What is a Newtech?

 

Our First Year at Wayne

Guest column by Liz Bryan, Director, New Tech Academy

In 2006, FWCS received a Smaller Learning Communities federal grant. I left my position as high school assistant principal and headed to central office to figure out how to "do school differently." The world had changed, but our high schools were functioning as they always had. My goal was to find something to change the system and reinvent our high schools.

We started with smaller learning communities that focused on academics, team teaching and building better relationships with students. We began to expand by developing programs of study in each of Fort Wayne Community Schools' high schools to motivate students based on their interests, such as engineering, biomedical and world studies. One of the programs on the board was New Tech.

I went to the very first meeting when Dave Dresslar, senior fellow for Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL), introduced New Tech to our community in a small meeting on Ivy Tech's campus. I knew from his description that we needed the New Tech model.

I visited New Tech schools in California and two in Indiana (Bloomington and Columbus), and every time I walked into a New Tech, the excitement was overwhelming for me. During these visits, I repeatedly heard that we should be cautious as New Tech isn't for everyone and that working in groups isn't always a good fit for students, and I would nod my head in agreement.

After months of dealing with construction, selecting the best teachers, attending training, and recruiting students, we opened our doors. I was exhausted . . . little did I know that exhaustion would not go away until June! As an educated woman, I often reflect on what I was thinking in those months prior to school. In my dream world, the 14-year-old students would walk in the door, buy into our culture of trust, respect, and responsibility, and be ready to work in groups. Those same students in my dream world wouldn't take advantage of the laptop that provided access to a world of You-Tube videos and games!

And so it began. We began teaching adolescents to learn in a project-based environment, respect one another, be engaged, communicate openly and honestly, work in teams, and work through conflict.

Now that the first year is over, I can tell you that it was worth every tear shed, every gray hair gained, and every sleepless night! Our students left us excited about summer but hesitant to say goodbye. My teachers left looking and feeling exhausted but also asking if we could ever become a year-round school as they were going to miss our new family!

And we did become a family. We worked on building our culture for an hour every Friday; we call it "Family Time." We worked on "accountable talk," "words to live by," conflict resolution, and other issues that the students and teachers deemed necessary for us to address to grow as a family. I wouldn't give up this time for the world; it was the best hour of the week for us.

Mondays were our hardest days - it only took us two months to figure this out! It was difficult for these teenagers to return to our culture of high expectations after a weekend at home. So on Mondays, we spent the morning as a family refocusing on our purpose, why we were there, and what our futures hold. As the year progressed, these family meetings took only 10 minutes.

The rigor of our projects created a challenge. Grades slipped and the students would repeatedly say, "if I walk through those double doors into the traditional high school, I am an A student." It was true, and, as adults following the tenets of our school's culture, we told the students that they were right, however, we also discussed why they chose New Tech. By the end of the year, we didn't have to have those conversations any more.

My biggest realization of the year takes me back to the original comments that I had accepted as being true: New Tech isn't for everyone. IT IS FOR EVERYONE! Every student deserves this chance - to be taught critical thinking skills, to work with others (collaboration), to use technology as a tool, to work on fine-tuning oral and written communication skills, to understand what it means to have a strong work ethic, and to be able to apply what they learn to the real world. We are preparing students for the 21st century....how is that not good for every student?

Exemplary Teachers

Congratulations to New Tech Academy, which was commended by the New Tech Network for its first-year success by being named a "demonstration site," which means others interested in starting a New Tech school can model their program after New Tech Academy's program. In addition, all six New Tech Academy teachers were named "NTN Exemplary Teachers."

Kathleen Cagle

A graduate of Elmhurst High School, Ms. Kathleen Cagle received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. She received her teaching certification from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). She is currently completing her Masters of Education Degree in Adolescent Literacy and Technology from Walden University.

Ms. Cagle began her teaching career in the fall of 1998 at St. Joseph's Middle School in Decatur, Indiana. She then taught for six years at Elmhurst High School. Ms Cagle worked for the Fort Wayne Community School's district as the Secondary Math Facilitator for three years before beginning her first year in 2009 as a New Tech teacher.

Melissa Cox

After working in the business sector for three years, she began classes at Indiana Wesleyan to acquire her teaching license in Spanish. Mrs. Cox graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and International Studies from Indiana University Bloomington in 2005.

In 2009, Mrs. Cox joined the staff at New Tech Academy with Fort Wayne Community Schools. There, she and Riley Johnson taught the first World Studies class in the New Tech Network. This class integrates Geography and History of the World with Spanish. She was named a New Tech Exemplary Teacher for the 2009-2010 school year. She is returning to New Tech Academy for the 2010-2011 school year and will again be instructing the World Studies class and a Spanish elective class.

David Flesch

A graduate of Garrett High School, Mr. Flesch received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Technology from Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He earned his teaching certification in 1990 also at IPFW and his Master of Arts Degree in Education from Indiana Wesleyan (IWU).

Mr. Flesch is trained in FORMAT, curriculum mapping, disciplinary literacy, Project Lead The Way certification, Collins writing method and is AP certified in biology and chemistry. He served as science department chair for 10 years and as SIP/QIT representative for 5 years during his 16 year tenure at Elmhurst. He is currently beginning the 2010 year as a PLTW instructor and chemistry teacher at New Tech Academy.

Ginger Giessler

A graduate of South Side High School, Ms. Ginger Giessler received her Bachelor of Science Degree in business from Indiana-Purdue University (IPFW), a Bachelor of Arts Degree in secondary education (English) from Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (IPFW), and her Master of Education Degree from Indiana Wesleyan Fort Wayne.

Ms. Giessler taught AP English, Junior Academic English, and in the Freshmen Academy at Elmhurst High School from 2003-2009. After teaching at Elmhurst High School, Ms. Giessler embraced the project based model and collaborated with the New Tech team to create a culture of trust, respect, and responsibility in 2009. After one year of teaching at the New Tech Academy, Ms. Giessler was named an exemplary teacher by the New Tech Network (2010).

Riley Johnson

A graduate of Leo Jr./Sr. High School, Mr. Johnson received his Bachelor of Science degree in social studies education from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He returned to Fort Wayne to complete his student teaching at North Side High School in the fall of 2008. Upon completion, he served as a long-term substitute in the science department at North Side for the remainder of the school year.

In the fall of 2009, Mr. Johnson began teaching at New Tech Academy at Wayne High School. He started his teaching career co-teaching the first World Studies class in the New Tech Network. He has stayed active in the school culture outside of the classroom, serving as a wrestling coach, Student Council advisor, and New Tech Network co-advocate.

Marci Oberlin

A graduate of North Side High School, Ms. Marci Oberlin received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology Secondary Education from the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

After teaching Biology at North Side High School from 2001 to 2003, Ms. Oberlin spent one year teaching middle school science at Ward Education Center, then taught at Elmhurst High School from 2004-2009, where she became part of the freshman academy initiative started by the district, sparking her interest in small learning communities. When FWCS was preparing to open New Tech Academy in the 2009-2010 school year Ms. Oberlin jumped at the opportunity to become a part of this small learning community and made the transition from Elmhurst to New Tech. Ms. Oberlin was named and Exemplary Teacher by the New Tech Network in the spring of 2010.