Integrating Technology & Curriculum: Florida District Employs DVD to Enhance Classroom Experience

• 02/01/01

Contact Information
Pioneer New Media
Long Beach, CA
(310) 952-2799
www.pioneerusa.com

In 1998, Florida's Department of Education awarded Pahokee Elementary School and Pahokee Middle/Senior High School (located west of Palm Beach) a Technology Literacy Challenge Fund (TLCF) grant for the purpose of integrating curriculum and technology into their at-risk classrooms. Located in the heart of Florida's sugar cane fields, the schools of Pahokee service a large percentage of low-income families with children who are often two or three academic years behind their counterparts in other regions. With this in mind, Pahokee was challenged to properly allocate funding with the goal of adding interaction and excitement in the classroom to help bolster academic achievement. Their solutions to this challenge included gathering information about student achievement at each school and integrating Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players with computers into the classrooms.

Seeking to promote positive changes, the teachers and administrators of Pahokee initiated a three-year implementation program aimed at shifting the paradigm, and integrating new ways of teaching and assessing their students to affect positive and significant academic change.

For the first two years after the TLCF grants were received, the Pahokee schools focused on researching student records and inputting information into a uniform database. By examining this data, teachers determined what objectives and standards the school district needed to address in order to increase student achievement. The database was also filled with lesson plans that correlated to state standards, giving teachers instant access to ideas for the classroom.

After implementing the research portion of the program, Pahokee concentrated on steps to integrate technology into the classroom. During the process, full-time technology coordinators were hired for each school to help facilitate the integration efforts. In 1999, James Dean, who was then the Area 4 math resource teacher working with Pahokee Elementary, was asked to share his knowledge about DVD-Video technology. As part of Pioneer New Media Technologies' Mentor Program, Dean was well versed about the benefits of DVD technology and how to use DVD effectively in the classroom. With Dean's suggestion, the Pahokee schools began the process of integrating Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players with new and existing computer systems.

Why DVD?

According to Dean, the Pahokee schools chose Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players because of the following unique features that make the players especially useful in the classroom environment:

DVD Barcode

With the optional Pioneer DVD Barcode reader - a handheld device that scans and instantly accesses information - students are encouraged to become active learners through participation in the learning experience. The optional DVD barcode reader enables teachers and students to scan pre-printed barcodes available in teachers' guides and supplements that accompany a variety of educational DVD-Video discs. Once the barcodes are scanned, the player takes users quickly and directly to the corresponding audio and video information on the DVD-Video disc.

Easy Set-up

Lightweight and compact, Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player can easily fit on a cart along with a television, keyboard and mouse, and can be moved to any location in the classroom, all while occupying minimal space.

Video Blackboard

Using this component, teachers can highlight specific information by using the mouse to "point out" and place graphics over important elements on the video displayed right on the television. With a standard keyboard and mouse, teachers and students can use Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player to draw over images on the video without permanently altering disc information.

Durable Build

Equipped with a high performance motor in a heat and dust resistant enclosure, the player is designed for use in rugged everyday-use environments, such as classrooms.

Armed with knowledge of these tools and their notable benefits, Dean began training teachers to use DVD-Video technology in their classrooms to increase interaction and excitement in the learning process.

Integrating DVD Technology and Curriculum

With knowledge of LaserDisc and DVD-Video technology gained through Pioneer's Mentor Program, Dean contributed substantially to the integration of technology and curriculum in the Pahokee classrooms. "The TLCF grant gave the Pahokee schools the ability to fund technology," says Dean. "But, money could not effectively integrate technology and curriculum all by itself. What teachers in Pahokee's schools really needed were training courses so that they could learn about DVD, and develop lesson plans that integrate this tool."

Over the course of the year, Dean trained numerous teachers and charged them with assisting their colleagues with DVD. In addition, Dean chose one classroom to visit consistently throughout the year, showing the teacher and the students how to use the player to complement existing class lesson plans. Working with this classroom, Dean created a training tape modeling a sample lesson that used Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player. The training video was reproduced and disseminated throughout the Palm Beach County schools, allowing all teachers access.

Results

Pahokee Elementary and Middle/Senior High School are making steady gains toward improved academic achievement with the help of DVD. After purchasing and then receiving training on DVD technology, Pahokee teachers set to work to reach the goal of bolstering student achievement. Through ongoing training, Pahokee's vision is the use of DVD technology in every classroom. By harnessing the power of DVD-Video and creating innovative lesson plans using the technology, teachers motivate and encourage students to be active participants in the learning process. "One of the many challenges of teaching is getting kids motivated about learning," says Dean. "With the DVD players, this is especially easy: life-like images grab the attention of students, and the barcode reader and capability to connect a keyboard and mouse add interactivity."

For Pahokee, DVD-Video has been a valuable addition and an advantage for students and for teachers. The DVD player encourages students to interact with one another and help each other learn, thereby enhancing the classroom experience for everyone. Employing the DVD player and barcode reader, students in one Pahokee classroom participated in the learning process through a lesson about measurement and estimation. Accessing specific segments on a Whales DVD-Video featuring different sizes and types of whales, students worked together to brainstorm and create a circle map on whale characteristics, and learned the size of individual whales shown onscreen through video content. Using these whale facts from the video, students categorized real-life objects by their approximate size using a tree map. The lesson provides students the opportunity to participate and work with others, reducing the intimidation factor of learning measurement and estimation.

In another classroom, the DVD player and barcode reader gave students a real-life connection to algebra. Watching the Rainforest DVD disc, students learned algebraic thinking by identifying patterns that appear in nature: repeating patterns, growing patterns, branching patterns and exploding patterns. The barcode reader instantly accessed still images, and with the keyboard and mouse, students identified patterns by typing them on the screen. When the students walked outside, they pinpointed patterns that they had identified using the DVD-Video disc.

"Integrating the DVD player and barcode reader into lesson plans has given the students an advantage," comments Dean. "The clear, brilliant images excite students and increase their attention spans, leaving them more motivated to learn. The barcode reader, as a handheld tool that scans information, brings interactivity into the classroom and life to learning. Overall, Pahokee students have the advantage of being more inspired to learn."

Wanting to add interaction and excitement in the classroom to help bolster academic achievement, the Pahokee schools integrated DVD-Video technology. Through teacher training and innovative lesson plans, Pahokee has paved the way for increased academic achievement - all with the help of DVD-Video.Contact Information
Pioneer New Media
Long Beach, CA
(310) 952-2799
www.pioneerusa.com

In 1998, Florida's Department of Education awarded Pahokee Elementary School and Pahokee Middle/Senior High School (located west of Palm Beach) a Technology Literacy Challenge Fund (TLCF) grant for the purpose of integrating curriculum and technology into their at-risk classrooms. Located in the heart of Florida's sugar cane fields, the schools of Pahokee service a large percentage of low-income families with children who are often two or three academic years behind their counterparts in other regions. With this in mind, Pahokee was challenged to properly allocate funding with the goal of adding interaction and excitement in the classroom to help bolster academic achievement. Their solutions to this challenge included gathering information about student achievement at each school and integrating Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players with computers into the classrooms.

Seeking to promote positive changes, the teachers and administrators of Pahokee initiated a three-year implementation program aimed at shifting the paradigm, and integrating new ways of teaching and assessing their students to affect positive and significant academic change.

For the first two years after the TLCF grants were received, the Pahokee schools focused on researching student records and inputting information into a uniform database. By examining this data, teachers determined what objectives and standards the school district needed to address in order to increase student achievement. The database was also filled with lesson plans that correlated to state standards, giving teachers instant access to ideas for the classroom.

After implementing the research portion of the program, Pahokee concentrated on steps to integrate technology into the classroom. During the process, full-time technology coordinators were hired for each school to help facilitate the integration efforts. In 1999, James Dean, who was then the Area 4 math resource teacher working with Pahokee Elementary, was asked to share his knowledge about DVD-Video technology. As part of Pioneer New Media Technologies' Mentor Program, Dean was well versed about the benefits of DVD technology and how to use DVD effectively in the classroom. With Dean's suggestion, the Pahokee schools began the process of integrating Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players with new and existing computer systems.

X@XOpenTag000Why DVD?

X@XCloseTag000

According to Dean, the Pahokee schools chose Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players because of the following unique features that make the players especially useful in the classroom environment:

X@XOpenTag001DVD Barcode

X@XCloseTag001With the optional Pioneer DVD Barcode reader - a handheld device that scans and instantly accesses information - students are encouraged to become active learners through participation in the learning experience. The optional DVD barcode reader enables teachers and students to scan pre-printed barcodes available in teachers' guides and supplements that accompany a variety of educational DVD-Video discs. Once the barcodes are scanned, the player takes users quickly and directly to the corresponding audio and video information on the DVD-Video disc.

X@XOpenTag002Easy Set-up

X@XCloseTag002

Lightweight and compact, Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player can easily fit on a cart along with a television, keyboard and mouse, and can be moved to any location in the classroom, all while occupying minimal space.

X@XOpenTag003Video Blackboard

X@XCloseTag003

Using this component, teachers can highlight specific information by using the mouse to "point out" and place graphics over important elements on the video displayed right on the television. With a standard keyboard and mouse, teachers and students can use Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player to draw over images on the video without permanently altering disc information.

X@XOpenTag004Durable Build

X@XCloseTag004

Equipped with a high performance motor in a heat and dust resistant enclosure, the player is designed for use in rugged everyday-use environments, such as classrooms.

Armed with knowledge of these tools and their notable benefits, Dean began training teachers to use DVD-Video technology in their classrooms to increase interaction and excitement in the learning process.

X@XOpenTag005Integrating DVD Technology and Curriculum

X@XCloseTag005With knowledge of LaserDisc and DVD-Video technology gained through Pioneer's Mentor Program, Dean contributed substantially to the integration of technology and curriculum in the Pahokee classrooms. "The TLCF grant gave the Pahokee schools the ability to fund technology," says Dean. "But, money could not effectively integrate technology and curriculum all by itself. What teachers in Pahokee's schools really needed were training courses so that they could learn about DVD, and develop lesson plans that integrate this tool."

Over the course of the year, Dean trained numerous teachers and charged them with assisting their colleagues with DVD. In addition, Dean chose one classroom to visit consistently throughout the year, showing the teacher and the students how to use the player to complement existing class lesson plans. Working with this classroom, Dean created a training tape modeling a sample lesson that used Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player. The training video was reproduced and disseminated throughout the Palm Beach County schools, allowing all teachers access.

X@XOpenTag006Results

X@XCloseTag006Pahokee Elementary and Middle/Senior High School are making steady gains toward improved academic achievement with the help of DVD. After purchasing and then receiving training on DVD technology, Pahokee teachers set to work to reach the goal of bolstering student achievement. Through ongoing training, Pahokee's vision is the use of DVD technology in every classroom. By harnessing the power of DVD-Video and creating innovative lesson plans using the technology, teachers motivate and encourage students to be active participants in the learning process. "One of the many challenges of teaching is getting kids motivated about learning," says Dean. "With the DVD players, this is especially easy: life-like images grab the attention of students, and the barcode reader and capability to connect a keyboard and mouse add interactivity."

For Pahokee, DVD-Video has been a valuable addition and an advantage for students and for teachers. The DVD player encourages students to interact with one another and help each other learn, thereby enhancing the classroom experience for everyone. Employing the DVD player and barcode reader, students in one Pahokee classroom participated in the learning process through a lesson about measurement and estimation. Accessing specific segments on a Whales DVD-Video featuring different sizes and types of whales, students worked together to brainstorm and create a circle map on whale characteristics, and learned the size of individual whales shown onscreen through video content. Using these whale facts from the video, students categorized real-life objects by their approximate size using a tree map. The lesson provides students the opportunity to participate and work with others, reducing the intimidation factor of learning measurement and estimation.

In another classroom, the DVD player and barcode reader gave students a real-life connection to algebra. Watching the Rainforest DVD disc, students learned algebraic thinking by identifying patterns that appear in nature: repeating patterns, growing patterns, branching patterns and exploding patterns. The barcode reader instantly accessed still images, and with the keyboard and mouse, students identified patterns by typing them on the screen. When the students walked outside, they pinpointed patterns that they had identified using the DVD-Video disc.

"Integrating the DVD player and barcode reader into lesson plans has given the students an advantage," comments Dean. "The clear, brilliant images excite students and increase their attention spans, leaving them more motivated to learn. The barcode reader, as a handheld tool that scans information, brings interactivity into the classroom and life to learning. Overall, Pahokee students have the advantage of being more inspired to learn."

Wanting to add interaction and excitement in the classroom to help bolster academic achievement, the Pahokee schools integrated DVD-Video technology. Through teacher training and innovative lesson plans, Pahokee has paved the way for increased academic achievement - all with the help of DVD-Video.

Contact Information
Pioneer New Media
Long Beach, CA
(310) 952-2799
www.pioneerusa.com

In 1998, Florida's Department of Education awarded Pahokee Elementary School and Pahokee Middle/Senior High School (located west of Palm Beach) a Technology Literacy Challenge Fund (TLCF) grant for the purpose of integrating curriculum and technology into their at-risk classrooms. Located in the heart of Florida's sugar cane fields, the schools of Pahokee service a large percentage of low-income families with children who are often two or three academic years behind their counterparts in other regions. With this in mind, Pahokee was challenged to properly allocate funding with the goal of adding interaction and excitement in the classroom to help bolster academic achievement. Their solutions to this challenge included gathering information about student achievement at each school and integrating Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players with computers into the classrooms.

Seeking to promote positive changes, the teachers and administrators of Pahokee initiated a three-year implementation program aimed at shifting the paradigm, and integrating new ways of teaching and assessing their students to affect positive and significant academic change.

For the first two years after the TLCF grants were received, the Pahokee schools focused on researching student records and inputting information into a uniform database. By examining this data, teachers determined what objectives and standards the school district needed to address in order to increase student achievement. The database was also filled with lesson plans that correlated to state standards, giving teachers instant access to ideas for the classroom.

After implementing the research portion of the program, Pahokee concentrated on steps to integrate technology into the classroom. During the process, full-time technology coordinators were hired for each school to help facilitate the integration efforts. In 1999, James Dean, who was then the Area 4 math resource teacher working with Pahokee Elementary, was asked to share his knowledge about DVD-Video technology. As part of Pioneer New Media Technologies' Mentor Program, Dean was well versed about the benefits of DVD technology and how to use DVD effectively in the classroom. With Dean's suggestion, the Pahokee schools began the process of integrating Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players with new and existing computer systems.

X@XOpenTag000Why DVD?

X@XCloseTag000

According to Dean, the Pahokee schools chose Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players because of the following unique features that make the players especially useful in the classroom environment:

X@XOpenTag001DVD Barcode

X@XCloseTag001With the optional Pioneer DVD Barcode reader - a handheld device that scans and instantly accesses information - students are encouraged to become active learners through participation in the learning experience. The optional DVD barcode reader enables teachers and students to scan pre-printed barcodes available in teachers' guides and supplements that accompany a variety of educational DVD-Video discs. Once the barcodes are scanned, the player takes users quickly and directly to the corresponding audio and video information on the DVD-Video disc.

X@XOpenTag002Easy Set-up

X@XCloseTag002

Lightweight and compact, Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player can easily fit on a cart along with a television, keyboard and mouse, and can be moved to any location in the classroom, all while occupying minimal space.

X@XOpenTag003Video Blackboard

X@XCloseTag003

Using this component, teachers can highlight specific information by using the mouse to "point out" and place graphics over important elements on the video displayed right on the television. With a standard keyboard and mouse, teachers and students can use Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player to draw over images on the video without permanently altering disc information.

X@XOpenTag004Durable Build

X@XCloseTag004

Equipped with a high performance motor in a heat and dust resistant enclosure, the player is designed for use in rugged everyday-use environments, such as classrooms.

Armed with knowledge of these tools and their notable benefits, Dean began training teachers to use DVD-Video technology in their classrooms to increase interaction and excitement in the learning process.

X@XOpenTag005Integrating DVD Technology and Curriculum

X@XCloseTag005With knowledge of LaserDisc and DVD-Video technology gained through Pioneer's Mentor Program, Dean contributed substantially to the integration of technology and curriculum in the Pahokee classrooms. "The TLCF grant gave the Pahokee schools the ability to fund technology," says Dean. "But, money could not effectively integrate technology and curriculum all by itself. What teachers in Pahokee's schools really needed were training courses so that they could learn about DVD, and develop lesson plans that integrate this tool."

Over the course of the year, Dean trained numerous teachers and charged them with assisting their colleagues with DVD. In addition, Dean chose one classroom to visit consistently throughout the year, showing the teacher and the students how to use the player to complement existing class lesson plans. Working with this classroom, Dean created a training tape modeling a sample lesson that used Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player. The training video was reproduced and disseminated throughout the Palm Beach County schools, allowing all teachers access.

X@XOpenTag006Results

X@XCloseTag006Pahokee Elementary and Middle/Senior High School are making steady gains toward improved academic achievement with the help of DVD. After purchasing and then receiving training on DVD technology, Pahokee teachers set to work to reach the goal of bolstering student achievement. Through ongoing training, Pahokee's vision is the use of DVD technology in every classroom. By harnessing the power of DVD-Video and creating innovative lesson plans using the technology, teachers motivate and encourage students to be active participants in the learning process. "One of the many challenges of teaching is getting kids motivated about learning," says Dean. "With the DVD players, this is especially easy: life-like images grab the attention of students, and the barcode reader and capability to connect a keyboard and mouse add interactivity."

For Pahokee, DVD-Video has been a valuable addition and an advantage for students and for teachers. The DVD player encourages students to interact with one another and help each other learn, thereby enhancing the classroom experience for everyone. Employing the DVD player and barcode reader, students in one Pahokee classroom participated in the learning process through a lesson about measurement and estimation. Accessing specific segments on a Whales DVD-Video featuring different sizes and types of whales, students worked together to brainstorm and create a circle map on whale characteristics, and learned the size of individual whales shown onscreen through video content. Using these whale facts from the video, students categorized real-life objects by their approximate size using a tree map. The lesson provides students the opportunity to participate and work with others, reducing the intimidation factor of learning measurement and estimation.

In another classroom, the DVD player and barcode reader gave students a real-life connection to algebra. Watching the Rainforest DVD disc, students learned algebraic thinking by identifying patterns that appear in nature: repeating patterns, growing patterns, branching patterns and exploding patterns. The barcode reader instantly accessed still images, and with the keyboard and mouse, students identified patterns by typing them on the screen. When the students walked outside, they pinpointed patterns that they had identified using the DVD-Video disc.

"Integrating the DVD player and barcode reader into lesson plans has given the students an advantage," comments Dean. "The clear, brilliant images excite students and increase their attention spans, leaving them more motivated to learn. The barcode reader, as a handheld tool that scans information, brings interactivity into the classroom and life to learning. Overall, Pahokee students have the advantage of being more inspired to learn."

Wanting to add interaction and excitement in the classroom to help bolster academic achievement, the Pahokee schools integrated DVD-Video technology. Through teacher training and innovative lesson plans, Pahokee has paved the way for increased academic achievement - all with the help of DVD-Video.X@XOpenTag007Contact Information
Pioneer New Media
Long Beach, CA
(310) 952-2799
www.pioneerusa.com

In 1998, Florida's Department of Education awarded Pahokee Elementary School and Pahokee Middle/Senior High School (located west of Palm Beach) a Technology Literacy Challenge Fund (TLCF) grant for the purpose of integrating curriculum and technology into their at-risk classrooms. Located in the heart of Florida's sugar cane fields, the schools of Pahokee service a large percentage of low-income families with children who are often two or three academic years behind their counterparts in other regions. With this in mind, Pahokee was challenged to properly allocate funding with the goal of adding interaction and excitement in the classroom to help bolster academic achievement. Their solutions to this challenge included gathering information about student achievement at each school and integrating Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players with computers into the classrooms.

Seeking to promote positive changes, the teachers and administrators of Pahokee initiated a three-year implementation program aimed at shifting the paradigm, and integrating new ways of teaching and assessing their students to affect positive and significant academic change.

For the first two years after the TLCF grants were received, the Pahokee schools focused on researching student records and inputting information into a uniform database. By examining this data, teachers determined what objectives and standards the school district needed to address in order to increase student achievement. The database was also filled with lesson plans that correlated to state standards, giving teachers instant access to ideas for the classroom.

After implementing the research portion of the program, Pahokee concentrated on steps to integrate technology into the classroom. During the process, full-time technology coordinators were hired for each school to help facilitate the integration efforts. In 1999, James Dean, who was then the Area 4 math resource teacher working with Pahokee Elementary, was asked to share his knowledge about DVD-Video technology. As part of Pioneer New Media Technologies' Mentor Program, Dean was well versed about the benefits of DVD technology and how to use DVD effectively in the classroom. With Dean's suggestion, the Pahokee schools began the process of integrating Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players with new and existing computer systems.

X@XOpenTag000Why DVD?

X@XCloseTag000

According to Dean, the Pahokee schools chose Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video players because of the following unique features that make the players especially useful in the classroom environment:

X@XOpenTag001DVD Barcode

X@XCloseTag001With the optional Pioneer DVD Barcode reader - a handheld device that scans and instantly accesses information - students are encouraged to become active learners through participation in the learning experience. The optional DVD barcode reader enables teachers and students to scan pre-printed barcodes available in teachers' guides and supplements that accompany a variety of educational DVD-Video discs. Once the barcodes are scanned, the player takes users quickly and directly to the corresponding audio and video information on the DVD-Video disc.

X@XOpenTag002Easy Set-up

X@XCloseTag002

Lightweight and compact, Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player can easily fit on a cart along with a television, keyboard and mouse, and can be moved to any location in the classroom, all while occupying minimal space.

X@XOpenTag003Video Blackboard

X@XCloseTag003

Using this component, teachers can highlight specific information by using the mouse to "point out" and place graphics over important elements on the video displayed right on the television. With a standard keyboard and mouse, teachers and students can use Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player to draw over images on the video without permanently altering disc information.

X@XOpenTag004Durable Build

X@XCloseTag004

Equipped with a high performance motor in a heat and dust resistant enclosure, the player is designed for use in rugged everyday-use environments, such as classrooms.

Armed with knowledge of these tools and their notable benefits, Dean began training teachers to use DVD-Video technology in their classrooms to increase interaction and excitement in the learning process.

X@XOpenTag005Integrating DVD Technology and Curriculum

X@XCloseTag005With knowledge of LaserDisc and DVD-Video technology gained through Pioneer's Mentor Program, Dean contributed substantially to the integration of technology and curriculum in the Pahokee classrooms. "The TLCF grant gave the Pahokee schools the ability to fund technology," says Dean. "But, money could not effectively integrate technology and curriculum all by itself. What teachers in Pahokee's schools really needed were training courses so that they could learn about DVD, and develop lesson plans that integrate this tool."

Over the course of the year, Dean trained numerous teachers and charged them with assisting their colleagues with DVD. In addition, Dean chose one classroom to visit consistently throughout the year, showing the teacher and the students how to use the player to complement existing class lesson plans. Working with this classroom, Dean created a training tape modeling a sample lesson that used Pioneer's industrial DVD-Video player. The training video was reproduced and disseminated throughout the Palm Beach County schools, allowing all teachers access.

X@XOpenTag006Results

X@XCloseTag006Pahokee Elementary and Middle/Senior High School are making steady gains toward improved academic achievement with the help of DVD. After purchasing and then receiving training on DVD technology, Pahokee teachers set to work to reach the goal of bolstering student achievement. Through ongoing training, Pahokee's vision is the use of DVD technology in every classroom. By harnessing the power of DVD-Video and creating innovative lesson plans using the technology, teachers motivate and encourage students to be active participants in the learning process. "One of the many challenges of teaching is getting kids motivated about learning," says Dean. "With the DVD players, this is especially easy: life-like images grab the attention of students, and the barcode reader and capability to connect a keyboard and mouse add interactivity."

For Pahokee, DVD-Video has been a valuable addition and an advantage for students and for teachers. The DVD player encourages students to interact with one another and help each other learn, thereby enhancing the classroom experience for everyone. Employing the DVD player and barcode reader, students in one Pahokee classroom participated in the learning process through a lesson about measurement and estimation. Accessing specific segments on a Whales DVD-Video featuring different sizes and types of whales, students worked together to brainstorm and create a circle map on whale characteristics, and learned the size of individual whales shown onscreen through video content. Using these whale facts from the video, students categorized real-life objects by their approximate size using a tree map. The lesson provides students the opportunity to participate and work with others, reducing the intimidation factor of learning measurement and estimation.

In another classroom, the DVD player and barcode reader gave students a real-life connection to algebra. Watching the Rainforest DVD disc, students learned algebraic thinking by identifying patterns that appear in nature: repeating patterns, growing patterns, branching patterns and exploding patterns. The barcode reader instantly accessed still images, and with the keyboard and mouse, students identified patterns by typing them on the screen. When the students walked outside, they pinpointed patterns that they had identified using the DVD-Video disc.

"Integrating the DVD player and barcode reader into lesson plans has given the students an advantage," comments Dean. "The clear, brilliant images excite students and increase their attention spans, leaving them more motivated to learn. The barcode reader, as a handheld tool that scans information, brings interactivity into the classroom and life to learning. Overall, Pahokee students have the advantage of being more inspired to learn."

Wanting to add interaction and excitement in the classroom to help bolster academic achievement, the Pahokee schools integrated DVD-Video technology. Through teacher training and innovative lesson plans, Pahokee has paved the way for increased academic achievement - all with the help of DVD-Video.X@XCloseTag007

This article originally appeared in the 02/01/2001 issue of THE Journal.