In the meteorology curriculum, schools place a satellite dish on their roof and use specialized software programs to pull live information from weather satellites. Each class then applies the collected data to its own area. One school became so good at forecasting that a nearby hotel began requesting daily predictions to help it prepare for snow removal. The hotel later wrote to inform the students that they had been much more accurate than the local TV station. In the watershed curriculum, students use the DEP's Geographic Information System and other technology to examine how a watershed changes over time.
Students also take monthly water samples and post their findings on the home page.
The math and science applications are obvious, but the benefits also extend to other subject areas. The fifth-graders I met were articulate in describing the information they were gathering and were able to identify states on a U.S. geographical map that had no borders. Given our state's record over the past quarter-century, no one can question the public's financial commitment to education. We had failed, however, to make certain that State and local tax dollars reach the classroom and support effective teaching. My administration has taken steps to promote greater accountability in our public education system, the most important of which is our school funding program.