We are starting with community on the local level (K3) and progressing to the national and the world community (4th and 5th). This interdisciplinary approach allows flexibility so that teachers can, by grade level, develop plans that prepare all students to meet curriculum outcomes/standards.

"TLCC" will involve various community groups, such as the Linden After School Program (LASP), Chatham Baroque, the Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh, and the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf.

Through a partnership with a school in a German - speaking country, students in the fourth and fifth grade classes will participate in an international e-mail exchange. This builds on the successes of similar programs at Schenley, Frick, Liberty, and East Hills Schools.

Each class will use the World Wide Web to research German-speaking countries, in order to

choose cities of interest for further study. A list of these cities will be complied.

Each class will submit a letter to ECC (International E-Mail Classroom Connections - IECC

projects-request@,stolaf.edu) requesting electronic penpals.

Once Partnerships are established, letter exchanges will take place with Linden students sending

This exchange will inspire Linden students to continue studying German language and culture, and to become life-long learners. A close, long-term relationship with a peer from another culture provides students not only with global knowledge and cultural sensitivity, but also with integrative motivation to study that language and culture. Research has shown that this type of motivation is much stronger than the type inspired by grades, traditional assessment, and other outside forces. In addition, students will be able to link their knowledge to a real-life, interactive situation. This opportunity is all too rare for learners of German in America. The chance to interact with a native speaker will provide authentic tasks which tap into the national and state foreign language standards, as well as the Pittsburgh Board of Education's Core Curriculum Frameworks. Students will gain the type of knowledge that cannot be found in a textbook or a traditional classroom.

Students will have the opportunities to "meet" authors on Web pages.

Students will share work with other classes who are studying the same books.

Adults may participate in book discussions on line during the after school sessions in the

computer lab, using volunteers from LASP.

Students will become proficient in word processing by creating their own stories.

Our Fifth Graders will enhance their partnership with the Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh

through e-mail in order to further our "friendship project."

Software packages such as "Storybook Weaver" can be used for creative writing and publishing.

Students will create English and German websites.

Writing assignments can include a discussion of how art and music expresses the culture of

our community/country.

Students will have links to former students/teachers who are now abroad, international penpals, and find links to Web sites representing different cultures. Students will have on-line communication with classes at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf Students in the 5th grade currently visit students at the Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh. We will expand this program with on-line communications and penpals for more frequent interaction.

Students will find links to authentic works of art in the great museums of the world.

Students will work with Chatham Baroque. In our partnership with Chatham Baroque, we

intend to begin with the music, art, and culture of the Baroque period. Goals for all students

in grades K to 5 are to develop a vocabulary related to the Baroque period in both German

and English. Students in grades K to 5 will have the opportunity to explore the music of Bach

and Beethoven through Internet resources and through a partnership with Chatham Baroque

Chatham Baroque is an early music quartet performing in the spirit of the 1 7th and 18

Century.

Students will create English and German Websites on "Community."

Grade 4- 5 students may research the lives of artists and musicians.

Grades 2-3 can research the Cultural Trust, an organization committed to preserving the Arts, and Pittsburgh links to see how they contribute to our lives.

Adults can find links to current art shows, museums, etc. With the collaboration of the LASP, we plan to open the computer lab to the Linden community from 4 to 6 P.M. Parents can work with their children enjoying access to the World Wide Web. We will offer mini classes in the use of the computer, and set up e-mail accounts.

Linden's CEIP plan also lists remediation and enrichment experiences for our students. Computer programs can certainly aide in this endeavor. German students at Frick International Studies Academy or Schenley can tutor our German students through e-mail.

Professional Development of our staff is part of the Human Resource Development Plan. Newgroups and communicating with other teachers on line is a good resource for this.

In the Parent Community Involvement plan the objective is to have more activities involving the community. Having computers available to the community is a strategy to achieve this objective.

The CEIP plan is currently being rewritten for 1997-98. The new plan will list the activities from this "TLCC" proposal for implementation next year.

· On-line lessons designed around this. To provide opportunities for students to showcase their work within the school and the community.

· Student work is displayed on a home page

· Collection of portfolios of students work

· To select and complete a community service project by grade level.

Partnership with the Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh and Fifth Graders

· Partnership with the Western Pennsylvania School For the Deaf To provide special school-wide experiences to enhance student learning related to the arts and selected current events.

Chatham Baroque

· Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

. Cultural exchanges via e-mail To identify community groups/organizations with which to establish partnerships.

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· Residency with Chatham Baroque

· LASP

· Connection with other International Studies Academies programs

To identify teachers, parents, and community people that are interested in writing proposals

such as this.

By exposing students in the primary grades to computers and the Internet, we will empower them to make their own educational choices in the upper grades. A computer lab will provide access to a hands-on, self-paced learning environment, which can be adapted to meet the needs of all children. This could reduce the need for grade level retention of students. In addition to serving students with special needs and exceptionalities, modern technology particularly addresses the individual learning styles of each student. All students, teachers and parents will be invited to assist with and use the new technology. Parents who are already on line will have new access to the school through the World Wide Web, listservs, and e-mail. In addition, parents who are not on-line will be able to use the computers with their children with our collaboration with the LASP. This will bring about increased communication among the Linden school community - many of whom do not live in the immediate neighborhood.

There already is great support for this program throughout the Linden community. The principal, Mrs. Marcia Cohen has stated that "she will do whatever is necessary to make the "TCCL" proposal a success at Linden. She has contributed to the development of this proposal and has actively recruited participants from the community at large. See Letters of support in Appendix A.

The Linden Academy project team has been meeting often to write this proposal. The school administrator, Mrs. Cohen, has arranged and attended most of these meetings. Mr. Cook, Program Director of LASP has attended meetings, and helped write this proposal. Other teachers at Linden have been discussing this proposal with the writing team. All members of the team will be working on some aspect of the proposal with their students, depending on their level of expertise. More involvement will be encouraged as more teachers gain new skills and see the benefits of the program for their students.

Mrs. Cohen, principal of Linden Academy, is a part of this team. She will be doing the scheduling of the site coordinators. The designated site coordinators - Sarah Carson (Kindergarten teacher), Maggie Broderick (Music teacher), and Darla Paganini (Second Grade German teacher) are part of the project team. They have agreed to help train other staff and parents, and assist other teachers and students with the use of the computers. Halah Young will

lend her assistance when needed. The project team is already discussing this proposal with other staff members encouraging them to get involved with Common Knowledge of Pittsburgh and using the Internet with their students. Dr. Thekla Fall, Curriculum Consultant for Foreign Language Education, will help us find the German schools to e-mail and other sites on the Internet. Brian Fetterman is in contact with teachers at Frick International Studies and Allderdice High School to create penpals with Linden students. Mr. Cook will recruit student volunteers from the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and Carlow College to act as mentors to assist students and parents in the computer lab.

Mrs. Cohen, Principal of Linden Academy, is the organizer of this team. She has scheduled meetings and helped with the writing. She will be doing the scheduling for the site coordinators and the classes using the computer lab. The teachers - Sarah Carson (Kindergarten), Halah Young (First Grade), Maggie Broderick (Music), and Darla Paganini (Second grade German) have been writing this proposal and will be working with students, teachers, and parents. Dr. Thekla Fall will keep us informed of Internet sites and other pertinent information. See Letters of Support in Appendix A and Project Team Responsibilities in Appendix F.

The duties of site coordinator and system administrator will be shared by Sarah Carson (Kindergarten Teacher), Dahlia Paganini (Second Grade German Teacher), and Maggie Broderick (Music Teacher.) Time will be built into each of their schedules to accommodate the necessary resource periods.

We feel we have presented many activities earlier in this proposal. All members of this team have worked after school, evenings, and week-ends to complete this project. We have worked collaboratively in writing this proposal. We have shared our interest in computer technology and the use of the Internet. See Letters of Support in Appendix A and Our Vision of a Wired Community in Appendix C.

This proposal has been designed and written as a collaborative effort by the following: Darcy Bernstein, librarian Gerald Bowman, teacher Maggie Broderick, teacher Sarah Carson, teacher Marcia Cohen, principal Brian Fetterman, teacher

Darla Paganini, teacher

Halah Young, teacher

Mathew Rosenbloom, parent

Ed Cook, Collegiate YMCA

Thekla Fall, curriculum consultant

We have all participated in the writing and rewriting this proposal. Maggie Broderick shared her computer knowledge of German culture on the Internet. Sarah Carson used her computer

expertise to type this proposal, made the disk, and shared her e-mail experiences. Darcy Bernstein and Thekla Fall have investigated significant web sites. The remaining individuals have devoted time, energy and moral support in the development of this proposal.

The Linden staff is organized into teams at each grade level. A designated member of each grade level team would be trained by either the "TLCC" team or the CKP staff, and would then train the rest of his/her team. Time will be allotted during Elementary Staff Essential Planning (ESEP) time or regularly scheduled in-service days for teachers to learn and practice new skills. Ed Cook will train collegiate volunteers.

*Describe how the project will be managed. The Site coordinators, principal, 2 parent volunteers, and 1 student will meet every two weeks to:

· collect data for the evaluation

· delegate tasks to keep the project moving

Mrs. Cohen will work with the project team to develop a flexible school schedule

· to allow for common planning times for site coordinators

· to provide opportunities for the project team to work with other staff end students.

Community partners will have access to computers 4 days a week from 4 to 6 P.M. This will be structured through the LASP and Ed Cook.

We are creating a web page that will be a source of information for Linden parents. They will learn about important coming events as well as view works created by Linden students.

Eventually we would like to expand it to the Linden community by offering suggestions on homework, providing updates on the curriculum frameworks.

*Teams should demonstrate that they consulted with staff at existing CK:P sites and that they understand the time and resources required from teachers, administration and community members to implement the proposed activity. Members of our team have communicated with teachers at Frick International Studies Middle School, Allderdice High School, East Hills International Studies Magnet and other Pittsburgh

Public Schools. Sarah Carson spoke to Sara Marucio of Frick. Halah Young, former teacher at East Hills, discussed the computer program at East Hills with Tess Bedo and Regis Kirby. Brian Fetterman spoke to Gary Harger, also of Frick. They all told us of the benefits of using computers with students, but also the problems of scheduling, location of computers, and the time to really learn new technology while teaching. Having only I computer in a classroom can be very limiting for student use. Trying to help students on the computer while teaching a whole class has become very demanding for them. But they agreed that the students are learning a great deal from their global connection.

Schools interested in writing a proposal must be willing to contribute time for a Useradmin to support the project. This person's responsibility will be to help support the effort technically at the local site. The useradmin can be a teacher, administrator, or technical assistant that has time, during the school day, to commit to this activity. The duties of Useradmin will be shared by Sarah Carson (Kindergarten Teacher, Darla Paganini (Second Grade German Teacher), and Maggie Broderick (Music Teacher.) Time will be built into each of their schedules to accommodate the necessary resource periods. In addition, interested students will be tapped to work on a technical trouble shooting team or club.

*Towards developing a Wired Community, schools may choose to collaborate with a number of community organizations. These organizations may be able to contribute support personnel during school hours or to keep network facilities open after school and on the weekends. Through our partnership with LASP, students (some who are education majors) from the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and Carlow College will provide computer instruction to the rest of the Linden community from 4 to 6 P.M. There will be on-line communication with classes at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. Our students in the 5th grade currently visit students at the Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh. We will expand this community service project with online communications. See Letters of Support in Appendix A

Starting January 1, 1998 we hope we will have full implementation. We will then begin training the staff. The site coordinators will hold many workshops during the Elementary Staff Essential Planning (ESEP) Period. We will begin training students on the use and care of computers. By September, 1997 the new schedule for teachers will incorporate computer periods for all students. The parents and the After School Program will be able to use the computer lab from 4 to 6 P.M. beginning in March, 1998. Between September and January, we will begin training teachers using the few computers already at Linden and at other sites.

Mrs. Cohen will be responsible for the scheduling of the students and staff The site coordinators will be responsible for training other staff members. See Project Team Responsibilities in Appendix F.

· At all grade levels, activities will be integrated into each subject area as an important part of

the curriculum.

Students and teachers will learn from each other and will work together to solve problems.

The traditional, teacher centered model of instruction will give way to classes being involved

in creative problem solving and finding novel ways to approach their work. This will lead to

an increased academic performance in a population ready for a technological challenges.

Parents will be using the computer lab with the assistance of the LASP's tutors to further their

child's learning and to increase their own technological awareness.

We will have a Wired Community with the partnerships of Chatham Baroque, LASP,

Western PA School for the Deaf, and the Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh. See Our

Vision for a Wired Community in Appendix C.

Future goals are to interact with all the International Studies Academies to exchange ideas and

to work on multicultural collaborations.

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