Using GIS and GPS software, as well as visual observations, they mapped 197 drainpipes in the area-a significant improvement over the existing data, which was last updated in 1964. In addition, students are actively involved in the center's Neawanna Stewardship Program-a wildlife conservation effort that tracks and studies the area's native trees and birds. Upward Bound students at Seaside High became involved in a different kind of conservation effort along the Neawanna River. Using handheld computers with bar code readers, they tracked the flow of large woody debris in the river. Information they collected helps local wildlife conservationists prevent the disruption of salmon trying to swim upstream.
Students enjoy getting out of the classroom, using technology, and doing real, concrete work.
And they like to see it all come together into something meaningful. The students seldom ask if what they're learning matters because they can see firsthand that it does, he adds. By blending traditional teaching methodologies with multimedia-rich activities, Dyre creates unique learning opportunities for his students. Armed with a list of relevant Web sites, students are challenged to research a topic and report their findings. In a recent investigation involving the Christmas solar eclipse, for example, students had to imagine what the eclipse would look like in their backyard and predict precisely when it would occur.