PBTIL Abstract

PBTIL Abstract
The purpose of this three year project is to create a new setting for learning and to further develop innovative and effective curriculum models, instructional strategies, and assessment components that will ultimately improve instruction for LEP students. These models, aligned with The Massachusetts Department of Education's Curriculum Frameworks and Goals 2000 and proven to be successful, will be integrated into both the curriculum and inservice staff development programs of participating schools as well as courses offered by The University of Massachusetts Lowell's Graduate School of Education. The curriculum coupled with instructional and assessment strategies, developed during the life of the project, will be utilized in participating schools and published electronically, maintained, and updated on the EduTel Communications' bilingual project based web site, CommunityNet. Dr. Juan C. Rodriguez, Professor of Education and Director, Bilingual/ESL Program is the Principal Investigator of this program.
Eight teams of teachers, (each composed of a mainstream and a Latino/a), will be chosen from the public schools in the Merrimack Valley including Lowell, an Enterprise Zone, and Methuen. With the support of faculty from the Graduate School's Bilingual/ESL Program and other hired professionals experienced in project based learning and technology, they will develop Community Centered Project Based Technology Integrated Learning (PBTIL) units. (A key component of the PBTIL model is the focus on ethnographic aspects of students' communities. The model concept is described in detail in the proposal.) To learn about Community Centered PBTIL and acquire necessary technology skills, a total of sixteen participating mainstream and Latino/a teachers from the identified schools will attend seminars/workshops. To receive a solid foundation, participating teachers will attend a core of ESL/Bilingual credit hour courses leading to certification. The teachers' task will be to collaboratively develop relevant projects for LEP students that will improve English proficiency and achievement across the curriculum with an emphasis on reading and writing.
School principals, administrators, parents, and other community members will play a specific role in achieving these goals. Project personnel will provide seminars/workshops for principals and administrators from participating schools to adequately prepare them to support their teachers, and when needed will furnish additional information and support, personally, by phone and via email. To improve parental and community participation, the project will host a series of onsite instructional meetings. In addition, relevant educational references and resources as well as a quarterly newsletter will be available on the project web site for administrators, parents, and community members.
The impact of this project will directly effect approximately twelve hundred students who will participate in the Community Centered PBTIL model to improve their English proficiency and academic abilities. These students will have the opportunity to electronically publish their work. It has been proven that electronic publishing provides motivation and that the integrated use of technology improves achievement for at-risk students (ISTE). Because of online access to the work of these students, the project has the potential to impact the educational community at-large. Faculty and project personnel will monitor teacher and student progress throughout the project and will periodically evaluate activities and provide feedback to the school districts. All project personnel are highly qualified specialists with substantial experience in their fields.

This program is supported in part by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, University of Massachusetts, Lowell.