Small group discussion -

• "you know what you want to cover...there are projects in place" but being able to navigate the technology would be the thing to learn
• start with the 9th grade or 9th and 10th grade - but you have to have something that would give the students a choice. If students were forced into this from the start, where would the student buy-in be? We would have to have a selection process.
• We would have to look at the numbers we have and see how many teachers we could actually pull in
• $$$ to cover computers, travel, training, construction?????
• REDESIGN the building in some way
• what students would we target? average students? honors students? struggling students?
• the middle of the road kids get fewer choices - more courses for GT, more help for Special Ed.
• How many kids? you have to balance your demographics? So what about ESOL kids? Can we do a break up of our demographics?
• What about the academy (AAST)? Aren't they already doing this? Why not just expand this? Theirs is more focused on the major, rather than the inquiry method (more liberal arts)
• Whatever we do - in order to do project-based learning, we HAVE to have the resources separate from the rest of the building. We can't gobble up all of the technology in the building just for OUR classes. Could we guarantee use for all students every day.
• Would the teachers be just New Tech or could they also teach an "out" class? Would that take AP teachers out? Can we find out from other schools?
• Learning styles - the kids that do well in AP usually do well in school, in general - this should be targeting those students who don't always do well with school
• If we adopt this for 9th and 10th grade, do they other teachers in the building have access to the online materials? Would those of us who are NOT New Tech teachers still be able to use the materials (bits and pieces).
• If the state funds it, what accountability do we have? Do they take the computers back? the funding? the resources?
• technology is not the biggest part of this - we need the coach and resources
• non-EOC courses - best place to start? More flexibility, less accountability
• down side - 11th graders not as trainable, some EOC scores might actually go up - English I EOC is less about literature than informational texts these days.
• Classroom space - availability of labs, a wing of the school?
• need to see it in action - could we go to NC?
• what is the time frame for this? in the spring - Nona and lead teacher would go for 1 week to work with a school; then the teachers would shadow for a few days; training in the summer for 5 days.
• Application for those who are interested? then a lottery that would match the demographics
• teachers - application process - teachers need to be on board for this
• team teaching doesn't have to ALWAYS be done - would we be able to do both methods?
• What about the majors? These students have to finish within 4 years - could they be a part of the New Tech school?
• students would take their core classes so they would have other "out" classes when they could take their electives
• you may have low numbers the first year
• what is guidance's role - what stops guidance from just putting people in who need a class?

SUMMARY

• teacher application
• student application - lottery - need something to educate the 8th graders, something in the curriculum guide, publicity
• target a group to market it to - it is open to everyone, but we're going to invite specific ones and market it to them
• we need to visualize how this is ACTUALLY done - we need to SEE this done
• where is all of this $$$ going to come from - this will require a lot of $$$