ETSC Featured Teachers

The Wax Museum

Posted: Nov 4, 2009 (ESD 105)
Six years ago several teachers met one day and decided that they would like to have a culminating project for 8^th grade social studies. Thus the wax museum project was born.  The 8th grade team creates a Wax Museum each year.  Students research a person from history and create presentations on that person.  They create a poster with all the information.  During the evening wax museum they dress up as their person in history and present as if they were actually that person.In the past all the students did was create a poster about their character and did a live performance in front of a live audience.

With the integration with technology we have brought their project to the next level.  Students now create a newsletter about their character using Publisher, and use PowerPoint for their presentations along with their oral presentation and their poster.   Eric's goal as a peer coach was to have all the students create a newsletter with publisher and publish their works on the web.Getting to this point at first seemed to be a daunting task.  As a peer coach "I wasn’t sure how I was going to accomplish this enormous project.  200 projects, 200 kids working on publisher, 32 computers, 1000 questions, 200 documents to be converted for web, webpages created from scratch, 4 weeks to complete and the end products not only priceless but awesome."  As a peer coach he was able to bring the 8^th grade language art teachers and students from a Tier 1 usage of technology to a Tier 2 and some to a Tier 3 level.  For the project Eric showed the students and staff on how to use Publisher, and led a group of kids to work on the main webpage.  Overall the project turned out to be outstanding success.  Now they are going on the third year with integrating technology into the wax museum project.  They can’t wait to see what this years students will produce.

http://share2.esd105.wednet.edu/efranz/

Programs used

• Publisher 2003
• Powerpoint 2003
• Word 2003 
• The Hat (to picking students names and character)
• Dreamweaver (for developing the webpag)
• Adobe Acrobat 9
• Examview

Eric has been teaching for 16 years at Lewis & Clark Middle school as a special education teacher. He also has been a peer coach for the last 3 years and a TRT (Technical Resource Teacher) for the past 15 years. He also maintains the webpages for Lewis & Clark Middle School, , Nob Hill Elementary school, Nob Hill PTSA, Lewis & Clark PTSA, and Yakima PTSA council.  He currently does trainings for staff in Mimio and technology needs.  He also presented at the WASWUG user group conference for secretaries.  Additionally, he just became a state trainer in Thinkfinity and sits on the Yakima School District Instructional Technology team. He also maintains 3 computer labs, 2 mini labs and provide IT support for his staff.

Eric believes that integrating technology in education works best when it is well planned, well-integrated, closely monitored as to its effectiveness. Because of this day and age of technology, students respond very well to using technology in a daily process. Kids are texting and using Twitter, Facebook, and myspace.   They see technology as an extension of their being.

Technology programs:

• Powerpoint
• Publisher
• Examview
• Puzzle view
• Study View
• Bridges to Algebra
• Math Amigo
• Dreamweaver

Hardware:

• CPS Remotes
• Mimio Interactive Whiteboards
• Gyration Mouse and keyboard
• Nintendo Wii
• Computers
• Document Camera
• Projector
• Palms

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