I-ZONE MADE E-Z
An Internet WebQuest on A SMALLER LEARNING COMMUNITY

created by Ralph A. Bucci
Charles W. Flanagan High School

Introduction | The Task | The Process | Conclusion |


Introduction
The School Board Of Broward County in Florida is comprized of 23 high schools, 35 middle schools, and 131 elementary schools. In 1991 Innovation Zones were envisioned by Robert Parks, a Broward County School Board member that include the high school and its feeder middle schools and elementary schools working together to meet the educational challenges that each individual zone encounters. The Flanagan Innovation Zone is comprised of Charles W. Flanagan High School, Pines Middle School, Silver Trail Middle School, Walter C. Young Middle School, Chapel Trail Elementary, Lakeside Elementary, Palm Cove Elementary, Panther Run Elementary, Pembroke Lakes Elementary, Pines Lakes Elementary, Silver Lakes Elementary, and Silver Palms Elementary.

These schools are dedicated to complimenting and enhancing school improvement initiatives. The Flanagan Innovation Zone strives to improve the articulation among schools, bring schools and teachers out of isolation from each school and promote a community of learners in Pembroke Pines. As an Innovation Zone, the K-12 vision strives for continuity between the students, the parents and the community.

Task
HOW DOES THE FLANAGAN INNOVATION ZONE WORK IN A COLLABORATIVE MANNER TO ALIGN AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS AND INNOVATIONS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS, THE PARENTS, THE TEACHERS, THE ADMINISTRATORS AND THE COMMUNITY?

Process
In this WebQuest you will be working together with a group of people that are interested in improving the quality of education in the Flanagan Innovation Zone. Each group will answer the Task or Quest(ion). As a member of the group you will explore Webpages from educators all over the world who care about School Improvement. Because these are real Webpages we're tapping into, not things made just for schools, the reading level might challenge you. Feel free to use the online Webster dictionary or one in your classroom.

You'll begin with everyone in your group getting some background before dividing into roles where people on your team become experts on one part of the topic.

Phase 1 - Background Information
Use the Internet information linked below to answer the basic questions of who? what? where? when? why? and how? Be creative in exploring the information so that you answer these questions as fully and insightfully as you can.

The following school web pages have been provided to display what each school in the Innovation Zone is doing to ensure that all phases of education have been considered and implemented. This will alow you to examine what each school in the Flanagan Innovation Zone is doing.


Phase 2 - Roles
INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Individuals or pairs from your larger WebQuest team interested in improving the quality of education in the Flanagan Innovation Zone will explore one of the roles below.

2. Read through the files linked to your group. If you print out the files, underline the passages that you feel are the most important as it relates to the Zone.

3. Note: Remember to write down or copy/paste the URL of the file you take the passage from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to to prove your point.

4. Be prepared to focus what you've learned into one main opinion that answers the Big Quest(ion) or Task based on what you have learned from the links for your role.

5. Share this information with Sheryl Collins who in turn will consider its relevence and importance in improving conditions within the Flanagan Innovation Zone.

VERTICAL TEAMING:

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to VERTICAL TEAMING:

1. What commonalities exist on the core knowledge matrix for K-2?

2. What content specific recommendations are necessary for vertical teaming to be effective for the K-2 grade levels?

3. Where do the differences exist when vertical teaming is concerned for K-2 as it relates to the Core Knowledge matrix and what we are accomplishing in our Zone?

4. What can our Zone do to consider the plan recommended by content area specialists and experts?

5. What commonalities exist on the core knowledge matrix for grades 3-5?

6. What content specific recommendations are necessary for vertical teaming to be effective for grades 3-5?

7. After considering what has been established as a vertical team curricular map for K-2, what needs to be added from the grades 3-5 matrix to expand the Flanagan Innovation Zone vertical teaming for the elementary schools?

8. What commonalities exist on the core knowledge matrix for grades 6-8?

9. What content specific recommendations are necessary for vertical teaming to be effective for grades 6-8?

10. Now that a curricular map has been established for the elementary schools, use the grades 6-8 matrix to vertically team the middle school curricular for use in the Zone.

FCAT PREPARATION:

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to FCAT:

1. Using the suggestions provided by the Flanagan High School math, reading and writing coaches, what can teachers incorporate into their lesson plans on a weekly basis to best prepare their students to take the FCAT test?

READING, WRITING AND MATH STRATEGIES:

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to READING, WRITING AND MATH:

1. What reading strategies should be adopted for use throughout the Flanagan Innovation Zone for the elementary schools, the middle schools and the high school?

2. What position does the International Reading Association have for adolescent literacy that would best serve the Flanagan Innovation Zone?

3. What Innovation Zone commitment to reading must be visited based on the Reading Task Force Report for the struggling reader?

TECHNOLOGY IN THE FLANAGAN INNOVATION ZONE:

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to TECHNOLOGY IN THE INNOVATION ZONE

1. What aspect(s) of technology being created in the Flanagan Innovation Zone must be advertised so that the Zone is aware of their importance?

2. After reviewing the WebQuests and imagining how they might be integrated into the curriculum, what areas should the Zone consider to create a product that all could benefit from?

3. What strategies from the Reading WebQuest would be most useful in your school?


Phase 3 - Reaching Consensus
You have all learned about a different part of School Improvement. Now group members come back to the larger WebQuest team with expertise gained by searching from one perspective. You must all now answer the Task / Quest(ion) as a group. Each of you will bring a certain viewpoint to the answer: some of you will agree and others disagree. Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc. from the Webpages you explored to convince your teammates that your viewpoint is important and should be part of your team's answer to the Task / Quest(ion). Your WebQuest team should write out an answer that everyone on the team can live with.

Conclusion
Now that you've explored the inner workings of the Innovation Zone, a realization of a commitment being made by all members of the zone should be evident. Through a concerted effort being made by all schools in the Flanagan Innovation Zone, vertical teaming, FCAT Preparation, reading, writing and math strategies and technology become the focus to better improve the quality of education within the Zone.

created by Filamentality Content by Ralph A. Bucci, rbucci@browardschools.com
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/webschoolira.html
Last revised Tue Dec 23 3:00:31 US/Pacific 2008