Brette Woessner
Each year, New Tech Network gives the Best in Network award to a project that exemplifies the goal of successfully combining active exploration, application, authenticity and academic rigor. New Tech Network is proud to announce that Lindsey Risner, Lorien Goodwin and Courtney Young from Washington Discovery Academy are the 2017 Best in Network award winners for their project: Dare to Dream in Color.
This year the project submission pool was particularly impressive with excellent projects submitted in varied subject areas and at all grade levels, reflecting our K-12 network of schools.
The 2017 winners and students are invited to attend the New Tech Annual Conference in July for special sessions and a chance to present their project at the opening session.
We would like to thank the BIN committee members who thoughtfully reviewed every submission:
Aaron Hall, Riverview High School; Alice Fuglsang, Indian Hills Junior High; Amy Neal, DeKalb New Tech & Fusion Academy; Andrew Baker, Carolina High School; Chris Novak, Stilwell Junior High; Corina Favela, El Paso MS; Eric Martin, Winton Woods High School; Justin Miller, West Des Moines Community Schools; Lauren Cooper, Washington Discovery Academy; Lisa Anderson, Napa Junction Elementary; Megan Thomsen, Stilwell Junior High; Michael Delaney, Carolina High School; Mindy Steiber, Clive Learning Academy; Nicholas Hawley, Niles New Tech; Raven Byard, Trumann High School; Robin Sneed, Blytheville HS; Sheila Hudson, Clive Learning Academy; Shelley Juhl-O’Brien, Samueli Academy; Wanda Littlejohn, Carolina High School
The committee’s praise of the Dare to Dream in Color project included the following commentary:
“I could not stop thinking about the learning experience these 3rd graders have during this project. The idea that they wrote persuasive writing at this age is beyond amazing! The students have so many learning experiences from graphing for math, designing for video and print, training for physical fitness, science for the color powder…and the list goes on. The authentic community members coming in offered these students a wide range of careers and opportunities within their community. Projects like this make me strive to be a better facilitator and to address the 6 A’s to the best possible way.”
“As a high school teacher, I am floored at the level of academic rigor in this elementary project. It’s an authentic, cross-curricular project that addresses a variety of standards, the School Wide Learning Outcomes, and addresses the 6As.”
“This project has so many authentic components! I like how you clearly reached far and wide to involve a variety of experts throughout the learning. I also appreciated how students started by assessing their “smart strengths” – what a great way to get students to reflect on themselves, as well as to consider the strengths of their peers (showing how we’re all different)!”
Congratulations Lindsey, Lorien and Courtney! We are impressed and inspired by your hard work and can’t wait to see you at NTAC!
Read the project spotlight for a deeper look at assessment and outputs from this project.
Check out the school spotlight on Washington Discovery Academy
Read about Cassidy Riddle, WDA 4th Grader