AlgebraLAB
 
 
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Project History

Welcome to AlgebraLAB. Integrated-Access STEM Sites is very proud of host this curricular content and will be continuing to develop additional resources during coming years.

This project was developed during the years 2003-2005 in conjunction with a Florida Department of Education Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) Competitive Grant, a National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Edward G. Begle Grant for classroom-based research in precollege mathematics, and Volusia County Schools.

AlgebraLAB was originally conceived as a math curriculum designed to reinforce the topics and skills needed by students enrolled in physical science courses to be successful. Over the past two years, content addressing almost 40 topics in Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Reading with over 185 skills has been developed.

This development of integrated math and physical science courses included topics from Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Statistics, Trigonometry, Physics and Chemistry enabled students to see the practical applications of their mathematics skills and to understand the importance of math in discovering accurate, data-driven scientific conclusions. The online environment was critical because it allowed students access to content both at school and at home. The site provided immediate diagnostic assessment to the teacher and feedback to students that reinforced understanding of content or provided just-in-time remediation of the math skills that might have been hindering the student’s learning in science.

The digital XML format used in AlgebraLAB's development allowed teachers to organize not only their documents, but the data contained within them (questions, answers, topics, skills, standards, diagrams, lectures). Students that incorrectly answered questions or realized that they needed refreshing on a former topic of study could in real-time initiate queries to find explanations and additional practice problems to re-teach the desired skills.

Throughout this curriculum project, participating math, science, and reading teachers effectively incorporated online curricular materials into their lessons, implemented new technology-based teaching strategies, and integrated active-learning environments that allow them to facilitate their students’ learning. When the project was started in 2003, the following comments were contributed by county and school administrators who were members of the grant's advisory committee.
Dr. Nicolene Junkins
Director of K-12 Curriculum and Program Accountability
Volusia County Schools
The curriculum that has been developed for AlgebraLAB will serve as a model of technology integration – particularly their focus on building lessons and practice pages to increase student skills in reading, mathematics, and science. Throughout the project, Mrs. Colwell maintained a strong dialogue with my office, which was in charge of overseeing their progress, as well as district technology and content specialists.

All aspects of the Volusia County Best Practices are incorporated into their plan. They are desiring to improve academic excellence through the development of a comprehensive, relational curriculum; through the involvement of family and community; through an internet approach that facilitates access and equality issued in our diverse student population; through the involvement of high performing instructional staff; and through the professional development of the teachers as they are introduced to new technologies in the delivery of Reading in the Content Area.

As Volusia County looks to the future, AlgebraLAB and LearningXchange, with its conprehensive, district-based standards database, will provide us with dynamic tools for the infusion of technology into the curriculum.
Mrs. Patricia Graham
Principal
Mainland High School
At Mainland, we are excited that the AlgebraLAB and LearningXchange projects will empower more teachers to follow in the technology footsteps pioneered by Mrs. Colwell through her online physics program that was initiated during the five years of the USDOE Technology Innovation Challenge Grant, Career Connection to Teaching with Technology. As we transition to our new facility, plans are already in place to partner the physics and mathematics curriculum through AlgebraLAB’s integrated online programming and by scheduling algebra and physics classes in adjoining classrooms. Teachers will be able to team both curriculum and daily activities. Students participating in the program will be able to collaborate in problem-solving and to extend their learning opportunities to any location with Internet access. We are eagerly anticipating a new level of enthusiasm as students are motivated to be more focused and productive as they achieve higher levels of understanding.
Mrs. Cheryl Salerno
Assistant Principal for Curriculum
Mainland High School
Our goal at Mainland High School is to continually improve the access and application of technology in education. By revising the curriculum to incorporate technology standards that address academic instruction, and by providing teachers with initial and sustained staff development that addresses classroom climate and the facilitative role of the teacher, we hope that the integration of technology with education will become as natural to students and teachers as using a chalkboard, whiteboard, or overhead projector.
The Entire Advisory Committee
An entire listing of the advisory committee can be seen on the following page.






Return to STEM Sites AlgebraLAB
Project Manager
   Catharine H. Colwell
Application Programmers
   Jeremy R. Blawn
   Mark Acton
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