NOTE: Photos available online at www.abpc21.org.

Journal profiles Fayetteville School

Students' new enthusiasm speeds growth of knowledge, skills

Want to have a better understanding of the religious conflict behind the ongoing crisis in Iraq? You might start by looking at Website created by Fayetteville High School students last year as part of their Advanced Studies course. (http://fhsislamproject.wikispaces.com/)

That's just one example of how teachers at Fayetteville School use a barrage of free online tools and resources to get students interested in their classes and at the same time deepen student learning. Because of this innovation, the school is profiled in the latest issue of the Working Toward Excellence journal.

"Fayetteville's embrace of inquiry-based teaching and Web tools -- when appropriate -- exemplifies best-practice teaching," said Cathy Gassenheimer, president of the Alabama Best Practices Center. "The lessons are strategically designed to give students what they need in an engaging way, followed by a chance to apply that new knowledge. Schools across the state would be wise to copy Fayetteville's example."

Working Toward Excellence, the journal of the Alabama Best Practices Center, is published in print and online formats to help professional educators adopt the best ways to teach. The latest edition, "Alabama's 21st Century Schools Are Blazing Trails Through Cyberspace," focuses on Alabama teachers who are changing the way they teach to better prepare their students to succeed in life and the digital economy.

Find the online version of "Alabama's 21st Century Schools Are Blazing Trails Through Cyberspace" at www.abpc21.org.

Fayetteville, which serves students in grades K-12, is one of 40 schools that participated in the Alabama Best Practices Center’s 21st Century Learning Project, underwritten by Microsoft Corp. and the Wachovia Foundation. This project does two things for teachers: helps them understand what students need to know to be successful in our ever-changing world, and provides them with the skills and tools to effectively engage their students.

Fayetteville, a Talladega County school, won notice for a variety of projects for elementary students through teenagers.

When elementary students, fascinated by black holes, asked questions that surpassed their teacher's knowledge of space, they turned to NASA's Web site to find the answers. And, wanting to start this new school year right, and fourth-grade teacher Amanda Spurling already has her Website up and running (http://superstudents.wikispaces.com/).

The Fayetteville faculty understands the need to change the way they teach to help students succeed. "These efforts will help position Fayetteville's students to succeed in our quickly changing Digital Age. Children will need more than the 3 R's to succeed in life," Gassenheimer said. "This is a fast-paced, technology-filled world where abilities like critical thinking, collaborating with others and communicating effectively are necessary to adapt and thrive."

Teachers Amanda Spurling, Jennifer Barnett, Robbie Stewart, Karen Pemberton, and then-principal Joan Doyle all served on Fayetteville's 21st Century Learning team.

Winterboro High School also participated in the 21st Century Learning Project.

The A+ Education Foundation in Montgomery is home of the Alabama Best Practices Center, which receives major support from Microsoft Corp. and the Wachovia Foundation. Since 1991, A+ has advanced policies, programs and initiatives that result in high achievement by every child in Alabama's K-12 education system. A+ believes Alabama's economic future depends on strong public schools.

KEY LINKS

Digital version, Working Toward Excellence journal: www.abpc21.org

FIND IT FAST
These articles feature Fayetteville:
"Schools Must Bridge the Digital Divide: Every Student Needs 21st Century Skills" http://www.abpc21.org/digitaldivide.html
"Alabama's 21st Century Schools Are Blazing Trails Through Cyberspace" http://www.abpc21.org/blazingtrails.html

PDF (449 Kb) of the Working Toward Excellence journal's 16-page print edition, www.bestpracticescenter.org

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