Thursday, October 16, 2008

Kena Harrison

What is your name?
Kena Harrison

How long have you been teaching?
13 years

How long have you been at the Academy?
11 years

Where did you go to school?
Raytown High School, Thomason College, Regis University, University of Montana, University of Wyoming, Mississippi State, Mizzou...I'll just stop there

Why did you go into education?
I had small children at home and wanted the holidays

What subjects do you teach?
Ancient diseases, physical science, biology, newsletter, field study, enviormental science, earth and space science, forensics..

What is your favorite color?
I don't really have one

Kids? Do they or any other family members go to Lindbergh?
Two of them have already graduated from Lindbergh, youngest goes to Crestwood Elementary

Any special activities you sponsor?
various field trips

Do you like teaching and why?
I like teaching because I like learning. Everyday is different. It's fun

What are your hobbies?
Spending time with family, hiking, travel, camping...

Who was your favorite teacher in school?
Ms. Quinlin for journalism. She was very blunt, straightforward, and down to earth

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Lindbergh Academy

Music Video for the Academy

A Skit About Peace

This video demonstrates the character pillar of Peace, which is relating calmly and cooperatively with others.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Halloween Spirit

Halloween originated as a Celtic holiday known as Samhain, a celebration for the end of harvest season, where costumes were worn to mimic the spirits. Halloween is the shortened name of All Hallows Eve, the night before All Hallows Day which is also known as All Saint’s Day. Halloween did not become a holiday in the United States until the 19th century. Now, Halloween is the second most popular holiday in America next to Christmas. Americans spend about 4 million dollars on costumes every year.
Here at the Academy, Halloween is a widely celebrated holiday, so we decided to take a few interviews just to see how familiar students were with the traditions. In the three interviews we conducted, none of the students could say that they knew the history of Halloween. When asked if these students still went trick or treating, we were surprised to find out that one of the three students still participated in the tradition. Many students say they will be attending haunted houses this year; it seems like a popular activity for Academy students.
There are some very creative costume ideas here such as poison ivy, storybook characters, fairies, and other unique costumes. Many kids have plans for Halloween that have been traditions in their families for years. Others just plan to party and have fun. Many kids these days say that they don’t go trick or treating because they are too old. Others say if they can still dress up and do it, they will to get free candy. That’s the spirit!

Friday, September 26, 2008

Technology in the classroom

The Lindbergh Academy 1-to-1 program is all about technology. Each student is assigned a laptop that they are responsible for throughout the school day. So far it’s safe to say that the students love it, but we’ve decided that we needed a teacher to voice their opinion on the subject, too. We sat down and talked to Bryan Hilton, a teacher of many different things here at the Academy. When asked what the advantages of having laptops in class were, he told us, “It gives students better access to resources online so they can have the opportunity to do more dynamic assignments.”
So far this year, Mr. Hilton’s classes have used things like Microsoft Publisher, Photo Story, Audacity, Moodle and Voicethread to help get things going inside the classroom.
“Basically, if it can fit in the class somehow, we’ll see how it works", said Hilton.
Some people might take a look at all of this technology and think that it would just make things more confusing, when in fact it does the exact opposite. When asked about the productivity in his classrooms, Mr. Hilton explained to us why all this technology really does help: “I think students are much more willing to do assignments that are interactive, say web-based and things of that nature, rather than just worksheet after worksheet after worksheet.”
Moodle is one of the most widespread programs that is used at the Academy. Every student and every teacher has an account on Moodle so they can interact with each other in a more efficient manner. Moodle is what students use to download their assignments and then turn them in when they’ve been completed.
“I think it’s great for the teachers and the students. I can honestly say that we have not had one lost assignment since we’ve gone to the Moodle, which is great.”
As we progress through the school year, we’ll be interviewing even more students and teachers just to get a broader look at how things are done at the Academy. We thank everybody we’ve interviewed so far for their time. Stay tuned to stay updated!

Service Learning and Coach Erwin

Here at the Lindbergh Academy, all the students learn the value of doing work for the community. Last year, eight hours of community service every quarter was required. This year the Lindbergh Academy is doing something different. Instead of community service the Lindbergh Academy is doing service learning. Every teacher will be involved with a different type of service learning. Mr. Erwin, a teacher here at the Academy, was interviewed.
Mr. Erwin’s weight training class service learning project is focused on “performing a meaningful service to the school as well as giving the students better understanding of strength training principals.” There are about 30 students working on this project and they are hoping to have it done by the end of the semester. Mr. Erwin, like many of the other teachers, believes that the students will get more out of the service learning than they did community service. “Service learning is more meaningful and will reinforce what they are already learning in class.”
Mr. Erwin and his students are working on brainstorming ideas for quality service learning projects. When asked if he believed that service learning would be more successful than community service, he said, “I think it will ultimately help them see how what they learn in school is used out in the real world”
In conclusion to this I think its safe to say that everyone has high hopes for service learning, and that every one believes the students will be more successful and benefit more from these projects.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Learning Beyond School







Ronald McDonald House out of St. Johns


At Lindbergh Academy the students are asked to complete a service learning project per semester. Service learning is a great opportunity to build our character and help the community at the same time. There are many opportunities for service learning this semester for the students. One project consists of updating a bulletin board about reading, with a group of students in charge of keeping it up. There will be news, book releases, and previews about books students might be interested in reading.

Another event going on in October is the Walk for Autism. It is a charity event in which groups will raise money for autism by walking a route in Forest Park. Thousands of people come each year and there are many great sponsors. It is a wonderful event to attend.

In Mrs. Kuhlo’s art classes the students are making games and taking them to St. John's Hospital for kids to play with. St. John's is designing a part of the hospital just for children. The games will be available for children to play with who are confined in their room recovering and can not get around the hospital. These are just a few of the service learning projects taking place at the Academy this semester.




Friday, September 12, 2008

New Students and Technology

The Academy has had laptops as of May 2007. Two new students to the Academy were interviewed to get their opinions. When asked about it in general, Rian had this to say.

“…school has never really been my thing, so the Academy is kind of like a breath of fresh air because, it’s a lot more easy going, it feels like they work with you…”

The laptops were accepted quickly and now we have a great system for school work. You may access assignments from home and everything you have is saved to your computer or online. Organization is no longer such a problem. Students can't just “lose” their assignments like they used to. Matt said this about the organization.

“…It’s all like right in front of you…very easy to use…only one thing instead of one big binder”
Class work being easier and students not doing much at the Academy is not true. Weekly projects and tests are done in classes, along with daily assignments. We use our new technology daily. Both Matt and Rian are doing class projects that require our new technology and talked about it with us.

“…a poetry project and…we’re building a website for the Academy, of course”-Matt

“Well in Civics class with Mr. Hilton we’re using photostory, so that requires laptops”-Rian

We are looking forward to interviews with more students. Check back for more information about technology and laptops, being posted right as they are found out. Keep up to date, and you will be well-informed weekly.


Check Out the Pod Cast of the Interview!







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From a Teachers Perspective

The technology is changing the Academy at a fast pace. The classrooms have become more productive and the better quality of work that is being completed by the students. Technology is a big part not only of the students' class life, but also the teachers. Each student now has their own computer to use on a daily basis. Dry-Erase boards and projectors were installed in the classrooms. In this article we wanted to find out one teacher's perspective. We interviewed Coach Erwin, one of the Academy’s Social Studies and Physical Education teachers.

Coach Erwin told us how he uses the technology everyday in class because he believes that the laptops are useful and helpful to the students. He also claims that he does not use paper at all, “I use the Moodle pretty much for everything”, said Erwin. All the assignments he gives in class are turned into the Moodle using the computers. The Moodle is a program where you take tests and turn your assignments in. He also explained how he uses his projector everyday to put things up on the board that he wants to share with his class. Hopefully, the technology will increase and we will have more as the years progress.

In addition to the laptops, in the future, Coach Erwin has many ideas for new kinds of technology such as iPhones and fingerprint scanners. Coach Erwin thinks iPhones “would help academic achievement”. Coach Erwin also said “There are more applications available for the students.” Erwin believes that taking attendance is “overrated.” Erwin would like to eventually have a device that would scan your fingerprint at the beginning of the day. This would be able to tell you exactly how tardy you were. It would also give us more class time, because we will not have to take attendance. Hopefully, some of these dreams can come true for Coach Erwin in the near future.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Mr. Joe Veldhuizen


* What is your name?


Joe Veldhuizen


*How long have you been teaching?


3 years


*Years at the Academy?

First year


*Where did you go to school?


Crete Monee High School


Concordia University, Chicago


*What subjects do you teach?


Math-Algebra 1A, 1B, and Geometry


*What is your favorite color?


Blue


*Kids? Do they or any other family go to Lindbergh?


No kids


*What is your teacher website?




*Any special activities you sponsor?


Freshmen football


*How do you use technology in your classroom?


Keep worksheets on Moodle and website. Power Point Presentations.


*Do you like teaching and why?


I love it. Teenagers are very interesting; it is always something new everyday. I also love helping kids out, not just with school, but with their problems.


*Why did you go into education?


I love math and helping students learn math. It also allows me to coach.


*What are your hobbies?


Sports-men's softball, watching cubs, video games.


*Who was your favorite teacher in school and what subject?

Mr. Amaro: Math- Algebra II, Linear Algebra, Calculus

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Mr. Sean Erwin



















1) What is your name?
Sean Erwin




2) How long have you been teaching?


In my 6th year.


3) Years in the Academy?


6th year in the Academy.


4) Where did you go to school?

Affton High School
B.A. Maryville University

M.S.E. Missouri Baptist University
M.Ed. William Woods University




5) What subjects do you teach?


Social Studies/P.E.


6) What's your favorite color?


Red


7) Kids? Do they or any other family go to Lindbergh?


No kids

8) What is your teacher link to your website?


http://pages.lindberghschools.ws/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid3


9) Any special activities you sponsor?


Assistant Varsity Baseball & Football Coach


10) How do you use technology in your class room?



I use technology at all times in the classroom to help prepare students for the 21st Century and

to help them increase academic achievement. All documents are accessed through the Moodle and assignments are turned in through the Moodle. Students also take assessments through the Moodle and have access to resources through Moodle.


11) Do you like teaching and why?



Yes, I enjoy helping others achieve their goals.


12) Why did you go into education?



I had a teacher in h.s. that made school interesting and fun, and I wanted to do that for others

who may not enjoy school or find it interesting and vital.


13) What are your hobbies?



Sports, Coaching, Working Out, MU Football


14) Who was your favorite teacher in school and what subject ?



??????

Academy 1 to 1 Laptop Program

The Lindbergh Academy received 75 laptops in March 2008. Each student was assigned a laptop to take from class to class. The Academy was chosen to be the pilot program for the 1 to 1 system (one laptop for every student). The purpose of the program is to determine if the school would benefit from giving every student in the district a laptop . So far the laptops have worked out very well and we will continue to use them as we progress throughout the school years. There have also been many advantages to the laptops. Many of the students work better and faster with the focus of them.

Lindbergh is just one of many schools that have purchased laptops for their students. However, most schools with laptops are private schools. The program varies for different schools but they are based upon the belief that the computers will improve the students' achievement. Also, the laptops will help to improve everyone’s technology skills.

The laptops provide interesting new ways for students to learn. The technology department has also provided all the students at the Academy with an email address so it is easier to contact teachers. All of the teachers at the Academy are linked to the Moodle (A website where they assign the students work). Students may access the Moodle from home if they wish to. Since the laptops arrived, it is much easier to do projects than when we didn't have computers.

Friday, August 29, 2008

The History of Lindbergh Academy

The Lindbergh Academy is an on-campus alternative program for Lindbergh High School. Bess Wilfong, a teacher at Sperreng Middle School, was noticing a lot of her old students were dropping out when she went to the high school for different events. It made her wonder why, and if anything could be done. Bess Wilfong and Dr. Vic Lenz started a committee and came up with the idea of the Academy. Dr. Lenz was very interested in alternative learning. The Committee did a lot of research, had board meetings, and visited a lot of other schools that had programs such as Fernridge in the Parkway District, Positive in the Pattonville District and even went out to Colorado to look at a school there. The state then passed the Safe Schools Act, and part of that act provided grants to programs like the Academy in order to help at-risk students. The Board of Education then approved the program. Lindbergh received a grant for $125,000 and it was divided between the Academy and the Alternative to Suspension School. The Academy started in January of 1997 with two teachers, Bess Wilfong and Jim Petersen, and 25 students. It was hard for the two teachers to teach all the subjects that were going to be needed. The next school year the board approved for the Academy to hire 4 more teachers. Recently, the Academy has a new way of teaching with the 1-to-1 program in which each student gets to use a laptop for the course of the day. The program has been going very well. The goal of the Academy is to prevent kids that learn differently than others from dropping out. As an Academy student, I don’t know where I or a lot of other of my classmates would be without this wonderful program.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Patti Haberberger




What is your name?
Patti Haberberger


How long have you been teaching?
9 years


Years in the Academy?
It's my first!


Where did you go to school?
Dubourg High School, Mizzou-Undergrad, Webster-Grad.



What subject do you teach?
Reading



Whats your favorite color?
Blue



Kids? And if so do they or any other family member go to Lindbergh?
Yes, I have three boys. The oldest goes to preschool at Lindbergh.


What is your teacher link to your website?
I don't know, it's not finished yet.


How do you use technology in your class room?
PowerPoint, the web, e-mail, and hopefully more soon.


Why do you like teaching?
I love it, it keeps me on my toes.


Why did you go into education for your career?
I struggled in school, and I wanted to help other kids who struggled.


What are your hobbies?
Reading, movies, playing with my kids, and working out!


Who was your favorite teacher in school and what subject?
3rd Grade- Miss Rothery. She let me get an eraser, even though I was the only kid who didn't get 100% on my multiplication facts.

Mr. Scott Goodrich














1. What is your name?

Scott Goodrich



2.How long have you been teaching?


9 years.


3. Years in the Academy?


9 years.


4. Where did you go to school?


Harris Stowe, St.University, Lindbergh High School, Sperreng Middle School.


5. What subjects do you teach?


Director.


6. What is your favorite color?


Blue.


7. Kids? and if so do they or any other family members attend Lindbergh?


3,Madison, Morgan, and Tyler.



8. Why do you like teaching?


Yes. I love it!



9. Why did you go into education for you career?


To help students prepare themselves for life in the best possible way.



10. What are your hobbies?


Baseball, Golf, Hockey



Who was your favorite teacher growing up?


Mr.Greenstein, I had him for Geometry









Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Mary Topping





What is your name?


Mary Topping



How long have you been teaching?


25 years



Years in the Academy?


It's the start of 8 years.



Where did you go to school?


SLU for understudy, Webster for Masters


Why did you go into education?


To impact the lives of young people.



What subjects do you teach?


Special Education



What is your favorite color?


Red



Kids? If so do they or any other family members go to Lindbergh?


I have 3 sons. None of them go to Lindbergh.



Any special activities you sponsor?


No


Do you like teaching and why?


Some days I wonder.




What are your hobbies?


Cooking, reading, and traveling.



Who was your favorite teacher on school?


I didn't like any of my teachers.

Ms. Dee Zimmer {Kuhlo}





*How long have you been teaching?


I have been involved in teaching in some capacity for 34 years…..full time for most of those years.




* Years in the Academy?



Beginning my 9th year


* Where did you go to school?



*Kids? Do they or any other family go to Lindbergh?



My step-son graduated from LHS in 1984.




*What is your teacher link to your website?



Good question!




*Any special activities you sponsor?



On the character council for LHS




*How do you use technology in your class room?



We use the computers for research and completion of work, along with the Moodle for online instruction.




*Do you like teaching and why?



I love the “aha” moments when students “get it.” To see where they start upon their arrival and end their journey has made my experience here at the academy the best of my teaching career.




*Why did you go into education?



I didn’t really think it through too much at the time when standing in front of the adviser during my first day of college, but it has been an experience that has brought me great joy.

















Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Mr. Hilton


How long have you been teaching?
4 years




Years in the Academy?
4 years


Where did you go to school?
Concordia University, Wisconsin and University of Missouri


What Subjects do you teach?
Social Studies and Technology


Whats your favorite color?
The color of learning.





Kids? Do they go to Lindbergh?
12 year old at Sperreng. Also, a three year old girl and a one year old son


What is your teacher link?
Socialsciences20.blogspot.com


Any special activities you sponsor?
Coach- Freshman Football, Varsity Wrestling. Sponsor-Youth in Government


How do you use technology in your class room?
For everything!




Why do you like teaching??
I like teaching because everyday I have an opportunity to make a difference.





Why did you go into education for your career?
To make a difference.





Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school?
Dr. Masthke for theology; he was a great teacher.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Community Service and Service Learning information

Community service refers to service that a person performs for the benefit of his or her local community. People become involved in community service for a range of reasons — for some, serving the community is an altruistic act. At the Academy, community service is called Service Learning. Eight hours a semester are required to pass your classes. It is a wonderful opportunity for the students to give back to the community because without it, the Academy would cease to exist. The following links are to help you find community service to do. The first one finds service in your area.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/
VolunteerMatch is a leader in the nonprofit world dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer. 3,682,591 Referrals to date, 54,346 Current opportunities, and 59,968 Member organizations

http://www.rootsandshoots.org/
Roots & Shoots, a program of the Jane Goodall Institute, is a powerful, youth-driven, global network of more than 8,000 groups in almost 100 countries. Together, youth of all ages are taking action to improve our world through service learning projects that promote care and concern for animals, the environment and the human community

http://www.wish.org/
Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has given hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. From our humble beginnings with one boy’s wish to be a police officer, we’ve evolved into an organization that grants a child’s wish in the U.S. every 40 minutes

http://www.liveunited.org/
We bring together people from all across the community–government, business, faith groups, nonprofits, the labor movement, ordinary citizens–to tackle the issues. Because we all win when a child succeeds in school, when a family becomes financially stable, when people have good health

http://www.dosomething.org/
Do Something believes you have the power to make a difference. It is our aim to inspire, support and celebrate a generation of doers: people who see the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. At DoSomething.org we provide the tools and resources for you to convert your ideas and energy into positive action. Be part of a generation of doers

http://www.craigslistfoundation.org/
Craigslist Foundation creates community in the nonprofit arena by 'helping people help', regardless of cause or sector. We are uniquely positioned to support nonprofits by providing free and low cost education opportunities to emerging nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs, thereby fulfilling our mission of "Providing knowledge, resources and visibility to the next generation of nonprofit leaders."

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Cell Phones in School

Cell phones in school?!

The big debate going around the education world today is rather students should be able to use cell phones in class. With new technology like the Apple iPHONE™ where you can get internet & e-mails anywhere at the palm of your hands, it seems like a good idea, but there is always the concern that students will be texting & e-mailing their friends instead of focusing on their school work.

“I think it sounds like a good idea but it should be up to the teachers & board of education to make the decisions,” said Andrea Noltkamper, 12. A lot of teachers are debating it & we are hoping this blog will help Lindbergh & other schools make their decision. Please take our poll, or leave a comment telling us your opinion, it would help out.


Friday, April 11, 2008

Week 2 of 1 to 1

Working with Wiki's!

Coach Erwin's U.S. History class has spent the past week developing a wiki page for the Civil Rights Movement. They will use this wiki page to collaborate with others in the class and to organize their information. Coach Erwin has also utilized wiki's in his Health courses. Erwin is not the only one using wiki's as an innovative tool to increase academic achievement and content area knowledge. Coach Hilton has utilized wiki's in World History and "Fitz" will be putting a wiki together shortly for Earth & Space Science. To check out one of Erwin's wiki's go to www.coacherwin.pbwiki.com


A wiki is a place that allows users to freely create and edit the page content. It supports hyperlinks and has a simple text for creating new pages and cross links between internal pages.

The first wiki site was created in 1995 for the Portland Pattern Repository. It now hosts tens of thousands of pages that are accessible to anyone to edit and review.
Here are the 5 reasons why Wikis are used:
1. Develop an informed voice by informing other interested readers.
2. Justify and defend our research in a public setting.
3. Increase awareness of and engagement in essential topics and expectations in our courses.
4. Collaborate with others
5. Engage in authentic tasks

For a link to a video that better describes the Wiki:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY

Andrea Noltkamper
Amanda Turkington

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

This week at the Academy........

This week at the Academy...

Mr. Hilton’s Keyboarding class will be working on typing, and in his World History II class they are going to be taking a quiz using the Moodle. What is Moodle? Stay tuned! World History II will also be creating flyers using Microsoft Publisher and beginning to create podcasts.

Coach Erwin’s U.S. History class will be using Photo Story 3 to create a digital scrapbook of the immigration experience through Ellis Island. In Erwin’s Issues in Psychology class the students will be replicating social psychology experiments around the school and will utilize laptops, cell phones, video, and podcasting while doing their research. In Personal Fitness Concepts students will be posting to the class blog http://21stCenturyAcademyPE.blogspot.com on fitness and health related information. The postings will include pictures and video. All of Erwin’s classes will also be taking their weekly quiz online using the Moodle.

In Mrs. Harison's newsletter class, they are putting together their articles for the Academy newspaper using Microsoft Publisher and making it as close to perfect as they can. The laptops have given them more resources and time to make their final revisions.

Check tomorrow for Dr. Sandfort's podcast interview and Friday for examples of students work!

Andrea Noltkamper

Monday, March 31, 2008

Academy Goes 1 to 1!



The day is finally here! This morning the laptop exploratory program began. Each student went through an orientation with the technology staff and was given their laptop that they will use during the school day.

Sean Erwin
Social Studies/P.E.
Lindbergh Academy

Friday, March 21, 2008

What is 1 to 1?

Many people have recently asked the question "What is 1 to 1?" Simply put, 1 to 1 stands for 1student, 1 computer.The learning environment has greatly changed over time.

In the 21st century, learning needs to be both meaningful to students and engaging. A way to promote such interest is through the use of technology in the classroom.The Lindbergh Academy laptop exploratory program has been designed to promote such interest.

Beginning March 31st, each student will have access to a laptop throughout the entire school day. This access will allow students to work collaboratively and to be actively engaged in the learning process while using 21st Century tools. The venture will aim to enhance learning, improve instruction, engage the learner, increase attendance, and to ultimately increase academic achievement among students at Lindbergh Academy.

10 days and counting.....

Sean Erwin
Social Studies/P.E.
Lindbergh Academy

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Welcome

Welcome to our first blog posting!

After we come back from spring back on March 31st, Lindbergh Academy will be receiving laptops for every student. Everyone is very excited! Gentry Craig said, “Yea, I am very excited. I think it is a new and good development for the Academy.” Mr. Hilton also stated, “I think it will allow teachers to give assignments that will engage the students more.” The laptops are going to be used to make the assignments more interesting and the work more meaningful for us. Craig replied, “More technology makes everything better. This whole world is based on technology.”

For making this opportunity possible we would like to thank:
Mark R. Rudoff
Kenneth A. Fey
Vic Lenz
Katie Wesselschmidt
Janine M. Fabrick
Bob Foerstel
David L. Peek
Dr. Sandfort
Dr. Rathjen
Kathy Bade
Colin Davitt
Mariano Marin
Dr. Helms


Drafted By:
Amanda Turkington
Whitney Cooper
Andrea Noltkamper