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QTL > News > Article Summaries > Current Article
Arkansas teachers put QTL concepts to work
May 2005

ARKADELPHIA, AR - Dozens of Arkansas teachers have spent time this spring applying what they learned in the QTL™ program, wrapping up collaborative projects that made use of active learning and technology.

Cutter Morning Star teachers' collaborative project had students thinking about sea life. Teachers find that such active learning projects can dramatically increase students' motivation.

Instructor April Shepherd of the Dawson Co-op, who worked with QTL's Tamara McCulloch to deliver the program at Dawson last year, was especially impressed with the projects.

"The teachers from Kirby did an outstanding job on their collaborative project," Shepherd says. "They decided to work together and research the different regions within the United States."

Kirby third-grade teacher Cathy Whitehead had students create and tell a story using PowerPoint. They did research on different animals found across the country, and included graphics in their presentation. She also had her students write biographies of their heroes, including pictures in a Word document.

Her teammate Carina Tolleson, a fourth-grade teacher, used PowerPoint, the 'jigsaw' teaching technique and the book "Sarah, Plain and Tall" for a project in which her students created a bulletin board study of adverbs. That exercise led to a storybook created by the kids.

A third member of that team, fourth-grade teacher Delores Cowart, had students create storybooks about plants found across the United States. More advanced students researched foreign countries - and created their own passports to enter and exit the country.

Teachers say the activities increased student motivation. "Some of the students did not have the skills to do what was needed," one says, "but after a couple of days learning the equipment they were able to jump right in and complete the assignment."

Team members say collaboration required more time at the beginning of the project, but brought rewards and increased interest among fellow faculty members once students' story boards were posted. Their principal asked the teachers to present a workshop on their collaborative project.

Teachers from other schools including Cutter Morning Star also went through the program last fall. State legislative program is helping underwrite some of the cost of bringing QTL™ to other teachers in Arkansas this summer.

For more information on sending teachers through the QTL™ program, contact Susan Brown at 866.371.2848 or .

 

For more information, contact Robin Fred via e-mail at or call him at 888.507.3800.

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