Project Homeroom, Project Schoolroom, and Regular School: Innovations in Team Teaching, Interdisciplinary Learning, and the Use of Technology. A Final Report on the Project at the Maine East High School.

N

34

Computer Uses in Education; Cooperative Planning; Curriculum Development; Educational Innovation; Educational Technology; Grade 9; High Schools; Interdisciplinary Approach; Teaching Methods; Team Teaching

The students, faculty, and administration at the Maine Township East High School engaged in an ongoing curricular innovation program during the 1993-94 academic year, investigating the notions of teacher teaming, interdisciplinary instruction, and the use of computer technology in the delivery of a core education in biology, world cultures, English, and algebra. The freshman class was divided into the following three groups, each emphasizing certain of the innovations under study: (1) Project Homeroom teachers worked together as a team, planning lessons together and working to incorporate computers into their classes. Students were given computers to use in their homes for the duration of the project and were able to use computer software for assignments and link with their teachers using electronic communications tools. (2) Project Schoolroom teachers also worked in teams, but did not have the same access to computer technology. Teacher teaming, getting to know the students better, and an interdisciplinary approach were the main features of this group. (3) Regular School teachers and students served as the control group, with the students receiving traditional instruction from teachers following their usual lesson plans. This project summary evaluation report represents information gathered from two written surveys of all participating students, interviews with teachers in each of the experimental groups, and an evaluation of selected exemplary curricular products, including student projects. In addition, student grades in each of the four courses under study, cumulative grade point averages, attendance records, student performance on criterion referenced examinations and student demographies were examined. Major findings include: (1) demographic and prior achievement levels of students in the Project Homeroom, Project Schoolroom, and Regular School varied little; (2) students in the Project Schoolroom group tended to achieve statistically significantly higher grades than the students in the other groups in each of the four subject areas considered; (3) Project Schoolroom students tended to be absent less than their counterparts; (4) teacher teaming provided direct benefits to both teachers and students; and (5) participating teachers found it difficult to integrate computer technology, and plan long-term interdisciplinary units, into the curriculum given the current constraints of standard curriculum and Criterion Referenced Test (CRT) assessment. Results are illustrated in 13 figures. (Contains 22 references.) (MAS)

1995

ED381140