When the sale is over, the classes come together to count the money and vote on a charity to which they will donate the entire sum. Last year, the cash went to the group Children Helping Poor and Homeless People and to a program to save the rain forest. Mrs. Melnick came up with the garage-sale concept about seven years ago while noticing an ad for a real garage sale. Before this brainstorm, Mrs. Melnick adds, she would use play money to teach about counting and making change. Now, though, the lessons are clearly sinking in.
Students buy and sell goods at last year's garage sale.
As part of a program sponsored by the Smithsonian and Computerworld, a trade newspaper, a case study on Echo Horizon's use of technology is being added to the archives. The material from Echo Horizon, which is slated to become part of the museum's permanent research collection on information technology, will join contributions from a host of other schools, businesses, government agencies and nonprofit groups. In all, the collection includes more than 440 innovative applications of technology from 38 states and 21 countries. In the case study, Echo Horizon technology coordinator Elaine Wrenn and other faculty explain how the school enhances the teaching of traditional core subjects by using video production and multimedia design, as well as dance, music, drama and visual art. Last year's theme was change.