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Show B10 Wednesday, March 19, 2008 Vernal Express ' " '-. The eMINTS program means cooperative learning, which teaches students how to work together. The program also teaches inquiry. '4 WITH J V I 1100 East Lagoon St. Roosevelt, Utah 84066 435-722-6900 559 North 1700 West Vernal, Utah 84078 435-725-7100 7 Best In Class Visibility Roomiest Operators Platform Best In Class Serviceability Best In Class Cab AG EQUIPMENT 1 845 West Hwy. 40 Roosevelt 435-722-4488 is3 y CLASSES AT . MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Vernal . 318-522 T,Th 5-8 pm WELDINGPIPE WELDING Roosevelt 325-529 . T,Th 5:30-9:30 pm PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY I Vernal 41-51 T,Th 6:30-9:30 pm INTRO TO COMPUTERS WORKSHOP Vernal 41-10 T,Th 2:30-4:30 pm NURSING ASSISTANT Roosevelt 48 T,Th 7-10 pm VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION Roosevelt Light: 47-10, Heavy: 41 4-1 7 M-Th mum tiiititius ll Financing for 60 Months m V t -'THRU MARCH 31,2003 Hilton C. Mitchell BurfittMichael Franklin Carter 6-1 0 pm fliimii'MsivjiiiOft Uintah Basin Applied Technology College a UCAT campus . . . your technical college - IUJLWIIIJI.HJL -JJ -ULL- J-MWJUIUHUI--. r- .1 I.. H-W.H IIWJI HUM jlH I I ' K?7- zTIA.r. --: IWiW-ll UNI.J. i,jpn,ILi.WW , JJ "III , 1 I ; rCwJit) J it . ; . ten . . f - - ........ - : - tinr iTiiirtifi Til " " rirfil 1 ' lrn I ihii"i r I ii iiiiiii in .n...w-nMiihni-in i i 1 Each eMINTS classroom is equipped with one computer per every two students. This enables students stu-dents to research, complete electronic assignments and create power point presentations. Since the students share computers, they also learn how to work cooperatively. Technology enhances learning By Marleah Jacobsoh Express Writer Students rush into the classroom, class-room, eager and ready to learn. It is no ordinary classroom: it is an eMINTS classroom. Oneof 15 in the Uintah School District. Four years ago the Uintah School District adopted the eMINTS (enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Teach-ing Strategies) program after receiving an educational grant. Although the grant lasted for only two years, the USD decided to continue to use the program, adding five new eMINTS classrooms class-rooms each year. Each eMINTS classroom is equipped with one computer per every two students. "I think very highly of the program because it integrates technology into the classroom," Leonard Sullivan, Curriculum Director of the Uintah School District, commented. "These kids are using their computer everyday in the program." The eMINTS program first began in Utah in 2003 through an EETT (Enhancing Education Through Technology) Grant. The eMINTS program in Missouri has been documented as improving improv-ing students performance on standardized tests. The program also promotes a type of group learning known as cooperative education. "It's cooperative learning: we're teaching the kids to work together," explained Discovery fifth grade teacher and eMINTS instructor, Tammy Christensen. "I switch the students so they're not always with the same person." per-son." "The goal is to have the students use a higher level of thinking skills as they are learning," learn-ing," Christensen said. $128 $154 $89 $35.40 $170 books $90 (test included) Christensen volunteered to teach under the eMINTS program when the District first offered the program three years ago. Now she works as an eMINTS eM-INTS trainer, one of two in the area. "I've been training for two years," Christensen said. She meets with other eMINTS teachers teach-ers to discuss programs in their classrooms "eMINTS has changed the way I teach and the way I think, " Christensen said. "I can reach more students individually. I get a lot of response from the kids that their favorite part of school is the projects and being able to create projects." Similarly, Naples fourth grade teacher, Robert Hunting has seen positive results in his classroom class-room even though he just began using the eMINTS program this year. "I'm excited about it," Hunting Hunt-ing said about the program. "I see an excitement in the students that before weren't quite as excited." ex-cited." All ready, students have completed com-pleted a poetry project on the computers and they are currently working on a power point project about animals. ' """' ,"' ' 1 "The students have a much easier time with the computers than adults," Hunting commented. com-mented. "They aren't afraid of them. They have no fear of the computer whatsoever." Hunting said the program allows al-lows students to be "controllers of their learning." "I'm a strong supporter of the program," said Kent Mansfield, Education Technology Coordinator Coordina-tor for USD. "To be able to study and collaborate online is very helpful to the kids." The district decided to adopt the eMINTS program a fewyears ago when they looked at the test score results program participants partici-pants were having in Missouri, Mansfield explained. During the 1998-1999, when the program was in its second year, 27 of eMINTS participating fifth graders grad-ers scored in the top third, compared com-pared to the 15 of non-eMINTS students who scored in the top third on the mathematics portion of the TerraNova standardized test. Other portions of the test showcased similar results. Christensen said CORE test scores in her class have "risen quite a bit" in all sections. "I would like to see every class f 1 I ... ,--. . ' I i i j ' t . J"-. . ; . : , t - . ' ; ' i v t ' ! . ! " i i ' -". , . .. - -f "j. SY . I'D O . .i-- ;;:l,,3' ' . , 5 ; , ft I i-iiiiii'Tiiiinr ( IHI.I W,-. -,- -fr ' Students wprk on various projects in an eMINTS classroom, At; any one time in an eMINTS classroom, there may be groups of students working on a variety of different projects ranging from creating power points to solving math problems. room outfitted as an eMINTS program," Sullivan said. Unfortunately, it costs around $20,000 to outfit each classroom as an eMINTS classroom, Mansfield Man-sfield reported. Each eMINTS classroom is equipped with one computer per two students, a smartboard, a digital camera, a scanner & printer, a ceiling mounted projector and a laptop for the teacher containing MS Office, Publisher, Smart Tools, Internet and GraphicsWeb Editing software. The $20,000 doesn't include the cost of training. train-ing. "There is also expensive training to learn how to use it effectively in the classroom," Sullivan said. All of the eMINTS classrooms are either fourth or fifth grade classes. "We don't have the technology technol-ogy to go everywhere," Sullivan explained. "If you have all the teachers teaching at the same level, it makes it easier for them to share information back and forth." The USD continues plans to outfit more classrooms as eMINTS eM-INTS compatible. "We are certainly continuing to pursue the program," Mansfield Mans-field said. "We ultimately would like to have every fifth grade classroom be an eMINTS classroom. class-room. We would like to add five additional eMINTS classrooms per year." Although technology plays an integral role in an eMINTS classroom, the main difference is in the inquiry-approach to learning. Under the eMINTS program, students work together on projects in more ways than just sharing a computer. Most of the learning in the classrooms is cooperative learning. - "They have a whole bunch of different programs they use," Christensen explained. "They want it to be collaboration, making mak-ing projects that go across the curriculum." On any given day in an eMINTS eM-INTS classroom, the students may begin to work together on a project and then branch out into more individualized projects as they complete the original lesson les-son plan. The students are able to divide into different stations to work on their projects often with the aid of a computer. ; "I think it's a wonderful program," pro-gram," Christensen said. "It gets the kids into learning." |
